shaping the learning corridor interdistrict magnet schools, 1990s to the present nivia nieves ’06...
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Shaping the Learning Corridor Interdistrict Magnet Schools,
1990s to the Present
Nivia Nieves ’06
Cities, Suburbs, and Schools research project
Trinity College, Hartford CT
www.trincoll.edu/depts/educ/css
July 18, 2005
Sheff vs. O’Neill & Magnet Schools 1996 ruling supported plaintiffs and
claimed that metro Hartford schools are segregated.
2003 Sheff settlement affirmed the expansion of interdistrict magnet schools as the key remedy.
What were the original concerns and goals of The Learning Corridor advocates
(and opponents),
and how did they gain support from various interest groups during the design phase
(1990s-2000)
and how are they addressing issues during the implementation (2000-present)?
Research Question:
• Montessori Magnet School –prek-5
• Hartford Magnet Middle School 6-8
• Greater Hartford Academy of Math & Science 9-12
• Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts 9-12
What is the Learning Corridor?
Began before Learning Corridor
Montessori Magnet School (MMS)
Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts (GHAA)
Began before Learning Corridor
Montessori Magnet School (MMS)
Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts (GHAA)
Created as part of Learning Corridor
Hartford Magnet Middle School (HMMS)
Greater Hartford Academy of Math & Science (GHAMAS)
Comparison of School District Participation in the Learning Corridor, 2005
Student participation (by town)
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts
Greater Hartford Academy of Math andScience
Montessori Magnet School
Hartford Magnet Middle School
Hartford Non-Hartford
Comparison of School District Participation in the Learning Corridor, 2005
Student participation (by race)
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts
Greater Hartford Academy of Math andScience
Montessori Magnet School
Hartford Magnet Middle School
White Black Hispanic Asian American Indian
Comparison of School District Participation in the Learning Corridor, 2005
Student Participation (by race and town)
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts
Greater Hartford Academy of Math andScience
Montessori Magnet School
Hartford Magnet Middle School
Hartford White Hartford Minority Suburb White Suburb Minority
Comparison of District Participation in LC, 2004-2005
Legend
Student Enrollment
as Percent of Total
0
0 - 2.5%
2.5 - 5%
5 - 10%
10 - 20%
20 - 40%
40 - 70%
HMMS
MMS
GHAMAS
GHAA
Sources & Methods:
Historical Documents
• Reports: Examples: Kellogg Project & Aetna Center for Families
Community Resident Survey
• News Stories: Examples: Hartford Courant
• Archival Documents: Examples: Minutes from Trinity Board of Trustee meetings
Sources & Methods:
Interviews
Design Phase (1990s-2000)
Key Actors Hartford Suburban Trinity State & Regional
Government Learning Corridor
Sources & Methods:
Interviews
Design Phase (1990s-2000)
Key Actors Hartford Suburban Trinity State & Regional
Government Learning Corridor
Implementation Phase (2000-present)
Key Actors Hartford Suburban Trinity State & Regional
Government Learning Corridor
Prospective parents at Hartford Magnet Middle School (51)
Sources & Methods:
Interviews -- Design phase (1990s-2000)
Key actors conducted Summer 2004 HartfordElizabeth Horton SheffEdie Lacey Eddie Perez Saundra Kee Borges Kevin KinsellaJim BoucherEugene Leach
SuburbanJacqueline JacobyRobert VillanovaErnest PerliniJoe Townsley Alan Beitman Lou Saloom
State & Regional Marc O’Donnell Kevin SullivanJoe Townsley
TrinityScott ReynoldsJackie Mandyck Evan Dobelle Eddie PerezKevin SullivanSaundra Kee BorgesPaula Russo Eugene Leach
Learning CorridorTim NeeEddie PerezKevin Kinsella Paula Russo Saundra Kee Borges
Sources & Methods:
Interviews -- Implementation phase Key actors planned Summer 2005
HartfordEdie Lacey Eddie Perez Luis CabanHyacinth YennieRobert HenryDavid MartinezAlta LashMichael Menatian
State & Regional Rep. Cameron StaplesTheodore S. SergiMarc O’Donnell Kevin SullivanJoe Townsley Bruce Douglas Marcia B. YuloMarie M. Spivey
TrinityJackie Mandyck Eddie PerezKevin SullivanAlta Lash
Learning CorridorTim NeeEddie PerezDelores BoltonHerb Sheppard Jeffery L. Osborn
SuburbanJacqueline JacobyRobert VillanovaJoe Townsley
Sources & Methods:
Sample questions design phase What concerns did you have about
Hartford and the region in the mid-1990s?
Sources & Methods:
Sample questions design phase What concerns did you have about
Hartford and the region in the mid-1990s?
I’m going to list different groups of people -- to your knowledge, what actions did they take regarding the Learning Corridor -- and why?
State and regional officialsSouthside Institutional Neighborhood Alliance (SINA)Hartford city and school officialsHartford neighborhood organizationsSuburban town and school officialsTrinity CollegeHartford business groups
Sources & Methods:
Implementation issues
Funding
Suburban participation
Learning Corridor influence on Hartford
Hartford Magnet Middle School
CREC vs HPS Management
Goals
Sources & Methods:
Sample questions -- Implementation phase
Funding has been a continuing concern for the Learning Corridor magnet schools. - What are the underlying causes of the funding problem?
- Has financial support from different sources changed over time?
- What are the consequences of these funding problems for the LC?
Sources & Methods:
Sample questions -- Implementation phase
Funding has been a continuing concern for the Learning Corridor magnet schools. - What are the underlying causes of the funding problem?
- Has financial support from different sources changed over time?
- What are the consequences of these funding problems for the LC?
Over the past five years, two organizations have taken responsibility for managing magnet schools in Hartford: HPS and CREC. Where does the LC stand between the two right now? And in the future?
Findings:
Design phase (1990s-2000)The primary goal of the Learning Corridor was
urban renewal, not necessarily education.
Findings:
Design phase (1990s-2000)The primary goal of the Learning Corridor was
urban renewal, not necessarily education.
“The Learning Corridor wasn’t a concept of just these four schools. It’s a much broader concept than that. And, I don’t think people always appreciate the broader concept.” (Tim Nee, MMS Principal, p. 4)
“Well, I think its original objectives were to…through education, to stabilize a neighborhood and to make it a healthy vibrant place to, first of all where people want to live.” (Scott Reynolds, Secretary of Trinity College, p. 7)
Findings:
Design phase (1990s-2000)The Learning Corridor probably would have
happened regardless of the Sheff plaintiff victory, due to Trinity College plans prior to the 1996 ruling.
Findings:
Design phase (1990s-2000)The Learning Corridor probably would have
happened regardless of the Sheff plaintiff victory, due to Trinity College plans prior to the 1996 ruling.
Findings:
Design phase (1990s-2000)
But the Sheff litigation (1988-present) clearly influenced the Learning Corridor.
Findings:
Design phase (1990s-2000)
The Sheff decision served as a two-edged blade for the Learning Corridor.– Added political and financial momentum
– Diluted the impact on Hartford neighborhoods
Findings:
Design phase (1990s-2000)
The Sheff decision served as a two-edged blade for the Learning Corridor.– Added political and financial momentum
– Diluted the impact on Hartford neighborhoods
“The way that money works restricts the number of Hartford kids who participate…So we have not served nearly as many community kids…We thought the middle school would be a neighborhood school and it is now a magnet school.” (Kevin Sullivan, former Vice President of Institutional and Community Relations, Trinity College, p. 12)
Findings: Design phase (1990s-2000)
The Sheff decision served as a two edged blade for the Learning Corridor.– Added political and financial momentum
– Diluted the impact on Hartford neighborhoods
“The former superintendent Anthony Amato pulled some political strings and got [HMMS] changed from a neighborhood school to a magnet school, which infuriated the neighborhood, because really we felt that our kids who were at risk were the middle school kids and that if we could have them in a quality neighborhood school we could probably do something… He betrayed our neighborhood. And, he did it because he could get more money as a magnet school.” (Edie Lacey, Hartford Community activist and former chair of Frog Hallow South NRZ, p. 2)
Findings:
Implementation phase (2000-present)
Interest groups collectively succeeded in constructing the Learning Corridor and achieving better racial balance than city or suburban schools.
Findings:
Implementation phase (2000-present)
Interest groups collectively succeeded in constructing the Learning Corridor and achieving better racial balance than city or suburban schools.
But the interest groups’ motivations and concerns differed.
Findings:
Implementation phase (2000-present)
Interest groups collectively succeeded in constructing the Learning Corridor and achieving better racial balance than city or suburban schools.
But the interest groups’ motivations and concerns differed.
Interest groups rarely interacted with each other.
Sources & Methods:
Interviews
Design Phase (1990s-2000)
Key Actors Hartford Suburban Trinity State & Regional
Government Learning Corridor
Implementation Phase (2000-present)
Key Actors Hartford Suburban Trinity State & Regional
Government Learning Corridor
Prospective parents at Hartford Magnet Middle School (51)
Sources & Methods: Focus on 51 interviews with prospective parents
White 31%
Non-White 69%
Hartford 45%
Suburb 55%
Low educ level (high school or some college) 51%
High educ level (college or graduate school) 49%
Sources & Methods:
Definitions
Parental Motivations for applying to magnets
Push - Dissatisfaction with current school for any reason (such as class size)
Pull - Attraction to magnet schools for any reason (such as convenient location)
Findings:
Parent Motivation Disparities (by race)• Non-white parents are more likely to feel both
“pushed” away from neighborhood schools and “pulled” towards magnet schools
Parent Motivation Disparities (by race)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Push Pull Both Neither
Non-White White
Categories identified in open-ended parental responses
• Better educational opportunities• Child attending: • Class size: • Convenient: • Curriculum/Teaching: • Diversity: • Do not like current school: • Friends attending: • Private school costs are high: • Reputation: • Security:
Thematic Analysis of Motivations
Findings: Parent Motivation Similarities (by town)
Both Hartford and Suburban Parents were equally as interested in magnet schools for better educational opportunities, reputation of magnet school, dislike of child’s current school, enrollment of siblings, security, and enrollment of friends.
Parent Motivation Similarities (by town)
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Ed Opp Reputation DislikeCurrent
Sibling Enr Security Friend Enr
Hartford Suburb
Findings:
Parent Motivation Disparities (by parent education)Parents with the lowest levels of education were motivated by school reputation, convenience, and having a sibling enrolled.
Parents with the highest levels of education were more attracted to magnets for diversity.
Parent Motivation Disparities (by education level)
0%2%4%6%8%
10%12%14%16%18%
Reputation Convenience Sibling Enr Diversity
High Low
Findings:
Source of School Word of mouth was the greatest source of information on magnet schools for both white and non-white parents.
Non-white parents were more likely to also conduct their own informational search and receive mail from the magnet schools.
Source of school information
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Word ofmouth
Mail Search Presentation Childattending
School Employee
White Non-White