Struggling Schools face dire options

Struggling schools face dire options
Education » Struggling campuses offered grants -- and strings that come with the cash.
By Lisa Schencker
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 04/15/2010 10:01:58 PM MDT

Struggling Utah schools might soon have to make dramatic changes.
The U.S. Department of Education is giving Utah $17.4 million to turn around the state's persistently lowest achieving schools, the department announced Thursday. Schools that get the extra money, however, will have to make one of four major changes:
» Replace their principals and half their teachers.
» Convert into charter schools.
» Close their doors.
» Replace the principal and improve the school through curriculum reform, training for educators, extending learning time and other strategies.
Sixty low-performing Utah schools are eligible to apply for the money, called School Improvement Grants. But it's unclear how many Utah districts will apply given the serious set of strings attached. Districts have about a month to decide, said Brenda Hales, state associate superintendent.
"This is one of those things where it's a brand new approach to the program, and we'll see how it works," she said.
The feds are hoping the grants lead to real change for students in struggling schools. School improvement grants have been around for years, but not with the new requirements, and they haven't been available to as many schools as they will be now. Utah is one of six states to get this first round of the money, which will likely be given to all states over time.
"These are aggressive interventions that require tough decisions but ultimately are the right thing for our kids," said Sandra Abrevaya, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Education.
A number of Utah school districts are still undecided.
Ben Horsley, spokesman for the Granite School District, which has 12 eligible schools, called some of the four models for change "draconian." Still, he said, Granite is seriously considering applying.
"Some of goals that we are pursuing and the decisions that we have already made fall in line with concepts that are outlined in these models, specifically the transformation model," Horsley said, referring to the option that involves replacing the principal and improving the school through curriculum reform, training for educators, extending learning time, and other strategies.
The Salt Lake City School District, which has 10 eligible schools, is also considering applying, said McKell Withers, district superintendent. He said the district likely wouldn't consider closing schools but the other options aren't out of the question.
"It gives you a window with some resources to potentially match teachers' skills with student needs across the district," he said.
Withers said some of the more dramatic interventions might work better in other areas of the country.
"There are probably some schools in the United States that need that type of immediate and radical intervention," Withers said. "Then you come to a state like Utah, and does Utah really have any schools performing at that low of a level? Well, compared to the rest of the country, probably not."
Other districts don't want the money.
The Canyons District, which has three eligible schools, has decided not to seek the money -- for now, said Jeff Haney, a district spokesman. He said the four models are dramatic and would be difficult to accomplish in just a year.
"We feel like we have gone about focusing our instruction at some of those schools, and that will give us the desired results for increasing student achievement," Haney said.
And the San Juan District, in southeastern Utah, is still on the fence, but for different reasons. The district has five schools eligible for the dollars.
"Beyond just being dramatic, one of our concerns is all of our schools are in very remote locations and so in each of those potential options, there are a number of issues that would be a real challenge in a rural setting," said Clayton Holt, San Juan business administrator.
Transferring teachers to another school, for example, would likely mean those teachers would have to move or endure extremely long commutes, he said. Closing schools would mean hours a day on buses for students.
"That's just not practical," Holt said. "That's not going to happen."
Hales, the state associate superintendent, said what might work for the eastern part of the country doesn't necessarily work in more rural areas. "You have to be careful when you're trying to make change on a national level that you don't get caught up with one-size-fits-all."
Still, she said the money could mean significant help for Utah schools aiming to improve student achievement.
"It means they would have additional funds for having the training or materials or programs that would help them to quickly raise kids' proficiency in reading and math," Hales said. "It just helps give schools a push in making a change."
Which schools are eligible for money?
In its application to the U.S. Department of Education, Utah identified 60 low performing schools based on academic progress and achievement. Some of the schools listed below will get higher priority than others for the money based on their performance levels:
Carbon
Lighthouse Learning Center
Canyons
Midvale Elementary
East Midvale Elementary
Sandy Elementary
Davis
Doxey Elementary
Vae View Elementary
Granite
Hillsdale Elementary
Oquirrh Hills Elementary
Redwood Elementary
Arcadia Elementary
Thomas W. Bacchus Elementary
Jim Bridger Elementary
Western Hills Elementary
Fox Hills Elementary
Granger High
Kearns High
Matheson Junior HIgh
Granite Park Junior High
Iron
Southwest Education Academy
Jordan
Columbia Elementary
Logan
Logan South Campus
Nebo
Orchard Hills Elementary
Ogden
James Madison Elementary
Gramercy Elementary
Dee Elementary
Odyssey Elementary
T.O. Smith Elementary
Bonneville Elementary
Lincoln Elementary
Ogden High
Washington High
Ben Lomond High
Provo
Farrer Elementary
Timpanogos Elementary
Independence High
Salt Lake City
Northwest Middle
Edison Elementary
Lincoln Elementary
Franklin Elementary
M. Lynn Bennion Elementary
Parkview Elementary
Rose Park Elementary
Glendale Middle
East High
Highland High
San Juan
Mexican Hat Elementary
Bluff Elementary
Monument Valley High
Navajo Mountain High
Whitehorse High
Tooele
Anna Smith Elementary
Wendover High
Uintah
LaPoint Elementary
Eagle View Elementary
Wasatch
Heber Valley Elementary
Washington
Red Mountain Elementary
Weber
Roy Elementary
Charters
Pinnacle Canyon Academy
Guadalupe School
Dual Immersion Academy