Jeanne P. Dreyfus, Ed. D., external evaluator
Little Rock School District Magnet Schools and Magnet Programs Evaluation Report 2005 - 2006 Jeanne P. Dreyfus Ed. D. External Evaluatorm m nri The evaluator would like to acknowledge and thank the Little Rock School Districts Planning, Research, and Evaluation (PRE) director and staff for their generous and timely assistance in the collection of a wide array of data for this report. p p p p p p p p p p p p p pH I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY MAGNET SCHOOLS AND PROGRAM EVALUATION IN IN Over the past twenty years, the Little Rock School District has established a number of full-scale magnet schools and magnet programs in several of its area schools. These schools and programs are intended to promote educational excellence and student diversity. This report summarizes research and evaluation work performed over a fifteen-month period on 17 of these entities. A two part endeavor, Part I, covered in this report, focused on a comprehensive examination of the following schools and programs: IN  Stipulation Magnet Schools (6)- Booker, Carver, Gibbs, and Williams Elementary Schools, Mann Middle School and Parkview High School IN  Magnet Schools Assistance Program Schools (4) - Cloverdale and Mabelvale Middle Schools, and J.A. Fair and McClellan High Schools IN  Schools with embedded Magnet Programs (7) - King, Rockefeller, Romine and Washington Elementary Schools, Dunbar and Henderson Middle Schools, and Central High School IN Professionally recognized evaluation standards guided the creation and content of the evaluation study, the manner in which data were collected and the reporting methodology. IN IN The evaluator collected a wide array of data on stakeholders perceptions of the schools and programs, students academic achievement and the schools abilities to de-isolate minorities and attract diverse student populations. Throughout the work, there was also an over-arching goal of determining the districts, schools and communitys commitment to the magnet concept and program sustainability. IN This study generated a number of preliminary findings and areas that warrant further study. Part II of the work, which will be conducted during 2006 - 2007, will examine these areas in-depth. IN General Finding and Recommendation IN A major observation that emerged from this study was that, although the community knows the district offers a number of school choices to students and parents, there is no clearly stated, district-level magnet vision and mission statement for the non-stipulation magnet schools and embedded magnet programs. Mission and vision statements are important because they provide clarity and direction to stakeholders and guide program funding, implementation and evaluation. IN IN This finding generated a recommendation that the District decide how (and whether) it is going to utilize its already existing set of magnet schools and programs to promote student diversity and academic achievement. Creating a magnet mission/vision statement would clarify the districts intent and a centralized magnet office would provide the guidance and oversight necessary to sustain the work. IN Academic Achievement IN Part of the Arkansas Comprehensive Testing, Assessment and Accountability Program (ACTAAP), the states Benchmark exams measure the degree to which students have mastered subject content standards. The goal for each student is proficiency in all requirements at each grade level. Proficient students demonstrate solid academic performance for the grade tested and are well prepared for the next level of school. (Arkansas Department of Education, 2005 Arkansas School Performance Report. IN2 p In almost every instance across grade and school levels, the six Stipulation Magnet Schools had higher percentages of students who were Proficient and Above in Literacy and Mathematics standards over time than other schools in the study. Students enrolled in the four Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) Schools trailed noticeably in proficiency attainment in the two subject areas, especially mathematics, but the schools have made progress in moving MSAP students out of the Below Basic category, the lowest performance level for these exams. p p The academic achievement of students enrolled in the schools with embedded magnet programs could not be tracked in Year I because the available data are not consistent and appear unreliable. It is anticipated that this problem will be solved in Year II of the study and analysis of magnet students achievement levels in the embedded magnet programs will be available in the Year II report. p p Program Perceptions Data from stakeholders provided insight into their understanding of the magnet schools and programs and their perceptions of their worth. Our data showed that a majority of those sampled believed the children liked school and that the schools were preparing the students for the future. Sampled teachers generally believed that their magnet programs were meeting the academic needs of their African-American students and that their programs were an important reason why students enrolled in their schools. Two-thirds (magnet programs) to three-quarters (stipulation magnets) of parents thought that their childrens learning needs were being met and the majority thought their children were receiving a quality education. p p p However, the data also showed that sampled parents of children in Stipulation Magnet Schools would be less likely than sampled Magnet-program parents to continue sending their children to their schools if they no longer had magnet programs or had altered programs of diminished quality. When asked to elaborate, parents offered explanations like the following: p p  No ... my assumption is that the high standards will decrease.   The magnet program is what makes us go to that school.   The school just wouldn t be the same.  II The data suggest that an expanded investigation into the communitys perceptions of the magnet schools and programs would assist the district in future decisions regarding these entities. Especially important would be inquiries into what parents would do if their magnet schools or programs were altered or eliminated. p Funding p The wide variation in magnet funding of embedded Magnet Programs and the MSAP Schools suggests that the data do not represent actual program expenditures. Some of the 17 schools in the evaluation do not have any money budgeted for their magnet programs. While others, who were depending on grant money, found themselves without the funding they needed when their grants expired. For these reasons, the evaluator suggests that magnet programs with no magnet funding stream be fully funded if their magnet programs have committed leadership and faculties and viable program infrastructures. For those magnet programs with outside funding that has expired, the district should consider planning, funding, and monitoring the future of these magnet programs so that the large investment in place in these schools is not lost. p p p Finally, the district should revisit those programs not independently functioning as magnet programs. A decision should be made to either phase them out or integrate them into other aspects of the schools curricula with funding earmarked to cover the transitions costs needed to complete this process. p p p 1II 3 II TABLE OF CONTENTS II Page II Introduction 1 I. Evaluation Study Design 2 II  Data Availability and Discrepancies (Recommendation - Rec., p. 7) 7 II II. Magnet Schools and Magnet Program Descriptions 8 II  Introduction, Evaluation Questions  Mission Statements, Organizational Chart {Rec., p. 10)  Nature of the Magnet Programs - Descriptions 9 9 11 II  Stipulation Magnet Schools  Magnet Schools Assistance Program Schools  Embedded Magnet Programs 11 14 18 II II  Program Implementation Levels  Minority Group Isolation  Opportunities to Meet State/District Content Standards  Equitable Program Access  Special Situations - Hall and Rockefeller (Rec., p. 31) 20 22 25 27 29 II III. Academic Achievement - Combined Populations 32 II II  Introduction  Stipulation Magnet Schools  Magnet Schools Assistance Program Schools  High Schools  Achievement Comparisons Across School Clusters 33 34 35 36 38 II IIIA. Academic Achievement - African-American Students 41 II  Stipulation Magnet Schools  Magnet Schools Assistance Program Schools  Areas of Progress  Achievement Gap 42 43 44 45 II II II II4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page IV. Program Perceptions 48  M H  Introduction, Evaluation Question  Parents (Rec., p. 54)  Students  Teachers  School Program/Administrative Leaders 49 49 54 55 59 HH V. Level of Interest, Support and Involvement 60  Evaluation Question, Volunteer Hours, Outreach Activities  Partnerships, Transportation and Zone Information 61 62 H VI. Program Expenditures (Rec., p. 70) 64 H VII. Other Magnet School and Program Information and Outcomes 71  Student Enrollment  Teacher Education Levels  Magnet Class Requirements  Access Participation and Progress 72 73 75 76 M  Mobility  Advanced Placement Enrollment  Graduation Rates  Achievement and the Economically Disadvantaged 78 VIII. Sustainability Work (Rec., p. 82) 79 IX. Summary - Key Findings and Recommendations 83 Appendix
Parent, Student and Principal Surveys List of Graphs 1. Comparison of Racial/Ethnic Distributions  Stipulation Magnet Schools  MSAP Schools 22 23 H TABLE OF CONTENTS nn M 5 II Page II 2. Student Achievement - Combined Population II II  Stipulation Magnet School  Magnet School Assistance Program Schools  High School  High School  Comparisons Across School Clusters 34 35 36 37 38 3. Student Achievement - African-American Students II II  Stipulation Magnet Schools  Magnet School Assistance Program Schools  Areas of Progress - African American - Below Basic  Achievement Gap - Elementary Schools Achievement 42 43 44 45+ II 4. Program Perceptions II II  Parents Ability to Describe Magnet Programs  Importance of Magnet Program  Enrollment Plans if Magnet Discontinued  Students Program Perceptions  Teachers Program Perceptions  Teachers Magnet Staff Development 51 52 53 54 56+ 58 II 5. Funding II n II  Stipulated Magnet Schools - Funding by Source  Stipulated Magnet Schools - Per-pupil Expenditures 66  Stipulated Magnet Schools - Specialists and Classroom Certified Staff  Stipulated Magnet Schools - Magnet Expenditures  MSAP Per-pupil Expenditures  Magnet Programs - Per-pupil Expenditures - Whole Pop.  MSAP and Magnet Programs Expenditures  Expenditures per Square Foot 66 67 67 68 68 69 70 II 6. Other Magnet Schools and Program Information and Outcomes II II  Student Enrollment  Teacher Education Levels  Mobility Rates  Graduation Rates  Economically Disadvantaged 73+ 73+ 76 77 78 II Little Rock School District II6 Magnet Schools and Magnet Programs Evaluation Report 2005-2006 Introduction Over the past twenty years, the Little Rock School District has established a number of full-scale magnet schools and embedded a variety of magnet programs in several of its area schools. These schools and programs follow a long standing tradition of promoting educational excellence and student diversity. This report summarizes research and evaluation work performed over a fifteen-month period on 18 of these entities in the Little Rock School District. A two part endeavor, Part I, summarized here, focused on a comprehensive examination of the schools and programs. The data that the evaluator collected and analyzed yielded a number of preliminary findings and underscored areas of interest that warrant further study. Part 11 of the work, which will be conducted during 2006 - 2007, will examine these areas in-depth. The current narrative describes the magnet schools and programs, documents their effectiveness, and offers recommendations based on preliminary evaluation findings. For reporting purposes, it divides the schools and programs into three clusters - Stipulation Magnet Schools, Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) Schools, and (embedded) Magnet programs. Each of these clusters has common characteristics and structures which will be described and reviewed at length in the sections that follow. The report is organized into nine sections that examine the following topics:  Section I: Evaluation Study Design.  Section II: Magnet Schools and Magnet Program Descriptions  Section III: Academic Achievement - Combined Populations  Stipulation Magnet Schools  Magnet Schools Assistance Program Schools  Embedded Magnet Programs  Section IIIA: Academic Achievement - African-American Students Section IV: Section V: Section VI
Section VII: Program Perceptions - Parents, Students, Teachers and Administrators Level of Interest, Support and Involvement Program Expenditures Other Magnet School and Program Information and Outcomes  Student Enrollment  Teacher Education Levels  Magnet Class Requirements and Magnet Seals  Mobility  Advanced Placement Enrollment  Graduation Rates  Achievement and the Economically Disadvantaged  Section VIII: Sustainability Work  Section EX
Summary - Key Findings and Recommendations In addition to the summary of key findings and recommendations presented in Section IX, section findings and recommendations can be found throughout the body of the report n mm I 7 IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN SECTION I: EVALUATION STUDY DESIGN8 Section I: Evaluation Study Design  The evaluation study was designed to answer a number of questions about student achievement, opportunities for standards-based learning, the de-isolation of African-American students, and levels of magnet support and funding. H Inquiries into these four areas were supplemented by additional questions about: H  the nature of magnet programs and their implementation levels,  program differences, if any, across racial groups,  program perceptions, and  efforts to support and sustain core program components Each section of the report begins with an introduction and the evaluation question or questions addressed in the section. A list of the evaluation questions can also be found in the appendices at the back. The goal of the design was to provide accurate documentation of the magnet schools and programs and an evaluation study that is informative, useful, feasible and considerate of its participants. Professionally recognized evaluation standards guided the creation and content of the design, the manner in which data were collected and the reporting methodology. Study Participants, The evaluator collected a wide array of data across program participants, magnet schools and magnet programs to obtain multiple perspectives on the evaluation questions. An effort was made to identify representative samples and collect data from participants in a timely and efficient manner and to stay within budget. Although every school was not represented across all data collection activities, the evaluator was able to solicit input from 1324 people who had either impacted or been impacted by the schools and programs under study. One of the proposed goals in Year II will be to continue data collection across these groups and to add additional representation that would widen our understanding of the schools and programs. The chart below provides basic details of study participants. Magnet Cluster Stipulation Magnet Schools (6) MSAP Schools (4) Schools w/ Magnet Programs (7) Other Total Study Participants Magnet Schools and Magnet Program Evaluation 2005-2006 No. of Schools Teachers Principals District/ Magnet Leaders Parents Students Class Obs. Survey 6 4 7 18 266 152 230 648 6 4 8 18 4 1 5 10 114 140 254 51 36 51 144 283 111 394 HnM II 9 II II II Data Collection Activities. The research study centered around six data collection activities: (1) school and classroom observations, (2) review and analysis of school report cards, data and standardized test results, (3) collection and review of historical documents related to desegregation and magnet school issues, (4) the administration of student, teacher, parent and principal surveys, (5) district, school and magnet leadership Interviews, and (6) collection and review of student work. These activities and the data collection methods utilized are summarized below. II Data Collection Activities Magnet Schools and Magnet Program Evaluation 2005-2006 II II II II II Activity Observations Site Visits Surveying Review Data/ Documents Interviews Focus Groups (field tested) District Level 16 57 16 School Level Principals/Magnet Coordinators 68 16 54 38 Classroom Level Teachers/Students 144 648/394 119 54/103' 4 5 teachers/19 students Parent 146 108 Other 2 3 6 2 8 II II 1, Site Visits. The evaluator conducted 68 site visits over 38 days across the 18 schools under study. The objectives of the initial visits were to establish contact with the principals and/or the magnet coordinators, share the evaluation goals and data collection plans, answer questions, learn about the school and its program, and do a thorough school walk-through of each school. During subsequent visits, the evaluator had in-depth conversations with principals and magnet leaders about their program challenges and successes. II II These site visits were essential for a number of reasons. They allowed the evaluator to observe the schools culture and climate, the number and types of student work displays in the hallways, school projects such as student gardens, and the number of students transported by buses to and from schools. The visits also provided opportunities to talk formally and informally with teachers, parents and students about their work and their programs. II II During the year, the evaluator also attended a number of school activities such as an evening music performance by students for their families, a faculty meeting. Open House, Principal Leadership Trainings, the Magnet Fair, and the High School Academic Signing Day ceremony at the Clinton Library. II lA. Classroom Observations. During her visits to the schools, the evaluator conducted 122 classroom observations. Initially, these were short five minutes classroom visits. As teachers became comfortable with an observer, the time spent in the classrooms stretched to 30-45 minutes. The evaluator focused on two areas. The first was the classroom learning environment - its organization (large/small student groupings) II ' The evaluator conducted informal, but substantive, interviews with teachers and students about their work. III 10 and teacher-student roles in the learning process. The second was lesson content, whether it was standards-based and had the magnet theme Integrated into what or how the students were learning. 2. Review of School Data and Standardized Test Results. To learn more about the students who attended these schools and programs, their behavior (discipline referral, suspensions), commitment to school (attendance) and academic achievement, the evaluator reviewed a wide variety of standardized-test results and other data. The Portfolio of Data for the Little Rock School District, 2005, Draft and the School Report Cards were especially valuable. Some examples of additional data the evaluator reviewed follow:  November 2005 Construction Report  Bond Projects  Little Rock School District Detailed Budget, 2005-2006,2003-2004, 2002-2003.  Magnet School Assistance Program Grant Proposal, December 2000  Enrollment Information - Student Choices  Little Rock School District Web Page  Magnet Applications Received During Initial Registration - Non-Black Applicants, First Choice. Entry Level Grade - 2002-2003 through 2006-2007  A History of the Little Rock School District  Little Rock School District, Pre-Kindergarten - Grade 12, Month-by-Month Reading & Mathematics, Curriculum Overview  Little Rock School District Efficiency Matrix, 03/24/06  The Little Rock School District. On the Path of Progress. December, 2005  School Summaries (18), Little Rock School District Web Page 3. Review of Historical Documents. The evaluator also found it helpful to review some of the court cases that impacted LRSDs policies and schools over the years. Some of those reviewed were
 Woods, H., & Deere, B. (1991). Reflections on the Little Rock School Case. Arkansas Law Review, 44(4).  Little Rock School District, Plaintiff V Pulaski County Special School District No. 1, et al. Defendants, Mrs. Lorene Joshua, et all. Intervenors. Stipulation for Recommendations Regarding Magnet Schools. 1987  Little Rock School District, Plaintiff V Pulaski County Special School District No. 1, et al. Defendants. Order. 1987  Little Rock School District, Plaintiff V Pulaski County Special School District No. 1, et al. Defendants. Joint Motion. February 14, 1992  Little Rock School District, Plaintiff V Pulaski County Special School District No. 1, et. al. Defendants. Memorandum Brief. February 14, 1992  Little Rock School District, Plaintiff V Pulaski County Special School District No. 1, et al. Defendants. Order. March 5 , 1992.  Little Rock School District, Revised Desegregation and Education Plan. January 16, 1998  Little Rock School District, Plaintiff V Pulaski County Special School District, No. 1, et al. Defendants, Memorandum Opinion. June 30, 2004. 4. Surveys. The evaluator surveyed a number of stakeholders to learn what those closely involved with the magnet schools and programs thought of them, how much they understood their purpose, and what value they placed on them. The surveys provided information about respondents program knowledge and attitudes and insight into whether stakeholders, such as parents, would continue to enroll their children in a magnet program if it was altered or diminished. Aligned with the content of the evaluation questions, the surveys contained closed-ended (fixed answers) and open-ended questions or writing prompts. The closed-ended questions were more structured and confining, but easier to tally and report. The open-ended I n II 11 II questions elicited lengthy input which was harder to categorize and code, but provided greater depth of content. A brief summary of each survey type follows. II II II II Teacher Survey. Teachers shared their perspectives on the adequacy of their magnet-oriented professional development, how thoroughly they understood their program objectives and if they thought their magnet program was meeting the academic needs of their African-American students. In addition, they answered survey questions on whether the school/program was providing all students with a quality education and if they believed that the magnet program was an important reason why students applied to their schools. The survey contained 17 closed-ended and open-ended questions. The closed-ended questions contained statements such as, / believe that our magnet classes and curricula motivate students to leani . Teachers were provided with six choices - Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree - and were asked to choose the one that most closely reflected their beliefs. Open-ended questions were similar to the following, What, if anything, has promoted/impeded full implementation of your magnet program?". II II Parent Survey. This 15-question parent survey also contained closed-ended and open-ended questions. It asked parents to share their views about whether their children were receiving a quality education, if their childrens learning needs were being met and if the program was preparing the children for the future. In addition, the survey asked parents to describe their childs magnet program, whether it was important that the school had a magnet program, why they enrolled their child, and would they continue to send their child to the school if it no longer had a magnet program. II II Student Survey. Learning about students attitudes towards school and their motivation to achieve was also considered valuable. Adapting work done in the 199Os by Dr. Deborah Stipek (UCLA) and Dr. Heidi Gralinski (UCLA/Harvard University), the evaluator compiled a brief student attitude survey which asked students their views of their classroom environment, use of cognitive approaches that influenced their motivation to learn and their goal orientation. Students provided data on whether they liked school, if they learned in many different ways and if they wanted to learn as much as possible in their magnet classes. II Principal. The principals survey asked respondents for input in five areas - magnet demographics and and activities, what hindered and helped full program implementation, and school level marketing and recruitment activities. Examples of some of the questions or requests were: II II II  Unrelated to expenditures, what are two important core components of your magnet program ? Please explain.  What, if anything, has promoted/impeded full implementation of your magnet program?  Aside from the Magnet Fair, describe two ways you market your program and recruit magnet students..  How many buses deliver magnet students to your school daily?  Besides your attendance zone, how many other zones does your magnet student population represent? II II II II 5. Interviews. Both formal and informal interviews were important data collection activities for this evaluation. The evaluator interviewed all of the magnet principals, the MSAP Program Director and some site-based magnet coordinators and district leaders. Interviews tended to focus on program descriptions, changes that had occurred over time and a history of the challenges and accomplishments that the interviewees had encountered. There were three open-ended interview questions that inquired into (1) program responsibilities and activities, (2) implementation problems and successes experienced and (3) perceived outcomes. Typical questions were, Please, tell me about your program., What are some of your challenges?, What do you see as the main purpose or purposes of the program?, etc. Informal interviews such as talking with a teacher about a project her students were doing, sharing lunch with a II12 n school principal or talking with parents before a dinner honoring school volunteers provided additional input on aspects of the magnet programs and peoples perceptions of their effectiveness. H 6. Review of Student Work. During each school visit, the evaluator reviewed student work samples. The reviews provided answers to two questions: Were student work samples standards-basedproducts and to what extent was the schools magnet theme(s) integrated into student learning and instruction. H Bl Data Availability, Data Discrepancies and Data Analysis Bl Data Availability. A number of district and school site people generously provided data and assistance during the evaluation. There were instances, however, when the evaluator received contradictory sets of data on the same subject or received perplexing data. Most of the time, the person who sent the information satisfactorily explained the problem. When that did not happen, the evaluator, with the help of the Planning, Research and Evaluation staff, verified which data were accurate and which could not be used. Bl Data Discrepancies. Valid data are an absolute necessity for accurate reporting. In the case of magnet enrollment numbers, there are discrepancies in some of the data that were collected for this report. Most occurred with magnet programs that were embedded within the schools under study. The number of tagged magnet students within each school did not always reflect the magnet format of that school. If it was a magnet school format, then all students should have been tagged magnet students
if it was an embedded magnet program, then only students in that program should have been tagged as magnet students. Bl Bi Bl In addition to the above discrepancies, some data sets the evaluator received from different district departments contradicted one another. This made it difficult to know which data were accurate or if discrepancies were the result of different ways a department organized the data or the result of different data collection schedules or requirements. In the case of the magnet programs and achievement outcomes, until there is a consensus regarding how many magnet students are enrolled in each of the embedded magnet programs and schools, the evaluator cannot track Benchmark achievement for that cohort of students. Bl Bl Data Analysis. The evaluator collected and analyzed quantitative and qualitative data from a variety of sources for the report. Descriptive statistics - measures of central tendency, frequency distributions, etc. - were deemed most appropriate for the quantitative data
and, for these, graphs and charts were used to display findings. For the qualitative data  interviews, observations and open-ended survey input  the evaluator interpreted the data and organized the information into coherent categories, identifying themes and patterns. During interpretation, consistencies and differences were noted and any connections and relationships between questions and/or the answers across different groups were charted. Key findings were then presented in narrative form with accompanying charts and graphs. Bl Bl Bl Summary. In the end, the report uses multiple and varied data sets to generate descriptions and analyses of the Districts magnet school and programs. Although, at times, data sets spanned differing numbers of years, all provided longitudinal lenses into the magnet effort. The evaluator believes that the sum of all of the areas examined produced rich descriptions of magnet practices, perceptions and outcomes. Bl Bl Recommendation Create an accurate, centralized database for the Magnet Schools and Programs. Bl Bl Bl13 IN IN IN IN IN SECTION 11: MAGNET SCHOOLS AND PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN Section II: Magnet Schools and Program Descriptions IN IN14 Section II describes the magnet schools and programs studied in this evaluation and summarizes the data collected to answer four evaluation questions pertinent to this task. The questions are
I. What is the nature and implementation level of the magnet programs at each of the 18 Magnet Schools and Specialty Magnet Programs being evaluated? 2. Are the Stipulation Magnet Schools and the MSAP Schools, in particular, continuing to reduce, eliminate or prevent minority group isolation within their schools? 3. Are all of the Magnet Schools and Programs providing students with the opportunity to meet State and/or District content and performance standards? 4. Are their any program participation differences between minority and non-minority groups within the 18 Schools and Programs? Introduction. In the Little Rock School District, parents who wish to enroll their children in a magnet program have a number of choices from which to choose. This section of the report will examine 16 of the magnet schools and program choices at length and review the remaining two programs as special situations. Magnet Schools and Programs LRSD offers its parents a number of educational choices. Full-scale magnet schools and schools with embedded magnet programs are among the most popular. Each school and program is unique, differing in types of themes, magnitude of implementation, school level, and funding. The evaluator examined 18 of the magnet schools and programs  six Stipulation Magnet Schools, four Magnet Schools Assistance Program full-scale Magnet Schools (MSAP) and seven Magnet Programs embedded in the school curricula of seven area schools. The Stipulation Magnet Schools had their genesis in the Little Rock School District, Plaintijf, vs. Pulaski Count Special School District No. 1, et al. Defendants, Mrs. Lorene Joshua, et al. Intervenors court agreement rendered in 1986. The agreement stipulated that six schools would be converted to full-scale magnet schools and would open their doors as such in the 1987-1988 school year. In 2001, the district converted four existing secondary schools into Magnet Schools Assistance Program Schools after receiving a three-year, $7,056,075, MSAP grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The schools opened their doors as full-scale Magnets in 2001-2002. The district created the remaining seven school embedded magnet programs at different times over the last 18 years. The magnet schools and program.s offer a variety of specialized curriculum magnet programs. Magnet leaders selected themes that they hoped would be relevant and engaging and promote academic excellence and student diversity. Mission Statements. Although several magnet schools and embedded magnet programs have mission and/or vision statements of their own, at the district level, there is no similar statements for these entities. The LRSD offers parents and students multiple ways to learn about the schools and programs and how to apply for them, but nothing appears to be centrally available that clearly articulates the special mission of magnets or their goals and visions for the future. Strategic Plan. Mission and vision statements fall under the larger concept of strategic plans. In the document, On the Path of Progress, the district ha.s stated six guiding principles, each with related goals, II 15 II II and incorporated into it the core beliefs of an earlier LRSD Strategic Plan. The document provides guidance on the districts educational expectations and accountability plans. These broad expectations are helpful, but require magnet stakeholders to extract from them whatever they believe applies to their magnet programs. This could lead to multiple interpretations of the purpose the programs serve in the district and the degree to which they should be implemented and evaluated. II II Organizational Chart and Oversight. The district also has an organizational chart which displays the way work is distributed in the Little Rock School District and its reporting relationships. Nothing in the chart indicates how the magnet schools and programs fit in the organizational structure. This makes it difficult for the community and magnet stakeholders to gauge the weight the district gives these entities and to know who is responsible for overseeing and evaluating magnet programs and their outcomes. II II II Some magnet oversight duties fall under the jurisdictions of the Associate Superintendent for Elementary Schools and the Associate Superintendent for Secondary Schools. (The Magnet Review Committee, an outside entity, has exercised oversight for the six Stipulation Magnet Schools since their inception.) Other than general supervision, the evaluator is unaware of any centralized policies (although some procedures are in place) for how magnet programs are chosen, how new programs fit into the larger magnet network, and the extent to which the district periodically reviews and evaluates the MSAP Schools and embedded Magnet Programs to ensure long-term quality and sustainability. II II Summary. Parent access to comprehensive information on the magnet schools and programs plays an important role in determining whether the programs achieve one of their major magnet goals - student diversity. The more knowledgeable parents are, the more they might consider enrolling their children in a magnet program. To that end, the district should consider creating a document that articulates the programs mission and vision and a strategic plan that specifies governing principles and goals. The district might also consider creating a centralized Magnet Office and Director responsible for all of the non-stipulation magnet schools and embedded magnet programs. II Recommendations II 1. Create district-level Mission and Vision Statements and a Strategic Plan for the non-Stipulation Magnet Schools and embedded Magnet Programs. II 2. Create a district level Magnet Director who is responsible for the non-Stipulation Magnet Schools and embedded Magnet Programs. II II II II Nature and Implementation Levels of the Magnet Programs II II16 Several of the questions the evaluation sought to answer focused on understanding what the magnet schools and programs were about. This section of the report looks at the nature and implementation levels of the schools and programs, the attributes that characterize each and answers the following question.  B Evaluation Question 1: What is the nature and implementation level of the magnet programs at each of the 18 Magnet Schools and Specialty Magnet Programs being evaluated? B Nature of the Magnet Programs Work in Year I began with learning about the magnet schools and programs and building a detailed profile of each. These profiles contain basic information on the magnets curriculum theme(s), instructional program(s), and student populations. The report organizes the information under three school clusters - Stipulation Magnet Schools, MSAP Magnet Schools and Schools with embedded Magnet Programs. B Stipulation Magnet Schools Background. The evaluator reviewed six Stipulation Magnet Schools and their programs. Converted to full-scaled magnet in the late 1980s as part of the federal court agreement described earlier, the six schools set out to assist the district in achieving its desegregation goals through the creation of strong and appealing instructional themes that would promote diversity in the schools. The chart below lists the schools, their magnet strands and basic student population information. B Stipulation Magnet Schools and Themes - 2004-2005 School Magnet School Theme African-American Students Percent of Free/Reduced Lunch Students(SES Indicator^) Elementary Schools Booker Carver Gihbs Williams Middle School Mann Arts Magnet Basic Skills/Math-Science International Studies/ Foreign Languages Traditional Magnet Arts and Science 53% 52% 53% 52% 52% 63% 53.% 44% 34% 37% B High School Parkview Arts and Science 51% 22% B Data Source: School Report Card  2005 A brief description of each magnet school follows. 2 B SES = Social Economic Status IndicatorII 17 II IN IN Booker Arts Magnet School. Booker Arts Magnet School offers it 607 students an educational learning environment which couples learning, experiencing and performing the fine arts with the study of a standards-based language arts, mathematics, science and social studies curriculum. Booker Arts Magnet has a special focus on strengthening students reading abilities through the Reading Recovery, ELLA (Early Literacy Learning in Arkansas), Effective Literacy and Accelerated Reader programs. (Parent Letter, March 22, 2005, p. 1.) Its mission is to educate all students to the highest levels of academic performance, while developing divergent thinking and creativity, and fostering positive growth in social behaviors through integration of the curriculum and the fine arts. (Parent Student Handbook. Booker Arts Magnet School Mission Statement. 2005-2006, p. 4) IN IN IN Carvers Math-Science Elementary Magnet School. Carvers Math-Science Magnet School program offers 533 Kindergarten through 5" grade students a full-range curriculum, with a focus on Science and Math. Reading is also a high priority. The Arkansas Comprehensive Literacy Model leads instruction, complete with a Literacy coach and two reading Recovery teachers. Carver Magnet also offers academic enrichment and each day Carver students attend at least one of ten specialty classes taught by certified specialty teachers in Art, Music, Math lab. Computer Lab, Science Lab, Gifted and Talented, Young Astronauts, Literacy/Research Science and others. (School Home Page, Internet, 05-06) IN IN IN IN Gibbs International Studies and Foreign Languages Magnet School. With a student population of 297 students, Gibbs is the smallest of the K-5 elementary magnet schools in this study. The magnet program at Gibbs specializes in International Studies and Foreign Languages and integrates the strands across all subjects. The goal is to challenge children to achieve high academic standards as they become good citizens of the world. The underlying philosophy of the program is a belief that people and cultures are more alike than different. Students at Gibbs study the family life, beliefs and economic systems of different cultures and learn about the education systems, social controls, technology levels and basic needs of their societies. In geography, they study a variety of simple and complex subjects such as place, location, regional migrations and man/land interaction. Each year, the school chooses an over-arching theme such as Leadership which is incorporated across the childrens studies and is tied to their magnet strands. IN IN Williams Traditional Magnet School. Williams Traditional Magnet Elementary School offers its 460 K-5 students a comprehensive basic skills education in a structured, child-centered, and safe environment. The oldest magnet program in the area, the schools goals are to develop student achievement to the highest level, reduce any achievement gaps that exist between its minorities and non-minority students and provide equitable access to academic and co-curricular activities. The school promotes responsible citizenship, critical thinking and lifelong learning. IN IN Williams Magnet School enhances its standards-based core curriculum program with additional offerings such as a Compass Learning Computer Lab, Accelerated Reader and Math programs. Junior Achievement, Certified P.E., Art and Music Programs, a Gifted/Talented program. Peer Tutors/Ambassadors, and Junior Great Books. (Williams Traditional Magnet Schools, A Choice for Excellence", Brochure, June, 2004) The school also has a number of extracurricular activities and events that help develop students skills and abilities and a strong parent/community involvement program IN IN IN Horace Mann Arts and Science Magnet Middle School. In addition to a regular middle school curriculum, Mann Magnet Middle school offers its 850 students specialty magnet programs in the arts and sciences. Students whose area of concentration is the arts may select from Art, Band, Choir, Dance and Orchestra, III, and III, Drama and Theatre classes. Art students regularly perform in school and community events. Science magnet students may enroll in Pre-AP or regular Science and Lab Sciences 6, 7 and 8. The magnet students also visit the Coleman Crystal Mines, Huntsville Space Camp, and the Mid-America Science Museum and participate in the annual Science Fair. IN18 Parkview Arts and Science Magnet High School. A Stipulation Magnet High School, Parkview is currently serving 1129 students and offers them a standard academic curriculum and two magnet programs that specialize in the visual and performing arts (68 classes) and the sciences (18 classes). A number of Parkviews teachers also integrate the arts into their students learning and instruction. All students meet state standard graduation requirements while choosing from a wide range of course electives. Students enrolled in the Fine Arts Program select a visual or performing arts emphasis. If art students selects music as their area of emphasis, they may choose from the following classes: Brass Tech, Woodwind Tech, and Percussion Tech
Concert Band, Beginning Orchestra, Orchestra I, Intermediate Orchestra, Advanced Orchestra, Symphonic Orchestra, Jazz History, Jazz Ensemble, Music Theory/History I, Music Theory II, III, and IV (AP), Music Technology, Composition, and Conducting. The Science Magnet Program combines high tech specialty science courses with a magnet curriculum that prepares students for an undergraduate, pre-professional, or technical major in medicine and health. (School Brochure, 2005-2006). p p p p p p p R Magnet Schools Assistance Program Schools (MSAP) RII 19 II II Background. With the award of a federally-funded Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) grant in 2001, the Little Rock School District converted four secondary schools in the Southwest quadrant of the city into full-scale magnet schools - J.A. Fair and McClellan High Schools
Cloverdale and Mabelvale Middle Schools. II II Although there was a mix of Caucasian and African-American families living in Southwest Little Rock at the time, the majority of students attending the four schools were African-Americans. By converting the schools to whole-school magnets with unique programs, the district hoped to attract the area's Caucasian students, many of whom were being home-schooled or were enrolled in private or county schools. The chart below provides information on African-American enrollment and the percent of students on Free/Reduced Lunch, a social-economic indicator. If there are noticeable changes in the data, the area is shaded. II Magnet Schools Assistance Program Schools - 2003-2005^ II School Percent of African-American II Middle Schools 2003 Students 2004 2005 Cloverdale 86% 84% 82% II II II II II II II II II Mabelvale High Schools J. A. Fair McClellan 76% 75% 81% 79% 93% 81% 93% 85% 92% Percent of Free/Reduced Lunch Students (SES Indicator) 2003 78% 71% 38% 56% 2004 2005 73% 70% 45% 54% 86% 75% 54% 56% Magnet Schools Assistance Programs have several goals. They seek to promote minority de-isolation in schools, encourage systemic school reform, facilitate opportunities for students to meet state content and performance standards, expedite implementation of innovative educational strategies and encourage extensive career education. The federal grant award of $7,056,075 allowed the district to convert the four Southwest schools to full- scale MSAP Magnet schools. The U.S. Department of Education distributed the money over a three year period and the district portioned out money to the four schools according to the size of the school and the needs of the magnet programs. At the end of the time, not all of the money had been spent so the district requested and received a 4'*' year extension of the work. All of the schools had multiple magnet themes/strands, with the middle schools strands duplicating the themes of their high school counterparts. The display below provides details. School Magnet School Theme School Magnet School Theme II 3 School year 2004-2005 was the fourth and last year of MSAP funding for these four schools. II20 Middle Schools High Schools Cloverdale Engineering, Multimedia and Economics McClellan Engineering, Multimedia and Business Finance Mabelvale Medical Studies, Environmental Science and Information Technology J.A. Fair Environmental Science, Information Science and Systems EiVHirinB and Medical Science School Policies. MSAP schools accepted students of all ability levels and required them to complete the general course work mandated by the district and state as well as choose a specialty in one of their schools magnet strands. Students who enrolled in MSAP schools learned about the magnet strands in required introductory courses during their first year. At the end of Year I, they were asked to select one magnet strand in which to specialize. Upon graduation from Middle School, they could enroll in an MSAP High School which offered studies in their area of specialization. For example, Environmental Science magnet students at Mabelvale Middle School who studied ecosystems, global ecology and environmental practices could move into the more advanced J.A. Fair Environmental Science High School program where they could continue their studies and also participate in an internship in their field.  Of the $7,056,075, about 35%, or two million dollars was earmarked to build science and/or technology labs and secure the equipment and supplies needed to operate them. Cloverdale Magnet Middle School, for example, spent approximately $ 200,000 to set up three labs to support its Mulit-Media, Engineering and Economics magnet themes. These labs were equipped with tables and chairs, laptop and desktop computers, monitors, printers, digital cameras, palm pilots, VCRs, multi-media projectors, smart boards, software, books, materials, etc.  The MSAP budget also allotted as much as $120,000 per school for magnet-related professional development. Some of it supported teacher training in magnet class content such as medical investigations, graphic design, multi-media, environmental science. Other money was dedicated to training in innovative instructional methods such as Project Based Learning, Scientific Inquiry, Thematic Teaching and Inquiry and Curriculum Mapping. Using information found in the schools brochures and on the district website, each school is briefly described below. jl Cloverdale Magnet Middle Level Academy. Established in 1956 as an area school, Cloverdale Magnet Middle School currently offers its 636 students three magnet areas of study - Economic, Engineering and Multimedia. Funded in 2001-2002 through a federally funded Magnet Schools Assistance Program grant, the programs provide students with hands-on learning experiences in three state-of-the-art labs. Students study banking and finance, develop entrepreneurial skills, study graphic design and plan and implement desktop publishing projects. l! Mabelvale Magnet Middle School. Located in Southwest Little Rock, in 2005-2006, Mabelvale provided its 613 6'*', 7* and 8* grade magnet students with a variety of educational programs. Recently completing its fourth year as a Magnet School, Mablevale used its federally funded MSAP grant to create three specialty magnet programs - Environment Science, Medical Studies, and Information Communications Technology. Magnet leaders at the school believe that these programs are not only offering students relevant and engaging learning opportunities, but are preparing them to enter the workforce of tomorrow. H nI 21 II IN Mabelvale uses a block schedule rather than a traditional class schedule. Over a two day period, for example, students take eight classes, four each day for approximately an hour and a half. The longer class periods allow students time to work on magnet projects and study subjects in depth. The school also organizes students in academic teams that work with the same core subject teachers. This creates a more intimate and individualized learning environment for Mabelvale magnet students. IN IN IN IN J.A. Fair Systems Magnet High School. J. A. Fair offers it student body of 1169 students a three-strand magnet program. In addition to the magnet requirements, students complete the state mandated core curriculum. During their freshman year students learn about the magnet strands through two introductory courses. After completing the courses, students must decide which magnet specialization they will follow: Environmental Science, Information Science and Systems Engineering or Medical Science. If they select Environmental Science, they will study problems that affect the health of the earth and work outside and in the Environmental lab. If students choose Information Science and Systems Engineering, they will learn about networks and computer technology and the importance of circuits and switches, microprocessors, fundamentals of networking and technological trends.. (J.A. Fair School Brochure, 2005, p. 5) Students who focus on Medical Science will be actively engaged in hands-on activities in an on-campus interactive Medical Sciences Lab as well as visit local health facilities and laboratories. (Ibid., p. 5j IN IN IN McClellan Magnet High School. With its current enrollment of 864 students, McClellan Magnet High School offers its students three magnet academies - Business Finance, Engineering, and Multimedia. In addition, to assist the transition from middle to senior high school, all freshman become part of the Freshman Academy and have their classes in a school wing of their own. Students in the Business Finance Academy study banking, stocks and bonds, and financial planning. Those in the Engineering Academy participate in the Project Lead the Way program which challenges students to solve a variety of engineering problems using state-of-the art computer labs and specialized engineering equipment and software. The Multimedia students work on creative assignments using sophisticated computer software to help them design and create commercial grade publications and websites. IN MSAP Schools  Impediments to Program Implementation IN IN Interviews with magnet leaders and teachers made it clear that the districts bond-funded school construction projects negatively impacted the start of all but one of the MSAP programs. Since all of the magnet themes utilized laboratories as their base, timely construction of the schools labs was essential for full program implementation. When it was apparent that some labs would not be ready until late in the second or even the third and last year of the grant funded programs, schools had to consider spending money on temporary quarters, thus diluting their funding, or wait until construction was completed. The schools opted to wait. IN IN The construction of J.A. Fairs Magnet Environmental Science Lab and Magnet Medical Science Lab is a good example of the problems the magnets faced. Construction did not begin on the two labs until the beginning of the 3"* and final funded year of the magnet program. Data from interviews and surveys put the move-in date at nine weeks before the end of the school year. Even then, only the shell was completed
equipment then had to be installed. During the following extension year, in April, 2005, there was still some construction taking place when the evaluator visited the labs. The area in back of the labs was mostly dirt and renovation was in progress on one of the parking areas. The following chart summarizes information found in a seven page memo entitled November 2005 Construction Report - Bond Projects on the districts website. Upon reviewing the data. It appears that, for a few schools, the labs were only one of several construction projects at the sites and the schedules estimated completion dates refer to entire construction projects. Consequently, lab completion and movein dates may have been earlier. IN LRSD Bond Construction Projects/Grant Funded MSAP Magnet School Programs Years N22 20012004 + Extension Year - 2004  2005 Bond Projects That Have Been Completed Cloverdale Middle School Mabelvale Middle School J. A. Fair High School McClellan High School Type Major Renovation and Addition Renovation 6 classroom addition & cafeteria/music room addition Classroom Addition Cost $1,393,822 $6,851,621 $3,155,640 $2,155,622 Estimated Completion Date November, 2002 March, 2004 August, 2004 July, 2004 The comments from surveyed principals and teachers supported the finding that lack of facilities impeded the MSAP Schools ability to implement their magnet programs. A few examples of their input follow: A. During Grant-Supported Years B The Little Rock School District did not begin the construction of our Environmental and Medical Labs until the beginning of the 3'' and final year of the MSAP grant. The labs were ready, (partially) for us to move into 9 (nine) weeks before school was out." Lack of getting facilities (until) last year of the grant.  Late construction projects  Equipment (late), Programs (late), one classroom not completed on time.  Timeliness in securing some items through district bid process.  B When Funding Ceased. In surveys and interviews, some respondents mentioned that just as they were getting started, their grant funding expired and the district did not allot any money explicitly for their magnet programs. Any funding for the programs had to come from their general school funds which meant that money that went to the magnet programs was money taken away from something else. As a result, after federal funding ceased, all of the MSAP Magnet programs were downsized to some degree and student access to the programs was impacted. In interviews, the evaluator heard that trained magnet staff had to be cut, one school had gone from six to three magnet teachers (and possibly to one next year), supplies were dwindling, and equipment was in need of repair or being dismantled. Although they are general comments, some of the following survey examples captured the outlook of some.  District has not provided continued monetary support...  Board and Administration have not supported the ongoing program, (and) have caused significant leadership turn over within the program ... Embedded Magnet Programs PIl 23 II II II Background. Like full-scale magnet schools, magnet programs that are embedded in an area schools curriculum encourage student diversity and attempt to offer high quality educational opportunities and educational choices that meet students interests and talents. This section of the report briefly describes the six embedded Magnet Programs evaluated in this study. As background, the chart below provides each schools magnet theme and the number of African-American and Caucasian students tagged by the Department of Computer Information Services as magnet students. IN Some of the information in the chart reflects an unresolved problem with Year I data because schools that are labeled magnet schools appear to have very few magnet students. Embedded Magnet Program Themes and Tagged Magnet Student Numbers - 2004-05  2005-06 IN School Level Magnet Theme IN IN IN IN IN IN Elementary King Romine Washington Middle Dunbar Henderson High School Central Magnet School embedded in School Name Yes No No. of African-Am Students Tagged as Magnet Students 04-05 05-06 No. of Caucasian Students Tagged as Magnet Students 04-05 OS-O6 High Intensity International Studies (Interdistrict School) Computer Science and Basic Skills (Interdistrict School) Basic Skills Math- Science Magnet (Interdistrict School) Gifted/T alented International Studies Health Science Magnet International Studies 10 23 15 16 46 51 154 131 73 229 48 131 167 241 X X 4 8 7 0 0 X X 6 1 1 X X 4 9 IN Data Source: Department of Computer Information Services - Number of Students Tagged as Magnet IN IN Martin Luther King, Jr., Interdistrict Magnet Elementary School. Opened in 1993, Martin Luther King, Jr. Interdistrict Magnet elementary provides its tri-district students with a unique approach to learning. Standards-based thematic units in core subjects help students make natural connection during the learning process, promote interdisciplinary inquiries and require challenging projects. In addition, students participate in a variety of programs and specialty classes. King offers students STAR Math and Reading which are computer based programs that identify and monitor students reading and math levels and reinforce their skills in both areas. Project SOAR, a second program, assists teachers and students in identifying their learning and instruction needs and monitor what is working and what is not. King students may also participate in music, art and physical education classes. All K-2 students participate in a weekly enrichment program and 3"-5'*' students have a Gifted/Talented program available to them. IN Romine Computer Science and Basic Skills Interdistrict Elementary School. Established in 1963, Romine Interdistrict Elementary School offers its currently enrolled 365 interdistrict students a program that focuses on basic skills and computer science. Romine supports its basic skills emphasis with added features24 like the Arkansas Reading Program, a Gifted mathematics program and use of a computer lab under the direction of a certified technology specialist. The Lab offers students the opportunity to reinforce their reading, math and language arts skills and become accomplished computer users. With the integration of the literacy and math curriculum and additional use of technology into the classrooms, Romine believes it has created an engaging learning environment that will motivate students to become successful learners. H B Booker T. Washington Basic Skills and Math-Science Magnet Interdistict Elementary School. Able to serve approximately 850 students, Booker T. Washington Elementary School was first established in its current facility as an incentive school in 1989. In 1990-1991, it introduced its Basic Skills/Math/Science magnet program and became an Interdistrict Elementary School serving students from all three Pulaski county school districts. To support its Math-Science magnet program, the school established partnerships with the Little Rock Wastewater Utility, Project WET, Arkansas Game and Pish, Project WILD, UALRs Department of Physics and Astronomy, and the Aerospace Education Center. Through these partnerships, students are able to not only learn about science and mathematics in the classroom and their two Math Labs and two Science Labs, but see how what they are learning is applied in science and industry. B   Dunbar Gift and Talented International Studies Middle School. With a current enrollment of 811 students, Dunbar Middle School offers all students a standard middle school curriculum and at least one required foreign language interdisciplinary elective each year. Dunbar also has embedded in its curriculum a Gifted and Talented International Studies magnet program. Students enrolled in the program take accelerated mathematics, science, social studies and English. They have access to more than 25 electives and over 30 activity clubs. Dunbar is also supported by a strong volunteer group that donates 40+ hours per student per year to the school. B B B Henderson Health Science Magnet Middle School, In addition to its regular school curriculum, Henderson Health Science Magnet provides students with the opportunity to learn about health science and potential career opportunities through its magnet program. Magnet students study Basic Anatomy and Physiology, Microscope Use, Diseases  Prevention and Treatments, Disorders of the Human Body, Current Trends in Health Care, Health Careers and Health Care Exploration. (School Brochure, 2005) Students can also job shadow and learn more about the Health Sciences and their practices in their Health Science Club activities. B Central International Studies (IS) High School. Central High School International Studies Magnet Program seeks to prepare its students for participation in a global society. Along with the multi-year study of at least one foreign language. Central High requires that its magnet students take courses in Global Insights, American History, and International Relations/Contemporary Issues. In addition, Centrals magnet students can take elective classes in subjects such as World Geography, World History, Comparative Government, Global Economics, Physical Geology/Environmental Science, Drama, and International Studies. With a working knowledge of history and geography, the schools magnet leaders hope that Centrals I.S. students will be able to relate to people from different cultures, learn to communicate in at least one foreign language, and be capable of analyzing complex global issues. B B B Program Implementation Levels Each of the magnet schools and magnet programs in this study has a unique history, purpose, structure and funding level. These factors make it difficult to compare one school with another. However, in reviewing the data, the evaluator observed implementation trends across the sets of schools/programs (Stipulation B^ B BII 25 II Magnet Schools, MSAP Magnet Schools, and Schools with Magnet Programs). This section of the report summarizes a few of these trends, while later sections supplement the summary. II II There were two areas that provided data on the level to which the schools were implementing their magnet programs. The first was the degree to which magnet class offerings impacted students educational choices. The second was the extent to which the faculty integrated magnet themes across the curriculum. II II 1. Magnet Class Offerings. Observation and interview data indicated that the magnet programs, whether all-school or smaller embedded programs had varying degrees of impact on the schools course offerings. As a group. Stipulation Magnet schools had the strongest instructional impact because they were able to offer more magnet classes than the MSAP schools or schools with embedded magnet programs. For example, students enrolled in Parkviews Arts and Science Magnet School could chose from among 68 visual and performing arts classes if they were specializing in the Arts and 18 specialized science classes if they were enrolled in the Science magnet strand. II II Booker Fine Arts Magnet, a Stipulation Magnet School, offered 30 fine arts classes to its Kindergarten through 5* grade students. Besides their regular curriculum course work kindergarten students, for example, had classes in Creative Movement, Drama, Rhythm Instruments, Violin, Vocal and Visual Arts. Children in third and fourth grades took Creative Movement, Drama, Piano and Vocal or Stringed Instruments, and Visual Arts. In the music area, fifth grade students could choose to enroll for the year in either Band, Choir, Piano or Stringed Instruments. II II II II II Among the remaining schools and programs, the impact on course offerings varied. Central High School, for example, offered its magnet students a number of classes such as: Multicultural Literature, World Geography, Comparative Government and Politics, World Culture, French, Spanish, German, Latin, African/African American History, World History, Global Studies. Before funding ceased the MSAP schools offered its students a number of magnet classes and currently still offer several classes in their magnet strands. Mabelvale Magnet Middle Schools, for example, offered the following magnet classes: 6* Grade - Eco-Journeys (Environmental Science)
SPRINT! (Seeing Productivity Results in Networking Technologies) (Technology)
Voyages (Medical/Health) 7'* Grade - Earth Quest (Environmental Science)
BYTES (Building Your Technology Education Successfully) (Technology)
MEDICS (Medical Exploration for Developing Informed Choices) (Medical/Health) II Grade ~ Environmental Science (Environmental)
PRISM (Presenting Research In Specific Media) (Technology)
M.A.S.H. (Medical Applications for Sustaining Health) (Medical/Health) II II The number of specialized magnet classes embedded program offered varied. In addition to their regular sciences classes, Henderson Health Sciences Magnet students took the following year long classes
6* Grade - Introduction to the Health Sciences: Cells the Building Blocks of Life, Basic Anatomy & Physiology, and Microscopes II 7"* Grade - Diseases and Disorders of the Human Body. Diseases, Conditions, and Disorders of Several Systems, Prevention & Treatment. II g"' Grade - Health Careers and You: History, Current Trends and the Future of Health Care, Legal II M B B B B IBIl26 & Ethical Principals, Health Care Exploration v King Elementary was unique in that it integrated its High Intensity interdisciplinary magnet theme across all subjects and grade levels. Teachers created and used thematic units that incorporated core content subject matter with other subjects such as art, computer graphics and creative writing. 2. Magnet Theme Integration. - During classroom observations, the evaluator tracked the level of magnet theme integration into schools regular curriculum. Although there were indications across a number of schools that theme integration crossed curricula areas, the evaluator observed the most consistent and richest integration of magnet themes across the set of Stipulation Magnet Schools. Since the group consisted of well-established full-scale magnet schools, it was not unusual that their teachers integrated their schools magnet themes school-wide. B The evaluator observed several classes at Booker Arts Magnet School. During the observations, teachers often integrated fine arts into other subjects. The evaluator observed, for example, a Language Arts class where the students had read a story about an artist and were writing summaries of what they had learned about his life and work. At the time of the observation, some students were completing their writing assignment, while others were beginning to work on an illustration of the artist or his work using information they had learned from the story. In another class, first graders had completed their studies of the solar system and had illustrated what they had learn with a drawing of the planets. Their drawings demonstrated that the teacher had asked them to draw the planets in correct order and according to scale. B At Parkview Arts and Science Magnet, the evaluator observed a German class for 20 minutes. The students were in the process or had just completed reading an essay in German about an artist who drew cafe scenes of Germany. The teacher asked the class to write a summary in German of what they had learned about the artist and his drawing and complete the assignment by drawing a similar depiction of life in America. B At the MSAP Schools and schools with embedded Magnet Programs, the evaluator observed varying levels and types of integration. The magnet themes at these schools and programs did not always cross into core curriculum areas, but the teachers of the specialty classes did require that their students use their Literacy and mathematics skills to demonstrate what they had learned. Magnet students designed, wrote and presented oral summaries of their International Studies assignments at Central High School. At Cloverdale Middle School, Information Technology magnet students used technology software to analyze budgets and their mathematics skills to make life decisions in a role-playing assignment. They also used the Internet to research the history of Little Rock and used the word processor to write a summary of their findings. B B B BII 27 II II Minority Group Isolation II II Since their inception, Magnet Schools have played an important role in attracting substantial numbers of students of different racial backgrounds to public schools. With a goal of promoting educational excellence through specialized curriculum programs, magnet schools offer parents and students with special interest and talents a number of educational choices. This study examined ten LRSD magnet schools of choice  six court Stipulation Magnet Schools created in the late 1980s, and four federally funded MSAP Magnet Schools converted from existing schools in 2001. This section examines the status of diversity in these schools. II II Evaluation Question 2: Are the Stipulation Magnet Schools and the MSAP Schools, in particular, continuing to reduce, eliminate or prevent minority group isolation within their schools? II II Stipulation Magnet Schools. Over a recent five year period, the six Stipulation Magnet Schools have maintained a racial/ethnic balance across their student populations. The graph below compares the equally weighted mean percentages of the six Stipulation Schools racial/ethnic distributions in the baseline school year of 2000-2001 to data from school year 2004 - 2005. It also displays the six schools against the district mean percentages for the same two years for additional comparison purposes. II The data are organized under two racial/ethnic groups similar to how the Federal Courts handling the Little Rock School District desegregation case references the groups. In the graph below, the designation, NonAfrican-Americans, refers to Caucasian, Hispanics and Other. II II II II II II 100 c ,2  <A 5 v a c o 4) 0. 80 60 40 20 68% 53% I African American stipulated Magnet Schools Comparison of Racial/Ethnic Distribution Averages 2000-01 vs 2004-05 (Due to rounding, all pecentages did not add up to 100%) 53% I 69% 47% 32% NonAfrican American (2000-2001) African American 48% 31% Non- African American (2004 *- 2005)  Stipulated Schools  District Average 0 I On a school-by-school basis, the six Stipulation Schools maintained stable and balanced racial/ethnic student populations over the most recent five-year period. See chart below for details.28 H H Stipulation Magnet Schools Racial/Ethnic Distributions 2001-02 - 2005-06 School African-American Students Non-African-American Students 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 M   Booker Carver Gibbs Williams Mann Parkview 54% 53.5% 52% 52% 52% 49.5% 53% 53% 51% 51% 52% 50% 55% 54% 52% 52% 50% 51% 54% 52% 53% 52% 50% 51% 54% 54% 53% 51% 50% 50% 46% 46.5% 48% 48% 48% 40.5% 47% 47% 49% 49% 48% 50% 45% 46% 48% 48% 50% 49% 46% 48% 47% 48% 50% 49% 46% 46% 47% 49% 50% 50% Bl Data Sources: Planning, Research and Evaluation Department and Student Registration Magnet School Assistance Program Magnet Schools (MSAP). Over a four-year time period there has been no noticeable change in the MSAP schools racial/ethnic distribution averages. The schools have not reduced, eliminated or prevented minority group isolation within their schools over the last four years. However, although the de-isolation of minorities was a major goal of the MSAP grant, there is evidence that these schools never really were able to fully implement their magnet programs during grant funded years and are now struggling to maintain their magnet programs as full-scale curriculum entities. Bl The graph below compares the equally weighted mean percentages of the four MSAP schools racial/ethnic distributions in school year of 2000-2001 to data from school year 2004 - 2005. It also displays the four schools against the district means for the same two years. The data are organized like the Stipulated Magnet data, with the designation Non-African-Americans defined as Caucasian, Hispanic and Other. BlIl 29 II II II II II II II II II II II II 100 90 80 70 84% w u o eo c 01 o 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 African American Magnet Schools Assistance Program Schools (MSAP) Comparison of Racial/Ethnic Distribution Averages 20001-01 vs 2004-05 NonAfrican American (2000 - 2001) 85% i  MSAP Schools I  District Average Africen American I NonAfrican American (2004 - 2005) On a school-by-school basis, the four MSAP Magnet Schools were unable to maintained balanced racial/ethnic student populations over the most recent five-year period. See chart below for details. MSAP Magnet Schools Racial/Ethnic Distributions 2001-02 - 2005-06 School 01-02 African-American Students 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 Non-African-American Students 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 Cloverdale Mabelvale J.A. Fair McClellan 88% 79% 79% 91.5% 86% 76% 79% 93% 84% 75% 81% 93% 82% 81% 85% 92% 82% 81% 86% 90% 12% 21% 21% 9.5% 14% 24% 21% 7% 16% 25% 19% 7% 18% 19% 15% 8% 18% 19% 14% 10% Data Source: Planning, Research, and Evaluation Department 30 Opportunity to Meet State and/or District Content and Performance Standards V If students are to achieve high academic levels, they must have access to rigorous standards-based curricula and opportunities to master the standards driving the content and performance level expectations. The evaluator collected data to answer the following evaluation question addressing this issue.  Evaluation Question 3: Are all of the Magnet Schools and Programs providing students with the opportunity to meet State and/or District content and performance standards? The Little Rock School District has begun to create a comprehensive standards-based Pre-K - 12 curriculum program to guide learning and instruction in its schools and classrooms. Centered around four core subjects, English, mathematics, science and social studies, the curriculum will be based on sets of curriculum maps and pacing guides that are currently being developed. These maps will delineate the skills and content teachers will follow and children will be expected to master. The newly defined curriculum will be aligned with state content standards which are currently being revamped by the state. Previously, the Arkansas State Department of Education provided schools with bands of curriculum standards and teachers had to identify the content that was appropriate for their grade levels. The state is now developing grade level content standards that teachers will use to guide their classroom instruction. The display below presents excerpts from preliminary work done on the districts Grade 4 Curriculum Overview and matches it to current state content standards for Grade 4 in Reading. B Comparison of the State Curriculum Framework and Content Standards for Grade 4 with an Excerpt from the LRSDs Grade 4, Month-by-Month Reading Curriculum Overview B State Framework - Strand: Reading. Standard 9 ~ Comprehension Students shall apply a variety of strategies to read and comprehend printed material. Graded - R.9.4.1 Organize prior knowledge and new information to make meaning of the text. Grade 4 - R.9.4.4 Revise mental pictures based on new informat if fl from the text. Little Rock School Distrii Grade Four - Reading / Curriculum Overview/ August A September  Raad for a variety of purposes /  Rrad daily /  Serect materials for reading on independent reading level-base on interest and prior knowlei ie  Form mental pictures with new information  Revise mental pictures with new information. Bl ,1II 31 II II II Classroom Observations. The evaluator conducted 122 classroom observations to collect data on this question. Early observations focused on the types of learning environments the schools had created
later and longer observations focused on whether curriculum content was standards-based, the levels of thinking asked of the students, and the role of the teacher and student in the learning process. Although the evaluator saw several lessons across grade levels and schools, there were not enough in-depth observations and data to answer this evaluation question fully. II II What is encouraging, however, is that the data did suggest that observed teachers were focusing on standards-based content, especially teachers in elementary schools. In K-5 classrooms, the evaluator observed students studying core literacy and math content and practicing their writing and computational skills. Many K-5 students were highly engaged in the learning process and activities teachers had organized often tapped students prior knowledge and required them to refine or expand their skill base. However, as the evaluators observations progressed through the grades, the evaluator observed mixed levels of quality and rigor. II II In the upper grades, the problem in some observations was not so much in content and whether it was standards-based, but in instructional pace and clarity of goals. Mixed in with observations of classes that were rigorous and standards-based, the evaluator observed other secondary classes where instructional content was thin. In these classes, it was hard to understand what the lesson was about and what the students were suppose to do and accomplish. II During Year II, additional time will be spent collecting samples of student work that are standards-based and conducting more classroom observations. II II II II II II II II II II32  Equitable Program Access  The question addressing equitable access to magnet programs is central to one of the most important purposes of magnets - the elimination of minority isolation. In the work completed during Year I, there were few indications that magnet program participation differences across racial/ethnic school populations existed in the schools. However, the evaluator was unable to collect enough data to render formal findings across all sixteen magnet programs. Consequently, this area of inquiry will go forward during Year II of the evaluation. The question will remain the same and reads as follows: Bl Bl Question 4: Are their any program participation differences between minority and non-minority groups within the 17 Schools and Programs? Of the data that the evaluator did collect, the history of Dunbars Gifted and Talented (G/T) Magnet program was the most interesting. Historically, Caucasian students outnumbered African-American students in this program. However, recently, Dunbars leadership has made noticeable strides in narrowing the G/T racial/ethnic enrollment gap. Past and current magnet leaders narrowed the gap by identifying and educating all S"* grade G/T students and parents about Dunbars program. Leadership implemented an aggressive recruited plan. Dunbar administrators and representatives visited district elementary schools and addressed PTA and Town Hall meetings, explaining the program and answering questions about it. All fifth grade GT students were mailed invitations to shadow b* grade Dunbar G/T students for a day
their parents received invitations to tour the school. At the schools Open House, G/T teachers talked with students and parents about the program and a program brochure and video-tape provided useful information to interested families. B Bl Bl Dunbar now has a more equitable enrollment distribution in its G/T program with the newly enrolled, 2005- 2006, sixth grade magnet group evidencing a much different racial distribution than the 8'*' grade group that enrolled as b* graders in 20032004. The chart below displays the positive results'*. Program Level Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Totals African-Am. Count 84 48 21 154 African-Am. Percent 43.5 42.9 24.4 Data Source: LRSD Student Registration 39.3% (average) Other Count 109 64 65 238 Other Percent 56.5 57.1 75.6 60.7% (average) Total 193 112 86 392 Max Capacity Vacancy -193 -112 -86 0^ 0 0 4 The format and information in this chart were provided by the LRSD Student Registration Department. The term Other signifies all racial/ethnic groupings other than African-American children. Caucasian students comprised the largest group of children in this category. Because district departments organize their data differently, the evaluator realizes that the data displayed in this chart has the potential of contradicting data provided by the Department of Computer Information Services that are displayed elsewhere. 5.,, Bl Maximum Capacity numbers are not set for Dunbars Magnet Programs.Il 33 II II Additionally, the G/T program has structures in place to meet varying achievement levels once students are in the program. The school offer three levels of skill-based instruction to magnet students of varying skill levels. In addition, Dunbar offers its G/T magnet students a number of different classes to accommodate differing strengths and interests. Learning how engaging and effective these classes are will be part of the work that takes place in Year II of the evaluation. II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II34 Special Situations  The evaluation plan called for the study of 18 magnet schools and schools with embedded magnet programs. The task was to determine how well they functioned, how much they impacted academic achievement and how many students of different racial/ethnic backgrounds they attracted. It became evident early on that two of the 18 presented specials situations - Hall High School and Rockefeller Early Childhood Magnet School. The two schools and their unique situations are discussed below. M Bl Hall High School Bl Hall High School was originally included in the list of magnet schools and magnet programs to be studied in this evaluation. However, although it has a University Studies Specialty program, Hall does not have a Magnet program and, at this time, should not be in the evaluation study.  What may have contributed to the belief that the school had a magnet program was the fact that the district applied to the U.S. Department of Education for a federally funded Magnet School Assistance Program (MSAP) grant for Hall. This was a complex, time-consuming undertaking that required district and Board approval, and had it been awarded, the MSAP designation would have made Hall a full-scale Magnet High School and all of its students, magnet students. However, the awards were competitive and the district (and its plan for Hall) was not among those funded that year. In addition, the continuing belief that Hall has a magnet program appears to be supported by the inclusion of its Specialty program in the three-page section of the Districts Website that discusses the magnet choices parents have available to them. B Rockefeller Early Childhood Magnet School Background. Much of the data collection earmarked for the magnet schools and programs in the evaluation study did not apply to Rockefellers Early Childhood Magnet School. Rockefellers Magnet School is a stand-alone, fee-based school that serves a different population than the 16 other K-12 schools/programs in the study. The school accepts children as young as six weeks old and the children take no standardized tests, school data such as attendance and mobility are not particularly relevant, and race is no longer a placement factor although it was until the districts assignment component was released from court supervision a few years back. A summary of the program follows. Bl Rockefeller Early Childhood School. Rockefellers Early Childhood (EC) Magnet program is the only program in the district to enroll infants as young as six weeks old. Enrollment is open to children from the age of 6 weeks to four years old and children from all of LRSDs attendance zones may apply. There are six certified Early Childhood teachers and 18 trained Instructional Assistants. In addition to the school nurse, there are also six specialists available for consultations who have expertise in art, computers, music, media, counseling and physical education. The program can accommodate children with some special needs and the staff are trained in CPR and First Aid. At capacity, Rockefeller can enroll 108 students in its Early Childhood magnet. Available seats are organized and distributed in the following manner: Bl  14 seats available for Pl, the group of children six weeks to 2 years of age.  18 seats available for P2, 2 years olds (must be 2 yrs. old before Sept. 15)  36 seats available for P3, 3 years old  40 seats available for P4,4 years old Bl BIl 35 II II The chart below provides enrollment figures for school year 2005-2006. Over-all, the ethnic/racial distribution across the four levels is 63% African-American and 37% Other (Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian, Native American or Mixed.) II II II II II II II II II II Program Level PI 6 wks - 2yrs. P2 2 yr. olds P3 3 yr. olds P4 4 yr. olds Totals African-Am. Count 23 26 64 African-Am. Percent 57.1 41.2 69.7 68.4 62.7% (average) Data Source: LRSD Student Registration Other Count 10 10 12 38 Other Percent 42.9 58.8 30.3 31.6 37.3% (average) Total 14 17 33 38 102 Total Capacity 14 18 36 40 108 Vacancy Rockefellers Early Childhood cuniculum program is aligned with the Arkansas Department of Human Services (a) Framework for Quality Care for Infants and Toddlers and (b) A Framework for Quality Care and Education for Children from Three to Five. The Infant/Toddler curriculum focuses on improving listening and speaking skills and vocabulary, the promotion of positive personal and social interactions, learning personal care routines, and experiencing hands-on art activities. The curriculum framework for ages three to five addresses (a) Social/Emotional Development, (b) Creative/Aesthetic Learning, (c) Cognitive/Intellectual Learning, (d) Physical Development and (e) Language. Children learn how to act independently and interact socially, are introduced to math, science, language arts and social studies content, learn about health and nutrition, engage in fine and gross motor skill-building, and have numerous opportunities to express their ideas about various topics and build language skills. 8 7 6 0 1 3 2 6 I I II II The schools EC leaders utilize the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scales as a springboard for planning and implementing their programs and monitoring program outcomes. These scales were designed to help EC educators create developmentally appropriate learning environments for young children. They were the result of studies and research into the question of how to measure and assess the quality of EC programs and have become an acceptable measurement tool. The Infant/Toddler Environmental Rating Scale (ITERS) targets children 0-2 Vi years and the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) addresses children from ages 2 ^2-5 years. Both scales track a number of areas. The ECERS consist of 43 items organized into seven sub-scales. The sub-scales I  The format and information in this chart were provided by the LRSD Student Registration Department. The term Other signifies all racial/ethnic groupings other than African-American children. The largest group of children within this category were Caucasians. I36 address such program components as: Space and Furnishings, Personal Care Routines, Language- Reasoning, Interactions, Activities, Program Structure, and Parents and Staff.  Full Implementation - Promoted/impeded. The survey that principals completed ask them to write about what had promoted/impeded full implementation of their magnet program. Rockefellers principal cited that its adequate and qualified staff, including certified teachers and a veteran Early Childhood coordinator supported full implementation and program quality. The principal expressed concern about how the 2004 changes in LRSDs student assignment policy has impacted Rockefellers elementary school enrollment and diversity. Rockefeller is no longer allowed to keep students who begin in the EC program through to 5* grade. This has interrupted, what had been in the past, a steady flow of students into its kindergarten class. Now, the only EC children who can attend Rockefeller after the completion of their 4'* year in the EC program are those that live in Rockefellers attendance zone. B M n n Recommendation  Rockefeller Integrate Rockefellers Early Childhood Magnet School with Rockefellers Elementary School so that all children in the Magnet School have the opportunity to attend the Elementary School. n  Il 37 II II SECTION III II II II II II II II II II II II HI II 11 STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT - COMBINED POPULATIONS GENERAL FINDINGS Stipulation Magnet Schools. The percentage of Stipulation Magnet School students Proficient and Above in Literacy and mathematics has steadily increased over time, with recent percentages ranging from high (62%-88% in Literacy) to moderate (43%-76% in mathematics) in the two areas. Although their mathematics percentages were lower than their Literacys, African-American students at the six Stipulation Schools also demonstrated increases in the two mastery levels in both subject areas. Magnet Schools Assistance Program Schools (MSAP) Over a recent three year period, the percentages of MSAP middle school and high school magnet students attaining Proficient and Above in Literacy and mathematics have increased. However even with the increases, at best, mastery levels for these groups of students were modest, with several mastery percentages still exceptionally low, especially in mathematics (4% -12%). (Across MSAP schools, recent Literacy Proficient and Above ranges were 19%-43%.) Comparison Results. In almost every instance across grade and school levels, the Stipulation Magnet Schools had higher percentages of students who were Proficient and Above in Literacy and mathematics than other schools in the study. However, it is important to remember that wherever there are data for schools with embedded magnet programs, the graphs display all-school data, not magnet student data. When it is clear how many magnet students there are in these schools, the graphs will be redone to reflect their benchmark results.38 H Section III: Student Achievement - Combined Populations  This section of the report examines achievement data for all students enrolled in the magnet schools and, if possible, the embedded magnet programs in the evaluation study. The information contained here attempts to answer the following question:   Evaluation Question 5: Have the Magnet Schools (Stipulation and MSAP Schools) and Specialty Magnet Programs been effective in improving students academic achievement?  The Little Rock School District uses two types of tests to measure student achievement, criterion-referenced tests (what a student knows) and norm-referenced tests (how a student compares to other students). Recent changes in both aspects of Arkansas testing program, changes in the cut points that govern student subject proficiency placement in its Benchmark exams, and the mandates of No Child Left Behind made tracking student achievement over time a challenge.   Criterion-referenced Tests. In 2005, the Arkansas Department of Education recommended and the State Board of Education approved new benchmark cut scores for its state mandated criterion-referenced Benchmark exams. Cut scores are the points that divide scores on tests into advanced, proficient, basic and below basic performance categories. With the new cut scores, a child whose test score two years ago put his performance at proficient may find that the same score now puts him down one category to basic in the same tested area. Proficiency levels, rather than raw test scores, are what are published for the public. The Arkansas Department of Education suggested cut score changes, in part, to reflect (a) changes in the states English/Language Arts framework which forced the reformatting of the 2005 Literacy exam and (b) to address the addition of Grades 3, 5, and 7 (new grade level tests and cut scores) to the testing schedule. Norm-referenced Tests. An earlier change also made the tracking of the second category of achievement exams, norm-referenced tests, difficult. In the 2003-2004 school year, the state replaced the Stanford Achievement Test, Ninth Edition (SAT9) it had been using with another norm-referenced test, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). It is difficult to compare the results of one test with the results of the another as content is never exactly the same, the order and number of questions are different, and the wording and format of the multiple choice selections can vary.  RI A. Arkansas Benchmark Exams. Part of the Arkansas Comprehensive Testing, Assessment and Accountability program (ACTAAP), the Benchmark exams are criterion-referenced tests that measure the degree to which students have mastered, for example, the states Math and Literacy content standards. The state goal for each student is proficiency in all requirements at each grade level. Proficient students demonstrate solid academic performance for the grade tested and are well prepared for the next level of school. (Arkansas Department of Education, 2005 Arkansas School Performance Report, p. 3.) Previously administered to 4*, 6th and, 8* grade students, the testing program now includes 3', 5* and 7* grade students. However, since the purpose of this evaluation is to identify trends rather than single-year results, the graphs below display longitudinal data. In addition, the displays do not have the most recent 2005 results for the 4* grade because, for that year, the state changed how it categorized all student levels of proficiency and the change noticeably impacted 4"' results, making the results for the most recent year moot.Il 39 II Stipulation Magnet Schools II II The percent of Stipulation Magnet School students Proficient and Above in Literacy and mathematics has shown solid increases over time, with current percentages ranging from high to moderate in the two subject areas.__________________________________________ II Elementary and middle school data are provided below. High School data are on pp. 36-37. II Stipulation Magnet Schools - Combined Population - Literacy II Academic Achievement Stipulated Elementary (4th) and Middle Grade (Sth) Magnet Schools Combined Populations Percent Proficient and Above  Literacy 100 90 86% 88% II II II II II II II II 80 I S c V u 2 Q. C V 2 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 ihlllll.i Booker Carver Gibbs Williams Mann  2001  2002  2003  2004 Data Source Literacy/Math: Portfolio of Data for the Little Rock School District - 2005 - DRAFT Stipulation Magnet Schools - Combined Population - Mathematics Academic Achievement Stipulated Elementary (4th) and Middle Grade (6th) Magnet Schools Combined Populations Percent Proficient and Above - Mathematics 100 w O o c <0 90 80 70 60 .& 50 o 40 u 30 76% 20 10 0 I II hll 1.1 Booker Carver Gibbs Williams Mann  2001  2002  2003  200440  Magnet Schools Assistance Program Magnet Schools (MSAP)  Over a three year period, the percentages of MSAP middle school and high school students attaining Proficient and Above performance levels have increased. However, even with the increases, almost all of the percentages were low, with mathematics mastery especially low.  I The following graphs display Literacy and mathematics Benchmark data by Combined Populations. MSAP Schools "Combined Population - Literacy H Academic Achievement MSAP Magnet Middle Schools and High Schools Combined Population Percent Proficient and Above in Literacy 2003'2005 100  90 o 80 c <0 s o o 70 60 50 40 4) O V o. 30 20 10 33% 29% Cloverdale - 8th 43% Mabelvale - Sth 24% Fair - 11th 1 9% McClellan - 11th  2003  2004  2005 0 n Data Source: School Report CardsMSAP Magnet School - Combined Populations - Mathematics and Algebra I (End-of-Course-EOC) Academic Achievement Combined Population M SAP M iddle Schools (Sth) and High Schools (End-of-Course-EOC) Percent Proficient and Above in M ath (M S) and Algebra I (HS) 2003 -- 2005 100 90 80 o co ae o S c 70 60 50  2003  2004  2005 ce o 40 30 20 10 3% 4% 13% Mabelvale  Sth 19% Fair -EOC 12% 6% Cloverdale  Sth McClellan - EOC 0 I Data Source: School Report Cards 11 41 11 11 Stipulation Magnet High School, MSAP High Schools and High School with Magnet Program 11 11 Since each group in the evaluation only had one or two high schools in it, the academic achievement of each of the high schools will be reported together in this section. As stated earlier, the results from schools with embedded magnet programs such as Central High School will change to reflect only magnet student results, not whole school populations, once the exact number of magnet students is established.. 11 End-of-Course Literacy and Mathematics - Combined Populations - High Schools 11 11 Academic Achievement End-of-Course Data  Algebra I Combined Populations Percent Proficient and Above 2001 - 2005 11 11 11 w > O "c (Q C 4) *5 c o uV CL 11 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 11 7%. 29% 1% Parkview Stipulated Fair MSAP 18% 23% 12% 1%l McCellan MSAP Central Program 11 11 American College Test. Students who want to enter a public college or university in Arkansas often are required to take the American College Test (ACT) as part of their application process. A student can score anywhere from 1 to 36 on the English and mathematics tests and is allowed to take the tests more than once. The graph below displays the four high schools average 2004 and 2005 ACT scores for their Combined Populations. The scores of African-American high school students who took the test can be found further on with comparison data from national and state averages for the same two years. 1 42 K H ACT College Entrance Exam - Combined Populations  ACT College Entrance Exam Combined Population Composite Mean Scores 2004 and 2005  30 25 20 o o u (/)  s 15 o E u 10 20.5 20.5 16.5 16.6 16.1 16.4 21.3 22.1  2004  2005 Parkview Stipulated Fair MSAP McClellan MSAP Central Program 5 0 I I I J    n Data Source: LRSD Planning, Research and Evaluation Department1 II 43 II II Academic Achievement - Comparisons Across School Clusters IM In almost every instance across grade and school levels, the Stipulation Magnet Schools had higher percentages of students Proficient and Above in Literacy and Mathematics than other schools in the study. IM Elementary School (4) Comparisons - Literacy and Mathematics IM IM IM IM IM IM IM IM IM IM IM IM IM IM too so 80 70 60 c O so  40 X 20 10 0 w 43% 31% 2001 2002 100 90 80 < 70 a  60 c S o o 50 40 S 30 20 10 0 Benchmark Achievement Data Stipulation Magnets and Schools wZ Magnet Programs Combined Populations Percetn Proficient and Above - Literacy 2001-2004 81.8% 69.8% 2003 2004  Stipulated Magnets  Schools w/ Magnet Pro-ams Benchmark Achievement Data Stipulated Magnet Schools and Schools w/ Embedded Magnet Programs Combined Populations - 4th Grade Percent Proficient and Above - Mathematics 2001 - 2004 41.8% 2001 66.9%  Stipulated Magnets 53.4% 57.8% 45.9% 45.1%  Magnet Programs Only 29.3% 2002 I 2003 2004 44  Middle School (6"' Grade) Comparisons - Literacy and Mathematics  6th Oade Benchmark Achievement Data All Students - All Ma^iet Fonnats Percent Proficient and Above - Uteracy  100 90 80  c o ^5 o IL 70 80 50 65.9% 49.1' B MSAP Schools 4) U O Q. 40 20 10 ia7% 13.8%^ ze% 2003 27.5% 2001 2002 2004 2005  IVbgiet Prepare Only  Stipiated h/bgaet X 0 !   6th Grade Benchmark Achievement MSAP Schcx>ls, Embedded Magnet Programs, and Stipulation Magnets Percent Proficient and Above - Mathematics 100 90 SO c 0) '5 1 Q. 70 60 50 42.7% 0) uo Q. 40 X 20 10 0 1.6% 12.8% 10.9% 2002 2003 2004 11.3%  MSAP Schools  Magnet Programs Only  Stipulated Magnet 2001 2005 II 45 II II II Academic Achievement MSAP Middle Schools and High Schools Combined Population Percent Proficient and Above in MaUi.(MS) and Algebra I (HS) 2003-2005 II II o XI < c (0 100 90 80 70 60 II II II  u o  c o o o CL 50 40 30 20 10 3.4% 4.4% Cloverdale -Sth 13% Mabelvale -Sth 29% 37% 4.5% 19% LRSD - Sth LRSD- EOC 19% 4.5% Fair - EOC 5.9% 12% McClellan -EOC 02003  2004 02005 0 II In Year II of this work, the evaluator intends to expand analysis of magnet student achievement by selecting comparison schools and grade levels that have similar demographics and examine their achievement history. II II II II II II II - Il46   SECTION IIIA ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT  AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS I n GENERAL FINDINGS Stipulation Masnet Schools. Although their mathematics performance percentages were lower than their Literacys
over time, the percentage of African-American Stipulation Magnet students who achieved mastery levels (Proficient and Above) in the two subject areas increased. In addition, high school students at Parkview Stipulation Magnet scored higher in their ACT Entrance Exams over a two year period than the national and state averages of African- American students who took the ACT exams during the same period. MSAP Schools. The percent of MSAP African-American students attaining Proficient and Above in Literacy and mathematics also increased over time. In Literacy, the middle school students fared better than the high school students, while the reverse was true in mathematics. However, for the most part, the percentage of students attaining Proficient and Above in both subject areas was low, especially in mathematics. Areas of Prosress. Although the percentage of MSAP students who were Proficient and Above in their Benchmark exams is low, the four MSAP schools have demonstrated progress in moving African-American students out of the Below Basic performance levels in Literacy and math. IIA: Academic Achievement - African-American StudentsIl 47 II II African-American Students. In addition to tracking Benchmark performance levels of all magnet school students, the evaluator also examined the Benchmark rankings of African-American students, since it is important to the district and schools that they serve these students well. II Stipulation Magnet Schools. Although their mathematics performance percentages were lower than their Literacys, over time, the percentage of Stipulation Magnet African-American students who achieved mastery levels {Proficient and Above) in the two subject areas has increased._____________ II Stipulation Magnet Schools - African-American Students - Literacy and Mathematics II Academic Achievement Stipulated Magnet Elementary (4th), Middle Schools (6th), District Levels (4th/6th) African-American Students Percent Proficient and Above in Literacy 2001 - 2004 II II II II II II II II II 100 90 80 73% 77% 79% c nc  oo &c  o 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 ilihhl.i53% 374 114 41%  2001  2002  2003  2004 Booker Carver Gibbs Williams District Elem. Mann 19% District Middle Data Source: Portfolio of Data for the Little Rock School District - 2005 - DRAFT Academic Achievement Stipulated Elementary (4th) and Middle Grade (Sth) Magnet Schools African-American Students Percent Proficient and Above - Mathematics 2001-2004 100 do 00 70  2001 a e u 2 60 50 40 30 20 10 44% 44% Booker Carver Gfcbs 58% 34% 49% 1% 31%  2002  2003  2004 Williams Mann  o .o I c  0 0 L I 4  I E II 1 J Data Source: Portfolio of Data for the Little Rock School District - 2005 - DRAFT 48 H MSAP Schools. The percent of MSAP African-American students attaining Proficient and Above in Literacy and mathematics also increased over time. In Literacy, the middle school students fared better than the high school students, while the reverse was true in math. However, for the most part, the percentage of students attaining Proficient and Above in both subject areas was low, especially so in mathematics.   MSAP Magnet Schools - African-American Students - Literacy and Mathematics  Academic Achievement MSAP Middle Schools and High Schools Percent Proficient and Above -- Literacy African-American Students 2003 - 2004  100  90 80 70 c a c o o "S 60 50 40 34% 36% 30 28% 22%[ 20 10 Cloverdale Sth Mabelvale 8th 19% 21%  III Fair 11th McClellan 11th  2003  2004  2005 o 0  Data Source: School Report Cards n Academic Achievement African-American Students MSAP Middie Schools (Sth) and High Schools (End-of-Course- EOC) Percent Proficient and Above in Math (MS) and Algebra I (HS) 2003 - 2005 100 90 I I 80 c  c 4) O O 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 2% 5% 8% 15% 12%  2003  2004  2005 I 0% 2% 6% Cloverdale 6th Mabelvale 6th Fair EOC McClellan EOC c o 0 I Data Source: School Report Cards Areas of Progress IIl 49 II II Areas of Progress. Although the percentages of MSAP students who were Proficient and Above in their Benchmark exams are low, the four MSAP schools have demonstrated progress in moving African-American students out of the Below Basic performance levels in Literacy and mathematics. This is the lowest level of performance
consequently, the lower the percentage, the more at basic or above. I II MSAP Magnet Schools - African-American Students - Literacy - Below Basic II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II 100 90 80 Academic Achievement African-American Students MSAP Middle Schools (Sth) and High Schools (11th) Percent Below Basic - Literacy 2003 - 2005 u in a CD O V m c  u  70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 35% 23% 28% 27% 48% 36% 30% 29%  2003  2004 Cloverdaie 8th Mabelvale 8th Fair 11th McClelan 11th I  2005 Data Source: School Report Cards MSAP Magnet Schools - African-American Students - Mathematics/Algebra I - Below Basic Academic Achievement African-American Students MSAP Middle School (6th) and High School (End-of-Course EOC) Percent Below Basic in Math (MS) and Algebra I (HS) 2003 - 2005 c S 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 84% Cloverdaie 6th 63% 66% 52%  2003  2004  2005 Mabelvale 6th Fair EOC McClellan EOC Data Source: School Report CardsI 50  Achievement Gaps. Although there were achievement gaps between African-American and Caucasian students in Literacy and mathematics, generally, the gaps were consistently larger in math than in Literacy for those enrolled in the Stipulation Magnet schools and the MSAP Schools. This phenomena will be studied in depth in Year II of the work. The graphs below provide a one year example of the problem. (Benchmark data for students in the embedded magnet programs are not displayed here because a complete list of these students is not yet available.)    Elementary School Benchmark Data African-American and Caucasian Students Stipulation Magnet Schools Percent Proficient and Above - Literacy Grade 4 -2004 c g H 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 93% 96% - Illi Booker Carver Gibbs Williams  African-Am  Caucasian Bl Bl M H 0 Data Source: School Report Cards 100 Elementary School Benchmark Data African-American and Caucasian Stipulation Magnet Schools Percent Proficient and Above - Mathematics Grade 4 ~ 2004 90 89% 88% 80 70 60 c 0) u 50 40 30 20 10 44% Illi Booker Carver Gibbs Williams  African-Am  Caucasian 0 B Data Source: School Report CardsIl 51 II II Like the elementary schools, middle schools in the study have noticeable minority/non-minority achievement gaps in mathematics . The graph below is a one year example of the general trend. It is important to remember that data for Dunbar represent all African-American and Caucasian students rather than the smaller cohort of magnet students because that data were not available for them at this time. II Middle School Achievement Data African-American and Caucasian Students Percent Proficient and Above - Mathematics Grade 8 - 2004 II 100 90 80 II II II II 70 65% n o> w S y QI 60 50 40 30 20 10 8.8% 7% 40% 45% 21% 10% 3.4%| 9.3%^H  8.6%  African-Arn.  Caucasian Dunbar Magnet Program Henderson Magnet School Cloverdale MSAP School Mabelvale MSAP School Mann Stipulation Magnet 0 J Data Source: School Report Cards II II Other Gap Comparisons. African-American students at Parkview Stipulation Magnet and at Central High School scored higher in their ACT Entrance Exams over a two year period than the national and state averages of African-American students who took the ACT exams during the same period.______ ACT College Entrance Exam - African-American Students and Comparison Data II 1. Parkview High School - Stipulation Magnet Il ACT College Entrance Exam African-Am erican High School Students Mean Composite Scores 2004 and 2005 II II II II 20 19 16 15 National 16.7 16.7 Arkansas 1 8.2 19 Parkview S tip u la ted  2004 1 8  2005 II Data Source: LRSD Planning, Research and Evaluation Department II I I 52 M ii. African-American students at J. A. Fair and McClellan Magnet High Schools did not score as high in their ACT Entrance Exams as their state and national counterparts. M ACT College Entrance Exam African-American High School Students Mean Composite Scores 2004 and 2005  20 I  19 18  2004  2005 17.1 17 I 7 --------- 16.7 16.7 I I 16 16 16.2 15 16.3 National Arkansas Fair MSAP McClellan MSAP  M Data Source: LRSD Planning, Research and Evaluation Department iii. African-American students at Central High School which has an embedded magnet program outperformed their national and state counterparts in the ACT Exam in 2004 and 2005.  ACT College Entrance Exam African-American High School Students Mean Composite Scores 2004 and 2005 20 19 18.2 18  2004 17.1 17.3  2005 ::l U H I 15 National Arkansas Central Program H Data Source: LRSD Planning, Research and Evaluation Department I M II 53 II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II SECTION IV: PROGRAM PERCEPTIONS Section IV: Program Perceptions54  Section IV explores program perceptions and summarizes the data collected to answer the following evaluation question: n Evaluation Question 6: What are the following stakeholders perceptions of Magnet Schools and Magnet Programs (a) levels of implementation, (b) impacts, (c) strengths, and (d) weaknesses: n  parents/suardians  students  teachers  school/program administrators and leaders M RI Parents. Data on parents perceptions of magnet schools and programs contributed to a fuller understanding of the role magnets play in the districts educational blueprint. The evaluation team interviewed or surveyed 229 adult family members who had children in a Stipulation Magnet School or a regular school with a Magnet program. Parents who participated in the interviews were randomly selected
those who were surveyed were not. School administrators and teachers selected which classes would receive the parent survey to take home. RI n Interviews and surveys were anonymous. Respondents were not asked or given the option of providing their childrens school, teacher, or family name. However, the evaluation team did know which schools returned surveys and which schools had parents who were interviewed. w u The children of family participants in every school except the middle school were either attending a magnet school or were magnet students in schools with magnet programs. The middle school sample which was randomly selected and anonymous participated in the interviews, but it is not known if any of those interviewed had children in either of the schools two magnet programs. u The chart below provides other details. RI Stipulation Magnet School Sample Carver Gibbs Williams Parkview Schools with Magnet Programs Sample King________________ Washington Dunbar Central Data Collection Method Phone Interview X X X No. of Family Members RI Survey X X X X X 25 30 43 16 Total = 114 45 25 33 37 Total = 140 RI RI RI RI Survey and Phone Interview Protocol. The evaluator used surveys and interviews to collect participants perceptions of the magnet schools and programs. Cost-efficient surveys added breadth to the data 7 RI The individual number of respondents per question varied because every respondent did not answer every question. RI RIIl 55 II II collection
interviews added depth. The size of the sample was impacted by other data collection activities in the district and ever-present time constraints. The evaluator chose magnet schools and programs that were well-established and included samples from both elementary and secondary schools. II II The surveys and phone interviews collected information about participants familiarity with their magnet school and/or program, their rationale for choosing a particular magnet format, and their perceptions of its value. The survey contained 15 items
the interview protocol, 24. The extra interview questions solicited additional information such as, What is your relationship to the child?, "Do you have any other children in a magnet school or regular school? and Do you live inside the Attendance Zone?. II Both data collection tools contained closed-ended, (a selection of answer choices were provided), and ppem ended questions (participants were free to answer as they liked). Some questions or requests solicited general information, e.g., Does your child like school?, and others specifically targeted magnets, e.g., Please describe the magnet program at your childs school. Participants also answered other questions such as the following: II II  Are your childs learning needs being met?  Do you believe your child is receiving a quality education?  Is it important to you that your childs school has a magnet program?  Would you continue to have your child attend the school if it no longer had a magnet program? Why? or Why not? II II The survey did not ask for race or ethnicity, but the interview protocol offered it as an option. Of the 105 interviewees who provided the information, 58% were African-American, 27% Caucasian, 3% Asian, 1% Hispanic and 11% Other. The childrens mothers, grandmothers and fathers were the ones most frequently at home and willing to be interviewed. II II Data Analysis and Display. Descriptive statistics were deemed the best fit for the quantitative data the team collected. Charts, graphs and narratives provide an explanation of the findings and accompanying recommendations. The qualitative, open-ended data were reviewed and organized under common themes and discussed in narratives that frequently contain examples of respondents input. (See Appendix for a complete copy of the parent survey.) II Major Findings. The major findings derived from the parent survey and Interview data were: II Sampled parents of children in Stipulation Magnet Schools . ..  could describe their magnet program better than sampled parents of children in regular schools with a magnet program H  placed higher value on their childrens magnet program than did sampled parents of children in schools with a magnet program II II II  would be less likely, than sampled magnet-program parents, to continue sending their children to their Stipulation Magnet School if it no longer had its magnet program or had an altered program of diminished quality Discussion. The data showed that a majority of sampled parents believed their children liked school and that the schools were preparing their children for the future. Two-thirds (magnet programs) to three quarters (Stipulation magnets) of the parents thought that their childrens learning needs were being met and III 56  Ml a solid majority in both groups thought their children were receiving a quality education. However, in three other areas, there were noticeable differences in program perceptions and knowledge between the sampled parent groups. A summary of these differences follows. M First, more sampled parents of Stipulation Magnet children could accurately describe their schools magnet focus than those sampled parents of children enrolled in schools with magnet programs. This was true even among the sample whose children were identified as enrolled in an embedded magnet program . Ml H Second, it was noticeably more important to sampled Stipulation Magnet parents that their school had a magnet program than their counterparts with children enrolled in regular schools with a magnet program. Third, only 29% of sampled Stipulation Magnet parents said that they would continue to send their children to their magnet school if it no longer had a magnet program, while a somewhat higher percentage (41%), but less than a majority, of parents with children enrolled in a school with a magnet program would continue enrollment under similar circumstances. Displays one, two and three contain details.  M 1. Magnet Program Description H Parents' Ability to Describe Magnet Program Stipulated Magnet Schools/Schools with Magnet Program 2005 - 2006 100 90 80 70 S, 60 O) w  50 o A> Q. 40 30 20 10 0 78%   ill Accurate Description Inaccurate Description  Stipulated Magnet Schools N=70  Schools w/ Magnet Program N=83 Ml Ml Ml  In the parents  words . ..  Stipulation Magnets Ml  "They study a lot of cultures and languages.   It focuses on traditional subjects - math, science, reading, etc. and makes sure that the kids excel in these core subjects.  Ml  Regular School with a Magnet Program Ml  Good school and classroom well equipped.   They do a lot of activities." 2. Importance of Magnet Program. Ml Ml MlI 57 II IN In interviews and surveys, parents answered a question about whether it was important to them that their childs school had a magnet program. The data indicated that parents whose children were enrolled in a Stipulation Magnet School felt more strongly about the fact that their childs school had a magnet program than did parents with children enrolled in an area schools embedded magnet program. See display below for details. IN Parents' Perceptions of Magnet Schools and Programs ls it important to you that your child's school has a magnet program?" 2005 - 2006 IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN 100 0 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 c I a0>) s, nc a u 94% Yes  Stipulated Magnets N=106  Magnet Programs N=97 2% 25% 12% 4% No Don't Know In the parents words . . .  Stipulation Magnet School  high standards  small classes, good teachers  more intense and meaningful programs   the reputation that Magnet Schools have attained  The education that magnet schools offer is outstanding.   I love the structured, disciplined atmosphere, the top-notch teachers, the focus on learning ..  Regular School with a Magnet Program The program offers more challenges.  The program prepares my child for the future.  Magnet schools offer more opportunities for their students." It is a good school.  Good cultural mix.  "If thats what makes it a good school.  3. Enrollment Plans if Magnet Program Altered or Discontinued 58  Parents also provided input into whether they would continue to have their child attend their school if it no longer had a magnet program. Some of the interviewed parents elaborated upon their answers with the interviewer. The following graph and list of parent comments provide details.  Parents' Perceptions of Magnet Schools and Programs " Would you continue to have your child attend the school if it no longer had a magnet program ? 2005-2006 I 100 90 80  4> E 8 w eVn ocu u 70 60 SO 40 30 29% 41% 31% 34% 20 10 9% 6% 31% Yes "Only If Same Quality" No Don't Know  Stipulated Magnet School N=112  Magnet Pro^ams N=101 c 0 I M a aa In the parents words . . .  Stipulation Magnet Schools Bl No ... my assumption is that the high standards will decrease." The magnet program is what makes us go to that school.  The school just wouldn t be the same.  Not if its not a good school.  Bl  Schools with a Magnet Program Bl  As long as he was served well.   No, magnet schools are better.   Quality of education would change.   I wouldnt have my child anywhere else.  Bl Bl Summary. The data from the parent surveys and interviews provided insight into parents understanding of the magnet schools and programs and their perceptions of their worth. Much of the data also suggest that a deeper investigation into magnet parents perceptions and concerns would assist the district in any future decisions that might impact the schools and programs. Consequently, the following recommendations are offered for consideration: Recommendations II 59 II II 1. Increase the sample size to include more magnet parents, schools and programs and narrow the inquiry to areas that could generate high impact outcomes. 2. Investigate the alternatives that magnet parents would consider if their magnet schools or programs were altered or eliminated and what impact these considerations could have. II II II Students. In late Spring, 2006, the evaluator field tested a nine question student survey on the perceptions that students had about their magnet programs. A cross section of 220 elementary and high school magnet students from five schools shared their input on whether that they were receiving a quality education, if they were learning what they needed to know, and if they liked their magnet classes and wanted to learn as much as possible in them. II II Students also described their magnet programs and how, if at all, they thought their classes were preparing them for the following year. The purpose of the field test was to establish a survey format and language level that both young children and older students could understand and answer with ease. The data are preliminary and no definitive findings were generated from this field test. A larger investigation of students perceptions will be part of the Year II evaluation design. II The graph below displays an example of students perceptions in three areas. II Student Perceptions Student Percentages Reflecting Partial or Full Agreement Spring, 2006 II "I am getting a quality education." I want to learn as much as possible in my magnet classes.  "In my ma^iet classes, I am learning what I need to know." II II II II II II II II 0) 0) O) ce c a 2 9 100 90 so 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Quality Education Learn as Muchas Possible  Stipulation Magnets N = 111  Errbedded Magnets N = 109 Learning Wiatl
This project was supported in part by a Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives project grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Council on Library and Information Resoources.
   

   

  


   

  

 


   

   

 


   

  

 

<dcterms_creator>Dreyfus, Jeanne P.</dcterms_creator>