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Understanding measures of school success: a study of a Wisconsin charter school

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UNDERSTANDING MEASURES OF SCHOOL SUCCESS:
A STUDY OF A WISCONSIN CHARTER SCHOOL

by

Rachel L. Stickles

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

December 2010

Copyright 2010 Rachel L. Stickles

ii

DEDICATION

To my husband, Scott, your patience, encouragement, understanding, and support have
helped to make this a reality.

To my Dad, thanks for always believing in me.

iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Dr. Lawrence Picus, the chair of my
committee, for his commitment and support in guiding me through this dissertation
process.
I also wish to thank Dr. Melora Sundt and Dr. Dominic Brewer whose critical
evaluation of my work helped to make it stronger.
It is with great appreciation that I acknowledge the administration, faculty, and board
members associated with Woodland‘s School. I admire your clear commitment to
improving the quality of public education.
I share this achievement with my children, Noah, Emily, and Evan, who inspire me
each day.

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dedication ii

Acknowledgements iii

List of Tables v

List of Figures vi

Abstract vii

Chapter One: Overview of Study 1

Chapter Two: Literature Review 14

Chapter Three: Methodology 32

Chapter Four: Analysis of Data and Interpretation of Findings 40

Chapter Five: Summary of Findings 76

References 84

Appendices
Appendix A: On-Site Principal Interview Protocol 89
Appendix B: On-Site Teacher Interview Protocol 92
Appendix C: Charter Board Interview Protocol 95
Appendix D: Director Of Charter Schools Interview Protocol 97
University Of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

v

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Number of U.S. Charter Schools and Percentage of Yearly Growth 15
Table 2: Reasons and Percentage of Wisconsin Charter School Closures 29

Table 3: Student Enrollment by Ethnic and Gender Designations 45
Table 4: Number/Percentage of Students Qualifying for Free and/or Reduced 46
Lunch

Table 5: Longitudinal Proficiency Level Data for Reading (2004-05 to 2008-09): 52
Woodlands School Cohort 2013

Table 6: Longitudinal Proficiency Level Data for Math (2004-05 to 2008-09): 53
Woodlands School Cohort 2013

vi

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Woodlands Students Grades Three through Eight by Ethnicity 49

Figure 2: 2008 WKCE Reading Test Results for Students in Grades 3-8 50

Figure 3: 2008 WKCE Math Results for Students in Grades 3-8 51
Figure 4: Woodlands WKCE Test Results by Ethnicity 2007 and 2008 56

Figure 5: MPS WKCE Results by Ethnicity 57

vii

ABSTRACT

Widespread dissatisfaction with traditional public schools has lead to the development
of charter schools. Under the terms of a charter, schools are granted increased autonomy
in areas such as financial management, organizational structure, and curriculum. This
study investigated the factors that lead to the success of one individual charter school and
how that success was measured by parents, faculty, administration, school board
members, and the authorizing agency. To explore these issues, a qualitative case study
was conducted in a Wisconsin charter school. Interviews with teachers, administrators,
board members, and members of the authorizing agency were conducted. Analysis of the
original charter agreement, annual reports and previously completed stakeholder surveys
was also conducted. Exploration of this case study found that success at this charter is
measured in student academic performance, student and faculty retention, and finances
but also largely in qualitative areas, such as school culture. Findings also supported the
traditional role of the authorizing agency as an organization that oversees compliance
with regulations and goal achievement. Recommendations for further research were
developed based on these results.

1

CHAPTER ONE

Overview of the Study

Background of the Problem

There appears to be widespread dissatisfaction with American public schools. Many
parents are disappointed with the quality of education that their children are receiving
(Bushaw & McNee, 2009) and there is much evidence that the public schools are not
working as they should. The anger and frustration seem to stem from the fact that
students are passing through the public school system without basic skills (Gallagher,
2000). Some would argue that even our best schools are not preparing our students for
work in the 21
st
century (Wagner, 2008). Many students do not even pass through the
school system and are lost along the way. In 2007, 3.3 million children ages 16-24 were
not enrolled in high school. The national drop-out rate of 8.7% is even higher for
minority groups in the United States (Cataldi, Laird, & KewalRamani, 2009). This is
indicative of a system that is not meeting the needs of students.
Many teachers and administrators are frustrated by problems of bureaucracy, stating
that their time is spent keeping up with government mandates and not enough time is
devoted to accomplishing educational goals (Johnson & Duffett, 2003). Faculty and
administrators claim that they are doing the best they can under the circumstances;
circumstances that parents claim place teachers with large class sizes, limited resources,

2

and little support (Rose & Gallup, 2004). Many parents, administrators, and teachers
alike, who are dissatisfied and frustrated by the current public school system, have begun
to choose charter schools as an alternative.
Charter schools are non-sectarian, public institutions that do not have admission tests,
but that operate under a written contract, or charter, issued by an outside agency, such as
a local school board or university. Charter schools are not bound by most public school
regulations and therefore have greater flexibility in determining curriculum, allocating
resources, and hiring staff. (Gill, Timpane, Ross, Brewer, & Booker, 2007). The
contracts outline specific standards of accountability (Witte, Weimer, Shober, &
Schlomer, 2007). This accountability is often in the areas of student achievement and
fiscal responsibility. Charter schools that meet the terms of their charter have their
contracts renewed. Charter schools that do not meet the terms of the charter over the
contract‘s period can be closed.
Charter schools are often difficult to establish. Research shows that some states have
weak chartering laws, indicating that there are many restrictions on the formation and
operation of the charter schools (Center for Education Reform, 2010). Other schools
have faced challenges with uncooperative charter granting agencies (Center for Education
Reform, 2010). Most charter schools have suffered from inadequate start-up funds
(Sugarman, 2002, U.S. Department of Education, 2000) and inadequate facilities (U.S.
Department of Education, 2000; Center for Education Reform, 2010). According to the
Annual Survey of America's Charter Schools (Center for Education Reform, 2010) only
26% of the respondents received funding that was targeted towards facilities A majority
3

of respondents reported renting or lease space on a short term basis which leads to
instability. The challenges of state restrictions and lack of initial and continued facilities
funding have constrained charter creation.
Many opponents to charter schools claim that charter school laws do not serve to
decrease the racial segregation of districts (Wells, Holme, Lopez, & Cooper, 2000) and
that they put a fiscal strain on local districts (Kirst, 2007). The demographic differences
that exist between the Boston Public School District and the district‘s charter schools
highlight these problems. For example, African Americans make up approximately 48%
of Boston Public School students; they represent 70% of the charter school students.
While 25% of Boston‘s students are learning English as their second language, there are
no English language learners enrolled in the city‘s charter schools. 20% of the district‘s
students receive special education services, yet only 10% of the students in the city‘s
charters are classified as requiring special education services.
This discrepancy has affected the Boston Public School District financially. Under the
state law, each student who leaves a traditional public school to attend a charter takes
with them their per-pupil funding, which already includes the cost for special services.
The charter receives the inflated funds, but largely serves a regular population that does
not require the extra funding, and therefore comes out ahead. The traditional school,
which cannot adjust easily to the loss of students, struggles without the funding (Frug &
Barron, 2007). Although charters are legally bound to accept any student who wishes to
attend the charter, if space permits, the charters are not required to create programs that
accommodate the students, therefore, students with special needs or limited English
4

proficiency may not choose to attend. This could serve to explain the discrepancy in the
populations.
The Boston example, which indicated that minorities make up a majority of the
charter school population, is mirrored in national data reported by the Center for
Education Reform (2010), which indicated that 52% of the students who attend charter
schools are minority students. The report presented a different picture of other
populations citing that overall, nineteen percent of charter school students are English
language learners and fourteen percent have special needs. These are greater percentages
than in traditional public schools.
Proponents of charter schools argue that the schools "will serve as laboratories for
pedagogical innovation, provide havens for students who have been poorly served by
traditional public schools, promote parental involvement and satisfaction, improve
academic achievement, and save public education" (Gill, et al, 2007). Los Angeles
Unified School District (LAUSD) sees charter schools as a vehicle to help solve the
challenges facing their schools. Currently, there are more that 160 charter schools
operating in the city of Los Angeles (Landsberg, Smith & Blume, 2010). There are
thirteen additional charters slated to open for the 2010-2011 school year.
According to its mission,
Los Angeles Unified School District will encourage and nurture the development and
continuation of charter schools that are accountable for improved student learning and
that can:

5

Provide possible solutions to urban school challenges through practices that help:
Ease the shortage of school facilities and seat space
Narrow the achievement gap among students of various backgrounds
Increase responsible parent and student involvement in learning
Improve teacher quality and performance evaluation systems
Provide data to help identify and evaluate issues that affect quality educational
programs and student learning and achievement
Serve as laboratories to test, demonstrate and disseminate ideas that can promote
better educational practices
Provide an additional educational option for parents
The Los Angeles Unified School District is interested in fostering a collaborative
relationship among charter and non-charter schools to promote learning through
active participation and meaningful articulation of ideas
(http://notebook.lausd.net/portal/page?_pageid=33,205129&_dad=ptl&_schema=PTL_E
P).
In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) became law. One
component of this law, which was created to stimulate the economy, is the Race to the
Top Fund.
This fund is dispersed in the form of competitive grants awarded to states that are:
creating conditions for education innovation and reform; achieving significant
improvement in student outcomes, including making substantial gains in student
achievement, closing achievement gaps, improving high school graduation rates, and
ensuring student preparation for success in college and careers; and implementing
ambitious plans in four core education reform areas: adopting standards and
assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to
6

compete in the global economy; building data systems that measure student growth
and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve
instruction; recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and
principals, especially where they are needed most; and turning around our lowest-
achieving schools. (U.S. Department of Education, 2009, p. 2)

One of the conditions to qualify for Race to the Top funds is that state laws must be
written as to not impede charter school growth. This inclusion of charter schools in
national reform efforts notes the recognition of charter schools an innovation that could
serve to reform the educational system.

Statement of the Problem
Most charter schools promise to meet specific student academic outcomes according
to their charter (Lacey, Enger, Maldonado, & Thompson, 2006). These contracts, which
usually are granted for 3-5 year terms, also provide a school operator with more
autonomy than is granted to the regular public schools. This autonomy may come in the
areas of spending, curriculum, staffing, or organization. This relaxation in state standards
is granted in exchange for increased accountability (Witte, Schlomer, & Shober, 2007).
This institutional innovation permits schools to operate under a different structure to meet
the needs of their specific population. This raises questions. For example, with these
high expectations for student achievement at the forefront, is it possible for a charter
school to do all that is promised? Does the relaxation of the standards that need to be met
by charter schools help them to be successful? How successful are charters at meeting
the needs of their stakeholders?
7

Purpose of the Study
It was the intention of this study to examine a successful charter school program to
identify how the success of the school is measured. For the purpose of this study, a
successful charter can be defined as one which has met the terms outlined in its contract
and subsequently has had its charter renewed. This case study of a Wisconsin charter
school examined three components of charter school operation, 1) the written charter
agreement, 2) the chartering institution, and 3) the stakeholders who are involved in the
daily operation of the charter. The goal of this study was to identify factors that
contribute to the success of the charter school. These factors could then be used as a
backbone structure for other schools.
Research Questions
1. How does the charter school define success and what measures are in place to
determine whether or not it has achieved its goals?
2. What roles do the school‘s faculty and staff play in reaching these goals and
how does the school‘s charter status help or impede their achievement?
3. What role does the chartering agency play in the school‘s success or failure?

Importance of the Study

Patterns that emerged regarding what made this charter school successful has added to
the present field of knowledge regarding charter schools. Characteristics that contribute
to success in the charter school can and should be applied to other public schools.
8

This study will help potential charter school operators by offering a look at a
successful charter school and providing a model from which to borrow successful
practices. It will also be informative for those who are charged with the approval and
oversight of a charter school. It has identified factors that were essential to the success of
the charter, as well as some of the problems and concerns that other charter schools might
run into. It has provided insight into how those problems may be solved.
Summary of Methodology
Qualitative, descriptive-analytic case study research methods were used to conduct an
in depth analysis of the success of this charter school. Interviews were used to collect
data regarding the school‘s mission, charter status, faculty, and educational program. The
charter document which outlines the governance structure, program, assessments and
expected outcomes for students at the charter school was examined. Surveys of parents,
staff and students conducted by the chartering agency were also analyzed to ascertain
their level of satisfaction with the charter school.

Limitations

Self-report biases do exist in this design. There is no guarantee that each of the
participant groups did not assign more credit to themselves for the success of the school
than to the school at large.
Interviewer biases exist as well. This study is based on the assumption that the school
has been successful from each of the participant‘s perspectives. There may be respondent
bias because they are heavily invested in the success of the school and are therefore
reluctant to say things that reflect negatively on the school‘s ability to achieve its goals.
9

It is also possible that the very nature of employment in a charter school is a choice and
that the element of choice likely increases each person‘s motivation for success. This
type of motivation may not exist – or be as strong – in a regular public school. That
motivation for success of the school could bias the information that they have shared with
the researcher.
Delimitations
This study was limited by the fact that this is a case study of one school in Wisconsin.
Success at this charter school is not necessarily attributable to the same factors as the
success of the other charter schools around the nation. A study of a cross section of
charter schools would provide better generalizability.
Definitions
4K Program
A 4K program is a kindergarten class for 4-year old students. The four-year-old
kindergarten program at Woodlands School is called Children‘s Place. Through hands on
approaches, children are introduced to developmentally appropriate concepts related to
Language, Math Concepts, character education, French, Music, Physical Education, Art,
and Library Skills (http://www.woodlands-
school.org/TheClassroom/UnitDescriptions/tabid/1478/Default.aspx).

10

Accountability Report
A school's accountability report is a document in which the results of school
improvement efforts are communicated
(http://www4.uwm.edu/soe/centers/charter_schools/phase2/accountability-plan-and-
report.cfm).
Average Daily Attendance (ADA)
ADA is the total number of days of student attendance divided by the total number of
days in the regular school year. A student attending every school day would equal one
ADA. The ADA is used in determining school funding (http://www.ed-
data.k12.ca.us/glossary.asp).
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009 (ARRA)
In response to America's financial crisis, this Act was designed to create jobs, sustain
jobs, generate economic growth, and to encourage accountability and transparency in
government spending (http://www.recovery.gov/About/Pages/The_Act.aspx).
Charter
A performance contract, often granted for a period of three to five years, between a
charter school and it's authorizer that outlines elements of the school's operation, such as
the charter school's mission, program, goals, student population, and assessment plan
(http://www.uscharterschools.org/pub/uscs_docs/o/index.htm).

11

Chartering Agency
The purpose of a chartering agency is to implement state legislation authorizing the
operation of charter schools and to serve as the review and monitoring organization as
defined by the legislation (http://www4.uwm.edu/soe/centers/charter_schools).
Charter School
Charter schools are public schools that are freed from, in most cases, local and state
regulations. In return for this freedom, charter schools are held accountable for student
performance – if the goals of the school set forth in the charter are not reached, the
school‘s charter is not renewed.
Conversion Charter School
A pre-existing public or private school that, after following the charter application
process of their home state, changes over to charter status. This type of charter must
continue to serve the neighborhood population.
Inter-district Open Enrollment
Inter-district public school open enrollment program allows parents to apply for their
children to attend school districts other than the one in which they reside (Wisconsin
Department of Public Instruction, 2010).
Intra-district Open Enrollment
A policy that provides families with an opportunity to apply to have their children attend
another school within their district, but is other than their assigned neighborhood school
(Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 2010).

12

Magnet Schools
"A special school or program designed to attract students of different racial/ethnic
backgrounds for the purpose of reducing, preventing, or eliminating racial isolation (50
percent or more minority enrollment); and/or to provide an academic or social focus on a
particular theme" (Sable & Plotts, 2009, p. C-8).
Private Schools
Private schools are non-public institutions that do not receive tax revenues and charge
tuition. Private schools do not have to follow the same regulations and bureaucratic
processes of which public schools must adhere, and often have specific admission criteria
for students. These schools often specialize their programs in an effort to attract a
particular population of students (http://www.greatschools.org/find-a-school/defining-
your-ideal/private-vs-public-schools.gs?content=59).
School Choice
School choice is a reform movement designed to offer parents the opportunity to choose
which school their child attends. Public school choice, gives parents the option of
transferring their children out of one public school to another public school. Private
school choice permits parents to use government-funded vouchers to have their children
attend private schools (Choice, 2004).
Start-Up Charter School
A new charter school started by groups of parents, teachers, school administrators,
and/or community members.

13

Vouchers
A voucher is a financial grant provided by states and localities to parents that can be
used to pay for their child‘s attendance at any private or public school, rather than the one
to which they are assigned.
(http://www.edreform.com/Fast_Facts/Ed_Reform_FAQs/?Just_the_FAQs_Tuition_Tax
_Credits_and_Tax_Deductions).
Organization of the Dissertation
Chapter One has provided a summary of the relevance of the current study of charter
schools. Chapter Two will discuss the literature regarding the school choice movement,
highlight characteristics of successful and unsuccessful charter schools and outline the
current methods utilized to measure the success of charters. Chapter Three will delineate
the study design, including the instrumentation, data collection and an analysis of the
data. Chapter Four will present findings and an analysis of the data for each research
question. The final chapter, Chapter Five, will summarize the study and present
conclusions and implications for those proposing the creation of charter schools as well
as those responsible for the approval of charter applications.

14

CHAPTER TWO
Literature Review
The purpose of this literature review is to explore the charter school concept and its
place in the educational reform effort. This chapter will define the charter school concept
and the prevalence of charter schools in the United States, as well as explore the history
of the school reform effort. The reasons for charter school formation will then be
discussed, followed by a look at the successes and failures of charter schools. Finally, the
issue of student achievement in charter schools will be examined.
What are charter schools?
Charter schools are non-sectarian, public institutions that do not have admission tests,
but that operate under a written contract, or charter, issued by an outside agency, such as
a local school board or university. Charter schools are not bound by most public school
regulations and therefore have greater flexibility in determining curriculum, allocating
resources, and hiring staff. (Gill, et. al, 2007). The contracts outline specific standards of
accountability (Witte, et al, 2007) . This accountability is often in the areas of student
achievement and fiscal responsibility. Charter schools that meet the terms of their charter
have their contracts renewed. Charter schools that do not meet the terms of the charter
over the contract‘s period can be closed.
How many are there?
There are 4,912 charter schools operating for the 2009-2010 school year in the United
States. These schools serve 1,566,763 students in 39 states and Washington, D.C.
(National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, 2010).
15

What is the growth pattern?
Table 1: Number of U.S. Charter Schools and Percentage of Yearly Growth
Academic Year Number of Charter Schools Percentage of Growth
From Year to Year
1999-2000 1,542 ___
2000-2001 1,941 26%
2001-2002 2,313 19%
2002-2003 2,559 11%
2003-2004 2,959 16%
2004-2005 3,383 14%
2005-2006 3,759 11%
2006-2007 4,053 8%
2007-2008 4,321 7%
2008-2009 4,618 7%

California led the way in the 2009.2010 school year with ninety-eight new charter
schools and more than 38,000 new charter students. It was followed by Texas with nine
new charters, 55 additional campuses and over 14,000 additional charter students. Florida
also saw a marked increase in charter schools during the 2009-2010 school year, as 48
new schools opened and about 13,000 new students enrolled in a charter school (National
Alliance for Public Charter Schools, 2009). It should be noted that California and
Florida also led the way in charter school closures on or after the 2008-2009 school year,
with 22 and 21 schools closing respectively (National Alliance for Public Charter
16

Schools, 2009). The reasons for charter school closure will be discussed later in this
chapter.
Rationale for charter schools
The charter school concept was born out of a series of educational reform efforts. The
current course of public school reform began in 1983 when ―A Nation at Risk‖ was
released. The report boldly stated that the problem with our schools did not stem from
lack of funding. Increasing funding alone could not solve the schools‘ problems. Our
nation began to rethink our entire system of education. The focus shifted from increasing
funding to increasing standards and accountability (Allen & Dale, 1995).
Research in the early 1990‘s indicated that the changes of the past few years were not
enough to make a difference in the education of children. ―What makes a responsive
school—one that works—is a combination of several factors: high expectations by
parents and schools, smaller schools—not sprawling, shopping mall type one sees so
often today; strong leaders; and consumer choice‖ (Allen & Dale, 1995, p. 4). The factor
of consumer choice was thought to be a step towards accountability. School choice
options allow parents to decide which school best meets the needs of their children and
allow them to transfer to that school.
Market Based Alternatives
Market-based school reform is based on the premise that by increasing the number of
schooling options for parents and their children, competitive pressure will result and that
pressure to attract students will lead to increased quality of educational offerings across
schools (Maranto, 2001). Just as in the business world, schools that are unable to attract
17

customers, i.e. students, would be forced to close. There have been a number of
alternative processes and options made available for parents to choose a school that is
appropriate for their children. Open enrollment, magnet schools, private schools, and
vouchers are a few options.
Open enrollment.
Open enrollment was first introduced in Los Angeles in 1993 (Allen & Dale, 1993).
This market-based alternative, which is available to families in many states across the
nation, is intended to increase competition among schools and thereby improve the
quality of education. Inter-district public school open enrollment program allows parents
to apply for their children to attend school districts other than the one in which they
reside. Many districts also hold intra-district open-enrollment periods during which a
family may apply to have their children attend another school within their district, but is
other than their assigned neighborhood school (Wisconsin Department of Public
Instruction, 2010).
Magnet schools.
Magnet schools are public schools that are part of a school district and operate under
the same district rules and requirements as other public schools. Magnets are a ―special
school or program designed to attract students of different racial/ethnic backgrounds for
the purpose of reducing, preventing, or eliminating racial isolation (50 percent or more
minority enrollment); and/or to provide an academic or social focus on a particular
theme‖ (Sable & Plotts, 2009, p. C-8). What distinguishes magnet schools from other
public schools is often that emphasis on particular academic subjects such as math or
18

technology, while others employ specific instructional methods or approaches. Another
distinguishing characteristic is finances. Magnet schools often spend more money per
pupil than the traditional public schools. Some magnet schools receive desegregation
funds from the federal government and there are also grants available to assist the
schools. About one-third of all magnet schools have admission criteria (Chen, 2007).
This means that the schools are not truly open to all students who wish to attend or would
benefit from attendance.
Private schools.
Private schools are not a part of the public education system and therefore no public
funding or taxpayer money is utilized for the operation of the school. They are funded by
tuition fees and gifts (Private School Review, 2008). In Wisconsin, private schools are
still subject to state regulations regarding matters such as attendance and instructional
hours (http://dpi.wi.gov/sms/psstat.html). There is freedom to dictate a curriculum and
how that curriculum is taught.
Vouchers.
A voucher is a financial grant provided by states and localities to parents that can be
used to pay for their child‘s attendance at any private or public school, rather than the one
to which they are assigned.
(http://www.edreform.com/Fast_Facts/Ed_Reform_FAQs/?Just_the_FAQs_Tuition_Tax
_Credits_and_Tax_Deductions). Those in favor of vouchers propose that the programs
allow parents to choose more effective schools for their children and that this would
benefit low-income families who due to financial reasons are otherwise unable to choose
19

private schools for their children. Vouchers, as a market-based option would also
provide the element of competition to spur public school improvement (Gill, et al, 2007).
Opponents argue that vouchers take money away from the lowest performing schools,
thereby serving to weaken them further. Others are also concerned about the separation
of church and state in cases where vouchers are used for attendance at religiously
affiliated institutions
(http://www.ncsl.org/IssuesResearch/Education/SchoolChoiceVouchers/tabid/12942/Def
ault.aspx).
Charter School Concept
The charter school concept is a market-based public school alternative that represents
a natural progression of the school reform effort. Charter schools offer organizers
freedom from regulation, a way to test new models of schooling, and the freedom to
focus resources on student learning in different ways.
Freedom from regulation.
Charter schools promise increased measurable student outcomes in a fixed period of
time according to their charter. These contracts provide a school operator with more
autonomy than is granted to the regular public schools. This autonomy, like that of
private schools, may come in the areas of spending, curriculum, staffing, or organization
(Manno, 2004). This freedom from some regulations is granted in exchange for increased
accountability.

20

Way to test new model of schooling.
According to the Fourth-Year report of the National Study of Charter Schools
(Nelson, Berman, Ericson, Kemprath, Perry, Silverman, & Solomon, 2000), over half of
the charter schools operating during the 1998-1999 school year were founded primarily to
realize an alternative vision for schooling. The report noted that these newly created
schools, in particular, "reported on alternative curriculum and instructional
approaches and a vision for the organizational climate they wished to create" (p. 42).
Since that time, thousands of new charters have opened. ―Some focus on mathematics
and science, others on the arts; some have adopted the ―world-class‖ curriculum of
Edison Schools, others the ―Core Knowledge‖ program of E. D. Hirsch. The proportion
of charter schools across the nation using innovative or alternative programs, however, is
not clear‖ (Gill, et al, 2007, p.66).
Way to focus resources in different ways.
Charter schools have the freedom to focus resources in ways to best meet the needs of
their students. Many charter schools provide services to students who are underserved by
the traditional public school: teen parents, special education students, English language
learners, and gifted and talented students. ―Conventional public schools often do not
provide the individualized attention and tailored curricula that these students need to
ensure their success‖ (Center for Education Reform, 2008).
Role of Chartering Agency
Each charter school must be authorized by a chartering agency. A chartering agency
is authorized by the individual states to grant charters under the state's charter law
21

(http://www.uscharterschools.org/pub/uscs_docs/o/faq.html#4). Charter school
authorizers are charged with initial approval of charters and determining under which
conditions they may operate. Authorizers are responsible for ongoing monitoring of the
progress and compliance of the charter schools. Continuing oversight also includes the
implementation of sanctions if the terms of the charter are not met (U.S. Department of
Education, 2004).
The most fundamental oversight responsibility of a chartering agency is that of
making sure that the school complies with local, state, and federal laws, that it is
financially compliant and that it completes the appropriate reporting (Bulkley, 2001). A
1998 UCLA Charter School Study found that districts hold charters more accountable for
financial matters than for the more ambiguous matter of student achievement. The
reasons for that are numerous.
The study found that:
both charter school operators and local school board members are often conflicted
about issues of accountability. School board members tend to feel more comfortable
holding charter schools fiscally (as opposed to academically) accountable, and charter
school operators often resist any effort to be held accountable to anyone other than the
parents and community constituents they serve. Furthermore, some school boards find
themselves under intense pressure to renew charters for schools that have garnered a
lot of support from their local communities or from state charter advocates, regardless
of the student outcomes the schools have shown. (Wells, 1998, p. 308)

The chartering authority must not only determine the definition of success, but also
determine what constitutes an unsuccessful operation that requires closure (Bulkley,
2001). A charter may be successful in the school market, i.e. have a waiting list and a
22

high level of parental satisfaction and yet be unsuccessful in terms of academic gains. In
this situation, it is especially difficult to fulfill the broad charter concept that dictates that
schools not meeting the terms of their charter will be closed.
Proponents of charter schools argue that in order for the charter school movement to
be successful, states must grant multiple agencies the authority to grant charters (Center
for Education Reform, 2010) A national study of charter school authorizers (Palmer &
Gau, 2005), supports the notion that local school boards as authorizing agencies may not
be the most effective, noting with few exceptions, that they are often hindered partly by
political pressures and lack of infrastructure in place to devote to charter authorization.
This study also indicates, contrary to the pro-school choice Center of Education Reform
(2010) that a fewer number of agencies, regardless of type, which oversee larger numbers
of schools has been more effective than many authorizing agencies responsible for fewer
schools, noting that the infrastructure necessary for high quality authorizing is costly and
challenging to develop. An example of an effective agency that has developed the
necessary infrastructure is Central Michigan University, the first university to grant
charters, leads the nation in the authorization of charters. The university has chartered
fifty-five schools since it began as an authorizing agency in 1994. Due to the expertise of
the university agency, which has grown over the last sixteen years, the university‘s
Center for Charter Schools is consulted by authorizers across the country as they work
through their own chartering processes
(http://cmucso.org/modules.php?name=Pages&sp_id=144&pmenu_id=111).
23

There are four major types of chartering agencies, 1) the traditional public school
district, 2) state boards, commissioners, or departments of education, 3) other existing
public agencies, such as universities and colleges, and 4) entirely new specialized
chartering authorities. According to a survey of the charter schools that were opened
during 2008 year, 51% were approved by local school boards, 28% by State Boards of
Education, 12% by other state chartering boards, 7% by universities/colleges. The
remaining 2% were approved by other authorities or did not specify the chartering agency
(Center for Education Reform, 2010).
Success of Charter Schools
Many charter schools have experienced success in parental satisfaction (McCully &
Malin, 2003), attracting students who are at-risk for failure (Center for Education
Reform, 2010), increasing high school graduation rates, reducing drop-out rates, and
increasing post-secondary attendance (Zimmer, Gill, Booker, Lavertu, Sass, and Witte,
2009).
If parental dissatisfaction with traditional public schools was an impetus for the
charter school movement, logically, parental satisfaction with charter schools would be a
pivotal component of charter success. Parents surveyed by Zogby International for the
Manhattan Institute in New York were extremely satisfied with the charter schools that
their children attend, giving high marks in areas such as safety, parent-teacher
relationships, academic quality and discipline (McCully & Malin, 2003). Cross-sectional
data from a study of parents whose children attend traditional and charter schools in
Washington, D.C. supports proponents‘ claims of parental happiness with charters,
24

suggesting that parents of charter students were more satisfied with their children‘s
schools than were those parents of students in the traditional public schools, with self-
selection of the schools likely contributing to that high satisfaction (Buckley &
Schneider, 2006). Longitudinal data from the study, however, suggested that the
satisfaction levels were more equal between parents of both types of schools as time
passed and ―…given the possibility that parents with hard-to-educate children often
choose charter schools, the fact that charter school parents are on par with traditional-
school parents may be viewed by some as a success" (Buckley & Schneider, 2006, p. 76).
According to the 2010 National Charter School Survey conducted by the Center for
Education Reform, half of the students who attend charter schools can be categorized as
at-risk students. The study showed that 52% of charter school students are minorities and
just over half of the charter population is from low income families. Although charters
attract a large percentage of minority students, a large number of those minority students
are African Americans. Charters have not attracted a proportionate number of Latino
students (Scott & Villavicencio, 2009). It should also be noted that at least 40% of all
charter schools are located in urban, high needs areas, therefore, these numbers are not
surprising (Center for Education Reform, 2010). What the numbers might suggest is the
success that charter schools are having with attracting families whose needs are not being
met in their local public schools.
Evidence from Chicago and Florida, attained in a RAND Corporation study suggests
that attendance at a charter high school is associated with a statistically significant
increase in the probability of graduating from high school and enrolling in college
25

(Zimmer, et al, 2009). In 2006, 3.8% of students dropped out of traditional public high
schools in the United States. Data collection regarding drop-out rates of students
attending charters is inconsistent. In 2002, for example, less than 50% of the charter
school authorizers in California required that data collection from their charter schools
(Zimmer, et al, 2003). Data could not be located regarding national charter school
dropout rates.
Vaughn Next Century Learning Center in Pacoima, California is one charter school
that has created a successful learning environment for inner-city students. In 1990,
Vaughn Street School was unsafe and overcrowded. Student attendance was erratic, and
student standardized test scores were the worst in the San Fernando Valley (Center for
Education Reform, 1997). In 1993, the newly renamed Vaughn Next Century Learning
Center became the first conversion charter school in the nation, as it was authorized by
Los Angeles Unified School District. Since then, the school has successfully gone
through the charter renewal process in 1998, 2003, and 2008
(http://vaughncharter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3&Itemid=
17).
Charter status enabled the school to contract out for services and cut administrative
costs. This financial freedom allowed the accrual of a one million dollar savings in the
first year as a charter, the construction of classrooms to reduce crowding, and the
reduction of class sizes. The required parental involvement and strict attendance policy
helped Vaughn achieve full ADA funding for their 99% attendance rate. Excess funds
26

were used to purchase drug houses adjacent to the school property. This not only offered
additional land for expansion, which facilitate the increase from 26 to 78 classrooms
(http://mb2.ecs.org/reports/Report.aspx?id=1270), but also made the neighborhood safer
(Center for Education Reform, 1997).
Student achievement also increased. In the first five years of the charter, student
achievement based on test scores and independent evaluation increased 330% (Center for
Education Reform, 1997). According to Vaughn‘s Principal, Dr. Yvonne Chan, Vaughn
has implemented numerous innovations that increase learning opportunities, such as
increasing the length of the school year from 163 days to 220 school days per year and
lengthening the school days to include after school programs
(http://www.fcpp.org/publication.php/867).
Although, thirty hours of service is mandated in the families' contracts, parental
involvement, which often goes above what is required, is another indicator of success and
satisfaction at Vaughn. The near perfect attendance rate of parents at parent-teacher
conferences and back-to-school nights is an example of the commitment that Vaughn
parents feel (Sass & Barela, 2003).
The school has also exercised other freedoms under charter status, such as the
implementation of a performance pay system which outlines clear standards for teacher
performance and compensates teachers above and beyond their base pay for meeting
those standards (http://www.fcpp.org/publication.php/867). The school has also
employed other reforms including the creation of a Family Center which provides
services such as free child care and nutrition classes.
27

As a result of the reforms implemented under the schools charter status, Vaughn Next
Century Learning Center is now a full-service, community-based, K-12 charter school
that serves over 2000 students.
How Have Charters Been Unsuccessful?
Contrary to the analysis that the high percentage of minority students attending charter
schools is an indicator of the exercising of the charter school option by families eager for
change, others suggests that charter schools have served to increase the segregation of
African Americans in the public education system (Frankenberg & Siegel-Hawley, 2009).
Some charters set requirements such as a minimum grade point average or parental
involvement hours to the charter school contracts with families. These may serve to limit
access of some families. Skeptics, particularly of the parental involvement requirement,
propose that is a method to discourage enrollment of some students (Becker, Nakagawa
& Corwin, 1997).
Other charters from across the nation have experienced insurmountable challenges
that have forced them to close. Six hundred-fifty-seven charter schools have closed since
1992. The reasons for closing can be divided into six categories: financial,
mismanagement, academic, facilities, district, and other/unknown (Center for Education
Reform, 2009).
Financial.
A school that experienced problems such as lack of enrollment and unexpected costs
that despite efforts to become healthy, could not keep the institution operational would
close for those financial reasons. Examples include American Grade Schools in Apache
28

Junction, Arizona, which closed for inadequate enrollment in June of 2000, and the High
Hopes Learning Center in Kissimmee, Florida, which closed due to poor financing and
low enrollment.
Mismanagement.
The deliberate misspending, failure to provide adequate programs, etc., or a lack of
overall accountability would lead to closure under the category of mismanagement.
Education 2000 in Hammond, Louisiana closed after being accused of falsifying
enrollment records to obtain more funding. Tulsa, Oklahoma‘s W.E.B. Du Bois
Academy was closed within months of opening due to unstable leadership, financial
problems, and curriculum issues.
Academic.
Schools may have been closed because of an inability to meet academic goals or a
failure to demonstrate an appropriate academic plan. The Frank Sganga Charter in
Florida was closed by the Volusia County School Board due to low academic
achievement caused by poor implementation of curriculum and assessment. Poor
academic achievement was also the reason behind the closure of the Alpine Charter
School of Colorado in 1999.
Facilities.
The inability to secure a facility may have caused closure. The School of the Cedar
Unified School District lost its lease and was unable to secure another. The cost of
securing their facility was the factor that caused the closure of Kenwood Charter School
in Kenwood, California.
29

District.
Schools that were authorized by a district may have been closed as a cost saving
measure or because of issues with the independence of the charter that is not related to
the other four outlined reasons. Two schools in Wisconsin, the Lily Community Charter
School and the Chrysalis Family Charter School, were closed to aid the chartering district
to balance their own budgets.
Other/Unknown.
Some schools closed for reasons that do not fit into another category, such as natural
disaster. Other schools close without an official explanation. As of the 2008-2009
school year, 59 charter schools, nearly 4 percent of all charter schools opened have
closed. Wisconsin had 37 charters or 4% of all charters started, close, which is in line
with the national average.
Table 2: Reasons, Percentage and Number of Wisconsin Charter School Closures
Reason for Closure Percentage of Schools
Closed in Wisconsin
Number of Schools Closed
in Wisconsin
Academic 16% 6
District 27% 10
Facilities 5% 2
Financial 38% 14
Mismanagement 11% 4
Other 3% 1

Source: Center for Education Reform, 2009

30

Student Achievement: Mixed Results
Charter schools have demonstrated mixed results related to student achievement (Gill,
et.al., 2007). A report published by the Charter School Leadership Council summarized
and evaluated 38 comparative analyses of charter school and traditional public school
performance indicated that of the 21 studies that looked at student progress over time,
nine found that overall gains in charter schools were larger than other public schools, five
showed comparable gains in charter and traditional public schools, and three found that
charter schools‘ overall gains were behind those of the public schools (Hassel, 2005). A
more recent analysis of studies commissioned by the National Alliance for Public Charter
Schools (2009) compared charter school student achievement in reading and math to that
of traditional public school students found that ―charter schools produce more instances
of larger achievement gains in both math and reading when compared to the traditional
public schools‖ (p.3). The report indicated a great need for quality research in the area of
charter school student achievement as many of the studies conducted have been snapshots
of student achievement that do not include enough students or adequate numbers of
schools to be meaningful. ―Research on charter school achievement that can generalize
across schools and sites is complicated by partisan reports, lack of access to high-quality
data sources, diverse state legislative environments, and schools that are different by
design‖ (Scott & Villavicencio, 2009, p. 230). Gathering meaningful data on student
achievement in both charter schools and public schools is necessary to assess the impact
of charter school reform.

31

Summary
Charters offer an alternative for those are unsatisfied with the traditional education
system in our country. Once created, charters have academic, organizational and
financial freedom to best meet the needs of their student population. The challenge lies
in measuring the success of the charter schools. Charter authorizers are charged with
oversight and measurement of charter school success, and often utilize financial data and
student performance on standardized tests as the primary measures. With performance
defined in these terms, charters have met with mixed success.
This chapter discussed the literature regarding the school choice movement,
highlighted characteristics of successful and unsuccessful charter schools and outlined the
current methods utilized to measure the success of charters. In Chapter Three, the
research methods utilized in the study, which includes a description of the research
design, sample, data collection methods and an explanation of the collection process are
presented.

32

CHAPTER THREE
Methodology
Introduction
This chapter describes the design, sample, instrumentation, data collection and data
analysis of this study. The purpose of the study is to examine the factors that are used to
measure the success of a charter school. One southeastern Wisconsin school was selected
in order to answer three established research questions:
1. How does the charter school define success and what measures are in place to
determine whether or not it has achieved its goals?
2. What roles do the school‘s staff play in reaching these goals and how does the
school‘s charter status help or impede their achievement of those goals?
3. What role does the chartering agency play in the school‘s success or failure?
Qualitative, descriptive-analytic case study research methods were used to conduct an
in depth analysis of the success of this charter school. A case study offers the
opportunity for focus on unique qualities that can promote understanding of a situation
(Leedy & Ormrod, 2010). Additionally, during the process of the case study, the
researcher was able to illuminate organizational patterns that emerged, which provided
further detail about the success of the school. The participants in the study provided
unique perspectives of the school, which contributed to the interpretive evaluation of the
factors associated with the success of the charter school. The limitation of this single
case study approach is that any generalizations that are made are tentative and must be
supported by other studies (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010).
33

Interviews were conducted using open ended questions. In this type of interview, the
questions are designed so that participants may respond freely instead of choosing from a
predetermined set of responses. Interviews were conducted with the Principal, teachers,
members of the charter board, and the Director of the Office of Charter Schools.
Questionnaires conducted by UWM and completed by parents, students, and faculty were
analyzed. Questionnaires are often used when personal contact with research participants
is not feasible (Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2010). The charter documents were also analyzed.
This use of multiple sources of evidence is recommended in case study research (Yin,
1994).
Sample and Population

This was a case study of the Woodlands School, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Milwaukee Public Schools have a storied past of segregation issues ,
(http://www.mu.edu/cgi-bin/cuap/db.cgi?uid=default&ID=4914&view=Search&mh=1)
low performing schools, and high drop out rates. In the 1990‘s Milwaukee pulled to the
forefront of the market-based school reform movement, offering private schools, state
and district-wide open enrollment, specialty schools, vouchers, traditional schools and
charter schools as options for parents (Milwaukee‘s Public Schools in an Era of School
Choice, 2004). Currently, MPS Schools continue to struggle with many of the same
issues as in the past, however, ―gains experienced by MPS are in part a consequence of
more school choice‖ (Milwaukee‘s Public Schools in an Era of School Choice, 2004, p.
4). Woodlands School was chosen from the Wisconsin charter schools for participation
34

in this study because of the place it holds as a part of the school reform process in the
City of Milwaukee.
Originally named the Alverno Campus Elementary School in 1936, it converted to a
private school in 1989 and then converted to a charter school. The charter was authorized
by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2003. Woodlands School serves 304
students in grades K4-8. The student population is 44 percent Caucasian, 31 percent
Black, Non-Hispanic, 23 percent Hispanic, and 2 percent of the students representing
various other ethnicities. A total of 26 percent of the school‘s students are eligible for
free or reduced price lunches.
Overview
Woodlands School is located in the Milwaukee Public School District (MPS), but is
not an MPS School. The Milwaukee Public School District is located in Milwaukee
County, in Southeastern Wisconsin. It is comprised of 198 schools that serve 82,444
students
(http://mpsportal.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=367&mode=2
&in_hi_userid=2&cached=true).
Woodlands has one principal. The Principal, who has been the head of school for
eight years, was the principal when the school was granted charter status. Woodlands
School employs 15 regular full-time classroom teachers. Each teacher has a classroom
teaching assistant who works 30 hours per week. There is also a music teacher, a PE
teacher, a librarian, an art teacher and two French teachers, one of which is half-time.
The school also employs 8 support staff members and 2 lunchroom staff members.
35

The school‘s Board of Trustees is the governing body of Woodlands School. The
Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees is comprised of four Woodlands School
parents. The Trustees include seven parents, and two community members.
Study Design

Qualitative research methods were used. The primary methods of data collection
were interviews and surveys. Interviews were conducted with the site administrator (see
Appendix A), a random sample of teachers (see Appendix B), members of the Executive
Committee of the Board of Trustees (see Appendix C), and the Director of the Office of
Charter Schools at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (see Appendix D). The
interviews with the Principal included discussion of the role of the chartering agency and
her perceptions of success of the charter school. Teacher interviews were conducted to
ascertain what factors the teachers believed lead to the success of the school. Interviews
with the members of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees included
discussion of the role of the board and the success of the school. The interview with the
Director of the Office of Charter Schools at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee was
primarily conducted to discuss the role of the UWM Charter Board and accountability.
Surveys results of parents, students, and faculty, previously conducted by Woodlands
School. were analyzed to determine their levels of contentment with Woodlands School.
It was important to examine benchmarks of success from the perspective of each of these
groups, the teachers, board members, administrators, and parents. In addition to the
interviews, the charter document was examined to gain an understanding of the terms of
the charter and the outcomes expected to ensure contract renewal.
36

Data collection
Each of the elements of the data collection process were implemented to answer the
following research questions.
1. How does the charter school define success and what measures are in place to
determine whether or not it has achieved its goals?
2. What roles does the school‘s staff play in reaching these goals and how does the
school‘s charter status help or impede their achievement of those goals?
3. What role does the chartering agency play in the school‘s success or failure?
Pre-site Interviews
In April 2010, after introducing the study to the Principal via email, a phone
conversation was scheduled to further discuss the study and to obtain verbal permission
to conduct the research. During that conversation, an initial site interview was scheduled
to gather background information from the Principal about the charter school. The
scheduling and logistics of that site visit were also set.
Site Visits
The site visits to the school were conducted over a three-day period in May 2010. The
rationale for the site visit was to collect details of how charter status has contributed to
the success of the school. During the visits, a second interview with the principal and
interviews with a random sample of teachers were conducted. Throughout the data
collection process, the interviews were tape recorded and later transcribed. The research
questions guided the data collection process, and information from each data collection
instrument addressed one or more of the research questions.
37

Interviews
One-on-one, face to face interviews were conducted with the principal and four
teachers in May 2010 during site visits. Teacher participants were recruited via a request
included in an electronic faculty newsletter and again verbally by the Principal during a
faculty meeting. Both sets of interviews involved open-ended questions designed to
encourage free response. Phone interviews with members of the charter board and the
UWM Director of the Office of Charter Schools were also conducted in May.
Participation was requested of each member of the charter board via email. All
respondents were included in this study. The Director of the Office of Charter Schools,
who holds primary responsibility in the authorization of the charters through UWM, was
chosen by the researcher to represent the Office of Charter Schools. All interviews
ranged from 30 to 90 minutes and were recorded as the researcher was taking notes. The
interviews and the notes from each interview were transcribed and saved on a password-
protected computer file for analysis.
Document Collection
A number of documents were obtained from the principal, including the initial charter,
charter renewal documents and the Accountability Report. These documents provided
support for the information gained through the interviews and surveys.

38

Data Analysis
Interviews
Interviews conducted for the present study were recorded and transcribed. Recorded
interviews were analyzed and memos were constructed regarding relationships and
patterns that emerged.
Parent, Student, and Faculty Surveys
The satisfaction surveys were analyzed to determine the overall opinions of the
school.
Charter Documents
The original Woodlands School charter documents were analyzed to gain an
understanding of the parameters of the charter and the benchmarks for charter renewal.
The charter renewal documents were also analyzed in order to ascertain if changes were
made to the terms of the charter at renewal time. The Accountability Report was read to
gain an understanding of the specific areas of school accountability and benchmarks for
success.
During the analysis, collected data was organized according to goals identified by the
study participants. That data was then examined to determine how success was measured
toward each of the outlined objectives. Finally, the data was analyzed to determine the
degree to which participants perceived success in achieving those goals.
Ethical Considerations
The IRB process was designed to ensure that a study is ethical and does not pose a risk
to participants. It was determined by the University Park Institutional Review Board
39

(IRB) designee at the University of Southern California that IRB review was not
necessary as this study did not qualify as human-subject research. No personal
information was obtained from participants. All participants gave consent before
participating in this study. During the interview process, the recording device was
always left in plain sight. All participants in phone interviews were informed that the
interviews were being recorded.
Summary
This chapter provided the research methods utilized in the study, which included a
description of the research design, sample, data collection methods and an explanation of
the collection process. In Chapter Four, the research findings and analysis are presented.

40

CHAPTER FOUR
Analysis of the Data and Interpretation of the Findings
This chapter presents an analysis of the data collected in the current study, the
purpose of which was to examine the factors that are used to measure the success of a
charter school. Qualitative case study methodology was used to collect data from a
Wisconsin charter school.
The findings were compiled from a number of sources the researcher utilized for
gathering information about the school. The school's website and site documents
presented a wealth of insight on charter school success. The researcher conducted one-
on-one and phone interviews with various stakeholders and analyzed surveys conducted
by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) Office of Charter Schools and
completed by teachers, parents, and students. Each element represented an opportunity to
better understand the school and its impact on student achievement.
The data obtained from the charter school was analyzed to answer the three research
questions developed for this study:
1. How does the charter school define success and what measures are in place to
determine whether or not it has achieved its goals?
2. What roles does the school‘s staff play in reaching these goals and how does the
school‘s charter status help or impede their achievement of those goals?
3. What role does the chartering agency play in the school‘s success or failure?
41

This chapter is organized into four sections highlighting the data collected in this
study. The first section describes the history and description of the charter. The
following sections will highlight the data to answer each of the three research questions.
Introduction to the School
Alverno Campus Elementary School was founded in 1936. It was a lab school
operated by and located on the Alverno College campus. The school was used as a site
for Alverno students to complete classroom observations and to conduct their student
teaching. As time went on and Alverno students were being placed into the Milwaukee
Public Schools (MPS) more frequently to prepare them for teaching jobs in MPS, the
desire for Alverno College to maintain the private school lessened. Alverno College
offered Woodland‘s School parents the opportunity to take over administration of the
school. In 1988, parents did just that and the school became a private, independent-non-
denominational school.
By the early 2000‘s, Woodlands School was struggling financially. Enrollment was
decreasing due to increasing tuition costs. The private school was a participant in the
MPS school choice program, allowing families of public school students, using public
school funds, to choose the private school for their children. These students who were
attending Woodlands through the school choice option were not paying full tuition to the
school. Due to the large population of Woodlands families who exercised this option, the
school was losing money and could not afford to offer the scholarships to other families
as they had in the past. During those difficult financial times, the school‘s population
was mostly comprised of families who chose the private school as a public choice option
42

and those families who could afford to pay the full tuition. ―We were becoming a school
of those extremes. The middle class families…we couldn‘t raise enough scholarship
money for them and we didn‘t like that. One of our guiding principles is diversity and we
were not becoming diverse. We were a school of extremes‖ (Principal, personal
communication, April 2010). A variety of options were considered, one of which was
conversion to a charter school.
In 2003, Woodlands became a public charter school authorized by the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The school primarily serves students who reside in the City of
Milwaukee, but some students live outside of the city boundaries. The 2003 Wisconsin
State Assembly Bill 747 also known as the Woodlands Bill, authorized students who had
attended Woodlands private school, but lived outside of the city of Milwaukee, to
maintain enrollment in the new Woodlands Charter School. The bill was the result of the
tenacity of families who wanted to remain at the school and fought for a change to charter
law to allow their children to attend the school. It is the only charter in the City of
Milwaukee that is attended by students outside of the city. The 2010-2011 school year is
the final year during which students, who were grandfathered in under the Woodlands
Bill, will attend the school.
Since converting to charter status, the school has relocated off of the Alverno Campus
to a location on the west side of Milwaukee. The school currently leases their buildings
from the Schoenstatt Sisters and St. Vincent Pallotti. The building is old. There is a
playground, but the campus lacks green space. One teacher cited the ―garbagy old
43

building‖ as a factor that inhibits the success of the charter school. What to do about the
facilities issue is often discussed, but a solution is not in sight.
We spent a lot of money on a stop gap solution to a building that we don‘t own and we
had to because we didn‘t have any place else to go! We like our physical location, as
long as we are one school. We like our physical location a lot, but where do we go
from here? There are those on the board who want to move, those on the board who
want to construct a new building from the ground up. I am not among the group that
thinks that will ever happen. I do not think we have the capacity to raise that kind of
money. Even if we spent 5 years working on the giving community, we don‘t have

the capacity to raise that kind of money. So I think that we struggle with what to do
about our physical location and I think we struggle with what our future is. (Executive
Board Member, personal communication)

The building is at capacity with its three-hundred and four students. Space is an issue
that was noted by parents, faculty, and administration as an area that needs improvement.
Woodlands School is not a neighborhood school. Currently, Woodlands is attended by
students from thirty-two different zip codes. Students travel from all over the city of
Milwaukee and some students who previously attended Woodlands as a private school
live some twenty to thirty miles away in suburban counties.
Despite the distance that students may travel to attend the school, the school does not
provide bussing and does not intend to do so in the future. The Principal explained the
reasoning for the lack of bus service is that they want families to come in and get to know
the staff and to get to know each other. This is desire to have parental involvement is
indicative of the culture of the school.
The fact that students travel from all over the city of Milwaukee contributes to the
diversity of the school. The cultural diversity that comes from attracting students from
outside the immediate school neighborhood may just be the one area of the school model
44

that suffers if indeed Woodlands School follows through on the plan that some propose to
duplicate the school model in another area of Milwaukee. This challenge was noted by a
member of the Charter Board who questioned the prospect of maintaining the ethnic
diversity of Woodlands in two locations. Right now, the school is centrally located. If a
school is opened on the north side of Milwaukee, it is likely to attract students who live
on the north side. The same is likely if you open a school on the south east side of
Milwaukee. Families who live in the area would be apt to choose a convenient location.
That likely reduces the diversity of the school population. ―We have not had to work on
ethnic diversity. What would we do if we had to work at it? Would we tell parents who
live closer to the north side school that we need you to go to the east side school so that
we can maintain our diversity?‖ (Charter Board member, personal communication,
2010). The replication of the school model may be successful in other urban markets in
which there is a large, urban population from which the school could draw. The
importance of the diversity of the school population as an integral component of the
Woodland‘s model cannot be ignored.
Woodlands school, as an urban charter school, reflects the ethnic diversity of
Milwaukee. The ethnic make-up of the student body actually represents greater diversity
than many MPS schools. Many of the MPS schools are dominated by one ethnic group.
In 2008-2009, African American students comprised at least 80% of the student

45

population in one hundred-three of the two hundred-thirteen MPS schools. Hispanic
students comprised at least 80% of the student population in seventeen schools in the
district and more than 50% of the overall population in 15% of the schools (Milwaukee
Public Schools District Report Card, 2009).
The following chart shows a breakdown of the ethnic diversity of the Woodland‘s
student population during the 2008-2009 school year.
Table 3: Student Enrollment by Ethnic and Gender Designations

The number of students eligible for free and or reduced lunches at Woodlands has
held steady at 25% over the last two school years. This number is in stark contrast to
MPS schools. In MPS, during the 2007-2008 school year, over 81% of MPS elementary
students were eligible. The number was similar in the middle schools with 82% of
students qualifying for free and or reduced lunches (Milwaukee Public Schools District
Report Card, 2009).

46

The chart below shows the number of students who have qualified for free and/or
reduced lunch at Woodland‘s school each school year from 2004-2005 through 2008-
2009.
Table 4: Number/Percentage of Students Qualifying for Free and/or Reduced Lunch

According to the mission statement, ―Woodlands School provides an inclusive, multi-
age, liberal arts education using an integrated curriculum to prepare service-minded
learners in a setting of academic excellence.‖ The original mission was crafted by the
teachers of the Alverno Campus Elementary School. Although the overall meaning of
the mission statement has remained consistent since the days as a private school, the
wording has been recently tweaked by the Woodlands Executive Board.
The mission is supported by six guiding principles (Woodlands-school.org):
1. Time for Living – Instilling respect and responsibility toward self, others and
community.
2. Diversity (geographic, racial, cultural, socio-economic) – Valuing and honoring
the needs of all.
3. Discovery-based Learning – Problem-solving and learning by doing.
4. Integrated Specialized Curriculum – Making connections through education that
is interdisciplinary and collaborative.

47

5. Excellence for Every Child – Helping students grow toward their potential.
6. Life-long Learning – Preparing the student for everlasting enjoyment for
meaningful learning.
Research Questions
How does the charter school define success and what measures are in place to
determine whether or not it has achieved its goals?
Through an analysis of the interviews and supporting documents, four areas were
identified as primary measures of the success of Woodlands school: academic, cultural,
retention, and financial.
Academic
Academics were the first area that was identified as an indicator of success at
Woodlands School. Academic success is measured by performance on standardized
tests, portfolio development and progress reports.
Standardized tests.
Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination (WKCE).
The WKCE standardized test is a measure of state and federal accountability for the
charter school. Students in grades three through eight take the WKCE Standardized Test
in the fall of each year. All students are assessed in the areas of reading and math.
Students in grades four and eight are also assessed in the areas of language arts, science
and social studies. The results of these standardized tests are compared with results from
students in MPS and also compared with statewide results, as all students in the state of
48

Wisconsin take these tests. For assessment purposes, the student population at
Woodlands is further broken down into two categories; the Uncontrolled Cohort (UNC),
which includes all students who currently attend Woodlands school and have participated
in testing and the Controlled Cohort (CTRL) which includes students who have attended
Woodlands school for the past four years and have also participated in all tests during
that time (Accountability Report, 2009). This breakdown allows for greater analysis of
strengths and weaknesses in the curriculum and instructional practices at each grade
level.
When asked about how success at the school is measured, the Principal stated that
UWM Annual Report publicly indicates what measurements of success matter to them
and what is reported are test scores, but the scores are not the most important measure in
her eyes or in those of the teachers who were interviewed.
This [standardized test] to us is not the biggest thing. That is only a piece of the
puzzle. We‘re not really working towards that. We do not spend weeks trying to
push knowledge in that hasn‘t already been provided. The results tell us what we have
been doing. The results from the WKCE tell us curriculum wise where the gaps are.

49

The following graph shows the ethnicity breakdown of students in grades three through
eight, who take the standardized tests at Woodlands school. Seventy-eight percent of the
student population at Woodlands is comprised of an even split of White and Black
students. The remaining percentage of students are mostly of Hispanic ethnicity.
Figure 1: Woodlands Students Grades Three through Eight by Ethnicity

Source: Woodlands School 2008-2009 Accountability Report

50

The following graph shows the results of the 2008 WKCE Reading scores for those
students indicated in the previous chart, as well as for students across the State of
Wisconsin and in MPS specifically. A majority of the Woodland's students at each grade
level scored either proficient or advanced in the WKCE Reading test.

Figure 2: Percentage of Students in Grades 3-8 Scoring at the Proficient and
Advanced Levels on the 2008 WKCE Reading Test

Source: Woodlands School 2008-2009 Accountability Report

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The following graph shows the results of the 2008 WKCE Math scores for those same
students. A majority of the Woodland's students at each grade level scored either
proficient or advanced in the WKCE Reading test.
Figure 3: Percentage of Students Scoring at the Proficient and Advanced Levels in
Grades 3-8 on the 2008 WKCE Math Test

Source: Woodlands School 2008-2009 Accountability Report

The 2008 WKCE results show that overall, Woodlands students have outperformed
MPS students in both reading and math. By 8
th
grade, students at Woodlands are
exceeding the state average on WKCE tests in those areas. The dip in the math scores in
fifth and sixth grade is noted in the accountability report as an area of concern.

52

The following table shows a detailed picture of the percentage of students in the
Woodland's 2013 cohort who scored at the minimal, basic, proficient and advanced levels
on the WKCE Reading test from the 2004-2005 school year through their final school
year at Woodlands, 2008-2009. The CTRL (controlled) columns track the testing data of
the same 13 students from their fourth grade through eighth grade years.
Table 5: Longitudinal Proficiency Level Data for Reading (2004-05 to 2008-09):
Woodlands School Cohort 2013

Source: Woodlands School 2008-2009 Accountability Report
The table above shows that in fourth grade, seventy-one and a half percent of the
students who were members of the controlled cohort, which includes students who have
attended Woodlands school for the past four years and have also participated in all tests
during that time, scored at either the proficient or advanced level in reading. That
number grew to 84.7% by the time the students took the test in 8
th
grade. Results of the
final 8
th
grade WKCE test also show that for the first time, all students in the cohort
showed at least basic proficiency in reading.

UNC
(N=15)

CTRL
(N=13)

UNC
(N=20)

CTRL
(N=13)

UNC
(N=17)

CTRL
(N=13)

UNC
(N=15)

CTRL
(N=13)

UNC
(N=15)

CTRL
(N=13)
Grade 4
2004-2005
Grade 5
2005-2006
Grade 6
2006-2007
Grade 7
2007-2008
Grade 8
2008-2009
Minimal 13.3% 14.3% 15.0% 23.1% 11.8% 15.4% 6.7% 7.7% 0.0% 0.0%
Basic 13.3% 14.3% 5.0% 0.0% 11.8% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 13.3% 15.4%
Proficient 13.3% 28.6% 25.0% 15.4% 47.1% 53.8% 40.0% 46.2% 53.3% 46.2%
Advanced 40.0% 42.9% 55.0% 61.5% 29.4% 30.8% 53.3% 46.2% 33.3% 38.5%
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The following table shows a detailed picture of the percentage of students in the
Woodland's 2013 cohort who scored at the minimal, basic, proficient and advanced levels
on the WKCE Math test from the 2004-2005 school year through their final school year
at Woodlands, 2008-2009. The CTRL (controlled) columns track the testing data of the
same 13 students from their fourth grade through eighth grade years.
The table shows that in fourth grade, 42.9% of the students who were members of the
controlled cohort, scored at either the proficient or advanced level in math. That number
grew to 76.9% by the time the students took the test in 8
th
grade. Results of the final 8
th

grade WKCE test also show that for the first time, all students in the cohort showed at
least basic proficiency in math.
Table 6: Longitudinal Proficiency Level Data for Math (2004-05 to 2008-09):
Woodlands School Cohort 2013
Source: Woodlands School 2008-2009 Accountability Report

NC
(N=15)

CTRL
(N=13)

UNC
(N=20)

CTRL
(N=13)

UNC
(N=17)

CTRL
(N=13)

UNC
(N=15)

CTRL
(N=13)

UNC
(N=15)

CTRL
(N=13)
Grade 4
2004-2005
Grade 5
2005-2006
Grade 6
2006-2007
Grade 7
2007-2008
Grade 8
2008-2009
Minimal 40.0% 42.9% 30.0% 38.5% 23.5% 23.1% 13.3% 15.4% 0.0% 0.0%
Basic 13.3% 14.3% 15.0% 15.4% 17.6% 7.7% 20.0% 23.1% 20.0% 23.1%
Proficient 20.0% 14.3% 35.0% 23.1% 35.3% 38.5% 33.3% 23.1% 60.0% 53.8%
Advanced 26.7% 28.6% 20.0% 23.1% 23.5% 30.8% 33.3% 38.5% 20.0% 23.1%
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Northwest Evaluation Association Measures of Academic Progress Testing.
Students in grades two through eight take the Northwest Evaluation Association
Measures of Academic Progress Tests (MAP) tests in fall, winter and spring and are
assessed in the areas of reading and math. Students who are in grades six through eight
are also assessed in language. Woodlands students in each cohort have shown positive
growth in all areas.
According to the Director of the UWM Office of Charter Schools, of the two
standardized tests, WKCE and MAP:
MAP…is the most important because we can track student progress throughout the
year and over multiple years and it levels the playing field in that the growth starts
with wherever they are. We feel it is very important because many of the urban
students are starting behind, that each school can show good progress as they move
forward. (personal communication, 2010)

According to the Accountability Report, students in the second tier of a unit, who test
low on end of year MAP test, will receive immediate intervention starting the next school
year. Students in the first tier of their unit who test low on the end of year MAP test will
be monitored throughout the next school year. For example a student in first grade, the
first year of the first/second unit, who does not score well on the end of year MAP test
will have their progress monitored in second grade. A student who is in second grade
who does not perform well on the end of the year MAP test will receive immediate
interventions as they enter the third/fourth unit. Interventions might include small group
and individualized instruction.

55

Accountability Report analysis of MAP results for the 2008-2009 school year indicate
that all cohorts are growing at a greater rate than the cohorts in MPS and throughout the
state of Wisconsin. ―All cohorts are currently performing better than students in MPS
and in most cases both the controlled and uncontrolled cohorts are at or above the state
average‖ (2009 Accountability Report, p. 57).
Purpose of Standardized Tests at Woodlands
Woodlands school uses standardized tests in setting goals. Evidence of this is
included in the 2008-2009 Accountability Plan. In this plan, the progress towards the
Annual School Improvement Goals from the previous year is outlined. The standardized
test results indicated a gap between ethnic groups in terms of the percentage of White
students who scored at the proficient or advanced levels and the percentage of minority
students who scored at those same levels.
The following graph will highlight the areas of concern with regard to the
achievement gap and a second graph will follow that highlights the achievement gap in
MPS schools, to which Woodland's is constantly compared by both the DPI and UWM.
A description of the improvement plan that was followed by the Woodland's faculty as a
result of the test scores will then be detailed.

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The first graph shows the percentage of students who scored at the proficient or
advanced levels on the WKCE tests in reading and math in the year 2007 and the
percentage of students who scored at the proficient or advanced levels on the WKCE test
in reading and math in 2008. The percentages are broken down by ethnicity.
Figure 4: Percentage of Woodlands Students who Scored at the Proficient and
Advanced Levels on the 2007 and 2008 WKCE Tests by Ethnicity

Source: Woodlands School 2008-2009 Accountability Report

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The following graph shows the percentage of MPS students who scored at the proficient
or advanced levels on the WKCE tests in reading and math in the year 2008. The
percentages are broken down by ethnicity and the gap in scores between White students
and Black students is shown. Also shown is the gap in percentage of White and Hispanic
students who score at the proficient and advanced levels.
Figure 5: Percentage of MPS Students who Scored at the Proficient or Advanced
Levels on the WKCE by Ethnicity

Source: Woodlands School 2008-2009 Accountability Report

The results of the effort to reduce the gap between the minority and the majority
students were positive. The gap in reading narrowed from 18% to 12% when looking at
the percent of students achieving at proficient and advanced levels. In math, the gap is
greater, but reduced to 29% from 33% the previous year.
According to the analysis included in the 2008-2009 Annual Report, prepared by
Woodlands School, one area that Woodlands has not succeeded in surpassing MPS is in
the performance gap between White and Hispanic ethnic groups on the WKCE. That
discrepancy is higher than the gap between the same two groups in MPS schools.
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The first 2007-2008 Annual School Improvement Goal was to improve achievement
in reading and math through the documentation, analysis and utilization of standardized
testing data. The school‘s key indicators of success were to be the reduction of the
educational gap between minority and majority students, the development of a data
collection system, and an updated reading curriculum. During the 2008-2009 school
year, a variety of approaches were implemented to meet those goals.
A few of the elements included in that plan were to designate an assessment
coordinator to oversee the academic data collection, to provide training for teachers on
differentiated instruction, and to redefine the reading curriculum for each grade level, and
to update the reading and math components of the curriculum map.
Throughout the 2008-2009 school year, the reading specialist met with teachers in
each unit to guide the collection, documentation, and analysis of assessment data. The
reading specialist also worked with teachers in each unit to develop a plan on how data
would be used to benefit instruction. Additionally, a faculty partner from a local
university worked with teachers of grades five-eight on coordinating the reading
curriculum and all reading teachers in every grade reviewed best practices and the state
reading standards to improve the reading curriculum.
In math, the performance of fifth graders on the standardized tests was a particular
concern. To address that concern, the standardized test scores were monitored and the
curriculum was supplemented by a structured math fact program in grades one-six.
In an aim to improve the academic performance of all students, teachers attended
differentiation training sessions early in the 2008-2009 school year and follow-up
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classroom observations were conducted by support service staff throughout the school
year. The observations were used to look at how differentiation was being used in the
classroom. Information gained during the observations was then shared with the
teachers.
Portfolios
At Woodlands, students engage in developing a portfolio of work. This work
showcases their learning, both achievements and struggles, over the course of the year.
In March of each school year, students share their portfolios with their parents to
demonstrate their learning. At the end of eighth grade, students assemble an exit portfolio
which includes artifacts from throughout their time at Woodlands, that is presented to
external assessors. These assessors are many times alumni of Woodlands
(http://woodlands-school.org/AboutUs/ProgressReports/tabid/1416/Default.aspx). The
portfolio process requires students to set goals, look at how to achieve that goal and
recognize when it has been met. The Principal believes ―planning for their learning‖ is
making a huge difference in student achievement. The emphasis here is on growth.
Teachers also support the portfolio process.
When you see a student who can assemble a pretty impressive of work that is both
proficient and also creative and that they are able to speak meaningfully or reflectively
about what they have learned and why it‘s important, i.e. the portfolio assessments
that we do. That gives a qualitative value on their success that test scores simply don‘t
capture. I don‘t think you look at a human being and say ―Oh, he was great because
he was a 49.‖ That doesn‘t tell you what kind of a person they were. (Teacher,
personal communication, 2010)

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Progress Reports
At Woodlands School, student academic success is not documented by the use of
letter grades; rather the school provides progress reports which offer a view of
achievement labeled as advanced, proficient, minimal and basic. This is another method
designed to keep the emphasis on student progress.
School Culture
The positive nature of the school culture cannot be ignored as a measure of success at
Woodlands school. The school has its own culture that is well established and according
to the Director of Charter Schools at UWM, that culture, combined with an experienced
faculty creates an ―atmosphere where real learning can take place‖ and is the primary
reason why the school is succeeding.
The culture…‖is one that is very focused on the whole child‖ and ―it is a culture of
mutual respect and one where we do promote values as well as guiding principles
which run our school and drive our school so that everybody is on the same page
and we are looking at learning holistically, not just as core subjects but how
everything integrates and really builds a child. (UWM Director of Charter Schools,
personal communication, 2010)

Another teacher summed the culture up as ―a community atmosphere.‖ It is that
community atmosphere that was noted by many parents in the parent survey as the thing
they like best about Woodlands.
The Time for Living character education program is an integral part of the school
culture and is a unique program that is a part of the school model that Woodlands wishes
to replicate and share with other schools. This character education program, part of the
―Woodlands Way‖ puts character education first (Executive Board member, personal
communication). The program is designed to instill in children a sense of social
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responsibility and it encourages the development of moral and ethical values, a positive
attitude and a healthy self concept (Accountability Report, 2009). The idea is that
teaching kids to be good people is of primary importance. ―Good people have an easier
opportunity to be good learners‖ (Executive Board member, personal communication).
Time for Living also includes a community service requirement for eighth grade
graduation. Although the requirement is twenty hours, every student exceeds that
number by multiples. The character of students demonstrated by how they interact in the
community and with each other is a subjective way that success is measured at
Woodlands (Executive Board member, personal communication).
Placing a value on diversity is a guiding principle of the school and according to
constituents; it is an important part of the culture that defines success for Woodlands.
The student population is almost evenly split among White students, Black students and
Hispanic students, with a small population of other ethnicities represented. ―They have
been able to attract an integrated population, which is rare in Milwaukee. Almost all of
our other [charter] schools are either all African-American or all Latino. So, that is an
interesting aspect of Woodlands‖ (Director of Charter Schools, personal communication,
2010). That diversity is repeatedly cited by parents in the parent survey as the reason for
enrolling their children in the school.
I often liken them to a 1970‘s suburban school in that it seems to have this easy
flow of children working on projects and working together in little teams and
seeming to get along quite well with each other. I think that is something that is
the hallmark of the school. (Director of Charter Schools, personal communication,
2010)

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Student and Faculty Retention
The ability to retain people, both staff and families who attend the school is noted as a
key part of the success of the charter school. Many teachers have been at Woodlands for
over ten years. There has not been the need to hire a new teacher at the school for the last
three years (Executive Board member, personal communication, 2010). The longevity of
their tenure at Woodlands is yet another component of that consistent school culture that
exists.
Attracting families to Woodlands is not a concern for the school. Currently,
Woodlands School is operating at capacity and ―we probably have 100 people on the
waiting list or more and we can‘t…we don‘t have spots for them‖ (Principal, personal
communication, April 2010). The school does not advertise and they have not had to do
so. The student population is made up of siblings and new families hear about the school
through word-of-mouth. This year the entire 4K class was comprised of siblings of older
Woodlands students. It will be the same next year.
Financial
Financial success is vital to the continuation of any charter school. One of the primary
reasons for Woodlands conversion from a private school to a charter school was for
financial reasons. Becoming a charter allowed them to keep their doors open. It took
three years as a charter to pay off the debt that had carried over from the private school
operation deficit (Executive Board member, personal communication, 2010). Although
as a charter, the school has been financially solvent, the Director of Charter Schools
would like to see them do more fundraising, noting that schools that are moving forward
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are successful in obtaining foundation grants and raising private money. The Woodlands
school facilities are in need of extensive repair and additional fundraising would allow
them to complete a major remodel of the building rather than completing many smaller
projects, one at a time.
During our interview, the Principal spoke of the need to create a position for a
Director of Development to increase donor contributions and grants, but the money is not
available at this time to open up that position. She indicated that the per-pupil funding
has been frozen for a period of three years, so there cannot be additional positions of any
kind created until the funding increases.
While financial solvency is a measure of success indicated by administration and
monitored by UWM, some teachers have a different view of the finances of the charter
school and cite it as one thing that inhibits the success of Woodlands. Teachers at
Woodlands are paid less than teachers at surrounding public schools. Two years ago,
after the private school debt was repaid, teachers were given up to 20% raises using what
was previously allocated as debt reduction money. This still only brings them to 80% of
MPS pay scale. This year, salaries were frozen due to frozen per-pupil state funding.
The Chairman of the Executive Board believes teachers are willing to work here for
below market value because they believe that education is different at Woodlands. The
benefit packages are not as substantial as the teachers in the area public schools either
and according to one teacher, it makes it hard to support a family he believes it also
deters teachers from joining choosing to teach at Woodlands.
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The need to keep enrollment up is seemingly at odds with the culture that is an
integral part of the school‘s success. Currently new students are admitted to Woodlands
up through sixth grade. The importance of maintaining school culture is the reason for
this policy. Some teachers do not believe that the policy should be expanded to only
accept new students in grades 4K-5.
With regard to the students that come to Woodlands, one teacher stated:
…they often come from, not always but often, come from what you would
probably call failing schools where the culture is riddled with disrespect,
disobedience, lack of effort…many of the problems that are endemic of large urban
school districts everywhere…Milwaukee, Chicago, everywhere. When kids come
from that culture into this culture it takes time. It takes time to assimilate, adjust and
adapt. While that happen there are ripples created in the culture of the classroom, or a
unit or the school. Many teachers and I agree with them, argue that this impacts the
success of the school, make it more difficult to keep a harmonious learning
environment in the classroom. (Teacher, personal communication, 2010)

This appears to be an area of contention between some teachers and the executive
board. The board is ―interested in filling seats because that increases the school budget.
We [the teachers] are much more concerned about the impact on the classroom‖
(Teacher, personal communication, 2010). According to one teacher, this is an example
of the top-down model that exists at Woodlands and indicated that if the opinion of the
faculty is considered by the executive board, it is rarely impacts the final decision that is
made.

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What roles does the school’s staff play in reaching these goals and how does the
school’s charter status help or impede their achievement of those goals?
Academic success
Teachers were cited as an important part of students‘ academic success. ―Put a good
teacher in and students do well. Put a bad teacher in, they don‘t. Woodlands is no better
or worse in that way except that we happen to have really good teaching staff here. What
role do teachers play in student success? It is a make or break role not just because we
are Woodlands, but because this is true of education‖. All teachers at Woodlands are
certified in the area that they teach. The faculty is also comprised of many veteran
teachers.
It was noted that although some teachers still deliver traditional direct instruction, you
will find many hands on projects and cooperative learning activities taking place
throughout the school. One veteran teacher explained that as teachers they are
―constantly evolving, retooling, looking at new best practices…always aware of research
going on in education that might provide a better way of doing things‖. Teachers are
afforded many opportunities for professional development.
I guess you might say that we are not a near perfect school, but a never perfect school,
in the fact that we are always looking to improve the quality of our teachers, we are
always willing to send our teachers off to workshops to learn about new best practices.
We are always willing to try things that are going to engage students more positively
(Teacher, personal communication, 2010)

According to the Director of Charter Schools, there is a lot of ―time on task‖ at
Woodlands, which he praises as creating optimal opportunities for students to learn.
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Despite the freedom of charter schools to implement various innovations, according to
those interviewed, there are not instructional innovations being implemented at
Woodlands that could not be implemented at most traditional schools.
I do not think there are institutionalized or systemized instructional practices in place
that are enforced, or normed, or taught or structured. We just all happen to use good
instructional practices and they may be very different from room to room because we
are a group of teachers who are pretty invested in student success and doing what
works (Teacher, personal communication, 2010).

Organizational Structure
The innovations at Woodlands appear to come primarily in how the school is
organized. It should be noted, however, that Woodlands did not change its structure as a
result of charter status. The innovations that exist now were implemented when
Woodlands was a private school; however, the conversion to charter status allows these
innovations to continue.
Unit system.
Woodlands school is a 4K-8 school but is not organized in a traditional single-grade
fashion. At Woodlands, the grade levels 1-8 are organized into multi-age units. There is
a four-year-old /five-year-old kindergarten unit, a first/second grade unit, a third/fourth
grade unit, a fifth/sixth grade unit, and a seventh/eighth grade unit. Each of the units has
three lead teachers and each teacher has a teaching assistant. Similar to looping, students
have the same teachers for two years in a row.
For example, in the first and second grade unit, the principal explained:
All teachers teach math and all teach reading. The students are divided according to
their skill in that academic area. So in reading, one teacher is teaching the students
67

who read second grade or above, whether they be first or second graders, and another
teacher teaches grade level and the other teacher teaches those kids who are
struggling, who are reading below grade level. (Teacher, personal communication,
2010)

The same three teacher-three teaching assistant structure exists in the other grades,
however each unit has control over how teaching responsibility is divided to best meet
the needs of their students and to make best use of individual teachers areas of strength.
This multi-age unit model allows teachers and students to develop strong relationships
over the course of their two years together. This eliminates much of the testing of
boundaries that students engage in when they get a new teacher each year and teachers
get a real sense of where students are academically (Teacher, personal communication,
2010).
Adult-student ratio.
Part of the successful classroom structure also stems from the low student to teacher
ratio. There is an average of thirty students per grade, i.e. sixty students per unit, at
Woodlands. With the unit model of three teachers per unit and three classroom teaching
assistants, that is a very small ten-one student to adult ratio. Although some of the
teaching assistants play a less active role in the classroom and primarily fill the role of
paraprofessional teacher aide, running copies and supervising lunch and recess, a number
of the teaching assistants are certified teachers. Some teaching assistants having earned
graduate degrees. These overqualified teaching assistants may be found in a co-teaching
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role, leading small group work, teaching part of the class, or the whole class. The
presence of the teaching assistants contributes to increased supervision, fewer behavior
issues, and increased personal attention for students.
Curriculum
As indicated previously, Woodlands does not typically implement innovations within
classrooms, but the financial freedom of charter status has afforded an opportunity for
Woodlands to offer foreign language, art, music, and physical education programs that
are often being cut in traditional public schools due to financial difficulties. These
programs are a core part of the Woodlands model.
The school offers and requires all students K-8 to take French. This program utilizes
best practices in teaching world languages. There is one full time French teacher and one
part-time French teacher at Woodlands to accommodate the fact that all three hundred
and four students are enrolled in French class.
The charter school also provides art, music and physical education programming to all
students in K-8. These offerings support the mission of the school and are a reason why
many parents choose Woodlands for their children.
Charter status has also eliminated the need to go through a district process before
adopting new curriculums. This ability to make changes and respond quickly to needs
specific to population is noted by the teachers who were interviewed as a primary benefit
of charter status. The freedom to make changes may exist, but the Director of the UWM
Charter Board would like to see necessary changes happen more quickly, noting:
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There used to be a situation where if you wanted to change curriculum, say for
example, math, you would first study all the different math curriculums that might be
out there, you‘d bring in experts and talk to them and then you would pilot a few
programs and you‘d do additional study and finally you‘d finally adopt a new one and
then there would be an implementation year. Oftentimes it would be stretched over
three years and today‘s educational program simply can‘t last that long and
Woodlands would like to be back in that period where you can take three years to
change something and I keep pushing them to be more agile and say ‗Okay if you are
going to improve your math program, do it in a single year and have it ready to go the
next year.‘ I think that is my biggest concern for them because as they go out in the
future and things change, which they will, and new things come in that they have to
adjust to, I want them to have the ability to respond more quickly than they currently
do. (personal communication, 2010)

Diversity
Charter status has contributed to the diversity of the school‘s population. Students
come to Woodlands from all over the city. Neighborhoods tend to be racially segregated
and Woodland‘s population is not restricted to the neighboring families. One teacher
noted, however, that she believes charter status can also be limiting with regards to
diversity. Whereas other public schools within the City of Milwaukee can accept
students from another district through the Wisconsin‘s open-enrollment policy, as a
charter, Woodland‘s must only serve students in the city. The teacher commented that
the school must turn away suburban families who could play a very positive role in
showing how everyone in a community can work together and truly be a model of
diversity.

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School culture
The ideals that are the backbone of the school culture were in place long before the
conversion to charter status. Aside from the diversity that has contributed to the culture
of the school, charter status does not appear to have helped or hindered the development
of the culture.
Student and Faculty Retention
Student retention is not an issue at Woodlands school. Prior to conversion to a
charter, student retention was an issue for purely financial reasons. Middle class families
could not afford to continue to send their children to Woodlands without the benefit of
scholarships. When those families left, Woodlands financial situation deteriorated. Since
it is a public school, Woodlands cannot charge tuition and the school receives per-pupil
funding from the State of Wisconsin. Cost is no longer an issue for families. In that
respect, charter status has greatly improved student retention.
Although faculty retention is also not a significant issue at Woodlands, it was noted by
faculty and administration that the salaries and benefits offered to Woodlands faculty are
below market value, although this confidential financial data was not shared with the
researcher. The researcher is relying solely on anecdotal statements. The lower pay scale
might change the population of teacher who are able to teach at Woodlands. It is difficult
for a single bread-winner head of household to support a family (Teacher, personal
communication, 2010).

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Financial
Woodlands school was able to survive due to the per-pupil funding it receives as a
public charter school. That aside, the public school status has now placed requirements
on the school that did not exist as a private institution. Special education services would
fall into that category. The school must now provide services to special education
students and may not refuse to accept any student on the basis of their educational needs.
During the 2008-2009 school year, thirty students who attended Woodlands were
categorized as requiring special education services (Accountability Report, 2009). This
change in status has required the school to employ specialists. Woodland‘s staff
members now include a special education teacher, a reading specialist, an occupational
therapist, a licensed clinical social worker, a speech pathologist and a school psychologist
(Woodlands-school.org). During the charter renewal process, special education was just
one of two areas that were noted during the Board of Regents meeting that the school
needed to improve upon. (Executive Board Member, personal communication, 2010)
What role does the chartering agency play in the school’s success or failure?
The Office of Charter Schools at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, as the
charter authorizer, grants charters within the city of Milwaukee.
According to the Director of the Office of Charter Schools:
Part of that responsibility really comes two-fold: One first of all to choose those
schools which we believe have the highest chance of being successful in the urban
environment and number two, to evaluate those schools on a regular basis to
determine if they are in fact meeting the terms of their contract and the mission that
they have established in becoming a charter school. (personal communication, 2010)

72

In the evaluative role, the UWM Director of Charter Schools leads the assessment of
the progress of Woodlands school. Once a month, the Director meets with the principal,
tours the school and sits in on classes to get a sense of what is happening at Woodlands
School.
Throughout the term of the charter, there is a variety of compliance documentation
that needs to be submitted by the Principal to the Director. Some of these items, such as
pupil count reports are Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction requirements, other
items, such as the Annual School Accountability Progress Report, are UWM
requirements as the authorizing agency. During the fourth year of the charter term, a
complete assessment is done that involves bringing in an evaluation committee that looks
at every aspect of the school‘s operation.
UWM does serve to keep the charter school moving forward through requiring
measurable annual goals. These explicit goals must be supported with the inclusion of
how the progress toward or attainment of the goals will be measured, the techniques that
will be used in the improvement process, the resources that will be required, the timetable
for deployment and a description of the data needs to be collected (Accountability Plan,
2009). UWM also requires a three-year strategic plan for continual improvement. The
three-year strategic plan for Woodlands school for January 2010-December 2012
includes the following objectives:
1. Define, embrace and disseminate their model
2. Improve and expand their curriculum to advance their mission and vision
3. Attract and retain quality faculty and staff
73

4. Enhance their technology to enable students, faculty, and staff to meet 21
st

Century learning needs
5. Create a physical environment that enables us to optimize use of their current
facility
6. Connect and communicate with all stakeholders-parents, staff, alumni and
community
7. Recruit board members with a diverse array of experience and capacity
8. Diversify their funding sources to accomplish their objectives
Woodlands has a plan, including a timeline to accomplish each goal. The progress
towards those strategic plan goals is shared at the Annual Meeting in May of each year.
Based on the evaluations of progress, the Director of the Office of Charter Schools
offers advice for improvement. It is not the role of the authorizing agency to govern the
school. UWM monitors the operation of Woodlands to make sure that the school is
following the charter laws and regulations and according to the Principal the level of
support that is received from UWM is appropriate.
The Director of UWM would agree, as evidence in his remarks regarding the role of the
chartering agency.
I think what I have tried to do, to use a baseball term here, is to hit the sweet spot
between regulation and allowable autonomy and I think we have actually
accomplished that. It has allowed Woodlands to be what Woodlands is and wants to
be and because the school sees itself as its own school, that there is much more
support for it from parents, from faculty, from students than it would be if we were
over-regulating it. At the same time, I think we are getting enough data that we know
the school well and know what they have been able to accomplish. (personal
communication, 2010)

74

Conclusion
Chapter Four reviewed the findings of the researcher based on document analysis and
interviews. The research questions examined how the success of the school is measured
and what impact that teachers and charter status has on those goals. The role of the
chartering agency was also examined.
Woodland‘s school primarily defines success through student achievement. Student
achievement is measured through standardized tests, portfolio development, and progress
reports. By each of these measures, Woodlands considers themselves successful.
Success is also perceived by many at Woodlands in the culture that has developed at
the school. The diverse student population is a hallmark of the school. The strong
character education program, Time for Living, permeates all areas of school life. It
provides a model for moral behavior and social behavior emphasizes the importance of
service to the community. The culture of the school is a strength noted by everyone
consulted in this research.
The ability of the school to retain faculty and students is also an indicator of success at
Woodlands school. The school has a very low turnover rate for faculty, despite the low
pay and meager benefit packages compared to traditional public schools in the area.
Retaining students is also not something that the school finds to be of concern. Families
who choose Woodlands tend to send all of their children to the school as is evidenced by
the current and incoming 4K classes, comprised entirely of siblings of other Woodlands
students. Word of mouth is the only promotion that has been necessary for Woodlands to
be operating at capacity.
75

Financially, the school can be deemed a success in many respects. The ability to pay
off all of the private school debt that initially prompted the pursuit of charter status is
evidence. Although the school has financed renovations that have taken place to their
leased building, the school is likely to struggle with financial concerns in the future; as
they look improve their facilities.
Woodlands school was afforded the opportunity to maintain their school culture
through the transition to a charter school. The unique organizational structure and
curricular offerings remain unchanged from their days as a private, independent, non-
denominational school. Overall, charter status has been far more beneficial to
Woodlands school than detrimental.
UWM, as the chartering agency has primarily served as a regulatory agency. The
Office of Charter Schools collects documentation of compliance in both state and
university developed areas. The role of the chartering agency in Woodlands is not one of
governance, but oversight to ensure that the terms of the charter are being met.
Chapter Five, which follows, is organized around the three research questions,
presenting how findings from this study compare to the literature presented in Chapter
Two. Additionally, suggestions for further study and recommendations for policy and
practice will be summarized.

76

CHAPTER FIVE
Summary of Findings
Introduction
There is much evidence of widespread dissatisfaction with American public
schools. Many parents are frustrated by the quality of education that their children are
receiving (Bushaw & McNee, 2009) and there is much evidence that the public schools
are not working as they should. Each year, millions of students in the United States drop
out or are not enrolled in school (U. S. Department of Education, 2009). Many teachers
and administrators are also discouraged with the system, citing problems of bureaucracy,
indicating that their time is spent keeping up with government mandates and not enough
time is devoted to accomplishing educational goals (Johnson & Duffett, 2003). Many
parents, administrators, and teachers alike, who are unhappy with the current public
school system, have begun to choose charter schools as an alternative.
Charter schools have greater flexibility in determining curriculum, allocating
resources, and hiring staff. (Gill, Timpane, Ross, Brewer, & Booker, 2007). In exchange
for those freedoms, most charter schools promise to meet specific student academic
outcomes according to their charter (Lacey, Enger, Maldonado, & Thompson, 2006).
This institutional innovation permits schools to operate under a different structure to meet
the needs of their specific population.
This study investigated the factors that are used to measure the success of a Wisconsin
charter school. Three research questions were developed to guide the study:
77

1. How does the charter school define success and what measures are in place to
determine whether or not it has achieved its goals?
2. What roles does the school‘s staff play in reaching these goals and how does the
school‘s charter status help or impede their achievement of those goals?
3. What role does the chartering agency play in the school‘s success or failure?
Qualitative, descriptive-analytic case study research methods were used to conduct an
in depth analysis of the success of this charter school. Interviews were conducted with
the Principal, teachers, members of the charter board, and the Director of the Office of
Charter Schools. Questionnaires conducted by UWM and completed by parents and
faculty were analyzed. Charter renewal documents, annual reports and strategic plans
were also analyzed to support information gained through interviews and surveys.
Connection to Literature
Many charter school exercise the freedom granted to them through charter status by
organizing the structure of their school in a non-traditional way (Manno, 2004). The
conversion to charter status in 1994, has allowed Woodland‘s school to maintain some
unique organizational characteristics as a public school that it implemented as a private,
independent, non-denominational school. Woodlands school does so through multi-age
units and the adult/student ratio. The multi-age classrooms appear to provide students
with appropriate levels of instruction by providing flexibility for student placement in
classes that meet their educational needs versus the conventional differentiation that may
take place in a single traditional classroom. The structure of having one teacher aide in
each classroom provides a low student/adult ratio and allows for increased personalized
78

attention. These organizational innovations are believed to lead to student success at
Woodlands.
Woodlands school, as an urban charter school faces some of the same challenges as
many other charter schools, particularly in the areas of finances (Center for Education
Reform, 2010). Financially, the study participants deemed the school a success in many
respects. The ability to pay off all of the private school debt that initially prompted the
pursuit of charter status has been paid off, but as a result of a tight budget, the school has
not been able to promote faculty to newly created positions that would help the school
move forward. They find themselves in a catch-22. They wish to hire a Director of
Development to aid in raising capital, but they do not yet have the funds necessary to pay
a Director of Development. Financial shortages have also prevented Woodlands from
securing their own buildings. They have been able to finance renovations to their leased
building, but do not have the capital to purchase a building of their own that will better
meet their needs. It is an area that the school will struggle with in the future.
A larger issue regarding charter schools has been how to define success and how to
measure that success. It has been difficult to assess the achievement of charter schools
(Scott & Villavicencio, 2009). Although Woodland‘s school defines success first and
foremost through student achievement, measured through standardized tests, portfolio
development, and progress reports, Woodland's also measures success through student
and faculty retention, student diversity, and more subjective measures such as the
development of the culture. By each of these measures, Woodlands considers their
school successful.
79

The ability of the school to retain faculty and students was an often mentioned
indicator of success at Woodlands school. The school has a very low turnover rate for
faculty, despite the low pay and meager benefit packages compared to traditional public
schools in the area. Retaining students is also not something that the school finds to be of
concern. Families, who choose Woodlands, tend to send all of their children to the
school, as is evidenced by the current and incoming 4K classes, comprised entirely of
siblings of other Woodlands students. Word of mouth is the only promotion that has
been necessary for Woodlands to be operating at capacity.
Participants in this research indicated that success can also be seen in the culture that
has developed at Woodlands. The diverse student population is a hallmark of the school
and the integrated population sets it apart from a majority of public schools in the City of
Milwaukee. Although maintaining diversity has not as yet been problematic for the
school, replication of the school model in other neighborhoods in the city of Milwaukee
may make that diversity more challenging to maintain. The decision to not offer bussing
to students may also serve to reduce the diversity of the student population in the future,
as many families who may wish to send their children to Woodlands, may not be able to
provide their own daily transportation to and from school. Access may become an issue.
The strong character education program, Time for Living, permeates all areas of
school life. It provides a model for moral behavior and social behavior emphasizes the
importance of service to the community. This program is a key element that supports the
cultural development of the school.
80

The unique organizational structure and curricular offerings remain unchanged from
their days as a private, independent, non-denominational school. They were able to
maintain the elements central to the ―Woodland‘s Way.‖ Charter status has been
beneficial to Woodland‘s school.
UWM, as the chartering agency has primarily served as a regulatory agency. The
most fundamental oversight responsibility of a chartering agency is that of making sure
that the school complies with local, state, and federal laws, that it is financially compliant
and that it completes the appropriate reporting (Bulkley, 2001). The Office of Charter
Schools collects documentation of compliance in both state and university developed
areas. The role of the chartering agency in Woodlands is not one of governance, but
oversight to ensure that the terms of the charter are being met. This is a typical role that
chartering agencies fulfill.
Although a 1998 UCLA study found that many districts hesitate to hold charter
schools accountable for academic achievement (Wells, 1998), this does not appear to be
the case for UWM and Woodlands school. UWM monitors standardized test scores for
continual progress and makes recommendations for improvement. Stakeholders
consulted in this study appear satisfied with the relationship between Woodland's school
and UWM, as the chartering authority.
Suggestions for Further Research
It is important to recognize that the results of this single case study cannot be
generalized to other contexts. The results can, however, indicate areas in which this
school has been successful and provides some opportunities for further study.
81

1. During this study, teachers and administration alluded to the ―best practices‖ that
are being implemented in the classrooms at all grade levels. It would be useful to
identify in further detail exactly which ―best practices‖ are used in individual
classrooms to meet the needs of this diverse, urban population.
2. Charter schools are granted financial, organizational, and curricular autonomy in
exchange for increased accountability. Woodland‘s school utilized primarily
organizational freedoms. Is the same true for other charter schools? Are most
charters implementing innovations that could be put into practice in the traditional
public schools? In other words, is charter status really necessary?
3. Further research is needed in the area of the role of the authorizing agency. As a
successful school, meeting the terms of their charter, Woodland‘s did not
experience intervention on the part of UWM, as the authorizing agency. UWM
fulfilled the role as a monitor of operations. What other support could a
university authorizer offer to charter schools? Are the education departments of
University authorizers missing an opportunity to partner for faculty development?
Implications for Practice
This study highlighted the significance of building a strong school culture. Positive
school culture was noted by all stakeholders involved in this study as a vital piece of the
school‘s success. Woodlands School has been able to adapt to changing economic
conditions, while maintaining a commitment to a diverse student population, and did so
in a city that continues to struggle with economic and integration issues. The educational
82

program offered at Woodlands School and stakeholder satisfaction, both integral parts of
the school culture, made that possible.
At Woodlands, the infusion of the ―Time for Living‖ character education program
throughout the grade levels provided support to the development of culture, as well and
helped to clarify expectations for personal and social behavior for the students. The
connection between the educational program and the culture of the school cannot be
ignored.
By all accounts, the faculty at Woodlands School is comprised of dedicated
professionals, committed to professional growth, who support the guiding principles of
the school. Future charter leaders should place great emphasis on hiring faculty who
support the mission of the school and attracting families who support the culture.
Stakeholder support of the mission and program at the school contributed to low
attrition rates for both faculty and families at Woodlands School. That stability of faculty
and families helps to maintain a consistent culture. By retaining families, the school has
not had to struggle with enrollment issues. In fact, it is those satisfied families that have
helped to keep enrollment at capacity, as they share their appreciation for the
―Woodland‘s Way‖ with other families, who fill open seats without the need for the
school to advertise. This has helped them become more financially stable and to avoid
some of the issues often plague charter schools. Future charter school leaders should
consider the development of a positive culture as a foundation of financial success.

83

Conclusion
The findings from this study have provided a look at stakeholder perceptions of the
success of a Wisconsin charter school. Stakeholders do not attribute the success of the
school to a single factor. They base success on a combination of a strong culture that
supports and appreciates diversity, a non-traditional multi-grade organizational structure
and an experienced faculty and staff that is committed to student learning. The challenge
lies in replicating those intangible elements that contribute to the success of the school.

84

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APPENDIX A: ON-SITE PRINCIPAL INTERVIEW PROTOCOL

Woodlands School

Date:___________________

Start Time: ________ End Time: _________ Total Time (minutes): ______

[Introduction]

Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. I am an Ed.D candidate at the University of
Southern California. It is the intention of this study to examine a successful charter
school program to identify how the success of the school is measured. By participating in
this interview, you are consenting to participation in my research study. You may
withdraw from this study at any time. This interview should take around 60 minutes. Do
you have any questions for me before we begin?

Before I ask you specific questions, I would like to start by asking you some general
questions about your school and your role here in order to gain a broader understanding
of the context in which you work.

Background

1. Please tell me a little about the students and community that you serve?
2. How would you describe the general culture of your school?
3. Please describe your role as the site administrator.

Becoming a charter
I would like to ask you a few questions about the charter conversion process
4. Why did Woodlands school convert to a charter school?
5. Describe the process of becoming a charter.
6. Specifically who was involved in that process?
7. What was your role in that process?
Mission and Vision
The next four questions are connected to the mission of the school.
8. What is the schools mission?
9. How was the mission determined?
90

10. Who was involved in the formation of that mission?
11. How does your program support that mission?
Success and failures
I would like to hear about the successes and failures of Woodlands School.
12. Would you describe Woodlands School as successful?
13. In what areas has the school experienced success?
14. How is that success measured?
15. In what ways has this school failed?
16. What is the consequence for those failures?
17. Are there any factors that have inhibited the success of your charter?
Charter Board
As a Charter School, your school has a Charter Board.
18. What is the role of the charter board?
19. What is your relationship with the charter board?
UWM Charter Director
Next, I would like to hear about UWM, the chartering agency that authorized this
school‘s charter.
20. What is the role of UWM in the charter school?
21. Describe the relationship between Woodlands and UWM?
22. How active is the Board in governing the school?
Accountability
I am now going to ask you questions regarding accountability.
23. What are the specific areas of accountability for the charter school?
24. How were those areas of accountability determined?
25. How is the charter school accountable?
26. Who or what agency determines success or failure in those areas?
27. What are the ramifications for failure to meet those goals?
28. What is your perception of the progress towards the goals outlined in your
charter?
Parents
Lets discuss the role of parents at Woodlands.
29. What role do parents play at Woodlands School?
30. Are parents required to volunteer at Woodlands? If so, what is the consequence
for failure to do so?
Charter Status
The remaining questions are regarding charter status.
31. What are the advantages/disadvantages of being a charter?
91

32. What has contributed to the success of your charter?
33. Are there performance rewards?
34. Are there performance sanctions?
35. What decisions can you make as a charter that you could not make otherwise?
36. Are there innovations being implemented at Woodlands school that are possible
as a direct result of your charter status?
37. What factors promote charter schools success?
38. What factors inhibit charter school success?
Teachers
I would like to ask a couple questions about the role of the teacher here at Woodlands
School.
39. How many teachers work at Woodlands?
40. Are all teachers full-time?
41. Tell me a bit about the teacher assistants and their role.
42. What role do teachers play in the success of this school?
43. How are teachers assessed?
44. If student achievement is a measurement of success at Woodlands, are there
particular instructional strategies that are used in classrooms to help students
achieve that success?

Do you have any other information that you would like to share with me?

Thank you for participating in this interview. The information that you have provided
will certainly be valuable in the completion of my research study.

92

APPENDIX B: ON-SITE TEACHER INTERVIEW PROTOCOL

Woodlands School

Date:___________________

Start Time: ________ End Time: _________ Total Time (minutes): ______

[Introduction]

Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. I am an Ed.D candidate at the University of
Southern California. It is the intention of this study to examine a successful charter
school program to identify how the success of the school is measured. By participating in
this interview, you are consenting to participation in my study. You may withdraw from
this study at any time. This interview should take around 60 minutes. Do you have any
questions for me before we begin?

Before I ask you specific questions, I would like to start by asking you some general
questions about your school in order to gain a broader understanding of the context in
which you work.

Context

1. Please tell me a little about the students and community that you serve?
2. How would you describe the general culture of your school?
Mission
The next four questions are connected to the mission of the school.
1. What is the school‘s mission?
2. How was the mission determined?
3. Who was involved in the formation of that mission?
4. How does your program support that mission?
Success and Failures
I would like to hear about the successes and failures of Woodlands School.
1. Would you describe Woodlands School as successful?
2. In what areas has the school experienced success?
3. How is that success measured?
93

4. In what ways has this school failed?
5. What is the consequence for those failures?
6. Are there any factors that have inhibited the success of your charter?
7. If student achievement is a measurement of success at Woodlands, are there
particular instructional strategies that are used in classrooms to help students
achieve that success?
Role of the Teacher
I would like to ask a couple questions about the role of the teacher here at Woodlands
School.
1. What role do teachers play in the success of this school?
2. Tell me a bit about the role of teacher assistants at Woodlands.
3. How are teachers assessed?
Charter Board
As a Charter School, your school has a Charter Board.
1. What is the role of the Woodlands Board of Trustees?
2. What is your relationship with the charter board?
UWM
Next, I would like to hear about UWM, the chartering agency that authorized this
school‘s charter.
1. What is the role of UWM in the charter school?
2. Please describe the relationship between Woodlands and UWM?
3. How active is the Board in governing the school?
Accountability
I am now going to ask you questions regarding accountability.
1. What are the specific areas of accountability for the charter school?
2. How were those areas of accountability determined?
3. How is the charter school accountable?
4. Who or what agency determines what constitutes success or failure in those areas?
5. What are the ramifications for failure to meet those goals?
Parents
Lets discuss the role of parents at Woodlands.
1. What role do parents play at Woodlands School?
Charter Status
The remaining questions are regarding charter status.
1. What are the advantages/disadvantages of being a charter?
2. What has contributed to the success of your charter?
3. What decisions can you make as a charter that you could not make otherwise?
94

4. Are there innovations being implemented at Woodlands school that are possible
as a direct result of your charter status?
5. What factors promote charter schools success?
6. What factors inhibit charter school success?
Do you have any other information that you would like to share with me?

Thank you for participating in this interview. The information that you have provided
will certainly be valuable in the completion of my research study.

95

APPENDIX C: CHARTER BOARD INTERVIEW PROTOCOL

Woodlands School

Date:___________________

Start Time: ________ End Time: _________ Total Time (minutes): ______

[Introduction]

Thank you for agreeing to speak with me. I am an Ed.D candidate at the University of
Southern California. It is the intention of this study to examine a successful charter
school program to identify how the success of the school is measured. By participating in
this interview, you are consenting to participation in my study. You may withdraw from
this study at any time. This interview should take around 60 minutes. Do you have any
questions for me before we begin?

Executive Charter Board

I would like to ask you a few questions about this board.

1. Please describe the role of the charter board.
2. What is the board‘s relationship with the charter school?

Success and failures

I would like to hear about the successes and failures of Woodlands School.

3. Would you describe Woodlands School as successful?
4. In what areas has the school experienced success?
5. How is that success measured?
6. What role do teachers play in the success of this school?
7. In what ways has this school failed?
8. What are the consequences of those failures?
9. Are there any factors that have inhibited the success of this charter?

96

UWM

Next, I would like to hear about UWM, the chartering agency that authorized this
school‘s charter.

10. What is the role of UWM in the charter school?
11. What is the relationship between the Woodlands Charter board and UWM?
12. How active is UWM in the life of the school?

Accountability

I am now going to ask you questions regarding accountability.

13. What are the specific areas of accountability for the charter school?
14. How were those areas of accountability determined?
15. How is the charter school accountable?
16. Who or what agency determines success or failure in those areas?
17. What are the ramifications for failure to meet those goals?

Charter Status

18. What are the advantages/disadvantages of being a charter?
19. What has contributed to the success of your charter?
20. What decisions that can you make as a charter that you could not make otherwise?
21. Are there innovations being implemented at Woodlands school that are possible
as a direct result of your charter status?
22. What factors promote charter schools success?
23. What factors inhibit charter school success?

Do you have any other information that you would like to share with me?

Thank you for participating in this interview. The information that you have provided
will certainly be valuable in the completion of my research study.

97

APPENDIX D: DIRECTOR OF CHARTER SCHOOLS INTERVIEW
PROTOCOL
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE

Date:___________________

Start Time: ________ End Time: _________ Total Time (minutes): ______

[Introduction]

Thank you for agreeing to speak with me. I am an Ed.D candidate at the University of
Southern California. It is the intention of this study to examine a successful charter
school program to identify how the success of the school is measured. By participating in
this interview, you are consenting to participation in my study. You may withdraw from
this study at any time. This interview should take around 45 minutes. Do you have any
questions for me before we begin?

Background
1. Please describe your role as the Director of Charter Schools.
UWM
1. What is the role of UWM in the charter school?
2. How active is the Board in governing the school?
Success and failures
1. In what areas has the school experienced success?
2. How is that success measured?
3. In what ways has this school failed?
4. What are the consequences for those failures?
5. Are there any factors that have inhibited the success of this charter?
Accountability
1. What are the specific areas of accountability for the charter school?
2. How were those areas of accountability determined?
3. How is the charter school accountable?
4. Who or what agency determines success or failure in those areas?
5. What are the ramifications for failure to meet those goals?

98

Charter Status
1. What are the advantages/disadvantages of being a charter?
2. From the perspective of the chartering agency, what has contributed to the success
of Woodlands Charter School?
3. Are there performance rewards?
4. Are there performance sanctions?
5. What decisions can Woodlands make as a charter that they could not make
otherwise?
6. Are there innovations being implemented at Woodlands school that are possible
as a direct result of their charter status?
7. What factors promote charter schools success?
8. What factors inhibit charter school success?

Do you have any other information that you would like to share with me?

Thank you for participating in this interview. The information that you have provided
will certainly be valuable in the completion of my research study.

Abstract (if available)

Abstract Widespread dissatisfaction with traditional public schools has lead to the development of charter schools. Under the terms of a charter, schools are granted increased autonomy in areas such as financial management, organizational structure, and curriculum. This study investigated the factors that lead to the success of one individual charter school and how that success was measured by parents, faculty, administration, school board members, and the authorizing agency. To explore these issues, a qualitative case study was conducted in a Wisconsin charter school. Interviews with teachers, administrators, board members, and members of the authorizing agency were conducted. Analysis of the original charter agreement, annual reports and previously completed stakeholder surveys was also conducted. Exploration of this case study found that success at this charter is measured in student academic performance, student and faculty retention, and finances but also largely in qualitative areas, such as school culture. Findings also supported the traditional role of the authorizing agency as an organization that oversees compliance with regulations and goal achievement. Recommendations for further research were developed based on these results.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Stickles, Rachel L. (author)

Core Title Understanding measures of school success: a study of a Wisconsin charter school

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Publication Date 09/14/2010

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag charter schools,OAI-PMH Harvest

Place Name Milwaukee (city or populated place), Wisconsin (states)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Picus, Lawrence O. (committee chair), Brewer, Dominic J. (committee member), Sundt, Melora A. (committee member)

Creator Email rlstickles@yahoo.com,rstickle@carrollu.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-m3447

Unique identifier UC1327952

Identifier etd-Stickles-3553 (filename),usctheses-m40 (legacy collection record id),usctheses-c127-388742 (legacy record id),usctheses-m3447 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-Stickles-3553.pdf

Dmrecord 388742

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Stickles, Rachel L.

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Repository Name Libraries, University of Southern California

Repository Location Los Angeles, California

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu