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Success in reflective practice: a case study of an outperforming non-traditional urban high school

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Success in reflective practice: a case study of an outperforming non-traditional urban high school

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Content Running head: CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 1

SUCCESS IN REFLECTIVE PRACTICE: A CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING
NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN HIGH SCHOOL

by
Monica L. Jara Guerra
___________________________________________________________
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

May 2018

CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 2

Abstract
The purpose of this research was to investigate a school’s practices to identify the present factors
in a non-traditional outperforming urban K-12 school. The study focused primarily on school
wide programs and practices, leadership practices and cultural norms present within the Southern
California school selected for this study. A multi-method approach was utilized by the researcher
in this case study to collect data utilizing tools created in collaborating with the thematic
dissertation cohort. The data collection in this study included document review, surveys,
observations and interviews. Creswell’s (2014) six-step method of data analysis and
interpretation was utilized to triangulate data and reveal the emergence of overarching themes in
the study. Three themes emerged from the data of factors present at the school studied: (1)
Intentional and responsive student-centered programs developed through reflective practice, (2)
Collaborative shared leadership made possible through continuous efforts to build capacity
among staff and stakeholders alike and (3) Community with strong familial ties where
individuals are accepted for who and where they are and empowered to be their best self. a
number of recommendations and implications resulted from this research. The most prominent
question for future research being, how one can replicate the environment and success found at
this outperforming non-traditional school in a larger traditional school setting.

Keywords: outperforming, non-traditional, shared leadership, collaborative leadership

CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 3

Dedication

I dedicate this work to my family.

I have nothing but the greatest respect, gratitude and appreciation for all of the love, time
and energy you have investing in my growth and development. From the struggles and sacrifices
of my grandparents to the unending love and support of my parents, I am a product of all of your
hard work. From your first lessons to a wide-eyed child who was afraid to go to school to the
late nights reading to me, so I could finish my homework, Mom and Dad, were always there to
encourage me and tell me you believed in me no matter the how great the challenge. Thank you
for providing me the opportunity to study and focus on my education. I love you and will
continue to work to make you proud. Daniel, you are and have always been a shining example
of what a big brother should be. Thanks for taking the bullets and providing an example to
follow. Melissa, you are such a hard-working woman who constantly puts others ahead of
yourself. I am proud to call you my sister. Michael, you blow me away with how smart you are;
you’ve always kept us on your toes. I am proud of you and can’t wait to see what you come up
with next. Jaime, you are the best of all of us and we are lucky to have you as a brother.
Eddie, my Honey Bunny Bear, this would not have been possible without your unending
support, love and patience. Thank you for all you have done to support me and encourage me to
take on the many adventures and crazy ideas I come up with. Despite the fact that you knew this
was going to be a bumpy road, you still encouraged me to apply. When I got in, you encouraged
me to take on the challenge. When you proposed, you knew that it meant you would sacrifice our
time together, so I could study. Thank you for all you have given up so that I could continue my
education. I look forward to the adventures we will embark on together now that this chapter of
my educational life has come to a close. Adventure is out there, and I can’t wait to find it with
you!

CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 4

Acknowledgements

I cannot express how much appreciation I have for my committee for their continued
support: Dr. Stuart Gothold, my committee chair, Dr. Maria Ott, and Dr. Dennis Hocevar. I have
nothing but gratitude for the learning opportunities you have provided.

Dr. Gothold, I offer my most sincere appreciation and thanks for the continuous support,
patience and motivation. You were consistently a great source of knowledge and wisdom. I
thank you for your patience despite all the obstacles that arose during this process.

Dr. Erin Craig, you demonstrated to me that it was possible to make your dreams a reality
and regardless of the obstacle, there is always hope. Thank you for being an inspiration.

To my colleagues at USC Rossier, especially my thematic dissertation cohort, you have
been a blessing. I have grown a great deal personally and professionally through our work
together. I have been blessed and hope our paths cross again so that I may continue to work with
an excellent group of scholars and leaders.

Buddy, you have always been a source of encouragement and pushed me to challenge
myself and overcome my own self-doubt. Thank you, Jorge, for encouraging me to apply to this
program and talking me through the lowest points.

Lucy and KC, you have always been a great source of support and guidance, especially
through this process. I thank you for the time and energy you have spent with me throughout the
years. This whole process would have been much more difficult was it not for your flexibility
and support. Thank you.

To my loving and supportive family and husband, I give you my most sincere thanks for
all you have done. There are not words to tell you how thankful I am for your encouragement
through the rough times, strong coffee for the late nights, checking on me to make sure I was still
awake, and reading my work to see if I was even making sense. It was a great comfort to know
that I had your support. Eddie, thank you for taking over all responsibilities when I needed to
focus on my studies. Your love and support carried me through some very challenging times.
You are my rock and my shield. I love you all and will be forever grateful for what you have
done. Mil gracias al Sr. Samuel & la Sra. Angelina Guerra por todo su amor y apoyo durante
todos estos años. Gracias por aceptarme en su familia.

Last but not least, I thank God for giving me the strength and courage to embark on this
journey.

CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 5

Table of Contents
Abstract .................................................................................................................................... 2
Dedication ................................................................................................................................ 3
Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................... 4
List of Figures ......................................................................................................................... 10
Chapter One: Overview of the Study ....................................................................................... 11
Background of the Problem ......................................................................................... 12
Statement of the Problem............................................................................................. 14
Purpose of the Study .................................................................................................... 14
Research Questions ..................................................................................................... 15
Importance of the Study .............................................................................................. 15
Summary of Methodology ........................................................................................... 17
Limitations and Delimitations ...................................................................................... 17
Limitations ...................................................................................................... 18
Delimitations ................................................................................................... 18
Assumptions .................................................................................................... 19
Organization of the Study ............................................................................................ 19
Definitions .................................................................................................................. 20
Chapter Two: Literature Review ............................................................................................. 25
Background ................................................................................................................. 25
Importance ....................................................................................................... 25
Nature of the Problem ...................................................................................... 28
History ........................................................................................................................ 29
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 6

Poverty and Education ..................................................................................... 29
Initiatives ......................................................................................................... 31
What’s Working .......................................................................................................... 36
Programs and Practices .................................................................................... 36
Leadership ....................................................................................................... 39
School Culture ................................................................................................. 41
Non-Traditional Schools .............................................................................................. 43
Charter Schools................................................................................................ 44
Critique of the Literature ............................................................................................. 46
Chapter Three: Methodology .................................................................................................. 48
Methodology ............................................................................................................... 49
Sample Population ....................................................................................................... 51
The District ................................................................................................................. 52
School Overview ......................................................................................................... 53
Data Collection Process ............................................................................................... 54
Data Collection Instruments ........................................................................................ 56
Documents and Artifacts .................................................................................. 56
Survey ............................................................................................................. 57
Observations .................................................................................................... 57
Interviews ........................................................................................................ 57
Validity and Reliability ............................................................................................... 58
Data Analysis and Interpretation .................................................................................. 59
Summary ..................................................................................................................... 59
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 7

Chapter Four: The Findings .................................................................................................... 60
Research Questions ..................................................................................................... 66
Criteria ........................................................................................................................ 67
Methodology ............................................................................................................... 69
Participants .................................................................................................................. 71
Findings for Research Question 1 ................................................................................ 71
Mission and Vision .......................................................................................... 72
Summer Bridge ................................................................................................ 75
College Prep .................................................................................................... 76
Counseling ....................................................................................................... 77
Support Programs ............................................................................................ 78
Environmental Programs .................................................................................. 79
After School Program ...................................................................................... 80
Partnerships and Internships ............................................................................. 82
Graduation Requirements ................................................................................. 83
Best Practices................................................................................................... 85
Professional Development................................................................................ 86
Data Informed .................................................................................................. 88
Classroom and Curriculum............................................................................... 91
Findings for Research Question 2 ................................................................................ 96
Building a Team .............................................................................................. 97
Relationships ................................................................................................... 99
Capacity..........................................................................................................105
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 8

Empower ........................................................................................................111
Collaborate .....................................................................................................117
Findings for Research Question 3 ...............................................................................121
Acceptance .....................................................................................................123
Community .....................................................................................................127
Safe ................................................................................................................132
High Expectations ...........................................................................................137
Emergent Themes .......................................................................................................140
Intentional and Responsive Student-Centered Programs ..................................140
Collaborative Shared Leadership .....................................................................143
Familial Community of Acceptance ................................................................147
Summary ....................................................................................................................150
Chapter Five: Conclusions and Recommendations .................................................................153
Purpose and Methodology ..........................................................................................155
Themes .......................................................................................................................156
Conclusion .................................................................................................................158
Implications for Practice .............................................................................................159
Recommendations ......................................................................................................161
Summary ....................................................................................................................163
References .............................................................................................................................164
Appendix A: Documents and Artifacts list .............................................................................178
Appendix B: Survey Instrument .............................................................................................180
Appendix C: Observation Protocols .......................................................................................186
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 9

School Site Observation Protocol ...............................................................................186
Classroom Observation Protocol ................................................................................188
General Observation Protocol .....................................................................................190
Appendix D: Interview Protocol .............................................................................................193

CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 10

List of Tables
Table 1 - Survey Questions on Vision and Mission #1-6 ......................................................... 73
Table 2 - Survey Questions on Leadership #1-6 ..................................................................... 99
Table 3 - Survey Questions on Standards/Expectations of
non-traditional schools #1-4 .............................................................................. 104, 138
Table 4 - Survey Questions on Collaboration and Communication #1-6 .................................112
Table 5 - Survey Questions on School Environment #1-4 ......................................................129

CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 11

CHAPTER ONE
OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
Introduction
One. Three. Six. Ten. Seventeen. Thirty-six. These numbers are not just a pattern; they
represent the slippery slope the United States has found itself on for the last several decades as
measured by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Programme for
International Student Assessment (PISA). Once the world leader in education, the United States
has fallen behind in terms of quality of education and educational outcomes when compared to
countries across the world with real consequences (OECD, 2007; OECD, 2013). With a third of
U.S. students not completing a high school diploma and more children being born into poverty
every year, there are significant consequences for a country that does not adequately educate and
prepare its citizens to engage in the global economy. Disaggregating the data reveals the
subpopulations represented in the thirty percent that dropout of high school are often minority
students from urban communities plagued with poverty. In contrast, the data also reveals a
number of students who are from these same communities graduate and continue their education.
In these urban areas there are schools, often non-traditional schools, with similar demographic
characteristics that have discovered the right combination of factors, possibly including effective
instructional practices, cultural norms and leadership practices, to educate and support these
students successfully despite the odds. There exists a need for further studies to be done to
examine what elements exist in these non-traditional urban schools that are achieving student
success regardless of student demographics.
The following case study examines a non-traditional school that is outperforming other
local and similar schools with the same student demographics. The goal is to identify the factors
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 12

present which may be analyzed in future research to determine the extent to which these factors
contribute to the school’s positive student outcomes and outperforming status.
Through this study the identification of factors affecting outcomes among high-poverty
urban students may be critical to developing a solution for low-student achievement in high
poverty communities. This study will focus on identifying campus wide programs and practices,
as well as leadership and cultural norms that exist within an outperforming non-traditional urban
school. The multi-method qualitative approach utilized a research design and instruments
created in collaboration with a thematic cohort group of twelve doctoral students for the purpose
of this study and eleven other similar case studies. Each study will examine a different
outperforming non-traditional urban school in hopes of adding to an existing body of knowledge
and future research in this area.
Background to the Problem
Multiple studies demonstrate that a higher level of education is correlated with higher
lifetime earnings (Baum, Ma, & Payea, 2013, p. 14). Unfortunately, studies show that only
about 70 percent of American students graduate high school. Even more troublesome are the
high school graduation rates of minority students, specifically African American and Latino
students: between 50 and 57 percent (Chapman et al., 2011). In addition to an increased
likelihood of living in or near poverty, these individuals face additional challenges such as
inadequate medical care, lower life expectancy, and an escalating probability of going through
the criminal justice system (Amos, 2008; Davidoff, 2005; Harlow, 2003; Pew Charitable Trust,
2008). As the economic landscape in America continues to evolve, these individuals must find a
way out of the cycle of poverty.
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 13

It is widely believed by many that education is the key to rising from poverty. To have
the chance to compete for jobs in the U.S. economy that is no longer based in manufacturing, but
skilled labor, these individuals and communities must gain access to higher education (OECD,
2007; U.S. Department of Labor, 2007). This requires a reevaluation of what is happening in
education. There is a disparity between the educational experience and outcomes of high
poverty urban minority students and that of their more affluent counterparts in suburban
schools. Unfortunately, these disparities have existed since the inception of education in the
United States. For decades, countless efforts to afford impoverished and ethnic/racial minority
children with quality education failed until the Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which ruled
that separate was not equal. The ruling was followed by the systematic desegregation of public
schools and a series of targeted programs and funding to level the academic playing field. This
also provided scholars with the stimulus to begin exploring the nature of the achievement gap.
The Coleman Report (1966) concluded that family background and socioeconomic status
(SES) were the most pivotal factors in predicting a student’s academic success. Edmonds (1979)
disagreed with Colman, placing the responsibility for student success on the school, rather than
the demographic characteristics of the student’s background. Since then, studies have supported
both sides of the argument. For many students living in high poverty urban communities, the
local school may be the only source of positive influence for academic success. Unfortunately,
urban public schools have often failed to meet the educational needs of the students they serve.
To attempt to fill this void a number of non-traditional schools, i.e. charter schools, were
developed and have grown exponentially since the early 1990s. While in the last several
decades, research has maintained an increased focus on the issue of poverty, the income and
achievement gap has grown, and the number of children born into poverty continues to grow at
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 14

an alarming rate (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2010; National Center for Children in Poverty,
2015).
Statement of the Problem
The future of thousands of students in urban schools across the United States hangs in the
balance of this unequal equation. There is a great need to address the educational disparities
with an intentional focus on urban schools. Although some research has conducted identify
some elements of high-performing schools, there is a lack of existing knowledge on this same
area as it pertains to urban schools.
Historically, students in high-poverty urban schools have not performed well
academically in comparison to students in affluent communities. However, there are non-
traditional urban schools with similar low socioeconomic and demographic characteristics that
are outperform traditional public schools. More needs to be known about how these non-
traditional outperforming schools operate in order to achieve excellence.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this research is to investigate a school’s practices to identify the present
factors in a non-traditional outperforming urban K-12 school. The study will focus primarily on
school wide programs and practices, leadership practices and cultural norms present within the
selected school. This is one of twelve case studies in a thematic dissertation cohort with similar
multi-method research designs to study non-traditional outperforming urban schools in southern
California. This case study will identify factors present that may be proven by future research to
contribute to increased student achievement in urban schools.

CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 15

Research Questions
In an effort to uncover the factors present at an outperforming non-traditional urban high
school, the following research questions were created to guide all areas of the study:
1. What programs and practices are implemented in an urban outperforming non-traditional
school?
2. What are the leadership practices in an urban outperforming non-traditional school?
3. What are the cultural norms in an urban outperforming non-traditional school?
Importance of the Study
The current political atmosphere combined with the discontent in many urban schools,
low student achievement, and lack of workforce preparation further pressures many in leadership
positions to create quality urban schools where all students in enrolled can learn and meet
academic performance standards regardless of their background. Some schools have proven to
outperform other schools with similar demographic make-up, often in the same communities. A
review of the literature found some research on highly effective and high performing schools.
There is limited research disaggregates the data to delineate urban, high-poverty, or diverse
populations served by these schools providing little insight as what is working for whom. The
qualitative design of the research study implemented in a high-poverty outperforming non-
traditional urban school will allow the researcher to focus in on the unique elements that may
exist in working with such a specific population.
Although this is not a causal study, it is with great hope that through studying an
outperforming urban school, the researcher may identify elements present at an outperforming
urban school that may, in future studies, be identified as contributing factors to their
outperforming status. Through combining and analyzing the findings of the twelve case studies
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 16

being conducted by this thematic cohort, patterns may emerge in a way that a single case study
could not provide. This study may further lead to the implementation of practices, procedures,
etc. that were identified in an outperforming school, as strategies for success at another school
site in the future.
As educational practitioners who share and consume information with the best interest of
the students at heart, this research provides one more avenue to understand some of the perceived
factors and elements that exist in an outperforming school to apply it to their own
schools. Understanding the cultural, leadership and campus-wide programs may prove
beneficial to maximizing student potential at other sites. This study may also provide valuable
information for practitioners seeking the right mixture of elements to provide the best learning
environment for their students, especially in urban, high-poverty and ethnically diverse areas,
thus allowing them to reach higher levels of academic achievement. Finally, the research
provided may also provide additional insight to devise professional development for educators to
better understand how to best serve their population.
For policy makers, this research serves as another piece of crucial information to continue
to build a case for what needs to be done in the educational system by identifying what elements
California urban schools need to reach their desired goals. Policymakers for school districts
could compare their school profiles with that of any of the twelve schools utilized by this
thematic dissertation cohort to evaluate if and the extent to which any of the factors identified
could be applied to their school or district. In a similar way, researchers can use the data from
this study and the data from the eleven other case studies done to better understand factors that
may impact academic achievement. This data combined with the previously existing work on
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 17

high performing schools may provide a more solid foundation for future studies with the focus of
outperforming urban schools.
The aim of this study is to contribute to the limited, but growing body of knowledge that
analyzes the factors existing in outperforming urban schools, which may be connected to student
achievement and the school’s outperforming status. It is the researcher’s desire that one day this
research, in collaboration with many other studies, may provide benefit in the areas of
professional development, urban school policy and urban school curricular design. This research
becomes increasingly valuable given the increased need for college readiness and the reality of
escalating competition in the global economy.
Summary of the Methodology
The study utilized a multi-method qualitative approach to identify the factors present in
an outperforming non-traditional urban high school. This design is consistent with
recommended approaches for qualitative research case study (Creswell, 2014; Maxwell, 2013;
Merriam, & Tisdell, 2016). The thematic dissertation cohort created the research design and data
collection tools to align with the research questions (described in Chapter Three and found in the
appendices). Data was collected via four instruments: document analysis, surveys, observations
and interviews. These data collection methods were utilized to allow the researcher to
triangulate data in an effort identify themes and patterns to describe the phenomenon at selected
outperforming non-traditional urban high school (Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2003).
Limitations and Delimitations
It is important to identify areas of limitation in this study as well as the delimitations put
in place to minimize limitations. In addition, this section will review the assumptions made in
this study.
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 18

Limitations
This study was conducted over a period of six months in one urban charter high school in
a high-poverty community of southwest Los Angeles. As a result of the narrow time and data
collected source, the results of this study may not be generalized and may or may not be
applicable to other school types or schools with different demographic characteristics. The
qualitative nature of a case study required the use of multiple instruments developed by the
thematic dissertation cohort with special consideration for Bolman and Deal’s (1997) Four
Frames. Due to the limited time spent collecting information, the researcher was not able to
observe activities that occur throughout the year that may contribute to the outperforming nature
of the school in the case study. In an effort to limit classroom disruption and work around a
school schedule full of activities and time constraints, only ten classroom observations were
conducted for the purpose of this study. This case study was also limited to the information
provided by or observed from individuals who volunteered to participate. Not all surveys were
completed as some faculty and staff members choose not to participate in the study.
Additionally, only a limited number of faculty and staff agreed to participate in the interviews,
further limiting the information gathered through this data collection method. A final limitation
that was considered throughout the study was researcher subjectivity and perspective in areas of
interpretation such as observation, interviews and data analysis.
Delimitations
Just as there are limitations to this study, there are delimitations, items sent in place to
provide some control and focus the data being collected in this study. The researcher has
purposefully selected one outperforming urban high school to study rather than multiple schools
or select a school at random. Although this case study cannot be generalized, it is one of twelve
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 19

similar studies from which future researchers may see themes arise. The qualitative design
allowed for the collection of multiple data points through data collection instruments, survey,
interview guide and observation protocol, designed for this study to be triangulated to identify
themes and patterns. The same data collection instruments were utilized throughout all twelve
thematic dissertation case studies. All research, with the exception of review of documents, was
conducted at the school site with consideration for policies and procedures required by the
authorizer, charter management organization, and state and federal governments. The study was
conducted over six months, as opposed to two months, to allow for the research to observe data
from the end of the school year as well as a summer bridge program and the beginning of the
school year. The surveys utilized in this case study focused on the faculty and staff rather than
integrating student responses. The researcher identified participants for interviews with
predetermined criteria.
Assumptions
Several assumptions were made as the researcher approached data collection. The first
assumption was that individuals would be truthful and genuine with their responses. A second
assumption was that classroom observations would be conducted on regular school days, rather
than special occasions, as identified by the researcher and administration at the school site. A
more crucial assumption was that the school identified would continue to be an outperforming
school with no significant changes occurring while the study was being conducted.
Organization of the Study
The remainder of this study is organized into four chapters including a review the
literature, methodology, findings and conclusions. Chapter One is an introduction to the research
and provides a brief overview of what is to come. Chapter Two is a review of the available
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 20

literature in articles and books that relate to this study with a particular focus on what has been
found thus far on characteristics of highly effective and outperforming schools with special
consideration for factors on programs, leadership and cultural norms. This chapter will provide a
foundation of historical context and what is already known about this subject matter. Chapter
Three provides an overview of the methodology utilized in this study. The chapter outlines
instruments and procedures consistent with qualitative research including the research design,
sample population, description of instruments used, data collection and analysis and concerns
with validity and credibility. Chapter Four describes the data collected and findings of the study
as they relate to the research questions. The fifth and final chapter presents a summary of the
study, conclusions and recommendations based on the findings presented in Chapter
Four. Chapter Five will also explore future implications of this study for practitioners and
researchers.
Definitions
In an effort to assist the reader in understanding and operationalizing the vocabulary
utilized in this dissertation, the definitions as used in this study have been provided below.
Accountability – The idea that an individual, group or organization is held responsible for
meeting goals or standards, for example improving student achievement.
Achievement Gap – The persistent difference between the academic achievement and
performance measures of two or more subgroups, often broken down by socioeconomic status,
ethnicity or race.
A-G Requirements – High school courses which must be completed with a C or better to
be eligibility for admission to California’s public 4-year university systems (UC and CSU).
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 21

Advanced Placement (AP) – Advanced courses offered at a high school through the
College Board in 19 subject areas for which a student may earn college credit by earning a
passing score on the AP exam in May. Successful completion of these courses and passing
scores on the exams may influence college admission. A college determines a passing score,
typically scores of four or five, on a scale of one to five, are considered passing with only some
colleges acknowledging a score of three as passing.
Academic Performance Index (API) – a measure previously used by the State of
California to measure academic performance and progress. This measure was primarily based on
state assessments and ranged from 200 to 1000 with a goal of 800 for all schools. The State of
California stopped calculating API in the 2014-2015 academic year.
California Department of Education (CDE) – State of California department that oversees
school districts in terms of educational policy and standards for assessment in among other
things. The CDE also compiles reported data from various educational agencies across the state
for public access.
California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) – A California state exam, typically given
in the 10
th
grade, which must be passed in order to receive a high school diploma. Students have
the opportunity to retest if they failed either or both the English language arts and math section
of the exam. Once passed, a student does not have to retest.
California State University (CSU) – One of two public 4-year university systems in
California.
Culture – The values, beliefs, norms, traditions and organizational structures held by a
group or organization that influence behavior and perceptions of group members (ASCD, 2007).
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 22

Curriculum – A set of courses available at a school. In 2010, the State of California
adopted the Common Core State Standards to guide curriculum (California Department of
Education, 2016b).
Engagement – An individual’s involvement or relationship with any part of the school
culture or community, i.e. curriculum, extracurricular activities, volunteer, mentor, etc.
English Language Learners (ELL) – Students, often from non-English speaking
backgrounds, that require additional or specialized instruction to support them academically as
they have difficulty understanding, or cannot communicate well, in English.
Four Frames – Four perspectives from which to consider leadership and other attributes
of an organization: human resources, political, structural, and symbolic (Bolman and Deal,
2003).
Free and Reduced Lunch (FRL) – Federal reimbursement program that provides
assistance to schools to provide free or low cost lunch to students who qualify based on family
income eligibility requirements. To qualify for free lunch, a student family income must be at or
below 130 percent of the federally designated poverty level. To qualify for reduced lunch a
student’s family income can be between 130 and 185 percent the federal poverty level (USDA,
2013).
Highly Qualified Teacher – As defined by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), this
individual is fully credentialed or passed required state exams and holds a valid license to teach
in their state.
High-poverty school – a school with a minimum of 40 percent of students that qualify for
free and reduced meal program
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 23

Outperforming School – A school that performs significantly better than other
local/similar schools in terms of student achievement and student outcomes, i.e. low dropout
rate, a significant percentage of students that met/exceeded standards on the smarter balanced
assessment, graduation rate, etc. This can also include schools that outrank similar schools by
two units or more in the Similar School Ranking as determined by data from CDE.
Poverty – A financial status as defined by federal guidelines utilizing family income and
family size, i.e. a family of four with two children under 18 years old with an income equal or
less than $24,339 is considered to be in poverty (United States Census Bureau, 2016).
Professional Learning Community (PLC) – A group of educators that meets regularly and
collaborates with a focus on improving instructional skills and student achievement.
School Accountability Report Card (SARC) – A current requirement of ESEA, this
document produced by the school provides a report for the community to see how the school is
doing in terms of student achievement, campus environment, resources, and progress toward
goals.
Similar School Rankings – Scoring and ranking system compiled through the
accumulation and use of data reported to the California Department of Education including
student demographics, average class size, ELL population, and credentialed teachers among
other information. The ranking system gives schools the opportunity to compare their school
with other schools with similar demographic who are performing at higher levels with the goal of
learning how to better serve their students. This ranking was previously calculated by the
California Department of Education but is now available through the California Charter School
Association, based on CDE information (CCSA, n.d.).
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Socio-Economic Status (SES) – Student classification based on the student’s family
income, education levels, and employment. Qualifying for the Free and Reduced Lunch will
classify a student as socio-economically disadvantaged.
Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) – Computer based tests implemented in 2015 to
measure student comprehension of English language arts and Mathematics standards (California
Department of Education, 2016a).
Triangulation – Research strategy in which multiple data collection methods and sources
are utilized and analyzed to confirm findings of a study across multiple data points.
University of California (UC) – one of two public 4-year university systems in California
Urban School – K-12 school servicing a high-poverty community comprised of a
majority of ethnic or racial minorities. The school demographics should closely mirror those of
the community in which it is situated.
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) – One of six associations in the
United States that provide accreditation services for K-12 schools, colleges and universities.

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CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
Historically, students in high-poverty urban schools have not performed well
academically, in comparison to students in affluent communities. However, there are non-
traditional urban schools with similar low socioeconomic and demographic characteristics that
are outperforming traditional public schools. More needs to be known about how these non-
traditional outperforming schools operate in order to achieve excellence. The purpose of this
study is to identify what factors are present in a non-traditional and outperforming urban K-12
school. This chapter will review the historical foundation that has led to the current situation of
low-student achievement in high-poverty schools, which has inspired some researchers and non-
traditional schools to seek solutions to overcome this issue.
Background
Importance
The issue of low educational achievement for high-poverty urban schools is important
because of the impact on the greater social, political and economic environment of the United
States.
Social and political impact. Education has often been said to be the way to escape
poverty. When parent education level is the best indicator for success in school (Darling-
Hammond, 2015), what does that mean for high-poverty communities? America graduates about
70 percent of high school students; yet, minority student populations such as African American,
Latino and Native American have graduate rates between 50 and 57 percent (Chapman et al.,
2011). The consequences of a high dropout rate include additional difficulty for cities and
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communities to bring in new businesses as the high dropout rate is often accompanied by a
higher crime rate (Amos, 2008). Often these communities have a lower life expectancy, as
dropouts are less likely to have health insurance leading to less medical care or poor health
(Davidoff, 2005). There is an increase in spending on the criminal justice system; the US spent
$49 billion on correctional facilities in 2007 (Pew Charitable Trust, 2008). Harlow (2003) found
that a high percentage of America’s inmates did not complete high school, 60% of federal
inmates, 75% of state inmates, and 70% of jail inmates. Simply put, an education leads to more
opportunities.
Economic Impact. As the economic environment of the world has changed, so too must
the United States adapt to be able to compete in a global and ever-changing economy. Since
1983 over 6 million manufacturing jobs have been lost in the U.S. coinciding with an increase in
income inequality (Ebenstein, Harrison, McMillan, & Phillips, 2014) and an increase in the
demand for skilled labor (National Center on Education and the Economy, 2006). Long gone are
the days when a high school dropout could support a family with a middle-class lifestyle. In
today’s economy 90% of new high-wage jobs will require a college degree (U.S. Department of
Labor, 2007). This presents additional challenges for many reasons; one being that the United
States is no longer the world leader in education (OECD, 2007).
If lower income children are unable to perform at the levels of other children, they will
continue to drop out at higher rates, and go into the workforce less competitive (University of
Colorado Denver, 2006). This results in a portion of the population that is left without the
opportunity to pursue a higher education having significantly less earning potential than someone
who has earned a bachelor’s degree (Baum et al., 2013, p. 14). Without a high school diploma,
these individuals often go into low-wage jobs and perpetuate the cycle of poverty (Amos, 2008).
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Amos (2008) estimated that one “…high school dropout costs the nation approximately
$260,000 in lost earnings, taxes, and productivity” (p.11). This number does not take into
account those individuals who go into the criminal justice system. If this cycle is allowed to
persist, overtime this will produce a drop-in workforce productivity and significantly negatively
impact the U.S. economy on the global market. It is time for the U.S. education system to rise to
the challenge of educating all children for the benefit of the country as a whole.
Implications of a solution. The cost of low-educational achievement in high-poverty
schools is great; however, the benefits of finding solutions and replicating best practices and
programs that work in these schools is greater. Students coming from America’s high-poverty
communities have the potential of being healthier, wealthier and prepared to take part in the
global economic competition (Amos, 2008). A solution to this issue would mean an increase in
high school graduation rates and college attainment rates which would lead to a more skilled and
innovative labor force, which would result in higher incomes for workers from low-income
backgrounds. This cultural shift would break the cycle of poverty and result in more stable
communities and increased civic engagement.
A report from the World Economic Forum (2008) reported the United States as having
the most productive and innovative potential among other global competitors; yet, the report lists
a number of concerns for doing business with the United States, including a workforce that is not
adequately educated to fill high-skilled job market. Clearly there is a great deal of potential that
will continue to be wasted if a large segment of the population that lives in poor urban areas
continues to be underserved. Equity in education has been sought since Brown v. Board of
Education (1954); it is time to take the next steps to making it a reality.

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Nature of the Problem
To understand the true impact of this problem, one must have an understanding of the
nature of the conflict that exists between poverty and education.
Poverty. Although studies show that children of low socioeconomic backgrounds are
healthier and completing high school at higher rates than in previous decades, these rates are not
comparable to their middle- or high-income counterparts (Annie E. Casey Foundation,
2010). Furthermore, the number of children in poor and near poor families has increased
“…from 43 percent in 2007 to 48 percent in 2013” (National Center for Children in Poverty,
2015). These children begin life and continue through it with limited access to social capital to
help them navigate the world they live in successfully (Margolis, 2001). These children are
brought up to exist in a habitus because they do not know any other way (Bourdieu, 1973).
These students traditionally attend their local high-poverty public school where a combination of
low expectations, poor quality education and few resources continue to set them back. A 2007
study found that only about 30% of eighth grade students were able to read at grade level (Lee,
Grigg, & Donahue, 2007). Without the resources, including highly qualified teachers, materials
and time, to support these students to get them closer to grade level, it is nearly impossible for
them to catch up as they continue on their educational career.
More attention has been paid to the issue of poverty and its impact on student
achievement in the last several decades, however, over the past fifty years, the income
achievement gap has grown. Reardon (2013) warned, “If we do not find ways to reduce the
growing inequality in education outcomes-between the rich and the poor- schools will no longer
be the great equalizer we want them to be” (p.10).
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Race and ethnicity. The issue of high-poverty communities disproportionately impacts
students of color, especially the Black and Latino communities. Students of color traditionally
live in communities of color that frequently mirror their socioeconomic level and are often filled
with examples of low educational attainment (Lin, 2000). With a lack of or inconsistent
expectations, these students in high-poverty communities have a higher-than-average dropout
rates (Amos, 2008; Lin, 2000). With few, if any, positive examples of academic success, youth
have nowhere to turn for information and support, but their schools. As a result, school officials
are often gatekeepers to advanced coursework and college opportunities (Farmer-Hinton &
McCullough, 2008; Kimura-Walsh, Yamamura, Griffin, & Allen, 2009). Despite highlighting
the importance and impact of a school, half of all African American students and 40 percent of
Latino students attend schools with very high dropout rates (Balfanz & Legters, 2004). For those
fortunate and persistent enough to get to college, they are more likely to be enrolled in remedial
courses (Complete College America, 2012). Of the 50% of students that begin community
college in remedial courses, four out of ten will not complete the course and will drop out and
only one in ten will transfer in three years (Complete College America, 2012). Needless to say,
students from high-poverty urban schools are less likely to complete high school or college.
History
To understand the current situation, one must understand the complex history that created
it in an effort to correct the situation.
Poverty and Education
Historically, there are two primary conclusions that have been drawn by different
research studies that are simply opposed to one another. The Coleman Report, (1966) concluded
that family background and socioeconomic status (SES) were the most pivotal factors in
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predicting a student’s academic success. The Coleman Report also found that the characteristics
of a student’s classmates are more important than that of the teacher (Coleman, 1966, p.62).
Edmonds (1979) disagreed with Coleman about the importance of the family and rather
focused on the school. Edmonds identified six characteristics of effective schools that serve low-
income students including strong administrative leaders, high expectations for all students, safe
and orderly school environment, priority on learning of basic skills, a clear mission and
objectives and consistent review of student progress (Edmonds, 1979). All of these items placed
the responsibility of student success back on the school rather than the student’s demographics or
peer influence. Kannapel et al. (2005) and McGuigan and Hoy (2006) agreed with Edmonds’
findings that school characteristics and actions play a larger role in student success than their
family background. For many students living in high poverty communities, their school is a
primary, if not the only, source of information and positive influence for academic
success. Unfortunately, this does not always amount to a positive experience or influence.
For better or worse, schools are often the primary, if not only, sources of information and
access to educational advancement opportunities and career development opportunities (Farmer-
Hinton & McCullough, 2008; Kimura-Walsh et al., 2009). Schools function as gatekeepers to
many of life’s advancement opportunities. With overcrowded classrooms in traditional public
schools and teachers often left overwhelmed with the sheer number of students they must deliver
basic instruction to, school counselors and other support staff have a more influential role for
students in high-poverty urban schools (Kimura-Walsh et al., 2009). Regrettably, this situation
most negatively impacts students in high-poverty urban schools. A 2008 study of a public high
school found that the highest performing students received the most attention while students with
lower GPAs received fewer and fewer resources as the GPAs declined (Kimura-Walsh et al.,
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 31

2009). Similarly, counselors in a 2004 study admitted to prioritizing one grade level or GPA
range over others (Corwin, Venegas, Oliverez, & Colyar, 2004). There have been many
instances of low expectations and negative predetermined perceptions of urban minority students
by school officials which have lead minority students to be placed into vocational or less
demanding tracks (Corwin et al., 2004). Sadly, a portion of the population is left without the
opportunity to pursue a higher education, gain higher-wage employment and break the cycle of
poverty (Baum et al., 2013, p. 14). It is clear that there is significant cause for concern in the area
of education as it relates to students in high-poverty communities, yet it is important to note that
several measures put into place have attempted to address this issue.
Initiatives
Throughout the 20
th
century, a number of laws, rulings, and federal and state initiatives
have been put into place in an effort to decrease the disproportionate disparities students in high-
poverty schools face. One of the first programs was the 1947 National School Lunch Act, now
known as the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Enacted to provide low-income students
an opportunity to receive a hot lunch through a school lunch program. This program ultimately
benefited academic achievement in high-poverty schools, as many of these students would
otherwise not have had food available (Hinrichs, 2010). This program now includes breakfast
and an afterschool snack further providing resources for high-poverty public schools.
The United States has a long history of inequity between various ethnic and
socioeconomic groups, especially when it comes to education (Valencia, Menchaca, & Donato,
2002). Although there were a number of cases brought against various educational institutions,
none made the impact of the landmark case, Brown vs. Board of Education (1954), which ruled
separate was not equal. Despite the ruling, it was not until schools were ordered to desegregate
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 32

in 1964 that a systematic and wide-ranging change began to take effect. Only a year later in
1965, President Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) into law.
Although considered a civil rights law, ESEA provided the opportunity for districts serving low-
income students to utilize federal money for resources including books, special education, and
scholarships in addition to improving school quality (U.S. Department of Education, n.d.).
Title I. Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, now Title I —
Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged, provided federal money for states
to distribute to local educational agencies with schools that have a low-income population of
more than 40% in an effort to assist with programs and instructional needs to help the low-
income, at risk students meet standards (US Department of Education, 2004). Unfortunately,
some schools elect not to receive Title I funds despite their eligibility because their leadership
does not want to create a plan or have to demonstrate results which ultimately comes at the
expense of the large population of low-income students at their school which allowed them to
qualify for Title I funds.
Title II Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 made federal
funds available to improve student achievement through the recruitment, training and retention
of high quality educators (Guidance, 2006). These funds can be awarded to the state local,
educational agencies and schools. Those institutions awarded funding are held accountable for
said improvements and as such becomes a deterrent for some schools and districts to take part in
the program. Once again, non-participation in this program comes at the expense of the low-
income student achievement.
Title III. Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 was designed
to supplement programs for English learners and immigrant students. The 2001 reauthorization,
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No Child Left Behind, includes new accountability requirements for districts and states that have
exceeded the capacity of many states’ and district’s ability to comply (Cook, Linquanti, Chinen,
& Jung, 2012), once again at the expense of low-income, immigrant and minority students.
Funding disputes. Not after the federal government’s attempts to provide equity via
additional funding, the Serrano lawsuits (1968) challenged the inequity created by funding of
schools via local property taxes, which automatically put low-income community schools and
residents at a disadvantage. In 1972, a revenue limit was established in California and it
demonstrated a glimmer of hope for the future of equitable school funding by limiting the
amount of funding a district could receive via local property taxes. The 1976 ruling on Serrano
vs. Priest found the funding system in place to be a violation of the constitution’s “Equal
Protection” clause because students in high-poverty school districts were not given an equal
opportunity to receive a quality education due to underfunding. School funding was turned inside
out with the passing of Prop 13 in California. This proposition limited property taxes and
funneled all property tax dollars to Sacramento making districts reliant on the state for funding
(Jamison, and Security Pacific National Bank, 1982). Schools and districts also lost 60% of
property tax revenue and the ability to make major decisions to Sacramento. Although it may
have seemed to be an attempt to make funding more equitable, the high-poverty school districts
were also hit with the significant loss of funding and left even more under resourced and less
able to service their students adequately. While the 1970’s were riddled with battles over
funding, the 1980’s brought about an awakening of the state of education and the future impact
on the nation as a whole.
A Nation at Risk. In the early 1980s, the National Commission on Excellence in
Education was created to evaluate the current status of education with a particular focus on high
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school. In the era of the cold war, this report stated that the once unchallenged superiority of
American innovation, education, commerce, etc. was at an end and the rise of mediocrity in
education posed a threat to the future of the United States (Amos, 2008; Gardner, 1983). The
report triggered a conversation regarding the quality of education calling for more
accountability. Although speculation, it may be possible that the underlying idea behind this
report was to focus on schools as the unit of change for society rather than address the greater
social issues of poverty and inequality. In the eyes of some, this report became the basis for
privatization of education and school choice (Lips, 2008).
The 1990 Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce brought national focus
once again to education with a warning and encouragement to focus on preparing students for
high-skilled jobs because they foresaw an exodus of low-skilled labor jobs to other countries
(National Center on Education and the Economy, 1990). To compete in the global economy, the
Commission believed that the United States would need to provide a highly skilled workforce.
In order for high-poverty schools to meet this standard, they would need additional funding and
perhaps a completely new outlook, but not before they were handed an additional obstacle. In
1996 classroom sizes were required to be reduced in an effort to increase student
achievement. Unfortunately, there were not enough credentialed teachers, which lead to a great
number of emergency credentials being granted to people who had not completed teacher-
training programs. As with all mandates, class size reduction disproportionately impacted high-
poverty schools and districts more than others; they were likely to get more unqualified
instructors, which negatively impacted student achievement (Desimone & Long, 2010). In 1998
Prop 89 was a sigh of relief to school districts struggling financially. The amendment guaranteed
a minimum funding level every year that was aligned with the expected growth of the economy.
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With this new proposition, elementary and secondary school funding increased by up to 89%
helping to alleviate the dire financial situation many high-poverty schools were facing.
No Child Left Behind (NCLB). NCLB of 2001 was a reauthorization of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). It assumed that all schools could teach all students and
set in place a new set of expectations were set on schools and districts (Williams, Kirst, &
Haertel, 2005). All schools were expected to bring up student achievement despite demographic
differences while being monitored by federal and state accountability programs (Daly,
2009). Although NCLB lead to some gains, these gains did not lead to substantial growth in
learning or the achievement gap. If nothing, NCLB “…exposed achievement gaps for
traditionally underserved students…” (U.S. Department of Education, n.d.). Every Student
Succeeds Act (ESSA) is the most recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act. ESSA grants more power and responsibility to states to ensure equal access to
quality teachers, curriculum, and resources (Mathis & Trujillo, 2016; U.S. Department of
Education, 2010).
The 2004 Williams lawsuit resulted in the expanded state and county oversight for
facilities, textbooks and teacher credentials in low-performing schools. Unfortunately, this does
not mean that every school has all materials for all students; rather, they do what they need to do
in order to appear as if everything is in order for the individual who comes to visit and review the
school (A. Pettaway, personal communication, February 11, 2017).
The recession of 2008 and 2009 caused a significant loss of funding across education,
which was followed by the creation and implementation of the Local Control Funding Formula
(LCFF). The LCFF provides a more equitable redistribution of funds to those districts who serve
the neediest students, including foster, low income, and English language learners (Koppich,
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 36

Humphrey, & Marsh, 2015). The LCFF does not completely solve the problem of inequity in
school finance, but, for the first time, it creates a much more level playing field.
What’s Working?
There are some researchers who have been working to discover how to effectively
educate students from high-poverty urban communities. There is no single program or practice
that a school can implement which would resolve all site issues. A review of the literature has
provided an outline of characteristics and promising practices have been identified as present in
high achieving schools. Some high performing school characteristics include a clear and shared
vision, high standards for all students, effective leadership, strong collaboration and
communication, relevant and authentic curriculum, instruction and assessments aligned to
standards, focused professional development, positive learning environment and high community
and family involvement (Haycock, Barth, Jackson, Mora, Ruiz, Robinson, & Wilkins, 1999;
Kannapel, Clements, Taylor, & Hibpshman, 2005; Lezotte, 2001; Shannon & Bylsma,
2007). Keeping these items in mind, this study will focus on the areas of instructional and
campus-wide programs, leadership practices and cultural norms.
Programs and Practices
A number of campus-wide initiatives have been identified to be present in highly
effective schools as they pertain to instruction and campus wide practices.
Clear and shared vision. Through identifying a core purpose and aligning all programs
and services to that purpose, a school is more likely to create positive purposeful change
(Allensworth, Bryk, Newmann, & Smith, 2001). The shared purpose provides direction and
informs specific campus wide goals for curriculum, teacher collaboration, and programs and
services (Haycock et al., 1999; Kannapel et al., 2005; Lezotte, 2001; Rosenholtz, 1989; Shannon
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 37

& Bylsma, 2007). This element was present in nearly every study of high performing and highly
effective schools reviewed.
Curriculum and instruction. The greatest impact on student achievement is effective
instruction (Cohen, 1987; English & Steffy, 2001; Shannon & Bylsma, 2007). The first, and
arguably most vital, component of effective instruction is the alignment of curriculum,
instruction and assessment, simply stated: the goal for learning is what is taught and what is
tested or assessed. While this may seem like common sense, the adoption of the Common Core
State Standards in 2010 forced educators to rethink their curriculum, delivery and assessment
(California Department of Education, 2016b). In 2015 this required educators to revisit the core
of their instruction to make sure they were aligned with the Smarter Balanced Assessment, which
the state transitioned to, to measure student achievement (California Department of Education,
2016a). This feature of highly effective schools with a strong academic program based in
relevant, authentic and engaging curriculum, instruction and assessments aligned to state
standards presumes that a school has effective and highly qualified teachers in place to deliver
such instruction. Teacher quality can greatly impact student learning as effective instruction can
occur when a teacher can focus on what each student needs to learn (Darling-Hammond, 2002).
Research has shown that schools with a constrained curriculum, composed of a base of
rigorous academic classes and only a few less rigorous classes required to progress to the next
level of education, increases student learning in an equitable way (Lee & Burkam, 2003). It has
been found that students learn best when they are faced with “…genuine challenges, choices, and
responsibility in their own learning” (Zemelman et al., 2005, p. 10). Newman and Wehlage
(1995) found that effective instruction with a focus on intellectual quality must incorporate
knowledge construction, inquiry and have value beyond the classroom. In order to provide
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strong instruction across a school, there must be a considerable amount of communication and
collaboration to coordinate.
A number of effective instructional structures have been identified, including, but not
limited to, small group activities, classroom workshops, authentic experiences, assessments with
reflective components, reading as thinking, representing to learn and integrative units
(Zemelman et al., 2005). Culturally responsive and authentic curriculum also provides
historically disadvantaged students an equal opportunity for achievement by making academic
success a firm directive for all students (Daniels, Bizar, & Zemelman, 2001; McTighe, Seif, &
Wiggins, 2004). By recognizing the cultural heritages and different ethnic groups in an
educational setting, an instructor acknowledges the legacies that impact a student’s dispositions,
ideas and approach to learning. In a similar way, the use of adaptive pedagogy, in which an
instructor considers the individual student’s background, interests, talents, etc. to inform
instruction, has also been found to be present in highly effective schools (Darling-Hammond,
2002).
Collaboration. Collaboration is the process in which educators engage in discussion,
conversation, observation, evaluation, planning or research about teaching and learning with the
purpose of improving practice and student outcomes (Barth, 1990). Evidence also shows that
when educators collaborate, there is a positive influence in several areas including decision-
making, implementation, teacher sharing, morale and trust of the team, sustained team learning,
and students often replicate the behavior (Barth, 1990; Rosenholtz, 1989). Although working in
such close proximity with others may cause conflict, the benefits clearly outweigh the costs
(Barott & Raybould, 1998).
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Educators in highly effective schools consistently practice strong collaboration and
communication resulting in the formation of Professional Learning Communities
(PLC). Effective PLCs: develop curriculum, agree and commit to common learning and
performance standards, collaborate on assessment, analyze student work to improve instruction,
norm grading of student work, evaluate teaching and student learning for strengths and
weaknesses to improve classroom practices and build the next steps together (DuFour, Eaker, &
DuFour, 2005; McLaughlin & Talbert, 2006; Newman & Wehlage, 1995; Schmoker, 2006;
Shannon & Bylsma, 2007). In addition to improving student learning this level of collaboration
reduces teacher isolation, increases staff capacity, encourages positive and productive
relationships among staff and focuses educators on the shared vision (Hall & Hord, 2006;
Shannon & Bylsma, 2007).
To support and maintain the collaboration of professional learning communities at highly
effective schools, school sites provide meaningful and targeted professional development that
exists “…on-site, [is] job-embedded, and continuous professional development” (Shannon &
Bylsma, 2007, p 55) for all educators. Professional development in highly effective schools is
not a spectator sport as educators are expected to be active participants that share their own
expertise, address school-related concerns and support professional community interaction
(Hawley & Valli, 1999). In truth, none of the above-mentioned campus wide practices are likely
to exist without strong positive leadership.
Leadership
Easily one of the most obvious characteristics of a high or low performing institution is
leadership. There are many forms of leadership and there is no “one size fits all” characteristic
set of a good leader or leadership style. In many ways, leadership can be situational, as you need
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 40

a different type of leader to be most successful in various scenarios and staff. Leaders may
practice different styles such as distributive leadership, where they empower those around them
to take on leadership functions and roles beyond their designated job titles (Elmore, 2000), or
plan for the future of sustained school leadership with the understanding that turnover is
inevitable, in an instance, successions plans must be in place to maintain learning as a central
focus of leadership (Hargreaves & Fink, 2006). Regardless of the situation, leadership is based
on relationship and shared values (Burns, 1978). Strong school leadership can build capacity and
increase a school’s ability to improve student outcomes and empowers its people. Often this is
referred to as distributive leadership. In this form of leadership, a principal or administrator
recognizes and accepts the leadership that exists through the school. This type of leadership
allows for guidance, recommendations and change to come from multiple sources and directions.
Two leadership styles that are often emphasized in education are transformational and
transactional leadership. A transactional leader trades one thing for another while a
transformational leader “…forms a relationship of mutual stimulation and elevation that converts
followers into leaders and may convert leaders into moral agents” (Burns, 1978, p.4). This
individual can be characterized by four behavioral characteristics, individual consideration,
intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation, and idealized influence (Marks & Printy, 2003;
Marzano, Waters, & McNulty, 2005).
Marzano, Waters, and McNulty (2005) found twenty-one leadership responsibilities that
were correlated with student academic achievement. These responsibilities included affirmation,
change agent, contingent rewards, communication, culture, discipline, flexibility, focus,
ideals/beliefs, input, intellectual stimulation, involvement in curriculum, instruction and
assessment, knowledge of curriculum, instruction and assessment, monitoring/evaluating,
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 41

optimizer, establish order, outreach, relationships, resources, situational awareness and
visibility. In a similar way Cotton (2003) identified categories of leadership behavior that
positively influence student achievement. These items included, but were not limited to, vision
and goals focused on high levels of student learning, high expectations for all students, visibility
and accessibility, communication, shared leadership, collaboration, instructional leadership,
norm of continuous improvement, protecting instructional time, recognizing the achievement of
others and being a role model. Blankstein (2004) provides a similar list of six principals while
Wagner et al (2006) provide similar disciplines for leadership. There are a considerable number
of studies, but many of which have overlapping data that confirms the importance of a clear and
shared vision across a school campus, focused professional development and instructional
leadership. Reeves (2006) offers a slightly different approach, utilizing maps to make leadership
a more structured process. Effective leadership is listed on nearly every list of practices,
disciplines and characteristics of effective and high performing schools, clearly there is a
correlation and focus that should be given to the type of leadership present in a school and
district.
School Culture
Just as valuable as leadership and practices are to highly effective schools, culture in and
outside of the classroom is crucial to providing an effective environment for students to flourish.
High standards for all. This characteristic, which appeared in nearly all studies
reviewed, requires all educators within a school to operate with the assumption that all students
can learn and achieve. This also requires educators to set a standard of achievement, behavior or
level of performance for all students beyond basic in a more rigorous and challenging
environment for all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, or other demographic differences, that
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is clearly communicated and supported (Newmann & Wehlage, 1995; Shannon & Bylsma,
2007).
Learning environment. Effective schools have safe and orderly environments where
rules are fair and consistent and behavioral expectations are reasonable, developmentally
appropriate, and clearly communicated to students (Edmonds, 1979; LePage, Darling-Hammond,
Akar, Gutierrez, Jenkins-Gunn, & Rosebrock, 2005; Shannon & Bylsma, 2007). Educators
foster resilience through positive, caring and responsive relationships with students (Waxman,
Gray, & Padron, 2002). Schools are student-centered, warm and welcoming, creating supportive
learning environments that promote self-efficacy and connect with students emotionally,
intellectually and socially, thus further promote lifelong learning (Cotton, 2000; Gay,
2000). Educational activities are purposeful, engaging students and encouraging them to take
risks to further their knowledge and understanding. Educators personalize learning, often through
smaller communities, which fosters a sense of belonging (Cotton, 2000). Students are valued,
respected and honored for their achievements and the diverse backgrounds and experiences they
bring to the learning environment. It is important to remember, learning is not limited to the
classroom; on the contrary, students learn from all interactions and experience, thus providing a
robust student-driven co-curricular and extracurricular program are yet additional components of
highly effective school culture and environment.
Community engagement. Research demonstrates that family involvement is a key
component to improvement in student achievement and performance regardless of family
background (Henderson & Mapp, 2002; Langer, 2004; Marzano, 2003). Family involvement
requires a frame of mind in which one recognizes the central role of a family in a student’s
education (Constantino, 2003). Studies show that family involvement is linked to student
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academic goals in high-performing schools (Henderson & Mapp, 2002). This is not something
that happens instantaneously, or naturally, it must be intentional. There are six types of
involvement identified by Epstein (2001) that can be found in effective family engagement
programs: “…parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and
collaborating with the community” (Shannon & Bylsma, 2007, p 120). Best practices would be
to involve the families at the school when defining what these elements would look like at a
particular school. Oftentimes there are special efforts made to find common ground with
families and involve diverse groups of parents who may be underrepresented in parent
involvement programs. High performing schools also reach out to the community at large and
may partner with different organizations to provide a service addressing a need in the community
(Darling-Hammond, 1997; Langer, 2004). Having a comprehensive community engagement
program alone does not mean that it is an effective program; consistent monitoring, evaluation
and modification are necessary to create and maintain a successful community engagement
program.
This section provided an overview of some components of highly effective schools that
have been found in the literature, but it is important to consider that some of these elements can
be difficult to accomplish within the strict confines of traditional public schools and as a result,
this study will focus on a non-traditional school.
Non-traditional Schools
Non-traditional schools such as independent private or parochial schools have existed in
America since the inception of formal education, however, with the rise of school choice came
an alternative public school to provide an option for those who were seeking something other
than a traditional public education: the charter school.
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Charter Schools
Minnesota was the home of the first charter school, established in 1992. The number of
states passing legislation to authorize charter schools grew slowly with an abrupt halt in 2004. In
2009, hand in hand with “…the Race to the Top Fund established under the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act of 2009” (Clark, Gleason, Tuttle, & Silverberg, 2015, p. 421), the charter
school movement was reinvigorated.
Charter schools are free public schools that are not bound to some regulations traditional
public schools must abide by including staffing, curriculum, budget, etc., however, they are
bound by the same legal obligations to serve all students (Clark et al., 2015). Charter schools
have more autonomy, but this flexibility comes at the price of being held accountable to the
charter authorizer for student outcomes. When traditional public schools lose a student to a
charter school, the funding allocated for the student follows them to the charter school creating
pressure on the traditional public school to compete to keep their students and, by default,
funding (Aarsen & Ni, 2012).
Advocates of charter schools strongly support innovative teaching strategies and
practices, which they believe create competitive pressure for traditional public schools to
improve (Clark et al., 2015). Opponents of charter schools believe students and resources are
funneled away from the traditional public schools making it more challenging to maintain
programs and grow traditional public schools. Additionally, opponents believe insufficient
monitoring and accountability allows for low-quality charter schools to exist instead of
reinvesting the resources into traditional public education.
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (n.d.) reports, as of the 2016-2017
school year, there are 6,900 public charter schools nationwide serving approximately 3.1 million
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students. There has been a significant growth in charter schools as these numbers have increased
from 1.2 million students in the 2006-2007 school year. This level of growth has made charter
schools the fasting growing educational option at this time. Focusing in on California, there are
approximately 1,253 charter schools that enroll just over 604,000 students.
Charter Schools in Los Angeles. In 2013, 52 percent of Los Angeles Charters as
opposed to the 29 percent of LAUSD schools had an API over 800 (Great Public Schools Now,
2015). Since charter schools are accountable to their authorizer for student outcomes, low
performing charter schools are often targets for closure by their authorizer. In the 2014-2015
school year, Los Angeles had the largest population of students enrolled in a charter school of
any city (Great Public Schools Now, 2015). With an average of 11 percent growth per year,
charter schools account for 44 percent of LAUSD attrition (Romo, 2014). Despite the steady
growth, the supply has not yet met demand with thousands of students remaining on waitlists for
charter schools (Great Public Schools Now, 2015). Los Angeles continues to be a focal point for
new charter school operators and talented individuals who seek to maintain and support the long-
term success of charter schools.
There are a variety of studies that demonstrate charter schools achieve higher student
outcomes with certain populations as compared to traditional public schools. The Center for
Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University found that charter schools in
Los Angeles are particularly strong with significantly better outcomes in both reading and math
as compared to traditional public schools (CREDO, 2014). One study found that urban charter
schools and those serving high percentages of disadvantaged student populations were found to
have a more positive impact than those serving non-urban or more advantaged student
populations (Clark et al., 2015). A 2014 California Charter Schools Association (CCSA)
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document revealed the increased college readiness outcomes for historically disadvantaged
students in charter schools. The document highlighted a 76 percent A-G requirement completion
rate of charter school students and an 18 percent completion rate of traditional public-school
students. Clearly there is a need to evaluate what is working and what needs to be reimagined, as
this is a significant disservice to a generation of youth. A separate study found that students in
poverty, especially Hispanic students, performed better academically in Los Angeles charter
schools, then did students in traditional Los Angeles public schools (CREDO, 2014). Although
this may sound overwhelmingly positive, not all charter schools achieve desired student
outcomes and there a fair number of charter schools in California and across the nation that did
not meet the standards of accountability in terms of student achievement and were subsequently
closed by their authorizer.
Critique of the Literature
The literature has shown a series of inconsistent attempts to provide educational equity
throughout different periods in American history. The current climate is one in which the federal
government believes and expects all schools to fully serve all students in order to reach a
proficient level of academic achievement. Unfortunately, this is not a realistic goal for most
schools, as they are not equipped with the resources to be able to achieve this goal. Although the
financial playing field is more leveled than ever before, schools are not equitably or adequately
funded to be able to provide all students the quality resources an urban student needs to reach the
level of their more affluent or suburban peers. Furthermore, the additional support needed by
teachers, especially in urban areas, to help better serve their students is often lacking due to
inconsistent or ineffective leadership and/or funding.
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The literature identified some characteristics of high performing schools, including
school-wide programs and practices with a focus on a shared vision, effective instruction and
collaboration. These are all basic components of any educational system, yet, not elements that
exist across all schools, quite possibly due to the lack of effective leadership. The third
characteristic is a safe and positive learning environment with a focus on school culture as it
relates to expectations for students, the construction of a positive learning environment and
community engagement. Once again, these are basic components of high performing schools
that should exist in all schools, yet this is not the case. Unfortunately, this research did not
distinguish between urban and non-urban schools, high or low socioeconomic levels, or
traditional versus non-traditional schools. It is possible that these elements may exist in urban
schools where school leaders have thoughtfully worked to create the conditions that may sustain
these elements. The literature further reveals that of the schools in Los Angeles, charter schools
seem to be significantly outperforming traditional public schools. Consequently, this study seeks
to add to the current limited existing knowledge of factors present in an outperforming school
with a focus on an urban non-traditional school, a charter school. Moving forward, the study will
be guided by the following questions:
1. What programs and practices are implemented in an urban outperforming non-
traditional school?
2. What are the leadership practices in an urban outperforming non-traditional school?
3. What are the cultural norms in an urban outperforming non-traditional school?

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CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter explains the multi-method approach, sample, and data collection
instruments, collection processes and analysis process utilized in this study. The purpose of the
study was to identify what factors were present in a non-traditional outperforming urban K-12
school. The focus of the study was on programs, leadership practices and school culture. One
outperforming charter school in Los Angeles was selected to answer the three research questions
for this study:
1. What programs and practices are implemented in an urban outperforming non-traditional
school?
2. What are the leadership practices in an urban outperforming non-traditional school?
3. What are the cultural norms in an urban outperforming non-traditional school?
A qualitative case study approach was employed to allow the researcher to investigate the
selected institution through a multiple data collection method (Creswell, 2014). Despite the lack
of focus on hard quantitative numbers, the process-oriented nature of a qualitative study gave
way for the researcher to explore the meaning making of participants within their particular
contexts, gain a deeper awareness of the process through which events and actions occur and
identify items that were not present in prior literature reviewed (Maxwell, 2013). Although a
qualitative case study cannot be generalized, this study is only one of twelve in a thematic
dissertation group. Through utilizing a similar research design to study a number of
outperforming non-traditional urban schools, additional findings may be drawn, and greater
credibility may be given to results. Although it is impossible to generalize information from one
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case study, commonalities drawn from a number of case studies produced through this thematic
dissertation cohort may provide an opportunity to find commonalities in the findings. The results
of this study will add to previous knowledge in the area and will be relevant to both traditional
and non-traditional schools looking to become outperforming schools.
Methodology
The multi-method approach utilized by the researcher in this study allowed the researcher
to minimize biases that may emerge from a single data collection method. The data collection in
this study included document review, surveys, observations and interviews. A cohort of twelve
thematic dissertation students worked in sub groups of three to five with the assistance of two
professors to create and modify the data collection instruments over the course of three
months. The sub groups met independently of class meetings to develop instruments based on
prior information gathered in courses and research of similar tools in use by districts and schools.
The researcher for this study worked closely with a group of five individuals to create
observation data collection tools that focused on the research questions. The group met via
online video chat to discuss and review progress on the observation tools bi-weekly. Once a
month these tools were shared with the entire cohort for review, feedback and revision. The data
collection tools were finalized in mid-March and uploaded to the IRB application. All data
collection instruments are included in the appendices.
The document reviewed for this study included the charter petition, Local Control
Accountability Plan (LCAP), professional development calendar, staff meeting/training agendas,
master schedule, School Accountability Report Card (SARC), Student Attendance Review Board
(SARB), recruitment and marketing information, the student-parent handbook, mission
statement, school and Charter Management Organization (CMO) publications, documents
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 50

prepared for the school’s WASC accreditation self-study, and board and site council meeting
agendas and minutes. Other documents reviewed for this study included information available
on the California Department of Education (CDE) regarding demographics, graduation rates,
University of California A-G completion rates, etc. college acceptance and attendance rates, and
standardized test scores, including the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE),
preliminary SAT (PSAT), SAT, the American College Test (ACT) and Advanced Placement
(AP) scores. These documents provided the researcher with background knowledge prior to
entering the school site. When specific documents were not available online, assistance from the
school site personnel was utilized to obtain the documents requested. A complete list of these
documents can be found in Appendix A.
The survey instrument for this case study was adapted from Shannon and Bylsma’s
(2007) School Improvement Perception Surveys. The Survey’s purpose was to capture
perceptions at a moment in time to be used as one data point for school improvement effort
consideration. Created by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, the
survey was to be administered to students, with an adjusted survey to be administered to faculty
and other stakeholders. This thematic dissertation cohort focused on the faculty and staff
perspective. As such no student survey is part of this study. The survey instrument can be found
in Appendix B.
The observation tools utilized in this study were developed through consult of various
resources from prior courses in this program with the focus on how to best gather the data that
would answer the research questions. Three separate observation tools were developed in
addition to a list of items the researcher should keep in mind while conducting observations. The
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questions and lists were developed with Bolman and Deal’s (2003) four frames model in
mind. The observation protocol tools can be found in Appendix C.
The purpose of interviewing specifically identified individuals at the school site was to
further explain their perspective and interpretation of key individuals as to what elements were
present at the school site (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The interviews are the last element of data
collection in this study, as they will also serve to address any areas that may have been
overlooked through other data collection methods. The interview protocol may be found in
Appendix D.
Sample Population
The focus of this case study was to assess the elements present in a single outperforming
non-traditional urban high school in Southern California. Purposeful sampling was utilized to
select this school from a number of possible institutions. The first criteria outlined by the
thematic dissertation cohort was non-traditional urban school which excluded traditional public
schools, but included K-12 Charter schools, magnet programs, alternative schools, specialized
schools, dual immersion programs, online education and independent schools. Urban institutions
were characterized as more often than not, including significant populations of students who
come from ethnically diverse and low socioeconomic backgrounds. The second measure to be
included in the study was the outperforming status of the school. As described in Chapter One,
an outperforming school performs significantly better than other local/similar schools in terms of
student achievement and student outcomes, i.e. low dropout rate, a significant percentage of
students that met/exceeded standards on the smarter balanced assessment, graduation rate,
etc. This measure also includes a school that outranks similar schools by two units or more in
the Similar School Ranking as determined by data from CDE.
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The institution selected in this study meets these two criteria as it is a public charter
school that exceeds the student achievement and student outcome measures as compared with the
state and traditional public schools in the area that serve a similar population. It also outranks
similar schools on the Similar Schools Ranking by a measure of two units.
The District
Located in a working-class neighborhood of the South Bay adjacent to South Los
Angeles, the institution selected for this study will, for the purpose of this study, be referred to as
Bee Hive Charter High School (BHCHS). This charter was authorized in the early 2000’s within
a TK-8th grade school district. The district resides in high-poverty community and, as such, all
schools within the district are high-poverty schools. BHCHS is part of the Bee Hive Charter
Schools Organization (BHCSO) that also oversees two middle schools.
The mission of BHCSO is “to create and deliver vibrant, innovative, interdisciplinary
learning opportunities using the environment to engage students and connect them to the wider
world” (Board of Directors, 2017). The BHCSO vision states that students will have “the
knowledge and skills to graduate from college inspired to discover their own sense of purpose
and empowered to become quality stewards of their own communities.” These goals will be
accomplished through BHCSO practices including interdisciplinary curriculum and authentic
assessment, environmental and experiential learning, collaboration with partners, relevant and
engaging instruction and small learning communities. The BHCSO office includes the executive
director and founder of all three schools, and a number of individuals in place to support
members of all three schools. These areas include strategic initiatives, curriculum and
instruction, facilities sustainability, development, human resources, data management, finance
and operations, and accounting and payroll.
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 53

School Overview
Servicing the working-class communities of southwest Los Angeles and the South Bay,
Bee Hive Charter High School (BHCHS) is a small urban school, home to 512
students. BHCHS is on a traditional academicals calendar with a break between fall and spring
semester to incorporate a four-week grade specific interdisciplinary project during the
intersession period. With a focus on the natural world around them, BHCHS seeks for its
students to be stewards of the world with a, courses designed to spark student interest followed
by co-curricular and extracurricular programs to continue such participation in a variety of
ways. BHCHS provides the opportunity for up to twenty-two students to participate in a paid
summer internship with a large worldwide nonprofit with a similar focus. The School
Accountability Report Card (SARC) identifies BHCHS as having 90% of core academic subjects
taught by highly qualified teachers, all of which participate in over 230 hours of focused
professional development every year (Bee Hive Charter High School, 2016b).
The SARC identified the following racial/ethnic population percentages in the 2015-2016
school year: 10.8% Black or African American, 4.6% Asian, 75.5% Hispanic or Latino, 4.3%
White and 4.8% other. The CDE (n.d.) school profile for BHCHS identified 81.9 percent of
students who qualify for free or reduced lunch and 9.6 percent as English language learners.
The SARC reports 70 percent of 11
th
grade students met or exceeded the standard in
English Language Arts/Literacy on the Smarter Balanced Assessment as compared to the 49
percent statewide. BHCHS has lost some ground on the mathematics section, going from 36
percent in 2014-2015 to 33 percent in 2015-2016 whereas the statewide percent grew from 33 to
37 in the same time.
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The CDE Equity Report awarded BHCHS a 4/5 on suspension rate and graduation rate.
The CDE cohort data outcomes report indicated BHCHS graduated 96.6 percent of the cohort in
2015-2016, above the state average just over 80 percent. The SARC indicated 93 percent of the
class of 2015 completed all A-G course requirements and all students were enrolled in the
courses required for UC/CSU admission. According to the BHCHS website, 98 percent of
BHCHS graduates complete requirements for college admission, the A-G requirements, as
compared to the 35 percent statewide completion rate (Bee Hive Charter Schools Organization,
2012a). The site also states that 95 percent of students pass the CAHSEE in both math and
English on the first attempt. The WASC self-study reported 80% of the graduating class of 2017
were first generation college students (Bee Hive Charter High School, 2017o).
Bee Hive Charter High School has received a number of awards for the work it does in
and outside of the classroom. BHCHS has received one or more awards from each of the
following awarding agencies: US Department of Education, California Department of Education,
the Environmental Protection Agency. According to the 2016-2017 state ranks and similar
school ranks document compiled through the use of CDE data, BHCHS ranks two units above
schools serving similar demographic populations over the last two years (CCSA,
n.d.) Considering all measurable factors available at this time, BHCHS is outperforming similar
local schools.
Data Collection Process
The data collected in this study was collected via four primary sources. These sources
were faculty and staff surveys, observation of school activities, interview of select faculty and
staff and review of documents available through the school, district, CMO, California
Department of Education or other sources. Document review was the initial data collection and
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occurred throughout the study as new information became available. Observations, surveys and
interviews were conducted over six months, from May 2017 – January 2018. Instruments
utilized in this study may be found in the appendixes. The research questions in this study
informed all data collection instruments. Creswell (2014) explains that a qualitative researcher
must consider the who, what, where and how type questions as it relates to data collection.
These translate to determining the individuals to take part in the various forms of data collection,
the events to be observed, the setting in which data is collected and the process in which it is
collected.
During the spring of 2017, the author of this study contacted the principal of Bee Hive
Charter High School to determine her interest in having her high school be the focus of her
study. In January the researcher, in collaboration with the thematic dissertation cohort, began
working on the instruments to be utilized in the study. In March, the instruments were finalized,
and the thematic dissertation cohort met with an IRB official to be trained on the IRB
application. The IRB application was completed and submitted in late March.
The researcher communicated with the school principal via phone and email beginning
mid-April with a face to face meeting in mid-July with the principal to review relevant
information and approximate timelines for the study. The leadership team presented the case
study information at a regularly scheduled staff meeting. Data collection began at the end of the
2016-2017 academic year, continued through the summer and concluded with intersession in
January 2018.
Surveys for faculty and staff were distributed electronically via email to be completed on
Qualtrics, an online survey platform, during and after a staff meeting in October. Observations
were conducted through a series of visits from May 2017 to January 2018 to best capture the
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 56

variety of school related activities. Interviews of the leadership team and additional staff were
conducted and electronically recorded throughout the six months to accommodate for the rigidity
of some individual schedules. As it became evident that interviews were saturated, no further
interview data was collected in late November. As data was collected, it was analyzed to allow
the researcher to consider new information that sparked unanswered questions. All data was
password protected and stored electronically on a single computer hard drive with no identifying
information.
Data Collection Instruments
Qualitative data is data that is conveyed through words rather than numbers (Merriam, &
Tisdell, 2016). There were four methods employed to capture the words in this study: document
review, survey, observation and interview.
Documents and Artifacts
Documents in this study were reviewed to provide fundamental information regarding the
school, student population and demographics in addition to informing the researcher about
programs, practices and overall institutional goals and performance. As previously mentioned in
this chapter, the documents reviewed included the mission/vision statement, school and Charter
Management Organization (CMO) publications, documents prepared for the school’s WASC
accreditation self-study, Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), professional development
documents, School Accountability Report Card (SARC), and standardized test scores. The
above-mentioned list is not a comprehensive list of documents reviewed. A comprehensive list
of the documents and artifacts utilized to gather data in this study can be found in Appendix A.

CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 57

Survey
Surveys were administered to all faculty and staff in an all-staff meeting in October
where they were asked to complete the survey during or after the meeting. As previously
mentioned in this chapter, this instrument was an adaptation of a previously formulated and
tested instrument in another study. The survey asked 57 close-ended questions, each question
directly connected with one or more of the research questions. The survey tool utilized in this
study can be found in Appendix B.
Observation
Formal and informal observations of several school activities took place throughout the
nine-month study. Each observation was carefully documented electronically, and an observation
reflection created to pair with each observation done. Classroom observations were among the
many daytime observations completed in addition to the evening meetings and community
events at the school site. The observation tools and focus points came directly from the research
questions and asked questions that require the researcher to consider the four frames. The survey
tool utilized in this study can be found in Appendix C.
Interviews
Interviews were electronically recorded, transcribed and analyzed by the researcher to
consider any emerging patterns, differences or areas that need to be more heavily explored. The
highly structured interview protocol was created for formal interviews and analyzed in a largely
inductive manner (Maxwell, 2013). All interview questions were open-ended to allow the
interview to flow and obtain as much rich information as the respondent would allow. A number
of informal interviews also took place during the course of this study. Interviews allowed the
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researcher to gain information regarding participant perceptions of things the researcher could
not or did not observe. The survey tool utilized in this study can be found in Appendix D.
Validity and Reliability
The thematic dissertation group and professors that worked on the instruments utilized in
this study did so to warrant validity and reliability in the study. The multiple methods of data
collection allowed the researcher to triangulate multiple data points, ensuring validity and
reliability. To avoid selection bias, school administrators were asked for recommendations on
whom to interview and what classrooms to observe in addition to a few that were randomly
selected. If outlier data was found, further research would be done to verify the information
against other data points.
Being a former employee of Bee Hive Charter High School, the researcher in this study
had some familiarity with certain areas of the school and some staff of the institution. It is
important to note that the researcher worked at Bee Hive Charter High School over three years
prior to the study under a different administration and few of the individuals whom the
researcher worked with remained at the school at the time the study began. Since the time the
researcher worked at BHCHS to the time the study began, many things changed, including going
from a school in program improvement to no longer having that status.
The researcher began the study looking forward to understanding the elements that were
present at BHCHS at the present time as an outperforming charter school. Understanding that
researcher bias was a concern, the researcher in this study arranged for two other individuals to
review all data and analysis with the researcher. In addition to having a second person review
and analyze the data with the researcher, the researcher made a conscious effort to be strictly an
observer and blend into the background rather than a participant observer in all observations to
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 59

remove any undue influence, further preventing reactivity in those being observed. Finally, due
to the established questions in the highly structured interview protocol and survey in this study,
researcher bias was further prevented.
Data Analysis and Interpretation
There are a great many ways words, in this case, may be interpreted resulting in the
reality that there is no one correct way to interpret data (Creswell, 2014; Maxwell, 2013;
Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The researcher in this study utilized Creswell’s (2014) six-step
method of data analysis and interpretation. The process of organizing the data and preparing it
for analysis included transcribing all interviews, typing observation notes and scanning any
necessary material. Reading through the material allowed the researcher to generate a general
impression of what was being said, and the depth of the information collected. Once the
information was coded, descriptions and themes emerged. These descriptions and themes
created a narrative that resulted in the findings and lessons learned in the study.
Summary
In this chapter, the researcher presented the multi-method design utilized in this
qualitative study. The researcher identified the school selected for the case study and provided a
description of academic and demographic data relevant to the study. The instruments and data
collection methods used in the study were reviewed in addition to the data analysis. The
following chapter will describe the data collected and themes that emerged from the data.

CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 60

CHAPTER FOUR
THE FINDINGS
“Driving up you would not expect this to be here. From the outside, I don't think visitors quite
know what they're walking into, until they see the interior of the campus…” (Teacher I, personal
communication, October 27, 2017).
Introduction
Chapter One of this dissertation introduced the need to resolve the educational disparities
that exist in high-poverty urban schools. With the identification of a non-traditional urban
school which was outperforming traditional public schools in that same urban setting and similar
student demographics, this case study was launched to learn more about how non-traditional
outperforming schools operate in order to achieve success. Chapter Two provided a relevant
review of the literature which identified some of the characteristics of high performing school.
These characteristics included but were not limited to a clear and shared vision, high standards
for all students, effective leadership, strong collaboration and communication, relevant and
authentic curriculum, instruction and assessments aligned to standards, focused professional
development, positive learning environment and high community and family involvement
(Haycock et al., 1999; Kannapel et al., 2005; Lezotte, 2001; Shannon & Bylsma,
2007). Working within the guidelines as defined by the thematic dissertation group of what
could be classified as a non-traditional outperforming school, Chapter Three described the
methods which were utilized to collect the data for this case study. Bee Hive Charter High
School was selected to be the subject of this case study because it met the criteria for a non-
traditional outperforming school. This fourth chapter will present the data collected in this study
to answer the research questions.
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 61

The research’s previous experience of working within Bee Hive Charter High School led
the researcher to believe that BHCHS may fall within the guidelines as outlined by the thematic
dissertation group. After reviewing data available on the schools’ website as well as data
available through California Department of Education, the researcher reached out to the school’s
principal in March of 2017 to discuss the possibility of focusing on BHCHS in this case
study. Following the approval from the IRB and acceptance of the dissertation proposal in April
2017, the research received consent from the principal to conduct the study at BHCHS. The first
visit to the campus was scheduled in May in an effort to make general observations and further
discuss the goals of the study with the principal. This first visit solidified the researcher’s initial
thoughts that this would be an appropriate school which meets the criteria created by the
thematic dissertation group.
Driving to the campus nestled in a working-class neighborhood of south Los Angeles,
residential area was made up predominantly of single family homes packed tightly along the
street. The streets were quiet, but signs of the residence were all around. Well used cars sat in
driveways and along one side of the street. Trash cans lined the other side of the street. Small
articles of trash could be seen at the junction of the street and sidewalk. Sidewalks were mostly
clear of debris and yards contained various assortments of old furniture, appliances, toys and a
few small gardens. There was an absence of large trees or shrubs and an abundance of chain-link
fences and cinder block walls. Arriving at the address, my GPS announced, “you have arrived.”
Before me were two large pine trees, nearly as tall as the metal structures across the street
holding high voltage power lines. The top of a chain-link fence was visible above the thick
greenery which lined the length of the school block with a single set of stairs that led to a four-
foot wide gate, the front entrance to the school. Just above the entrance was a colorful banner
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 62

with the BHCHS logo and single white words in bright red, blue and green boxes that read
“learn, laugh, grow, question, innovate, work hard, develop, think big, and collaborate.” Driving
to the end of the block to find a place to park, I passed a handcrafted wooden bench and shade
structure at the bus stop in front of the school. At the corner of the property stood a tall marquee
with the name and mascot of the school which listed upcoming event for the next two
weeks. Turning the corner there was a break in the greenery which revealed a long stucco
building with several murals side by side as I drove past I could see that the first four images
each had a caption at the bottom of the image. The first image was of an adult white tiger and
cub with a caption that read “I am proud”, the second was the statue of liberty with the words
“American Dream”, the third a stylized portrait of President Obama with the word “progress”
and the fourth was a brightly colored baby with the caption “quality of life…”. Just past this
section of the building was a door painted to resemble a Frida Kahlo self-portrait beside a gray
shed. Beyond the shed the murals continued with the letters BHCS, each painted to represent a
different image, water, desert landscape, forest landscape and snowflakes. The final mural at the
end of the building was of an elf like creature riding a bicycle across a bridge that connected
floating islands. Directly in front of this mural stood a long grey metal structure that appeared to
be leaves stemming from a vine. Upon taking a closer look, it was revealed to be a bicycle rack
were several bicycles were parked and locked. On this street I found located the entrance to a
gated parking lot.
Stepping out of the car, the parking lot appeared to be like another school parking
lot. Walking toward the path into the campus, it became apparent that the preferred parking
spaces near the walkway had signs indicating they were reserved for electric and fuel-efficient
vehicles. Stepping into the campus, I stepped out of the city and into the lush green
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 63

paradise. The walkways were lined with fruit trees and potted plants, all with handmade signs
labeling the type of tree or plant. The campus was clean and greenery well maintained. The
buildings were brightly colored with murals of plants, animals and encouraging phrases. Just a
few steps into the campus and it became evident that the campus was alive. Along this main
walkway, the sounds of city were replaced with the sound of birds chirping, the cheerful voices
of students resonating from all directions, and running water. A few steps down into the campus,
in a clearing between classroom buildings a small group of students sat and appeared to be
working on a poster. They stopped what they were doing for a moment to say good morning and
to ask if I needed help before continuing with their work. Although smiling and giggling, they
seemed very focused on their task. Just behind them, the ground sloped down to reveal a small
stream that ran across the center of campus lined by plants, rocks, and picnic tables. Several
colorful signs were posted at eye level around this area explaining the vegetation and ecosystem.
Beyond the stream at a junction with another path stood a waste disposal system with three bins
with hand-painted signs indicating ‘landfill’, ‘recycle’ and ‘compost’. The bin labeled recycle
had a makeshift backboard with a basketball rim and what was left of a used net a few feet
directly above the opening to the recycle bin. Opposite of the stream on the same walkway, the
classroom windows were painted over with several rows of college and university names,
mascots and logos. Under this row of classrooms was a section of wall painted black and lined
like a calendar. Written in chalk were upcoming events for the month. Nearing the office, a
canoe-like boat was settled in behind more picnic tables with what appeared to be lettuce and
vegetables growing in it. A chicken walking in front of the boat and scratching at soil seem
undisturbed by my nearing presence. Just across this open space I could see another brightly
colored mural that read, “I am my own superhero.”
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As I stood at the end of the walkway, a large open space with steps made of repurposed
concrete layers laid the foundation for an amphitheater that faced a stage lined with native
California plants and a large brightly colored banner, similar to the one at the front entrance of
the school, with the school’s name and the same single words. The backdrop of the stage was a
wall of greenery and mature pine tree. A smaller evergreen stood at the back of the
amphitheater and from it hung a variety of bird houses made from various types of repurposed
materials. Turning the corner, a young lady in a bright blue polo with the school’s logo
embroidered onto it and bright smile welcomed me. She introduced herself, explained she was a
student tour guide and introduced me to the second student tour guide and staff. I checked in
with the staff in front of the main office. Looking into the office through the wall of windows, I
could see multiple bulletin boards with colorful flyers for upcoming community service events,
student clubs’ promotional materials, college scholarship flyers, youth services offered by
organizations, after school activities and compliance materials. There was also a map of the US
with small pins scattered across it surrounded by college and university pennants, which I later
learned was a map of where students had decided to attend college. The receptionist’s desk had
a large plant right on the corner and a mosaic that hung just in front of the desk. The counter had
several flyers promoting student council events taped to the top. Behind the receptionist’s desk
was a colorful copy of the master schedule and various quick reference documents. The doors to
all the office were open and people seemed to move freely between the various spaces in the
office.
The students and staff were very friendly creating a casual relaxed environment. While
we waited for the tour to begin, several students walked in and out of the office, stopping to
speak with the front office staff. It was clear that they knew the staff and the staff seemed to
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 65

address each student by name. On their way out of the office, they greeted the guests and went
on their way. As the tour began, the tour guides spoke candidly about their experience at the
school and why they had chosen to attend initially and have chosen to stay now. It was made
clear by the tour guide that this space had become an oasis in the concrete jungle for these
students. The tour guides shared the story of the stream as a collaboration between students,
staff and university partners to solve an issue of flooding that disrupted the campus every time it
rained. The idea and design were made possible by the collaboration of students who sought to
solve a problem. The idea was brought to life by an administration and campus community that
saw value in the ideas of students. The stream now serves many purpose, the first and foremost,
it prevents flooding by overflowing into a dry bed designed to absorb the run off. Secondly ti
has become an intentional learning space. Several classes utilize the stream to tie directly into
their curriculum while others use it to enhance the curriculum with relatable real-world
examples. We stopped at a shed that the student called the bike shop where they shared that a
group of students in partnership with a community business worked to fix student bicycles for
free. They also had bicycles built by students from spare parts that they could sell to anyone
looking to purchase a bicycle for an affordable price. The tour guide shared that the student who
had started the bike shop went to Brown University and founded the same program on that
campus. The tour guide explained their perspective of the culture of the school and shared that
the art on the walls and hanging from the trees is a small reflection of the impact students have
on the campus. Through this tour and my many interactions, observations and interviews, I
discovered that typical students, like the tour guides, played a significant role in shaping the
physical appearance and culture of the school. From this limited perspective, the campus
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 66

community seemed to be a welcoming school where individuals mattered and could make a
difference.
Although I had been communicating with the principal over the phone and via email and
had met briefly in person on multiple occasions, our first official scheduled face to face meeting
was scheduled for late in the summer as a result of schedule conflicts on both sides. Prior to this
meeting she had granted me permission and access to the campus to begin observations and
made some recommendations. Despite our previous communication, our first meeting went
much longer than either of us had expected, nearly an hour long. In this meeting it was clear to
see the energy and passion she had for the school. She gave me a brief history of the school and
further detailed a more recent history of the school in the past three years since I was last
there. She provided me names of staff that she felt would be helpful in this study and suggest
dates and events that I attend in addition to classrooms I may want to observe. She provided
several documents at the end of this meeting that were not yet available online to assist in the
document review process (Administrator A, personal communication, July 21, 2017).
Research Questions
In an effort to uncover the factors present at an outperforming non-traditional urban high
school, the following research questions were created to guide all areas of the study:
1. What programs and practices are implemented in an urban outperforming non-traditional
school?
2. What are the leadership practices in an urban outperforming non-traditional school?
3. What are the cultural norms in an urban outperforming non-traditional school?

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Criteria
Bee Hive Charter High School was selected for this study as it was found to meet the
criteria outlined by the thematic dissertation cohort. The first criteria was that the institution
must be a K-12 non-tradition urban school. Non-traditional was defined by the cohort as any
school program that is not a traditional public school. The non-traditional group of schools
included K-12 charter schools, magnet programs, alternative schools, specialized schools, dual
immersion programs, online education and independent schools. Bee Hive Charter High School
is a public charter school that was chartered through a local school district. For the purpose of
this study, an urban institution was characterized by having significant populations of students
who come from ethnically diverse and low socioeconomic backgrounds. Bee Hive Charter High
School’s SARC identified the following racial/ethnic population percentages in the 2015-2016
school year: 10.8% Black or African American, 4.6% Asian, 75.5% Hispanic or Latino, 4.3%
White and 4.8% other (Bee Hive Charter High School, 2016b). The CDE (n.d.) school profile
for Bee High Charter High School also noted a population of 81.9 percent of students who
qualify for free or reduced lunch and 9.6 percent of the study body were classified as English
language learners.
The second criteria was that the non-traditional urban school must have the status of
being an outperforming school. As described in Chapter One of this study, an outperforming
school performs significantly better than other local/similar schools in terms of student
achievement and student outcomes, i.e. low dropout rate, a significant percentage of students that
met/exceeded standards on the smarter balanced assessment, graduation rate, etc. This measure
also includes a school that outranks similar schools by two units or more in the Similar School
Ranking as determined by data from CDE. Bee Hive Charter High School’s SARC reported 70
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 68

percent of 11
th
grade students met or exceeded the standard in English Language Arts/Literacy on
the Smarter Balanced Assessment as compared to the 49 percent statewide. Bee Hive Charter
High School lost some ground on the mathematics section, going from 36 percent in 2014-2015
to 33 percent in 2015-2016 whereas the statewide percent grew from 33 to 37 in the same time.
According to data compiled for the 2017 Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA), when
compared to local district schools, Bee Hive Charter High School had a higher percentage of
students who met or exceeded the standards in both English Language Arts/Literacy and
Mathematics than those of all the local traditional high schools for exams taken between 2015
and 2017.
The California Department of Education Equity Report awarded Bee High Charter High
School a 4/5 on suspension rate and graduation rate. The CDE cohort data outcomes report
indicated BHCHS graduated 96.6 percent of the cohort in 2015-2016, above the state average
just over 80 percent. The SARC indicated 93 percent of the class of 2015 completed all A-G
course requirements and all students were enrolled in the courses required for UC/CSU
admission. According to the Bee Hive Charter High School website, 98 percent of graduates’
complete requirements for college admission, the A-G requirements, as compared to the 35
percent statewide completion rate. The site also stated that 95 percent of students pass the
CAHSEE in both math and English on the first attempt.
According to the 2016-2017 state ranks and similar school ranks document compiled
through the use of CDE data, Bee Hive Charter High School ranks two deciles above schools
serving similar demographic populations over the last two years (CCSA, n.d.) Considering all
measurable factors available at the time of the study, Bee Hive Charter High School qualified as
outperforming similar local schools.
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 69

Bee Hive Charter High School met the criteria as an urban public charter school that
exceeds the student achievement and student outcome measures as compared with the state and
traditional public schools in the area that serve a similar population. It also outranks similar
schools on the Similar Schools Ranking by a measure of two units.
Methodology
This study utilized a multi-method qualitative case study approach to identify the factors
present in an outperforming non-traditional urban high school (Creswell, 2014). The multi-
method approach also allowed the researcher to minimize biases that may emerge from a single
data collection method. Information gathered in the study was categorized and analyzed in a
manner consistent with recommended approaches for qualitative research case study (Creswell,
2014; Maxwell, 2013; Merriam, & Tisdell, 2016). Data was collected via document review,
surveys, observations and interviews to allow the researcher to triangulate data in an effort
identify themes and patterns to describe the phenomenon at selected outperforming non-
traditional urban high school (Gall et al., 2003). This method of study allowed for the researcher
to explore the meaning making of participants within their particular contexts, gain a deeper
awareness of the process through which events and actions occur and identify items that were not
present in prior literature reviewed (Maxwell, 2013).
The data collection process began with the collection and review of documents. A
comprehensive review of the school’s documents was done in the spring of 2017, prior to the
first visit to gain an understanding of Bee Hive Charter High School’s structure, system and
outcomes. The researcher reviewed the charter, information on the California Department of
Education (CDE) website, Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), professional
development calendar, staff meeting/training agendas, master schedule, School Accountability
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 70

Report Card (SARC), recruitment and marketing information, the application for admission, the
parent guardian student handbook, mission and vision statement, school and Charter
Management Organization (CMO) website and publications, documents prepared for the
school’s WASC accreditation self-study, and board and site council meeting agendas and
minutes. These documents provided the researcher with basic knowledge of the school’s
program and structure (Bolman and Deal, 2003) and functioned as a foundation for additional
questions and triangulation.
Several site visits occurred during the months spanning from May through January in
order to observe professional development, faculty collaboration session, classes, extra-curricular
programs, board and site council meetings and school wide events. Three separate observation
tools were developed by the thematic cohort and utilized to identify items within all four of
Bolman and Deal’s (2003) frames in order to triangulate the data with other sources (Creswell,
2014). These site visits also included time for formal and informal interviews with
administration, staff and faculty. The researcher analyzed the data as it was collected over
several months and used the information to further guide additional data collection.
The researcher conducted a survey which was presented a faculty meeting and distributed
to faculty and staff via their work email. The survey was distributed in October and open
through December. The survey sought to capture perceptions regarding programs, practices,
leadership and school culture. The last step of the data collection process was to code and chunk
the data according to Creswell’s (2014) six-step method of data analysis and interpretation to
determine what programs and practices, leadership and cultural norms are present at this
outperforming non-traditional urban school.

CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 71

Participants
Following telephone conversations with the principal in the spring of 2017 a meeting in the
summer of 2010, the researcher spent 18 days onsite gathering data. Surveys were completed by
18 out of 45 educators on staff representing 40% of the staff at Bee Hive Charter High School.
All levels of employees participated in the survey; this included teachers, administrators and
support staff. Interviews included four formal teacher interviews, three formal administrative
interviews and two formal staff interviews. All interviews were conducted individual with staff
of varying seniority and teachers from various subject areas. Observations included three end-
of-the-term activities and traditions, summer bridge activities, eight classroom observations, two
all staff professional development sessions, five campus wide community events, a board
meeting, a site council meeting and general campus observations throughout the day. The
researcher worked closely with school staff to arrange interviews and observations in order to
gather data from various sources. Through the strategic observations, interview and surveys, all
staff had the opportunity to contribute to the data collection process adding value to this study
(Bolman and Deal, 2003; Creswell, 2014).
Findings for Research Question 1
The first research question was What programs and practices are implemented in an
urban outperforming non-traditional school?
This first research question proved to be the most challenging as there were a wide
variety of programs and practices present at Bee Hive Charter High School that resulted in
collection of over eight hundred fifty pieces of evidence. Among the many pieces of evidence,
two overall themes emerged which were concluded to be the roots from which documented
program and practices arose.
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 72

Mission and Vision
The document review revealed that the school’s formal programs and policies were
student centered and provided intentional learning experiences. In review of several of Bee Hive
Charter High School’s documents, it was clear that their mission and vision was important as it
was woven of so many documents with the ideas of these two statements coming out in many
forms throughout the document review and data analysis process. The school’s mission “to
create and deliver vibrant, innovate, interdisciplinary learning opportunities using the
environment to engage students and connect them to the wider world” was paired with a vision
was to equip “…students with the knowledge and skills to graduate from college, inspired to
discover their own sense of purpose and empowered to become quality stewards of their own
communities” (Bee Hive Charter Schools Organization, 2012a).
The expected learning results further elaborated the school’s vision as Bee Hive Charter
High School worked to graduate students who are “critical reasoners, collaborative
communicators, and creative contributors (Bee Hive Charter Schools Organization, 2012a).
These schoolwide learner outcomes are woven into the curriculum of every course through
instruction, assignments and assessments (Board of Directors, 2017o). Students who go above
and beyond in these areas were recognized during pep rallies (Teacher J, personal
communication, November 6, 2017).
Documented in the faculty and staff survey were perceptions of vision and mission within
Bee Hive Charter High School. The questions relevant to vision and mission and the faculty and
staff responses are presented in Table 1.

CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 73

Table 1
Survey Questions on Vision and Mission #1-6

Question
Strongly
Disagree Disagree Agree
Strongly
Agree
1
The school has a clear mission/vision. 0.00% 0.00% 44.44% 55.56%
2
I have a clear vision of what the school is
trying to achieve. 0.00% 0.00% 55.56% 44.44%
3
The staff shares a common understanding
of what the school wants to achieve. 0.00% 11.11% 61.11% 27.78%
4
The staff works beyond their official role
in order to help achieve school goals. 0.00% 0.00% 55.56% 44.44%
5
The school's mission/vision is evident in
multiple methods/practices. 5.56% 0.00% 44.44% 50.00%
6
The staff keeps the school's goals in mind
when making important decisions. 0.00% 11.11% 55.56% 33.33%

Survey data indicated 100% of respondents felt the school had a clear mission and vision and
that they understood what the school was working to achieve. Data also revealed 87% of
respondents (16 out of 18) believed the staff shared a common vision and that vision is kept in
mind when important decisions are made. All respondents believed staff went above and beyond
their roles to achieve the school’s goals. A number of staff shared that they either came or choose
to stay at Bee Hive Charter High School because the school does a good job addressing problems
of access in underserved communities (Administrator B, personal communication, October 13,
2017). Administrator B shared that faculty at Bee Hive Charter High School are “…Social
Justice Warriors…” because they work to combat the barriers set by society for their entire study
body (personal communication, October 13, 2017). Staff shared views of equity in education
involved dismantling systems of oppression, especially those present in education (Administrator
C, personal communication, November 20, 2017).
Several videos on the school website included students and staff engaged in a number of
activities outside of a classroom and speaking about their school. The Come See Yourself video
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was particularly interesting as there were a number of educators and students describing their
experience with the school (Bee Hive Charter Schools Organization, 2012b). One speaker spoke
about their experience as an educator at Bee Hive Charter High School stating that they were
“…trying to change the way education looks.” A counselor in the video spoke about taking her
students camping in the wilderness while another person spoke about the whole campus being a
garden. It was clear that the students and staff in the video were engaged in nontraditional school
activities and appeared happy to be in this place. This video also pointed out that “97% of
students attend school every day”, significantly higher then that of local schools (Bee Hive
Charter Schools Organization, 2012b). The results of the Bee Hive Charter High School
Parent/Family School Climate Survey (2017) revealed that respondents overwhelmingly believed
that their student experience is meaningful, and that the school motivates students and
encourages success for all students.
The school’s website provided evidence of a vibrant environment with images of students
in outdoor spaces and advertising programs including eight athletic teams, five forms of art,
enrichment opportunities, eight programs run in partnership with outside organizations ranging
from robotics to fashion, thirteen clubs including student council and a number of internship
opportunities (Bee Hive Charter Schools Organization, 2012a). The researcher also observed
students and staff who appeared to be happy on campus, smiling and exchanging friendly
greetings (personal communication, July 26, 2017; personal communication, October 13, 2017;
personal communication, November 2, 2017). Students could be seen throughout the campus
outside of classrooms appearing to work on projects at picnic benches or engaged in various
activities maintaining and adding to the school grounds (personal communication, October 13,
2017).
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Summer Bridge
Prior to beginning school all new students are engaged in a two-week Summer Bridge
experience. Administrators, teachers and counselors work closely to prepare the goals, lessons
and activities for Summer Bridge in addition to the careful selection and training of mentors to
lead the new students through this experience (Teacher J, personal communication, November 6,
2017). Summer Bridge serves many functions, the first and possibly most important is that it
allows an opportunity to build community among and with the incoming class of students
(Teacher I, personal communication, October 27, 2017). Summer Bridge is a second
opportunity, the first being enrollment meetings, to communicate school’s high expectations in
areas of behavior, commitment and graduation requirements (Administrator B, personal
communication, October 13, 2017). Summer Bridge provided an opportunity for staff and
current students to get to know the incoming students as people and learn their personalities
before school began (Teacher J, personal communication, November 6, 2017). In observation of
Summer Bridge activities, the researcher saw that there was a clear sense of comradery, these
were not a group of individuals simply put into a group together (personal communication, July
26, 2017; personal communication, July 28, 2018). Rather the students spoke freely amongst
each other and work together to accomplish goals and reach consensus. At the end of Summer
Bridge, tribes were combined to form an Advisory.
Advisory
The Advisory program, similar to homeroom at other schools, was a program in which all
students were assigned to a group that they met with twice a week (Administrator B, personal
communication, October 13, 2017). Students remained in the same Advisory for the duration of
four years while at Bee Hive Charter High School. There was an instructor assigned to each
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 76

advisory, which would also accompany this group for the four years. This instructor served as a
primary liaison between the school and family for this student. There were a number of purposes
served by the Advisory program, first was to provide students an opportunity to build a
meaningful relationship with an instructor that may or may not ever have them in a class
(Teacher J, personal communication, November 6, 2017). The second was to have an
additional set of eyes to watch out for at risk or focus students as well as to monitor progress and
advocate for support when there is a significant change in the student’s behavior or performance
(Teacher H, personal communication, October 27, 2017). Advisory allows school to be
responsive through the intervention and communication of the Advisory teacher (Administrator
B, personal communication, October 13, 2017). In addition to all of these items, Advisory was
also utilized as to maintain and build school culture as well as communicate and discriminate
information and protocols to students. There is a full year of advisory activities planned out
prior to the start of the year to make sure Advisories are able to achieve all that needs to be done
that was paired with the professional development calendar (Bee Hive Charter High School,
2017g). One of the challenges that seemed to arise from time to time was that there were often
so many things going on during Advisory that it becomes difficult to build community
(Administrator B, personal communication, November 3, 2017).
College Prep
Unique to the Bee Hive Charter High School curriculum that the researcher had not
previously been exposed to, were a set of College Prep courses. College prep courses were
designed for each grade level and were adapted to be developmentally appropriate as well as fit
the needs of that grade level (Bee Hive Charter High School, 2016f). The College Prep Learning
Targets provided clear expectations and outcomes that were student centered and aligned to the
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 77

mission of the school. The learning targets included academic literacy, college readiness goals,
career readiness goals and organization/work habits. Activities in these courses included
everything from reading and engagement strategies to interview and presentation skills to
identifying career pathways and completing college applications. The senior level courses were
taught by full time counselors and ran the full gamete of writing personal statements, completing
college applications and submitting financial aid applications in addition to preparing for
transitioning into life after high school (Administrator B, personal communication, October 13,
2017). These courses sought to deliver the social capital often lacking for first generation
college students and provide skill building guidance related to college preparation on a school
wide scale as an extension of the academic and college counseling program in a high needs
community.
Counseling
Staff shared their awareness of students are carrying a lot with them in addition to the
workload and expectations of the school, and often they manage it and find a way to be happy in
their environment (Administrator B, personal communication, October 13, 2017). When they
could not manage it, there were several staff ready to support them. Bee Hive Charter High
School was equipped with several full-time and part-time PPS credentialed counselors to provide
academic and social-emotional support. Students needing additional counseling services were
referred to an on-campus Marriage, Family Therapist (MFT) for support with emotional issues
(Bee Hive Charter High School, 2017o). The school had also entered into a partnership with the
Richstone Family Services and Didi Hirsh Counseling Services for intensive individual and
group counseling. The counselor’s role transitioned in the prior year to take on the responsibility
of focus students rather than have the 504 coordinator to continue this role. Each full-time
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 78

counselor was responsible for a grade level course load, specific responsibilities and focus
students, while all counselors were involved in the college application process. This shift in
responsibilities allowed for counselors to be more proactive in providing targeted interventions
in a timely manner (Administrator B, personal communication, October 13, 2017). Unlike many
traditional public schools, the role of the counselor is not narrow and focused, rather it is all
encompassing and impacts nearly all areas of the school. In practice, counselors at Bee Hive
Charter High School had their hands in all areas of the school, as instructors, grade level team
members, department team members, leadership team members, mentors for the Leadership
program and building relationships to foster partnerships among many other things. While
observing campus happenings, one of the busiest offices appeared to be that of the office shared
by the counselors with both students and staff constantly going in and out (personal
communication, November 3, 2017).
Support Programs
Students who came into Bee Hive Charter High School classified as English Language
Learners (ELL) received additional support through the English Language Development course,
Critical Reading, writing and Communication for Social Change (Bee Hive Charter High School,
2017o; personal communication, Teacher I, September 28, 2017). This program sought to meet
student needs through support in grade level courses, targeted skill recovery through an adaptive
computer-based program, Edgenuity, and focused practice as outlined in the statewide standards
for English Language Development. These students also had the option of enrolling in an
additional English support course in their senior year to provide additional guidance through the
completion of the Senior Thesis.
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Bee Hive Charter also had a program to support Special Education Students through the
leadership of the Special Education coordinator and work of several paraeducators, students were
serviced as prescribed by their IEP or 504 plans (Bee Hive Charter High School, 2017o). A
reading assessment program is utilized to gather data three times a year which is used to inform
the student’s instructors of reading level, growth, strengths and needs. Additional research-based
programs were utilized to provide student opportunities increase reading fluency and
comprehension skills with the goal being reading for meaning, not speed. Students who were
classified as qualifying for both ELL and special education were provided an additional version
of the program in their native language.
Both the English Language Development coordinator and Special Education coordinator
work in collaboration with the principal and grade level instructors to track student data, analyze
progress and tailor instruction as necessary (Administrator A, personal communication, October
10, 2017; Bee Hive Charter High School, 2017o).
Environmental Programs
Bee Hive Charter High School had a number of environmentally focused and place based
learning opportunities. Freshmen students had the option of taking a horticulture and special
projects course where they learned to grow and maintain the lush green campus, caring for the
plants, animals and mini ecosystems created on campus (Administrator A, personal
communication, October 10, 2017). Sophomore students were all enrolled in Green
Ambassadors, an interdisciplinary A-G approved elective course, through which students took
their understanding of science and connected to other disciplines and real-life applications
(Teacher I, personal communication, October 27, 2017). Students were taught and empowered
to become advocates for the environment. Students who sought to continue this type of work
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applied for the Green Ambassadors Internship which provided opportunities for creativity,
collaboration, and teacher education as it related to environmental initiatives. Also present were
outdoor education opportunities for all students. One teacher shared that through outdoor
education “…we're giving students access to things that they didn't think that they could have
access to before,” ideas and places beyond students’ realm (Teacher K, personal communication,
November 16, 2017). Bee Hive Charter High School made a significant financial investment of
approximately $150,000 annually to provide all students opportunities for outdoor education
trips (Bee Hive Charter High School, 2017o). All students attend outdoor education field trips
with their grade levels (Staff F, personal communication, October 27, 2017; Teacher M, personal
communication, October 13, 2017). Trips range from day long to multi-day overnight programs
with locations that include Joshua Tree National Park, Yosemite National Park, Catalina Island,
the Angeles National Forest, Pacific Crest Trail, and whale watching among other locations.
After School Program
After school, there was evidence that the campus was still active with students clustered
in many classrooms engaged in conversation with teachers, tutoring and a wide variety of after
school activities (personal communication, October 13, 2017; personal communication,
November 2, 2017). Tutoring and extra-curricular activities were seen as a way for staff to
continue to build relationships with students and strengthen culture (Teacher I, personal
communication, October 27, 2017). Within the 2017-2018 parent guardian student handbook
(Board of Directors, 2017), the language used reflected an ownership given to the student on
their own education, making them responsible for their grades and following up with instructors.
A review of the 17-18 Tutoring/Office Hours document demonstrated the ease of access to all
instructors as it listed emails and the hours and rooms they were available for support throughout
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the week were listed (Bee Hive Charter High School, 2017h). Most instructors were listed as
having tutoring hours well after 3:30pm on multiple days, beyond typical school hours. In
addition to the designated teacher tutoring hours, there were also opportunities for additional
academic support and growth through math lab. Despite the onus being put on the student, it
was clear that administers, faculty, staff and counselors were ready to help students get back up
if they stumbled along the way.
The afterschool program allows for students to participate, learn skills, lead, and create
space for their own interests (Teacher J, personal communication, November 6, 2017). The
afterschool schedule included a wide variety of program offerings including cheer, cross country,
dance/drill, solar boat, Green Ambassadors internship, Sustain-A-Store student entrepreneurs,
leadership, drumline, mental health club, sailing, anime, MESA, self-defense Folklorico dance
and rock band for everyone to name a few (Nvision, n.d.). These programs had come about as a
result of student interest and advocacy (Administrator B, personal communication, October 13,
2017). One administrator shared that there are some students who only come to school because
they have a special interest in something that is an afterschool activity (Administrator A,
personal communication, October 10, 2017). Bee Hive Charter High School staff and
administration were constantly evaluating after school program offerings in an effort to optimize
learning experience in after school program and allow students to gain valuable skills and
experiences they may not otherwise be able to in their daily school experience. Programs such
as MESA and solar boat were so specialized that without these programs, the school would not
be able to provide this skill base and to their students.
Of the afterschool offerings, one of the most impactful programs to the whole school community
was Leadership (Administrator B, personal communication, October 13, 2017; Teacher H,
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personal communication, October 27, 2017; Teacher J, personal communication, November 6,
2017). Leadership was an entirely student led student council. This student group was open to
whomever wanted to participate and planned all school wide pep rallies, social events,
community service events, green up days and community building activities. Students were
responsible for identifying and initiating programs they wanted to host or saw a need for, writing
up a proposal and submitting it to the adult mentors and administration for approval. Once
approved, students were responsible for ensuring that all details were planned and coordinated
for the program or event to happen. In this way, student council also became responsible for
their own budgeting and fundraising. Through their work in Leadership, students created and
strengthened school culture.
Partnerships and Internships
Several people spoke about the importance of community partnerships and their impact
on student learning and experiences. On the school’s website there is a list of partner
organizations (Bee Hive Charter Schools Organization, 2012a). In observation of the annual
Career Day, there were a number of presentations done by local partners in areas of business,
education, media, food distribution and community activism to name a few (personal
communication, October 20, 2017). During the normal day to day operations it was difficult to
see where these partnerships were present, but in conversation with staff they were more
apparent. One staff member spoke about partnerships which allowed students to utilize the
YMCA facilities and instructors to conduct a swimming class as well as other partners that
allowed for a sailing program after school (Teacher M, personal communication, October 13,
2017). Other staff spoke about a partnership with College Match, an organization that works
with underprivileged students to help them get into and be successful at the top institutions
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across the United States (Administrator B, personal communication, October 13, 2017). Yet
others spoke of internship opportunities that have come as a result of partnerships with other
organizations, such as the LEAF internship through the nature conservancy in which
approximately 20 rising seniors have an opportunity to secure a month long paid summer
internship doing conservation work at one of the Nature Conservancy’s sites across the United
States (Administrator B, personal communication, October 13, 2017; Staff F, personal
communication, October 27, 2017; Teacher M, personal communication, October 13, 2017). It
was made clear that Bee Hive Charter High School’s appreciation for partnerships was not just
lip service, rather they had a vested interest in mutually beneficial relationships which would
provide opportunities and experiences to their students that the school may not otherwise be able
to provide.
Graduation Requirements
Beneath the extra- and co-curricular activities were a firm set of guiding goals and
specific student outcomes. Bee Hive Charter High School created a rigorous set of mission
aligned graduation requirements, beyond those of the traditional local public school (Board of
Directors, 2017a). The graduation requirements included completion of a minimum number of
course credits in specific subject areas, passing scores in both the English and Math sections of
the CAHSEE, completion of an SAT I or ACT, application and admission to a 4-year university,
passing scores on all three parts of the senior thesis and 80 hours of community service. These
requirements had been put in place to provide the most opportunity for students following
graduation (Administrator B, personal communication, October 13, 2017). The minimum credit
requirement in the specified areas fulfilled the University of California A-G requirements,
making students college eligible to apply to 4-year colleges and universities. Standardized tests
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(SAT I or ACT) were required in order to complete and submit college applications. College
applications and acceptance to a 4-year college or university demonstrated to students that they
are capable and provide students with options to attend a 4-year university should they choose to.
The eighty hours of community service were meant to provide students the opportunity to learn
to be “stewards of their community” by positively impacting the school, community,
environment or other group beyond an assignment (Board of Directors, 2017a, p. 12)
The final graduation requirement was the senior thesis, a student-centered project to
equip students with the skills necessary to be an informed and critical consumer of information,
empowered to take on challenges they are passionate about, able to present a coherent argument
in writing and verbally and rally support for their cause (Staff F, personal communication,
October 27, 2017). This culminating project is one in which all staff contribute in various ways.
All staff are asked to participate as mentors by guiding to four students in this process
(Administrator A, personal communication, October 10, 2017). Staff work with the students
individually and in small group to talk through ideas, provide feedback and guidance through the
research paper in the fall, the civic action project in the winter and presentation in the spring
(Staff F, personal communication, October 27, 2017). Students with disabilities receive
additional supports provided by the SPED Coordinator and Paraeducators (Bee Hive Charter
High School, 2017o). English Language Learners receive additional support from the ELD
coordinator (Bee Hive Charter High School, 2017o) and have the option to take an additional
support class in their senior year (Teacher I, personal communication, October 27, 2017).
Students who do not pass the first round of grading at the end of the fall semester were assigned
an additional teacher to work with through the winter break in addition to their primary mentor,
alumni mentors and the librarian (Bee Hive Charter High School, 2017o).
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Best Practices
In order to achieve such high standards, a number of policies, procedures and practices
had to be in place to support this level of rigor across an entire school community. On the road
to becoming masters of their best practices, as written in the school’s strategic plan, Bee Hive
Charter High School and now Bee Hive Charter Schools, identified a set of research based best
practices they adopted as organization wide best practices for employees of all levels
(Administrator A, personal communication, October 10, 2017; Administrator C, personal
communication, November 20, 2017; Bee Hive Charter Schools Organization, 2014;Teacher I,
personal communication, October 27, 2017). The BHCS Best Practices Rubric detailed the
standards of best practice as broken up into five major categories, small learning communities,
interdisciplinary curriculum & authentic assessment, relevant & engaging instruction,
environmental & experiential learning, and collaboration with partners (Bee Hive Charter
Schools Organization, 2015). Each of the five major categories was broken up into five
subcategories with their own metrics. This rubric further elaborated on each of the
subcategories, providing a description for each item as it would appear in practice on a scale of
“level 1 - not met yet,” to “Level 4 – Exceeds”. It was later revealed in interviews that this Best
Practices Rubric was used as a summative evaluative tool in the teacher development program
(Administrator A, personal communication, October 10, 2017). Additional, all major programs,
initiatives, training, etc. done at Bee Hive Charter High School was tied to one of the best
practices (Administrator A, personal communication, October 10, 2017; Administrator C,
personal communication, November 20, 2017). At the October School Site Council meeting, a
review and discussion of the Single Plan for Student Achievement as part of the LCAP goal #2,
revealed that overall teacher ratings had increase in the last year on BHCS Best Practice Rubric
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went up in 3/5 categories (Bee Hive Charter High School, 2017e; personal communication,
October 18, 2017).
Professional Development
In order to become the masters of their own best practices, Bee Hive Charter High School
staff engaged in ongoing professional development year-round. Staff completed over 250 hours
of professional development in the last academic school year (Administrator C, personal
communication, November 20, 2017). All new staff engage in three weeks of professional
development prior to the start of school Bee Hive Charter High School (2017g). The first week
centered around school culture and expectations, essentially trying to get them caught up on the
professional development form the previous year as it pertains to campus wide priorities. The
second week of professional development included all staff from all three schools within the Bee
Hive Charter Schools Organization and focused on district wide initiatives and training
applicable at all three sites. The third week involved only staff from Bee Hive Charter High
School and was school specific based on the priorities and focus for the year. Beyond the three
the weeks of professional development at the beginning of the school year, staff attend bi-weekly
professional development meetings with a scattering of full day professional development
throughout the year. Professional development included but was not limited to the reading
apprenticeship, designing assessments, engaging students, differentiation, senior thesis support,
data collection and analysis, interdisciplinary curriculum, equitable access, student work
analysis, and service learning among many other things (Bee Hive Charter High School, 2017o).
All school wide professional development opportunities and trainings are tied to the BHCS Best
Practices.
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Professional development opportunities also doubled as community building
opportunities as people were acknowledge and celebrations had. The bi-weekly meetings
provided an opportunity for staff to continuously be informed of what was going on and work
collaboratively with school leadership to address concerns. In observation of these meetings
there was an open relationship that existed among faculty, staff and administration where
everything seemed to be on the table and fair game for discussion (personal communication,
October 19, 2017; personal communication, November 2, 2017). In that same regard faculty and
staff, along with other stakeholders, had the opportunity to voice opinions and hold school the
accountable for doing what they said they would (Teacher I, personal communication, October
27, 2017). In many ways, this time could be used as an open forum to hash things out.
In addition to the professional development available to the whole staff, individual staff
members may attend a professional conference in their area of practice/interest which is
financially sponsored by the school (Staff F, personal communication, October 27, 2017;
Teacher I, personal communication, October 27, 2017). Beyond that all staff must participate in
a coaching program. The program for instructors is the Teacher Development System which
includes a goal cycle, coaching meetings, mini-observations, an observation cycle and ongoing
self-reflection (Bee Hive Charter Schools Organization, n.d.). The program involves an
instruction coach who meets weekly with the staff member and an administrator or Bee Hive
Charter Schools Organization director who participates in the observations and the self-reflection
process (Administrator C, personal communication, November 20, 2017; Teacher K, personal
communication, November 16, 2017). The teacher development program is designed to foster
continuous learning and improvement throughout the staff member’s tenue at Bee Hive Charter
High School (Administrator A, personal communication, October 10, 2017). Data from the
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Teacher Development System is tracked on an online platform, Teachboost, which allows for the
storage and analysis of observations and evaluations, coaching and mentorships and additional
professional development (Bee Hive Charter High School, 2017o).
The instructional coaches also participate in monthly trainings to best be able to provide
meaningful feedback and guidance (Administrator C, personal communication, November 20,
2017). Instructional coaches are held accountable for school wide coaching targets as well as the
standards of National Board for Professional Teaching Standards integrated in the BHCS Best
Practices Rubric (Bee Hive Charter High School, 2017o; Bee Hive Charter Schools
Organization, 2015).
Data Informed
Professional development alone does not make for successful school programs.
Administrators have a great appreciation for the information that may be derived from data,
making it a priority and as a result a Data Coach was hired to streamline the gathering of data
into one comprehensive database, Schoolzilla, in an effort to allow for consideration of multiple
variables in analysis and best present the inform staff and stakeholders for review, analysis and
meaning making (Administrator A, personal communication, October 10, 2017). Leadership
team analyzes and reflects on data in an effort to understand what is happening or what the data
means to inform discussion, decision making and resource allocation (Administrator A, personal
communication, October 10, 2017). One administrator spoke of their experience triangulating
data to avoid bias toward data in analysis (Administrator C, personal communication, November
20, 2017). An example shared described a clear need for additional literacy support across all
grade levels and populations. As a result, the school invested many resources into literacy and
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achieved very good results as indicated by SBAC scores well above the state and local public
schools’ percentages (Administrator A, personal communication, October 10, 2017).
All students at Bee Hive Charter High School take the Northwest Evaluation Association
(NWEA) Measure of Academic Progress (MAP), a nationally normed exam, to collect data on
student achievement three times a year in an effort to track progress and identify patterns
(Administrator A, personal communication, October 10, 2017). Data was also used to determine
course registration eligibility for new students; results from three separate and independent
exams are utilized to determine a student’s eligibility to take advanced courses (Administrator B,
personal communication, November 3, 2017; Bee Hive Charter High School, 2017o). Students
in the 11
th
grade also take part in the Early Assessment Program (EAP), an exam in English
Language Arts and mathematics to assess college readiness (Bee Hive Charter High School,
2017o). Standardized assessments paired with summative assessments in courses and other data
collected thought-out the school year provides the leadership team and school community with
the opportunity to achieve a better understanding of what is happening and what needs to be
happening (Administrator A, personal communication, October 10, 2017).
In an effort to measure long term impact the success of the Bee Hive Charter High School
programs, several attempts have been made to come up with a formula to track alumni. In recent
history, alumni tracking has previously existed through partnership with a college to sponsor
summer interns, but in the last year it has taken on a new life and been brought in-house (Bee
Hive Charter High School, 2017o). An alumni coordinator was hired to track qualitative and
quantitative alumni data while promoting unique opportunities for this community. The goal
was to track and ensure that alumni persist to complete their 4-year college degrees.
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Math. In the analysis of data in recent years, the leadership teams have seen a need to
dive deeper and understand what was happening in math in an effort to improve student
achievement (Administrator A, personal communication, October 10, 2017). Upon review of
historical data on student achievement it was made clear that the literacy initiatives implemented
over the last several years had provided significant gains in student achievement yet in the area
of math, it was made clear that there were significant shortfalls. The leadership found a pattern
in which students who failed one math course were very likely to fail another semester of math.
As a result of collaboration with the campus community, departments and various teams, a
decision was made to reallocate funds previously utilized or literacy initiatives to math initiative
with a focus on preparing students for future courses rather than on remediation.
The entire math department has been restructured to align with the Common Core State
Standards and reworked to allow for standards-based grading (Board of Directors,
2017o). Every math teach has been provided with extensive professional development from
outside the organization. Funding was made available as an incentive to instructors who worked
to refine the department’s scope and sequence. Over the course of the last several years,
additional math support has evolved from the hiring of a part-time math teacher to a full-time
teacher in order to run a Math Lab after school and the implementation of a new summer support
course to prepare students for higher-level math. This year the initiatives include a collaboration
with the UCLA Math Project to improve professional practice and instruction and a pilot
partnership with the Harvard Graduate School of Education coaching program for math teachers
(Administrator A, personal communication, October 10, 2017). These programs are designed to
increase student achievement via increasing capacity for newer instructors and providing support
for veteran instructors who also function as instructional coaches or are currently going through
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the process of National Board Certification. Data has been reevaluated at every step of the
process and various stakeholders have had and continue to have the opportunity to provide
feedback which has provided modifications for the initiative at every step of the way.
Last year, a number of students who were not initially enrolled in the accelerated math
program at the start of their high school career requested the opportunity to join the accelerated
program (Administrator B, personal communication, October 13, 2017), as a result a number of
stakeholders came together in an effort to find a solution to this challenge. The solution that was
reached by the collaborative was an accelerated summer math course in the summer following
their sophomore year to get students caught up and prepared to join their grade level cohort for
the next level accelerated math course, Honors Pre-Calculus at the start of their junior year
(Board of Directors, 2017o). This past summer saw the first cohort, of which three out of nine
students enrolled successfully completed the program and subsequently enrolled in Honors Pre-
Calculus in the fall semester. In addition to this math program, Bee Hive Charter High School
offered a comprehensive remediation program in English and math. Students interested in
acceleration had the opportunity to take online courses through a partner program with the school
as well as at the local community college courses that would be added to their high school
transcripts.
Classroom and Curriculum
Data is used to inform all school programs. A finding based on data analysis was the
need to better align curriculum to support future success of students (Administrator A, personal
communication, October 10, 2017). Bee Hive Charter High School made it a priority to align
course descriptions, curriculum, learning targets and rubrics to current Common Core State
Standards by subject area (Board of Directors, 2017o). Staff engaged in substantial training over
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many years to alignment curriculum in addition to fully transition into a standards-based grading
system (Administrator A, personal communication, October 10, 2017; Board of Directors,
2017o). In addition to alignment with state standards, curriculum is also vertically aligned by
department to support the final culminating project, the senior thesis (Board of Directors, 2017o).
This was one of the challenges that had been experienced and voiced to school leadership. In the
past, the project lived in the 12
th
grade and other instructors did not see how they could or were
expected to contribute to students’ ability to be successful in the senior thesis (Administrator A,
personal communication, October 10, 2017; Teacher K, personal communication, November 16,
2017). Through a collaborative effort and purposeful open and honest discussion led by the 12
th

grade team, a consensus was reached that all levels of instructors in all departments would
contribute to student success in the senior thesis project. Departments were asked to consider
what skills they teach their students and what additional skills they may incorporate in their
curriculum to support the grow of the student over time to successfully complete this project in
their senior year. Bee Hive Charter High School was still in the process of further developing
the vertical alignment for the senior thesis project at the time of this study which provided an
opportunity for the researcher to observe professional development as well as listen to the frank
and honest discussions taking place among staff as they collaborated to find the most sustainable
solution which would best prepare the students (personal communication, October 3, 2017;
personal communication, November 2, 2017).
Another program that provided the researcher with an opportunity to learn about how
grade level teams worked to create interdisciplinary projects based on the creation of
interdisciplinary courses taught over a month-long period between the first and second semester
was intersession (Teacher K, personal communication, November 16, 2017). Grade level teams
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worked together to create intersession projects that were grade level appropriate, providing rigor
and connections across all content in an effort to get students to think critically about real life
issues and situations they were passionate about (Staff F, personal communication, October 27,
2017). Intersession was planned over the length of the first semester and began on the first day
students came back from winter break. Student shad new schedules and worked in group with
the same instructors they had spent the fall semester with, but on different material. The
researcher observed that intersession work was highly collaborative with students working in
small group in and out of the classroom (personal communication, January 29, 2017). In some
instances it could be said that intersession was messy as some rooms appeared to be designated
work rooms were students cut colored paper and created signs and posters. Intersession
concluded with summative assessments that included a written examination, physical
representation of their work and a presentation given to the community during the intersession
community forum (Staff F, personal communication, October 27, 2017).
In many ways the observations of intersession were similar to those of the fall semester
where students, not the teacher was the center of the room. In rooms observed, rooms were set
up with large tables rather than individual desks through with students formed table groups
(personal communication, October 13, 2017). Through various parts of the lesson students were
asked to engage with each other in their groups. Faculty were heard asking students reflect on
the lesson or information presented and apply it to their own experiences. Observations
confirmed the views of a staff member that curriculum is not taught for the sake of being taught,
rather it was taught with the intention of being relevant and applicable to the life and experience
of the students (personal communication, October 13, 2017; Staff F, personal communication,
October 27, 2017). Teachers moved freely in and around the student groups, but it was clear that
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the instructor was not the center of the classroom (personal communication, October 13, 2017).
One instructor shared his belief that the classroom is a student space and he had the luxury of
joining them, move in and out of their space to facilitate their learning (Teacher L, personal
communication, October 13, 2017).
Every instructor observed had a different approach to the material and student
engagement that varied from direct instruction to connecting every idea in the classroom to a
personal experience. Regardless of the type of instruction being delivered, faculty seemed
engaged and genuinely interested in the growth success of their students. There were a number
of faculty that provided online resources and encouraged students to come to tutoring or to seem
them any time if they didn’t quite understand and were not ready to ask in front of the
class. Staff individually and as teams had the training and trust of school leadership to
responsible for their program and teach what they want so long as it aligns to the school’s
mission and Best Practices (Administrator B, personal communication, November 3, 2017;
Teacher I, personal communication, October 27, 2017; Teacher J, personal communication,
November 6, 2017).
Every teacher observed had their own style of teaching, however there were some
common items through the classrooms observed (personal communication, October 13,
2017). On the board or near the front of every room, instructor had clearly written an agenda,
objective and goal with an explanation of what students would be able to do at the end of the
lesson. Classrooms all had a computer cart and materials appropriate to what was being taught
in the class, i.e. science equipment. Many rooms had some form of the tribe agreements posted
as well as a board dedicated to celebrating the advisory that meets in that space.
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It could be said that each classroom had a personality, both physical and
intangible. Rooms were brightly colored, and several classrooms displayed student work. Some
classrooms had posters of historical figures or popular artists with inspirational quotes while
other had student art posted literally around the entire room and across the ceiling. Some rooms
seem to double as a greenhouse while others were decorated with repurposed materials. Each
classroom had a different mood, level of energy, and focus based on what had been previously
established as classroom culture (personal communication, October 13, 2017). Staff reflected on
their experiences of building relationships with students and classes sharing it can often begin
with “…Teacher-friendly exchange” in which students want to know what this time, space and
energy being asked of them is going to do for their lives after high school (Administrator C,
personal communication, November 20, 2017). Clearly the instructors observed had established
relationships with their students and the students were bought in to what they were doing,
choosing to be engage in activities. From one period to next, the classroom could metaphorically
go from sugar to salt, both good and necessary, but different. Although instructors shared
classroom space, clearly there was enough room for everyone.
It appeared that nearly every room on campus was used for all periods of the school day
(personal communication, October 13, 2017). The current campus facilities provided space to
house all courses on campus with a 25:1 student to teacher ratio (Board of Directors, 2017o). In
an effort to address the shortage of workspace since teachers were asked to share classroom,
bungalow spaces were reallocated to allow for more teacher collaboration during their prep
periods (Administrator A, personal communication, October 10, 2017). A long-term plan
revealed a goal of replacing 9 modular classroom buildings with a two-story building that would
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provide additional classroom and office space to increase capacity of staff and variety of courses
(Board of Directors, 2017o).
Through review and analysis of over eight hundred pieces of evidence collected in
response to this first research question, there were a few findings that surfaced to encompass
many categories and elements present in the research. The first was a clear mission to which an
intentional effort was made to align all programs, practices and services available to staff and
students. This intentionality included authentic and relevant learning experiences and learning
environments. The alignment process was simplified through the development of research based
best practices which were adopted by the school and CMO. An item that seemed to stand out
across a wide number of data sources was the thorough collection and use of data to inform
programs, practices and policy allowing and encouraging all educators to reflect to gain a deeper
understanding of what was happening. As a result, many programs were often a response to
information gathered across all qualitative and quantitative data sets.
Findings for Research Question 2
The second research question in this study was What are the leadership practices in an
urban outperforming non-traditional school?
A review of the school’s Parent Guardian Student handbook, the school website and
teacher development program revealed a leadership structure grounded in the vision to equip
students with the knowledge and skills, so they may be “…inspired to discover their own sense
of purpose and [be] empowered to become quality stewards of their own communities” (Bee
Hive Charter Schools Organization, 2012a). Governing Bee Hive Charter High School and the
other schools within the Bee Hive Charter Schools Organization was a nine-member board of
directors which worked in collaboration with the school site leadership team to fulfill the schools
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mission and vision (Board of Directors, 2017). Each member of the board brought their own
expertise to the table; this included corporate experience, educational experience at various
levels, architecture, and advocacy groups to name a few. The researcher also found that the
school site council, a subcommittee of the board of directors, was made up of a diverse set of
stakeholders including students, parents, teachers and administrators (Bee Hive Charter High
School, 2017k). The on-campus administration was also a diverse group of individuals, all with
teaching experiences in different subject areas and all of which previously taught at Bee Hive
Charter High School prior to becoming part of the administration. Beyond the school
administration, there were a number of people identified to the researcher as campus leaders
through interviews and observations in additional to several campus wide leadership practices
with the most common word used to describe leadership being team.
Building a Team
In a conversation with the Administrator A, she shared that one of the most impactful
things she does is hiring (personal communication, July 21, 2017). By hiring the right people to
fit Bee Hive Charter High School, she expressed that everything else is more efficient and
mentioned Collins & Collins’ book Good to Great (2005). She felt it was her job to hire the right
people for the role and getting out of their way, as that is when talented people work best
(personal communication, October 10, 2017). Other administrators echoed ideas similar of the
importance of intentionally hiring people whose value system aligned with that of the school and
who were going to make students’ lives their priority and live the mission of Bee Hive Charter
High School (Administrator B, personal communication, November 3, 2017; Administrator C,
personal communication, November 20, 2017).
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A review of the school’s website revealed a section that advertised positions and
provided information for prospective applicants (Bee Hive Charter Schools Organization,
2012c). The website explicitly indicated the type of educators the school was looking by
identifying individuals who enjoyed:
• Working together to create and refine engaging, project-based, environmental-themed,
arts-integrated, interdisciplinary curricula and assessments
• Develop, implement and document a rigorous student-centered curriculum aligned to
standards, school objectives and best practices
• Participate in grade- and department-level planning and reflection to improve instruction
(Bee Hive Charter Schools Organization, 2012c).
Among other attributes. The items listed on the website were well aligned to the mission and
vision of the school and in two of the three items shown above working within a team is a
prominent idea. A number of formal and informal interviews reflected a similar experience of
Teacher H who shared that it was often people from within the organizing reaching out to recruit
individual who would be a good for Bee Hive Charter High School (personal communication,
October 27, 2017). A further examination of what this meant revealed the importance of a
shared collective vision in the minds and hearts of the teachers (Teacher I, personal
communication, October 27, 2017) that mirrored the mission and vision of the school (Board of
Directors, 2017). The faculty and staff survey for this study revealed 42% of respondent shared
that their primary reason for working at Bee Hive Charter High School was the Mission of the
school. Although recruitment of new staff whose values align to the mission of Bee Hive
Charter High School is important, it is only one of a number of important leadership practices.
Administrator C articulated administration’s role was not only to hire, but to sustain good people
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with a goal of not having to rehire for any position (personal communication, November 20,
2017).
Relationships
There were a number of strategies put into place in order to retain good staff including
competitive salary and benefits packages which were closely aligned to those of the local public-
school district, but those alone could not produce the retention, commitment nor level of
engagement desired by the school site administration. One administrator shared the need to have
teachers and staff brought in to what they were doing so they may do the best job they could and
implement initiatives with fidelity (Administrator A, personal communication, October 10,
2017). In order to achieve this goal, administration realized they would need to do more.
Documented in the faculty and staff survey were perceptions of leadership practices
within Bee Hive Charter High School. The questions relevant to leadership practices and the
faculty and staff responses are presented in Table 2.
Table 2
Survey Questions on Leadership #1-6
Questions
Strongly
Disagree Disagree Agree
Strongly
Agree
1
The leaders at my school lead by
example. 0.00% 5.56% 44.44% 50.00%
2
The school provides a clear path for
leadership opportunities. 0.00% 27.78% 61.11% 11.11%
3
School leaders/administrators consider
various viewpoints when making
decisions. 0.00% 11.11% 61.11% 27.78%
4
School offers many leadership
opportunities for all staff members. 0.00% 27.78% 50.00% 22.22%
5
Leaders/administrators hold staff
accountable for improving student
learning. 0.00% 11.11% 77.78% 11.11%
6
When issues arise at school, leadership
responds in a prompt manner. 0.00% 5.56% 66.67% 27.78%
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Over 94% of respondents (17 out of 18) reported school leaders that lead by example and are
prompt to respond to issues in a timely manner. Also present within the survey data was a strong
response, over 88% of respondents (16 out of 18) agreed school leaders consider various
perspectives when decisions are made. Interviews and observations further clarified the
relationship that had developed among the leadership and staff at Bee Hive Charter High School.
While waiting in the office prior to an interview, the researcher observed the interactions
between administrators, staff and faculty (personal communication, November 20, 2017). All
interactions and greetings appeared to be friendly with smiles exchanged often accompanying
handshakes or hugs. Various individuals asked others about their families, professional sports,
television shows and other non-school related items. Those asking questions stopped to listen to
the responses rather than just continue on with their day, these questions were not just empty
gestures. It was clear that these individuals had establish relationships that went beyond their
interactions as professional co-workers; they knew each other on a deeper level.
Several faculty and staff shared a deep admiration for the school leadership team often
citing instances where they were considerate to staff on a personal level (Staff G, personal
communication, November 20, 2017; Teacher H, personal communication, October 27, 2017;
Teacher I, personal communication, October 27, 2017). Many of these individuals also shared
personal examples of school leadership at Bee Hive Charter High School demonstrated care and
advocated for faculty and staff to promote a work/life balance. During an observation, the
researcher witnessed a pair of employees interact as they prepared for a holiday break. The
supervisor was observed to request their direct report to take the following workday off and
enjoy an extended break saying that they have been working a lot and deserve time for
themselves (personal communication, November 20, 2017). Demonstrating care and
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appreciation were among the leadership practices at Bee Hive Charter High School, but these
practices were just hints of something deeper.
An administrator shared the importance of building trust with and among staff citing the
need to communicate this trust to staff often (Administrator C, personal communication,
November 20, 2017). The concept of a trusting relationship was spoken of by all administrators,
teachers and staff interviewed formally and informally in this study. Staff shared their belief that
school leadership was strong, respected by teachers and fostered positive relationships with staff
(Teacher H, personal communication, October 27, 2017). Another staff member shared the
humanity of their leadership and the relationship they build with honesty and their ability to
admit fault when they are wrong (Teacher K, personal communication, November 16, 2017). In
a similar way, others spoke about the flexibility of school leadership and willingness to adjust
when things arose (Administrator C, personal communication, November 20, 2017; Teacher H,
personal communication, October 27, 2017; Teacher I, personal communication, October 27,
2017). One staff member described the trust built with the school administration as a result of
their honesty, respect, integrity and transparency providing an example of administrators calling
out sick because they are ill rather than on a snowboarding trip (Staff G, personal
communication, November 20, 2017). Another shared trust in school leadership based on the
many years of experience as effective educators (Administrator C, personal communication,
November 20, 2017). Teachers revealed this positive relationship with school leadership
encouraged the sharing of ideas, concerns and realities without fear of being judged or ostracized
(Teacher J, personal communication, November 6, 2017).
In an interview with Administrator C, the administrator spoke about one of the most
impactful things that they believed they did was to build and maintain a relationship with staff
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was listen, but more specifically listen with the possibility of changing their mind about
something, not just listening to hear someone out (personal communication, November 20,
2017). Staff confirmed this concept in sharing a number of examples were input was shared and
rather than being put aside was used to make a decision or impact the current approach to
something (Staff G, personal communication, November 20, 2017; Teacher H, personal
communication, October 27, 2017). In a campus observation, an administrator on their way from
the office to a classroom was stopped by a teacher just around the corner from the
office. Although out of sight, the entire conversation could be heard. The teacher shared he
appreciated the follow up provided by the administrator for an issue he had recently shared. He
went on to say that he felt listened to and appreciated (personal communication, November 2,
2017). This observation matched the sentiment shared by faculty and staff demonstrating the
leadership practice of listening.
All administrators interviewed in this study expressed the value and frequent practice of
listening at Bee Hive Charter High School (Administrator A, personal communication, October
10, 2017; Administrator B, personal communication, November 3, 2017; Administrator C,
personal communication, November 20, 2017). One administrator explained the importance of
input and feedback from others to address the needs of the school and improve student
achievement stating:
There's so many instances in my role where, if I didn't listen to people, then we wouldn't
be able to increase student achievement, because I have teachers who come to me and
say, "Hey, I know that you want to do this, this way, but it's not working for us." So [I
ask], "How do you change it?" I'm constantly having to get feedback from people on how
to better address their needs, so that they can implement the changes that we decided are
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what's best for student achievement (Administrator A, personal communication, October
10, 2017)
It was explained by a number of faculty, staff and administrators that this exact scenario has been
playing out from the summer into the beginning of the school year with regard to a new math
imitative that was decided upon over the summer through collaboration with Bee Hive Charter
Schools Organization personal including the director of curriculum (Administrator A, personal
communication, October 10, 2017; Administrator B, personal communication, October 13,
2017; Administrator C, personal communication, November 20, 2017; Staff F, personal
communication, October 27, 2017; Staff G, personal communication, November 20, 2017;
Teacher I, personal communication, October 27, 2017; Teacher K, personal communication,
November 16, 2017). As the school year began and this initiative began to be explained and
rolled out, a number of individuals brought the issues to the attention of administrators who have
been working with those impacted to best find solutions that work for the faculty and increase
student achievement. The examples and observations correspond with the survey data; however,
this evidence provides only the foundation for more complex leadership practices.
Administrator A shared it vital to the school to build trust and give autonomy to teachers
to build curriculum going on to share "…our teachers have so much flexibility in what they teach
and how they teach it, which goes back to the whole, 'Hire good people and get out of the way.' "
(personal communication, October 10, 2017). A teacher echoed these same ideas stating that
administration must be able to trust staff to do what they need to do going on to explain that “a
high performing school is going to be something that runs sustainably without the need for
someone to tell them what to do.” (Teacher I, personal communication, October 27, 2017).
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Documented in the faculty and staff survey were perceptions of standards and
expectations within Bee Hive Charter High School. The questions relevant to standards and
expectations and the faculty and staff responses are presented in Table 3.
Table 3
Survey Questions on Standards/Expectations of non-traditional schools #1-4
Question
Strongly
Disagree Disagree Agree
Strongly
Agree
1
Students are expected to
achieve at high standards. 0.00% 0.00% 50.00% 50.00%
2
All students are consistently
challenged by a rigorous
curriculum. 0.00% 6.25% 62.50% 31.25%
3
Teachers are involved in
creating and implementing a
culturally relevant curriculum. 0.00% 12.50% 31.25% 56.25%
4
The school gives teachers
substantial freedom to carry
out lessons and activities. 0.00% 0.00% 18.75% 81.25%

The survey data revealed that 100% of faculty agreed that teachers are given substantial freedom,
autonomy, to carry out educational practices, with the majority, 81% of respondents strongly
agreeing to this statement. The survey found 87% of respondents agreed that faculty play a role
in creating culturally relevant curriculum. In four of classroom observations done for this study,
instructors were observed to utilize teacher created materials or handouts rather than a textbook
and employ a wide variety of teaching methods (personal communication, July 26, 2017;
personal communication, September 22, 2017; personal communication, October 13,
2017). Each teacher had their own style of teaching, one instructor provided traditional direct
instruction while others were group oriented in which the teacher was more of a facilitator to aid
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students in reaching their own conclusions. All but one observation revolved around curriculum
that seemed to be adapted or created by the instructor. In debrief of these observations, one
instructor shared that they had designed the unit to fit the need of the community in order to be
relevant to the students (personal communication, October 13, 2017). Another instructor shared
that they had created the observed lesson and unit because they personally felt it was valuable
and applicable for young adults in this community (personal communication, October 13, 2017).
A third instructor shared that by using this nontraditional text, specifically the lyrics to a popular
song, were selected to engage students and allow them to make meaning of their own
experiences (personal communication, July 26, 2017). In a similar way, review of the learning
targets and objectives for the College Prep 9-12 courses provided only a skeleton of information
from which an instructor could build or customize a curriculum unit by unit as they saw fit (Bee
Hive Charter High School, 2016f). Every individual from the highest administrator to the lowest
ranking staff member interviewed for this study acknowledge the trust reciprocated and
autonomy given to faculty and staff by school leadership and administration. This leadership
practice was by far one of the more visible that arose in the study.
Capacity
It is through uncovering the trusting relationship and level of autonomy given to staff that
the researcher was able to discover overarching leadership practices. In document review, there
were several documents which provided insight to leadership practices. The Bee Hive Charter
Schools Organization strategic plan brought to light ideas that were important for understanding
leadership practices at Bee Hive Charter High School. The first was a statement about an
“opportunity for teachers who demonstrate mastery…” to develop further and “teach other
teachers” (Bee Hive Charter Schools Organization, 2014). This concept was also referred to
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through the teacher development and Cadre programs which called for the professional
development of such individuals to “enhance our capacity to grow leaders from within the
organization” (Bee Hive Charter Schools Organization, 2014). The teacher development
program called for a team of master teachers to coach other instructors in an effort to improve
their practice (Bee Hive Charter Schools Organization, 2014; Administrator A, personal
communication, October 10, 2017; Administrator C, personal communication, November 20,
2017). These coaches were led and coached by administrators for the purpose of becoming
masters of their own Best Practices and as a result growing leaders and building capacity within
the organization. This data was supported through interviews of teachers and administrators.
Administrators shared their own experiences being coached by master teachers, coaching other
teachers and now providing training for instructional coaches to support teacher development
(Administrator A, personal communication, October 10, 2017; Administrator C, personal
communication, November 20, 2017). Although survey data indicated that 27% of respondents
(5 out of 18) disagreed that there were clear paths to leadership available to all staff, it is evident
that there are a number of staff who have been able to take advantage of these opportunity. A
staff member reflected on their own experiences having seen that leaders often grow from within
the existing teachers, explaining there is lots of opportunity for faculty (Staff D, personal
communication, October 20, 2017). All three administrators were examples of emerging leaders
supported and grown from within the organization, all having previously held teaching positions
at Bee Hive Charter High School (Administrator A, personal communication, October 10, 2017;
Administrator B, personal communication, October 13, 2017; Administrator C, personal
communication, November 20, 2017). In separate interviews, teachers spoke about Cadre, a
school sponsored leadership program, as an opportunity for people to learn more and prepare to
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become school leaders and administrators through utilizing their strengths to grow within the
organization (Teacher J, personal communication, November 6, 2017; Teacher K, personal
communication, November 16, 2017). These instructors also referred to the development
program for instructional coaches as another opportunity for emerging leaders.
One of the programs mentioned that all staff do participate is a coaching program,
commonly referred for instructors as the teacher development program. This process was
referred to by a number of individuals during interviews, one administrator explained it as an
opportunity for a very experienced teacher to mentor other teachers to become the masters of
their own Best Practices (Administrator C, personal communication, November 20, 2017). This
description was supported through the observation made at the end of one professional
development meeting, the researcher observed a conversation between two teachers. A third
teacher in the room informed the researcher that one of the teachers was the coach for another
teacher and this was a coaching meeting. In this meeting between the teacher and their coach,
the coached asked a number of questions and the pair engaged in a conversation regarding the
interdisciplinary connections being made with the content in what sounded like an effort to get
the teacher to realize they are doing more than he had thought (personal communication, October
19, 2017). It became evident to the researcher that the pair of instructors were very comfortable
with each other and had established a relationship in which one could ask such difficult questions
of the other without a negative reaction. Rather than just telling the teacher, the coach appeared
to be working toward getting the teacher to arrive at their own conclusion regarding the
situation. A later interview of another instructor revealed that this individual was a master
teacher and coach on campus in addition to other programs this individual was involved in, in
which they were responsible for training other teachers in how to implement certain curriculum
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at other schools (Teacher K, personal communication, November 16, 2017). This individual
explained the increased value in having teachers train teachers as the expertise does not only
come from understanding text or theory, rather it comes from the understanding of the
application of learning theories as they relate to the students in practice and through experience.
Through the coaching and mentoring, both the individual and coach reflects on the
experience with the goal of improving their practice. Having had an opportunity to review the
end-of-year forms for the teacher development program through examination of the 16-17
Teacher Evaluations (Bee Hive Charter High School, 2017a) with individual names redacted, it
became clear that there were many steps and individuals who gave input in this process. At the
start of the year, goals were set by individuals in collaboration with their coach (Administrator C,
personal communication, November 20, 2017). Throughout the year there were documented
reflections and evidence gathering time build into the professional development schedule (Bee
Hive Charter High School, 2017g). In addition to these items were the 1:1 meetings with the
instructor and their instructional coach (Administrator A, personal communication, October 10,
2017). Although the document was titled as an evaluation, it was explained that the process is
not one of evaluation in which it ends with the conclusion of the school year, rather this process
is cyclical and continues through the educator’s entire time at Bee Hive Charter High School
(Administrator A, personal communication, October 10, 2017). The forms themselves required
staff to reflect and provide a self-evaluation based on that reflection for each of the five best
practices. For each best practice, the staff was asked to reflect on what they did well providing
specific reference to elements of their practice. For each of these best practices the staff member
was also asked to reflect on what they would change they would make to their practice with
respect to each best practice.
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The form is worked on throughout the school year and submitted near the end of the
school year at which point administrators went through them one by one providing feedback on
all areas of the self-evaluation by best practice and written reflections (Administrator A, personal
communication, October 10, 2017). The feedback varied and included suggestions, professional
development opportunities, requests for more evidence, specific areas of growth, praising
strengths, sharing concerns and comments about scaling back to sustainable workloads (Bee
Hive Charter High School, 2017a). The comments providing suggestions were just that, options
to consider rather than mandates from administration. Overall the researcher noted that all
evaluations had a constructive tone with positive feedback and areas of focus for the coming
year. At the conclusion of reviewing these documents, it became clear that the evaluation
process is a collaborative one based on reflection.
Review of the professional development calendar also provided additional evidence of
capacity building. The calendar provided an outline for every professional development meeting
throughout the school year with topics and objectives tied to the BHCS Best Practices (Bee Hive
Charter High School, 2017g). One teacher expressed that professional development is well
communicated with a plan of who, what, when, where, and why at the beginning of the year,
effectively setting the expectation for all staff to be informed and on the same page (Teacher H,
personal communication, October 27, 2017). The professional development calendar was lined
up with the school year calendar and included the plan for advisory so that staff were informed
of upcoming events and could gain an understanding of the bigger picture of what was
happening on any given day. From week to week, professional development provided an
additional avenue for constant communication among all staff on campus. The professional
development calendar was paired with a running agenda created on Google documents through
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which all staff members could add agenda items and announcements in addition to refer back to
previous meeting minutes. Bi-weekly professional development meetings seemed to be a strong
avenue for communication for all campus educators to be informed or catch up if they missed
something.
The professional development calendar also contained a scheduled rotation for all staff to
lead and document professional development activities throughout the year (Bee Hive Charter
High School, 2017g). In observations of professional development meetings, this was a seamless
process, and everyone seemed to know what was expected of them (personal communication,
October 19, 2017; personal communication, November 2, 2017). In addition to the rotation for
the year, faculty had the opportunity to host workshops on topics they had particular interest or
expertise in on a number of occasions, but most clearly documented in the detailed schedule for
the month of August. Several individuals shared an appreciation for the professional
development done by faculty for faculty as it was relevant and applicable to their practice,
allowed for an opportunity to celebrate the expertise of others and address issues or areas that
were pertinent and important to them in addition to a number of additional reasons
(Administrator B, personal communication, November 3, 2017; Administrator C, personal
communication, November 20, 2017; Teacher I, personal communication, October 27, 2017;
Teacher K, personal communication, November 16, 2017).
An administrator took it a step further explaining in their experience, professional
development throughout the year prepares staff, especially teachers, with the skills they need to
be able to do what is being asked of them (Administrator B, personal communication, November
3, 2017). This individual went on to explain that faculty and staff education and professional
development is critical for program success as it is often used as an opportunity to model lessons,
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skills, etc. expected of staff. In a morning professional development meeting the researcher
observed this to be the case as the school prepared for parent conferences, one administrator
verbally went over what was expected while utilizing the projector to further provide an
explanation while the second administrator modeled what was expected through a demonstration
(personal communication, October 19, 2017). A similar instance was observed in a separate
professional development meeting while going through the emergency procedures with staff, one
person explained verbally while the second modeled what was expected (personal
communication, November 2, 2017). Another individual explained professional development
was also an opportunity for administrators to model the professional conduct and skills they
expect from staff elaborating on opportunities to model listening, giving and taking constructive
feedback, patience, flexibility, problem-solving, and collaboration to name a few (Administrator
B, personal communication, November 3, 2017). An instructor shared this same sentiment
adding this was also an opportunity for staff to support staff in providing critical feedback,
addressing concerns, refining their ideas and practices and get initiatives off the ground (Teacher
J, personal communication, November 6, 2017). One staff member summed up the level of
capacity at Bee Hive Charter High School stating “…we have enough things in place that, when
necessary, we run perfectly fine without AP or admin on campus” (Teacher I, personal
communication, October 27, 2017). In addition to building capacity, it appeared that
professional development also served as an opportunity to inspire staff to be more.
Empower
Bee Hive Charter High School had unique opportunities for leadership, regardless of the
position or title one may hold. Administrator A shared a personal belief in the importance of
empowering stakeholders, she believed people would step up to the opportunity when given a
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chance to make an impact (personal communication, October 10, 2017). She described
individuals as having had significant influence on school programs, practices and culture despite
their position, title or lack thereof. The administrator went on to speak of teacher driven
initiatives that have been implemented in different areas of campus including math initiatives,
literacy initiatives, and business entrepreneurship programs to name a few.
Documented in the faculty and staff survey were perceptions regarding collaboration and
communication within Bee Hive Charter High School. The questions relevant to collaboration
and communication and the faculty and staff responses are presented in Table 4.
Table 4
Survey Questions on Collaboration and Communication #1-6
Question
Strongly
Disagree Disagree Agree
Strongly
Agree
1
School staff are interdependent
and value each other. 0.00% 0.00% 53.33% 46.67%
2
I feel comfortable sharing my
ideas with other staff members. 0.00% 6.67% 40.00% 53.33%
3
The school supports and
appreciates the sharing of new
ideas by staff members. 0.00% 0.00% 46.67% 53.33%
4
Teachers regularly discuss
teaching issues. 6.67% 6.67% 40.00% 46.67%
5
The staff works in teams across
grade levels to help increase
student learning. 6.67% 6.67% 33.33% 53.33%
6
Staff routinely work together to
plan what will be taught 6.67% 6.67% 60.00% 26.67%

The survey data revealed 100% of staff who participated in the survey believed that staff were
interdependent and valued one another. This data also demonstrated that 93% of respondents felt
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comfortable sharing ideas with other staff even though 100% of respondents were perceived the
school supported to support and appreciate staff sharing their ideas. The survey also found 86%
of respondents believed staff routinely worked together to plan what would be taught.
Most people shared similar ideas regarding staff being empowered to use their strengths,
propose ideas, drive initiatives, build their own curriculum, create their own classroom culture
and do what they believed was in the best interest of the student, school and community
(Administrator A, personal communication, October 10, 2017; Administrator B, personal
communication, October 13, 2017; Staff F, personal communication, October 27, 2017; Staff G,
personal communication, November 20, 2017; Teacher I, personal communication, October 27,
2017; Teacher J, personal communication, November 6, 2017; Teacher K, personal
communication, November 16, 2017; Teacher L, personal communication, October, 13,
2017). In doing this, staff was able to make curriculum and their educational experiences more
relevant to student’s lives (Administrator A, personal communication, October 10, 2017).
Teachers know the students better than anyone else and unless they need additional support, they
will do what is in the best interest of the student without need for administrative intervention
(Staff D, personal communication, August 2, 2017). This staff member confirmed Administrator
A’s assertion regarding staff led initiatives citing a teacher led program for emerging
entrepreneurs. This same example came to life when an alumnus of Bee Hive Charter High
School shared his story at career day, spoke of his experience in this program and the significant
impact it had on him, leading him to establish his own socially responsible business (personal
communication, October 20, 2017). He shared what he learned in his time at Bee Hive Charter
High School sharing this lesson with the students in the audience stating “…you have power to
make a difference.” It was clear that this teacher led program provided a life changing
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experience for this young man. Several similar examples of action by empowered individuals
and groups came through in the interviews and observations.
A separate example saw a subpopulation of students and families that did not appear to
have a voice or were not being represented in the various avenues to be heard and a faculty
member took it upon themselves to create an advisory council with parents of English Language
Learner students in order to voice concerns about what was happening with this population of
students and more effectively communicate with other families (Teacher I, personal
communication, September 28, 2017). This group was the only parent organization present at
back to school night, utilizing student support to recruit and promote programs and services for
English Language Learners (ELL) and the ELL Parent Advisory Council (personal
communication, September 28, 2017). Although a new group this year, they were given time on
the agenda as the quarterly School Site Council meeting to be acknowledged and have an
opportunity share their work, ideas and concerns rather than have a maximum of 3 minutes to be
heard as a non-agenda items (personal communication, October 18, 2017). This was only one of
a number of examples the researcher came across during the study where an educator or group of
educators saw a need, gathered support and acted to fill the need. Often times these individuals
utilized their talents to assist in areas beyond their assigned duties and responsibilities
(Administrator A, personal communication, October 10, 2017).
In a similar capacity, students at Bee Hive Charter High School were also empowered to
have a voice to share concerns from which people were educated, policy created, and the school
culture became stronger (Administrator B, personal communication, October 13, 2017; Teacher
H, personal communication, October 27, 2017; Teacher I, personal communication, October 27,
2017; Teacher J, personal communication, November 6, 2017). On the campus tour, there were
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two student tour guides who shared their stories and explained why ECHS is a magical place for
students accomplish things they didn’t know they could (personal communication, October 10,
2017). The tour guide shared the story of a student wanting to create a system to promote the use
of bicycles and teach students how to fix them which resulted in the creation of the bike shop in
partnership with a local organization (personal communication, October 10, 2017). The student
took this experience and created a similar program at Brown University where he attended after
graduating from Bee Hive Charter High School. Administrator B’s interview echoed many of
the same ideas illustrating how students as one subgroup of stakeholders were empowered to
participate, share ideas, create programs and opportunities for other students and shape the
school culture by mentoring new students through a two-week summer bridge experience
(personal communication, October 13, 2017). While observing summer bridge activities over
multiple days, it was easy for the researcher to identify the mentors as they had the full attention
of the new students (personal communication, July 26, 2017; personal communication, July 27,
2017). The new students closely followed direction and seemed eager to interact with the
mentors, almost as though they were seeking approval or acceptance into the group. Later
communication with Administrator B and Teacher J led to the conclusion that it is the
collaboration between student mentors and the summer bridge instructors that provide the
opportunity for student mentors play a significant role in creating and setting the school culture
for the upcoming year (personal communication, October 13, 2017; personal communication,
November 6, 2017).
Through a separate program, educators and students work together to put on a series of
professional development workshops for other educators called the Green Ambassador Institute
(Bee Hive Charter Schools Organization, 2016). Students could apply to be part of the Green
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Ambassadors Internship after completion of the Green Ambassadors, an interdisciplinary
elective course for all students, in their sophomore. This internship opportunity provided an
avenue for student leadership in the 11
th
and 12
th
grade in which the application states students
would be expected to provide community workshops, design environmental service learning
projects and grow personally. The tour guides at Bee Hive Charter High School were
participants of this program, speaking of the skills they have gained and leadership it has allowed
them to develop (personal communication, October 10, 2017). There were many examples of
student leadership communicated through interviews and observed throughout the study, but
none as pronounced as that seen through Leadership, a student led student council program, in
which students initiate and create community service, social and other campus events for the
entire school community with the support of their mentors (Administrator B, personal
communication, October 13, 2017).
Student voice was present in many areas of the school, from curriculum, to culture to
facilities. During a board meeting, several students from the senior class, attended the meeting
and although they were not on the agenda, several students were given the opportunity to make
presentations from the floor (personal communication, January 29, 2018). Each individual gave
a three-minute proposal on a change they would like to see at Bee Hive Charter High School
which included items such as additional curriculum in specialized fields. The students provided
the background for their particular area of interest, their experience, survey data from current
students and other data related to this area. The students were articulate and well prepared as
they presented their proposals to the governing board of the school. The board demonstrated
great appreciation for the students’ proposal and requested an opportunity to further discuss these
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items with the students and school leadership. This observation demonstrated that the students
clearly had a voice as leaders and were not afraid to use it.
One educator summarized their experience saying “things that happen on campus are
organic and authentic” going on to explain that although the framework of the school was set up
to support these types of programs and initiatives, it is the people, at all levels, who have brought
them to life and continue to sustain them (Teacher J, personal communication, November 6,
2017). A prominent feature of Bee Hive Charter High School is that leadership occurs at every
level, from the highest-level administrators to students to the campus maintenance staff,
everyone plays a part. It was becoming clear to the researcher that creating trusting relationships,
giving autonomy and building capacity within the staff provided the opportunity to create
something greater.
Collaborate
Evidence from the interviews and observations revealed a number of prominent
leadership practices. The most common one across the campus was work done in collaboration
with others. The researcher spent one morning sitting in the front office on a typical school
day. On this particular day, an issue arose with testing procedures from the state that people
were not aware of (personal communication, November 2, 2017). The group discussing the issue
went from one office to another, gathering people until all office staff were out of the individual
offices and standing at the receptionist desk to discuss the issue together. During this
conversation, a few staff members referred to additional stakeholders that should be informed of
the issue as they could provide a different perspective or feedback on proposed solutions. It
became clear that every voice was to be heard and every voice mattered. The researcher saw all
staff in the office became part of the conversation to strategize how to best handle the
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situation. No one pointed fingers or placed blame for not having the correct information, rather
all office staff, administrators and teachers who were part of the conversation as equals to come
up with a solution together. At no point in the conversation did anyone say it was not their job,
raise their voice or get upset, on the contrary, everyone calmly seemed to be willing to be part of
the conversation and find a solution that would be in the best interest of the students while
keeping in mind all of the moving parts that had to fall into place. This group of individuals
appeared very comfortable interacting in this way and working in open forum together to resolve
an issue; it looked natural. As individuals, but more often as members of collaborative teams,
leadership existed in all areas of the campus.
It became evident that no major decision is made by one person at Bee Hive Charter High
School. Every major decision was made through collaboration and teamwork. All faculty and
staff worked in teams across campus regardless of role (Administrator A, personal
communication, July 21, 2017; Administrator B, personal communication, October 13, 2017;
Staff F, personal communication, October 27, 2017; Teacher J, personal communication,
November 6, 2017; Teacher K, personal communication, November 16, 2017). Teachers worked
in grade level teams and met once a week with other instructors also teaching students in that
particular grade level (Teacher J, personal communication, November 6, 2017; Teacher K,
personal communication, November 16, 2017). Grade level collaboration was considered to be
crucial for student support as it provided an opportunity for staff to identify students struggling
and work across the grade level to intervene and be responsive (Administrator B, personal
communication, October 13, 2017). In an observation of professional development, the faculty
were working on creating an assignment for an interdisciplinary term that takes place every year
in January (personal communication, October 19, 2017). The faculty worked in grade level
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teams and seemed very familiar with this format. There were active discussions taking place
within each group and all faculty appeared to be participating.
In addition to grade level teams, teachers also worked in teams with their
departments. Through this teamwork, teachers were able to align curriculum vertically and
horizontally as well as provide opportunity for interdisciplinary units taught in collaboration with
other classes. The relatively small size of the students and staff population provided the
opportunity for this type of collaboration as most teachers typically taught only one grade and all
teachers were in only one subject (Teacher M, personal communication, October 13, 2017). The
administrative team work together with leaders of each grade level and department as well as the
and instructional coaches to provide support and guide the direction of campus initiatives
(Administrator C, personal communication, November 20, 2017). Administrators themselves are
part of a “cabinet” which included the leadership team of each of the schools associated with Bee
Hive Charter Schools Organization and the leadership team at the CMO level (Administrator A,
personal communication, October 10, 2017). Cabinet meet once a month as a learning and
support group through which major system wide initiatives were researched and vetted before
being introduced as a possibility to the staff. Above the cabinet were the School Site Council
and School Board which were also composed of a diverse group of stakeholders and collaborated
to do what was in the best interest of the school and student while being true to the mission.
These teams did not exist independently of the rest of the school, rather they were often
called upon to strategize how to support at risk students, address concerns, develop programs,
create interdisciplinary curriculum, observe and provide feedback for each other and support
students in achieving their goals and meeting the high standards set by the school in addition to
the many other responsibilities each of these individuals already had (Administrator B, personal
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communication, October 13, 2017). Although these teams often met independently of each
other, there was evidence on the professional development calendar of additional time being
provided for these teams to meet with specific objectives to accomplish (Bee Hive Charter High
School, 2017g). This year, a major concern that arose was the restructuring of the senior thesis,
a graduation requirement which included a research paper, civic action project and defense
(Administrator A, personal communication, October 10, 2017). The 12
th
grade team employed
the support and work of the other grade level and department teams to identify the root of the
problem and collaborate to fix the issue in an effort to make the program become more
sustainable. There were seemingly endless examples of this collaborative team work that created
significant change to curriculum, culture and programing at Bee Hive Charter High School,
however, it is valuable to note that in the vast majority of cases, teams and individuals took these
projects upon themselves by choice rather than as an assignment attached to their respective
work load. In that way, it was clear to see that people were willing to take on more, utilizing
their strengths for the good of the community.
Beyond the group of employed educators, there were additional collaborative groups
present at the campus that played significant roles. Through the website, information on the
School Site Council was made available identifying the group to contain students, parents,
teachers and administrators (Bee Hive Charter High School, 2017j; Bee Hive Charter High
School, 2017k; Bee Hive Charter High School, 2017l). The School Site Council served as a
leadership team and advisory board to the school as they discussed the LCAP, Single Plan for
Student Achievement (SPSA), achievement and engagement and other concerns or items they
brought to the table. These documents provided a written account of collaboration among
stakeholders. In observing a School Site Council meeting, the researcher found the level to
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which this diverse group of stakeholders collaborated to give input and make decisions (personal
communication, October 18, 2017). An active discussion took place between parents, students,
teachers and administrators while reviewing feedback from surveys and the Single Plan for
Student Achievement. The researcher observed that all stakeholders took active roles in the
discussion, with administrators beginning with guiding questions and stepping back, allowing the
discussion to flow in an authentic manner without interruption. This was one example of a
formalized group that provided stakeholders a clear opportunity to collaborate with school
personnel and provide critical feedback. Administrators shared a common understanding
regarding stakeholder input and collaboration as an additional lens through which learning
experiences may be improved (Administrator A, personal communication, July 21, 2017;
Administrator B, personal communication, October 13, 2017).
In an effort to answer the second guiding research question regarding leadership
practices, the research found common elements that surfaced across the data. The first element
that seemed essential to the leadership present was positive relationships founded in mutual trust
and respect. These relationships paved the way for a significant amount of autonomy given to
staff to customize and create their curriculum. There was also found to be a significant effort
toward building capacity among the staff through various ongoing professional development
opportunities. The last element that was consistent through the data was a collaborative culture
that existed through the creation of teams which took on responsibilities as an extension of
campus leadership.
Findings for Research Question 3
The third research question guiding this study was: What are the cultural norms in an
urban outperforming non-traditional school?
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While the first two research questions in this study sought to uncover various types of
program and practices throughout the campus, the third question sought to dive further in to the
intangible and difficult to measure area of school culture. Since this case study did not include
direct contact with students, the researcher was forced to rely on archived survey data, the
perceptions of teachers, staff and administrators and observations made by the researcher. One
thing that was made obvious by several interviews and observations was that people were not
mandated to be at Bee Hive Charter High School, it was a school of choice, not a local public
school. Students applied to go into a lottery to attend the school and were asked to do more than
they would at the local traditional public school, yet they stayed. Tour guides on the campus
tour shared their story of being told by their parents they had to attend in 9
th
grade and making the
decisions to stay as upperclassmen when they were given a choice (personal communication,
October 10, 2017). Staff also made it very clear that it was a choice to come to and stay at Bee
Hive Charter High School, they liked being there (Administrator A, personal communication,
July 21, 2017; Administrator B, personal communication, October 13, 2017; Administrator C,
personal communication, November 20, 2017; Staff D, personal communication, August 2,
2017; Staff F, personal communication, October 27, 2017; Teacher I, personal communication,
October 27, 2017; Teacher K, personal communication, November 16, 2017; Teacher M,
personal communication, October 13, 2017). Each staff member stated their own reasons for
choosing to come and choosing to stay as did the tour guides, but many stories held the same
idea regarding the people present and culture that existed in the school.
During interviews, a staff member spoke about the culture, sharing that it was positive
because “…it was organic, and it grew on its own” continuing on to share “we had a voice in
creating what BHCHS is basically” (Teacher K, personal communication, November 16,
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2017). This staff member was not alone in their belief and perspective of the creation of school
culture with a number of staff speaking about the development of several programs and practices
to intentionally impact campus culture that were driven by faculty and staff (Administrator B,
personal communication, October 13, 2017; Staff D, personal communication, August 2, 2017;
Staff F, personal communication, October 27, 2017; Teacher I, personal communication, October
27, 2017; Teacher K, personal communication, November 16, 2017; Teacher M, personal
communication, October 13, 2017).
Acceptance
In all of the researcher’s experiences coming onto campus for various activities and
typical school days, she experienced being welcomed. A review of the Parent/Family School
Climate Survey revealed that families felt welcomed at the school (Bee Hive Charter High
School, 2017m). Arriving to campus for back to school night, the researcher was greeted with
smiles and friendly faces welcoming her to the campus and asking her if she knew what room
she was going to (personal communication, September 28, 2017). While at this event, the
researcher sat at a bench outside of the classroom in the center of campus to observe people’s
interactions. Students and parents greeted each other verbally and with smiles. Often these
greetings included hugs and a few sentences before going their separate ways. An instructor
shared their observation that the campus itself is a welcoming space (Teacher K, personal
communication, November 16, 2017).
Interviews in this study indicated that there was a multifaceted community and culture
present at BHCHS. Administrators, staff and teachers alike shared a common response that was
evident in all interviews, students were welcomed and accepted for who they are and where they
are (Administrator A, personal communication, October 10, 2017; Administrator B, personal
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communication, October 13, 2017; Administrator C, personal communication, November 20,
2017; Staff D, personal communication, August 2, 2017; Staff F, personal communication,
October 27, 2017; Staff G, personal communication, November 20, 2017; Teacher H, personal
communication, October 27, 2017; Teacher I, personal communication, October 27, 2017;
Teacher J, personal communication, November 6, 2017; Teacher K, personal communication,
November 16, 2017; Teacher L, personal communication, October, 13, 2017). This statement
had many connotations and the idea further developed as interview respondents shared that
students were accepted where they were academically, socially, economically, personally and
politically. Regardless of the student’s ability to read at a 1
st
grade level or a 12
th
grade level
(Teacher I, personal communication, October 27, 2017), they were accepted as valued members
of the classroom community in which all participants contribute to the learning environment
(Administrator B, personal communication, October 13, 2017; Staff F, personal communication,
October 27, 2017; Teacher I, personal communication, October 27, 2017; Teacher K, personal
communication, November 16, 2017). Additionally, educational supports put in place to meet
the academic and personal needs of the student (Administrator B, personal communication,
October 13, 2017). Respondents pointed out that some of their students may not quite fit in at
larger traditional schools and their varied unique interests and talents were embraced at Bee Hive
Charter High School (Administrator B, personal communication, October 23, 2017; Staff F,
personal communication, October 27, 2017; Teacher H, personal communication, October 27,
2017; Teacher I, personal communication, October 27, 2017; Teacher K, personal
communication, November 16, 2017). Diversity is accepted and was viewed as something that
enriched the community rather than cause division. One staff member shared that if a student
wanted to go “…from a he to a she or a she to a he, go for it…” going on to explain that it would
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be accepted by this community with little to no fuss (Teacher I, personal communication,
October 27, 2017). Students who struggled with their own self-identity had a safe space to
discuss this with a counselor, teacher or peers. The school was a safe haven for even the most
nontraditional quirky students to be accepted and encouraged to be themselves. Every
respondent interviewed shared that no matter where the student was in their own development,
both intellectual and personal, they were accepted and pushed to be their best selves in and out of
the classroom.
Providing some historical reference, an instructor shared that in their time at Bee Hive
Charter High School, they had witnessed a cultural shift that lead to this acceptance of all
peoples and staff too no longer had to fight against stereotypes (Teacher K, personal
communication, November 16, 2017). Bee Hive Charter High School had become a welcoming
and safe space where all faculty, staff and students could speak their mind without being judged.
These same ideas were observed at the School Site Council and School Board meetings (personal
communication, October 18, 2017; personal communication, January 29, 2018). The researcher
found that all were welcome, regardless of who they were and how they were or were not
connected to the school. At these meetings, visitors and members alike were granted the
opportunity to speak their truth and be heard.
In observing the closing session of the summer bridge program, the research found that
the pep rally was entirely student run (personal communication, July 28, 2017). A few staff
members were present for the full event and shared a few words at the opening and closing of the
event, but it was clear that the students were trusted to lead the community. In a loud voice with
the attention of their fellow mentors and incoming class of new students, the mentors hosted the
unveiling of advisory names and themes. The students cheered each other on as one by one,
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their advisories were named, and they officially became part of the Bee Hive Charter High
School family. There was a great deal of student leadership and trust demonstrated through this
event, however, the overarching message of this pep rally was acceptance, acceptance as official
members of an advisory and the school community.
In review of the classroom lessons tracked on Google Slides presentations from one
course, the researcher located a classroom activity embedded into one of the introductory
lessons. The activity was a class puzzle and the directions read:
As a member of the human race, this school and even this class you are one piece
of a larger puzzle. Even when you do not realize it, your piece is important to the
overall success of those around you. In the following assignment create a puzzle
piece that shows who you are and what you bring to this class (Teacher I, 2017).
Through this and several other activities in these notes, it was a demonstration of an intentional
effort on the part of the instructor to foster inclusion and community within the classroom
environment. In conversation with the instructor, after review of her lessons, it was clear that
inclusion and acceptance were a significant part of the culture she purposefully sought to create
within her classroom environment.
In additional to the planned events and classroom lessons, there were also physical signs
of welcome and acceptance through the campus. The small enclosed campus was full of hand
painted signs, murals and crafted objects (personal communication, June 2, 2017). There were
several pieces of art that demonstrated a wide variety of student diversity and the things that
were common or unite people on the campus. One particular piece of art that stood out was on
the bathroom bungalow that separated the upper campus and lower campus. There was a boys’
bathroom, girls’ bathroom and human bathroom to accommodate both students and staff. This
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aligned with the fostering of an accepting and safe community. As simple as it may have been,
the idea that no matter what an individual identifies as, they are human and have a place to
belong went a long way, especially for students trying to figure out who they are (Administrator
B, personal communication, October 13, 2017).
Community
The Bee Hive Charter High School campus was one in which people came first,
relationships were stressed over all other things (Administrator A, personal communication,
October 10, 2017; Administrator B, personal communication, October 13, 2017; Teacher H,
personal communication, October 27, 2017; Teacher I, personal communication, October 27,
2017; Teacher J, personal communication, November 6, 2017; Teacher K, personal
communication, November 16, 2017; Teacher M, personal communication, October 13,
2017). One administrator elaborated on the idea of people first stating “…our content's
important, sure, but more than that we want to make sure that our students walk out with the
confidence to be the people they want to be, and we know that, that matters more than our
content” (Administrator C, personal communication, November 20, 2017). As was previously
reviewed, it was a prominent leadership practice to build strong trusting relationships with and
among staff. Staff shared their view of other staff as more than coworkers, they were family
(Administrator B, personal communication, October 13, 2017; Staff D, personal communication,
August 2, 2017; Staff G, personal communication, November 20, 2017; Teacher I, personal
communication, October 27, 2017; Teacher J, personal communication, November 6, 2017). In
a similar way, faculty took the lead from administrators and in a similar way worked to foster
positive relationships with their own students (Teacher I, personal communication, October 27,
2017; Teacher J, personal communication, November 6, 2017; Teacher K, personal
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communication, November 16, 2017). In an effort to make sure that every student had an adult
connection in the campus community, one educator explained a process that took place at the
beginning of the year in which the names of every student went up on a wall and staff identify
students they would commit to develop close connections with in an effort to make sure that
every student has at least one connection and no one falls through the cracks (Administrator B,
personal communication, November 3, 2017; Teacher I, personal communication, October 13,
2017). The teacher I went on to explain that this was more than just lip service, as she often
witnessed teachers creating purposeful and meaningful relationships with their students.
Teachers shared the value of getting to know their students as people and the value of taking an
interest in their lives (Teacher I, personal communication, October 27, 2017; Teacher J, personal
communication, November 6, 2017; Teacher K, personal communication, November 16, 2017).
Another staff member echoed the sentiment saying students are not numbers at the school, they
are known by name (Staff D, personal communication, August 2, 2017). The small campus
encouraged the building and sustaining of meaningful relationships with and across students and
staff (Administrator B, personal communication, October 13, 2017; Teacher M, personal
communication, October 13, 2017). When everyone knows everyone else, no one is going to fall
through the cracks.
Another instructor shared their relationship with students explaining that students often
view instructors as mentors asking about their own experiences in college and words of wisdom
as many do not have the social capital because they are first generation college student (Teacher
K, personal communication, November 16, 2017). Administrator C took it a step further
explaining that she saw the students as her own children and entrusts them to the faculty and
staff every day (personal communication, November 20, 2017). If she did not have full
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confidence in the environment or individuals within BHCHS to care for her children and meet
their needs fully, she would take action to correct the situation immediately. Other interview
respondents shared that they either previously or currently had their own family members attend
BHCHS because they believed in the mission of the school and trusted the faculty and staff with
the wellbeing and development of their own family (Administrator B, personal communication,
October 13, 2017).
Documented in the faculty and staff survey were perceptions of school environment at
Bee Hive Charter High School. The questions relevant to school environment and the faculty
and staff responses are presented in Table 5.
Table 5
Survey Questions on School Environment #1-4

Question
Strongly
Disagree Disagree Agree
Strongly
Agree
1 Student discipline is managed well. 0.00% 6.25% 75.00% 18.75%
2
Teachers show they care about all
of their students. 0.00% 0.00% 56.25% 43.75%
3
The staff respects the diversity of
all their students. 0.00% 6.25% 56.25% 37.50%
4
Student interactions are polite and
supportive of one another 0.00% 0.00% 87.50% 12.50%

The survey revealed 100% of respondents believed that faculty demonstrate care for all their
students. Survey data also indicated 100% of respondents perceived student supported one
another.
In review of the results of the Parent/Family School Climate Survey, there were a number
of items that highlighted the importance of community and meaningful experiences, but the item
that stood out most as it relates to culture, was that respondents overwhelming believed that the
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staff at Bee Hive Charter High School really cared about their students (Bee Hive Charter High
School, 2017m). Staff shared that people on the campus continuously “…go above and
beyond…” (Staff D, personal communication, August 2, 2017), making themselves available to
support students and each other on a personal and professional level, rather than pass on the issue
to someone else. There is a great level of care that was expressed through interview responses.
Interviews revealed that the school and main office are welcoming spaces with an Open Office
Policy, where parents and other stakeholders can come in for anything they wish to do or discuss,
and the office staff is there to assist during all hours of operation (Administrator A, personal
communication, October 10, 2017; Staff D, personal communication, August 2, 2017). Many
expressed that this policy in which no one gets turned away is a direct response to the level of
care with which they operate. This was made clear through a number of observations, but most
prominently during one particular campus observation.
While sitting in the front office for several hours the researcher was able to observe the
open office policy in action (personal communication, November 2, 2018). The front door was
literally open for the four-hour observation. Students freely walked in and out of the office and
into the individual office of administrators, counselors and other office staff to ask questions,
turn in papers, say hello or share some other piece of information. The office staff called
acknowledged each of the students by name and kindly filled their request or shared relevant
information. The office was constantly humming with voices that could be heard coming from
the various offices as people moved around and discussed things that were going on. Students
who were not called to the office, walked right into the administrator’s office to discuss a
concern regarding another student which led to the other student being brought in and the
administrator having lunch with all of the students to discuss the concern and collaborate with
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the students to find a resolution. An administrator who had a tight schedule clearly posted on her
door, stopped what she was doing to address the student concern before returning to her busy
day. At no point did administrators or office staff ask for the student to go speak to someone else
or say that they were too busy to help. On the contrary, the administrator made it clear to the
students that they were important and deserved to be heard. In the same way, several staff
members who needed to speak with office staff were welcomed into the space and listened to.
Open teacher-student relationship based on trust allowed for open conversation and
guidance (Teacher K, personal communication, November 16, 2017). In other observations,
there were many instances were faculty appeared to be working to create or maintain
relationships with their students. On one occasion, there were teachers having lunch with
students on picnic benches (personal communication, October 13, 2017). A different instructor
was observed utilized classroom lessons to provide personal examples for students relate to the
material which also demonstrated the level of trust that existed between the students and teacher
for this level of sharing (personal communication, October 13, 2017). These trusting
relationships with staff allow students to share frustration and give feedback about experience
(Administrator C, personal communication, November 20, 2017). In one example cited by a
number of people a group of students came to administration with concerns regarding
macroaggressions they had seen and experienced on campus (Administrator B, personal
communication, November 3, 2017; Teacher H, personal communication, October 27, 2017;
Teacher I, personal communication, October 27, 2017; Teacher J, personal communication,
November 6, 2017). The responsive team of administrators and faculty took this feedback
seriously, taking significant time from professional development to unpack the situation with
faculty and staff. A collaboration of faculty, staff and student leaders devised a plan to address
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this concern which led to additional policy and new practices for how certain issues were
handled across the campus in an effort to make the community a safe space for all.
Safe
There were several words used to describe the school culture, the first and often
referenced in several sources was safe. In the politically charged world that exists in the United
States under this current administration, there is a significant amount of fear often experienced
by immigrant families. Although this may be, immigrant families and students are welcomed
with open arms and supported as full member of the community. In a letter to the community
following the president’s announcement to repeal the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
(DACA), the school and charter management organization pledge support for their students
providing facts about the situation and resources for families in need of professional or legal
support (Bee Hive Charter High School, 2016e).
In a different sense of the word, the campus culture was also safe as it provided
opportunities to try something new, make mistakes and learn from those experiences.
Students in an integrated Math 2 class, observed by the researcher, felt comfortable
enough in a room full of peers to volunteer to come up to the board and lead the class in
examples they had created based on the content they had learned that day explaining the logic
and steps to solve the problem (personal communication, September 29, 2017). Although not all
students got it quite right and were corrected by peers, they were congratulated by peers for
making the effort. It was a safe place to learn and take healthy risks. One staff shared their
perception was that everyone was a learner on campus, both students and educators continue to
learn and grow from their daily interactions, experiences, and failed attempts (Teacher K,
personal communication, November 16, 2017).
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The campus community was a safe space to discover who you are with the support and
acceptance of peers and staff. Students working to discover their own self-identity had a safe
space within various groups including their advisory, clubs and organizations like the gay-
straight-alliance and in the confidence of the educators on campus (Administrator B, personal
communication, October 13, 2017). In one classroom used for a back to school night
presentation, a large handmade sign was posted at the front of the room, just beside the
whiteboard. The sign read: “In this space, we humanize each other by… respect, helping each
other, supportive, listen, being nice, not judging, encouraging, not put-downs, believing in each
other” (personal communication, September 28, 2017). Staff feel comfortable and enough to
bring their children and families to campus for events and on regular days (Teacher I, personal
communication, October 27, 2017).
A review of the Parent Guardian Student Handbook revealed “per the Tribe Agreements,
students are expected to treat others with respect” going on to detail prohibited behavior
explaining that the school “…will not tolerate behavior, such as intimidation, harassment or
bullying, that infringes on the safety and wellbeing of any student (Board of Directors, 2017a,
p.41). A staff member shared that students are communicated the expectation to "…be a
tolerant, decent human being while you are on this campus, despite how you may act anywhere
else" (Teacher I, personal communication, October 27, 2017). The staff member shared that this
was initially done in Summer Bridge and carried on through the school year with advisory and
other programs.
During a two-week Summer Bridge program, Bee Hive Charter High School
upperclassmen mentored, modeled and explained the expectations for all members of the
community as taught by the program instructors and counselors. All new students were taught
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about the tribe agreements, a standard of behavior to which all members of the community were
held to. The Tribe Agreements include attentive listening, appreciations/no put downs, mutual
respect, the right to pass/right to participate, assume best intentions and mindfulness
(Administrator B, personal communication, October 23, 2017; Teacher J, personal
communication, November 6, 2017). These agreements boil down to respect and being active
participants in the community. Not only are students held to these standards of behavior, so too
are staff held to living out the Tribe Agreements and promoting them within their classroom and
the campus community (Teacher I, personal communication, October 27, 2017). The tribe
agreements were observed to be posted in various classrooms throughout the campus (personal
communication, October 13, 2017).
Through Summer Bridge, the incoming students build bonds with their tribe who would
become their Advisory homeroom. The Summer Bridge mentors followed visited their advisory
to help resolve issues or continue to model behavior as needed throughout the year. This
program took a considerable amount of work and input from various stakeholders. The
instructors responsible for the program shared that students play a vital role in the program. In
addition to executing the program, student mentors also provide valuable feedback to the
program coordinators and suggestions on how to improve the program to best serve the incoming
class and create community. This program was said by several individuals to have one of the
most significant impacts on school culture for incoming students as it sets a standard for
behavior and participation in the community (Administrator A, personal communication, July 21,
2017; Administrator B, personal communication, October 13, 2017; Administrator C, personal
communication, November 20, 2017; Staff D, personal communication, August 2, 2017; Staff F,
personal communication, October 27, 2017; Staff G, personal communication, November 20,
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2017; Teacher H, personal communication, October 27, 2017; Teacher I, personal
communication, October 27, 2017; Teacher J, personal communication, November 6,
2017). Among the many prominent features of the culture were safety and acceptance developed
through relationship of trust.
Interviews revealed that just as in Summer Bridge it was often the students who were the
movers and shakers, keeping the campus community informed of the experience of ‘the
other’ (Administrator B, personal communication, October 13, 2017; Administrator C, personal
communication, November 20, 2017; Staff D, personal communication, August 2, 2017; Teacher
H, personal communication, October 27, 2017; Teacher J, personal communication, November
6, 2017). Through the school’s GSA, a Day of Silence was held with both student and faculty
participation to highlight the impact and value of each voice in the community and bring
attention to the struggles of the LGBT community (Administrator B, personal communication,
October 13, 2017). In a similar way, the Green Ambassadors interns promoted care for the
environment and often lead the way for community activism (Bee Hive Charter Schools
Organization, 2016). Student involved in Leadership played a large role in creating school
culture as they were the driving force behind campus wide events and initiatives to bring to the
student body (Administrator A, personal communication, October 10, 2017; Administrator B,
personal communication, November 3, 2017). Leadership was a prime example of students
leading and encouraging the rest of the student body to buy into something, rather than staff
being the driving force behind initiatives. In a similar way, students also led the way for
celebration of their peers and achievements. The school staff also celebrated community
members by give them a praise during bi-weekly staff meetings, school wide assemblies, and in
bulletin announcements to be read during advisory (personal communication, July 28, 2017;
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personal communication, October 20, 2017), however the most impactful praise came in the face
to face acknowledgements of students and staff observed by the researcher (personal
communication, October 13, 2017; personal communication, November 2, 2017).
Another cultural piece uncovered by the researcher was the idea of a minimum level of
participation. This idea may have been linked to the tribe agreements although never explicitly
stated. One of the tribe agreements was known as the right to pass/right to participate which
meant that an individual had the opportunity to decide not to share something or take part in
specified activity, but provided that that individual also had every right as a member of the
community to share their truth or participate in the activity (Teacher J, personal communication,
November 6, 2017). This did not mean a student could decide not to complete an assignment or
take a test, rather it was reserved for more personal sharing and activities that pushed students
out of their comfort zone. Examples provided from classroom included the sharing of personal
stories written in English 10 classrooms or the college essays written in college prep 11
(Administrator B, personal communication, October 13, 2017; Teacher I, personal
communication, October 27, 2017). A safe environment was set up to allow students to
participate in the confidence of the group, but no one was required to share their story if they
were not ready or did not feel comfortable doing so. Although students were not required to
share in these instances, there was a minimum level of participation and that included writing
their story, even if they would not share it and listening attentively to the stories of others who
had chosen to share.
An examination of documents provided to 9
th
grade families at a back to school night
meeting highlighted a “minimum level of participation” expected by all students on multi-day
overnight outdoor education trips (Bee Hive Charter High School, n.d.). In an individual follow
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up with the presenter regarding this phrase and many similar expectations shared in the
presentation, he shared that this community requires all participants to be engaged in the learning
process (Teacher N, personal communication, September 28, 2017). He continued sharing that
the whole class benefits when all are engaged in the learning process and stated that learning
does not just happen to someone, rather it happens when people are active participants in the
process. Another staff member shared that outdoor education is for everyone, clarifying that
staff member and student has the opportunity to on an outdoor education multi-day overnight trip
regardless of experience, familiarity, etc. (Teacher F, personal communication, October 27,
2017). Although there were minimum standards for participation, the standards for performance
were high across the board.
High Expectations
In the preliminary document review phase of this study there were a number of items that
seemed to jump off the pages of the 2017-2018 Parent Guardian Student Handbook (Board of
Directors, 2017a). The first and most prominent throughout the document were the high
expectations set for all students. The graduation requirements listed included 240 units of
coursework with passing grades in addition to:
• Application and Admission into a 4-Year University
• Complete the SAT Multiple Subject Test (SAT 1) and/or ACT
• Passing Score on the California High School Exit Exam (English and
Mathematics)
• Complete and pass Senior Thesis Project (Consists of Research Paper, Civic
Action and Presentation
• 80 Hours of Community Service (Board of Directors, 2017a, p. 9)
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The handbook explicitly states “BHCHS believes that all students can achieve at the highest
levels. All BHCHS students are required to take the most rigorous course schedule available to
them” (Board of Directors, 2017a, p.17). Students earning grades lower than a C were required
to remediate them immediately or they would be considered “not on track to graduate” and
would be held back if they did not complete the minimum number of required units in order to
move on to the next grade level. This document also provides information regarding a no “D”
grading scale with the only exception being students with such an accommodation on an IEP.
Documented in the faculty and staff survey were perceptions of standards and
expectations within Bee Hive Charter High School. The questions relevant to standards and
expectations and the faculty and staff responses were presented in the Table 3 of the previous
section.
Table 3
Survey Questions on Standards/Expectations of non-traditional schools #1-4
Question
Strongly
Disagree Disagree Agree
Strongly
Agree
1
Students are expected to
achieve at high standards. 0.00% 0.00% 50.00% 50.00%
2
All students are consistently
challenged by a rigorous
curriculum. 0.00% 6.25% 62.50% 31.25%
3
Teachers are involved in
creating and implementing a
culturally relevant curriculum. 0.00% 12.50% 31.25% 56.25%
4
The school gives teachers
substantial freedom to carry
out lessons and activities. 0.00% 0.00% 18.75% 81.25%
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The survey data revealed 100% of respondents believed students are expected to achieve high
standards with the vast majority, 93% of respondents, reporting rigorous curriculum challenges
students consistently.
Students were introduced to the high standards well before they started at Bee Hive
Charter High School (Administrator B, personal communication, October 13, 2017). These
expectations are communicated at high school nights, open house and enrollment meetings then
once again in greater depth during Summer Bridge. BHCHS did not just communicate high
standards, they held both staff and students accountable to them and did not waiver (Teacher I,
personal communication, October 27, 2017). For staff it was the constant observations and
reflection of the teacher development program aligned with the BHCS Best Practices Rubric.
The bar for students was also set high; students are asked to juggle a number of demanding
courses in addition to being active members of the community and meet additional graduation
requirements, and they do it (Staff D, personal communication, August 2, 2017). Although
expectations are set high, students rise to the challenge, regardless of where they came from and
where they are going (Teacher H, personal communication, October 27, 2017). They may
stumble along the way, but they learn that they are capable and powerful (Teacher K, personal
communication, November 16, 2017). In a similar way, faculty and staff also rose to the
challenge when the opportunity presented itself. In the face of turn over or mid-year staffing
changes, faculty and staff took on additional responsibilities to keep the cogs turning with little
more than a hiccup (Administrator A, personal communication, October 10, 2017; Staff G,
personal communication, November 20, 2017; Teacher I, personal communication, October 27,
2017; Teacher K, personal communication, November 16, 2017).
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In this review and analysis of the data collected for this third and final research question
related to school culture, the researcher found a number of prominent items present through the
data. The first element that came through in all interview and most observations was the
importance of caring and meaningful relationships between and among staff and students.
Through the atmosphere developed by relationships and practice of the Tribe Agreements, was
one of safety, respect and acceptance for all members of the community which celebrated and
embraced the diversity within. The last major element that came through a consistent standard of
high exceptions for all members of the community.
Emergent Themes
The data collected to answer the three research questions was analyzed and triangulated
resulting in three themes that emerged as overarching characteristics of the programs, practices
and culture present at this non-traditional urban outperforming k-12 school.
Intentional and Responsive Student-Centered Programs
Throughout this study there were a number of programs and practices that emerged as
important and relevant in maintaining Bee Hive Charter High School current ability to function
as it does. Of all the data collected and analyzed for this study, one theme emerged that appeared
to be all encompassing and descriptive of the programs and practices present at Bee Hive Charter
High School, the presence of intentional and responsive student-centered programs developed
through reflective practice.
Aligned with the mission and vision of Bee Hive Charter Highs School, a BHCS Best
Practices Rubric declares the importance and value of small learning communities,
interdisciplinary curriculum & authentic assessment, relevant & engaging instruction,
environmental & experiential learning, and collaboration with partners (Bee Hive Charter
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Schools Organization, 2015). A result of research, data collection, and reflection, these Best
Practices guided programs, practices and policies that are at their core student-centered. The
creation of a teacher development program to support all educators improve their practice, as it
pertains to the five areas of the best practices, is anchored in the best interest of the students.
With all major staff initiatives being tied to at least one area on the Best Practices Rubric, it is
nearly impossible to stray from the mission and vision of the school.
The presence of passionate individuals who believed in the mission and vision of the
school allowed for the mission to come to life in a culturally relevant and authentic way. One
educator called teachers “…Social Justice Warriors…” because they work to combat the barriers
set by society for the demographic of students served by BHCHS (Administrator B, personal
communication, October 13, 2017). Administrators spoke of granting access and equity through
dismantling systems of oppression and thus changing the way education looks (Administrator C,
personal communication, November 20, 2017) in an effort to empower students and make this
experience more applicable outside of the classroom. Through intentionally providing authentic
experiences in and out of the classroom, unlike typical lessons and field trips, Bee Hive Charter
High School exposed students to a world beyond their community, challenge them to take
healthy risks as they explored and found their place in the world. Examples of these intentional
learning experiences included the Green Ambassadors sustainable cook off, the social
entrepreneurship business plan, and annual multi-day overnight outdoor education opportunities
for all students.
As result of reflective practice through data analysis and stakeholder input, programs
were created, promising practices expanded, initiatives adapted and a school community molded
to address the needs of the students. There were many examples of responsive student-centered
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practice, including student supports such as Math Lab, the expansion of the counseling
department, college prep courses and a number of partnerships to provide students with
additional resources beyond the capacity of the school. Simple examples of responsive student-
centered program can be seen through leadership and the afterschool program which are entirely
crafted as a response of student interest.
With respect to the literature, many findings were aligned to what was present in the
literature, however in many instances findings took the simple explanation in the literature to a
level beyond what was found in the literature. Aligned with research, Bee Hive Charter High
School intentionally aligned all programs and services to a shared vision (Allensworth et al.,
2001) taking it a step further creating a rubric by which to measure all programs, services,
practices and staff performance. In addition to the alignment of a vision, the alignment of
curriculum and assessment (Cohen, 1987; English & Steffy, 2001; Shannon & Bylsma, 2007)
were also found in the literature which was consistent with practice at Bee Hive Charter High
School, however it was taken a step further to include alignment for all subjects with the state
standards and vertical alignment within departments to not only promote student success in one
class, but promote future success. The literature reviewed found effective instructional structures,
including, but not limited to, small group activities, authentic experiences, assessments with
reflective components (Zemelman et al., 2005) with additional literature indicating students learn
best when they are faced with “…genuine challenges, choices, and responsibility in their own
learning” (Zemelman et al., 2005, p. 10). Through ongoing targeted professional development
and the teacher development system, faculty are able to develop their own curriculum to
authentically meet the needs of their students providing them with group activities, reflection and
self-evaluation of learning in addition to exposing them to authentic experiences through
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partnerships with the community. Bee Hive Charter High School took the idea of student
learning to a new level through the application of real world challenges applied to
interdisciplinary group projects during a month-long intersession term through which students
have options to select topic areas and focus for their project based on personal interest.
Educational activities were purposeful, engaging students and encouraging them to take risks to
further their knowledge and understanding (Cotton, 2000; Gay, 2000), but also culturally
relevant and aligned to real world challenges that this generation will face as they grow into
adulthood. Through providing culturally responsive, authentic curriculum (Daniels et al., 2001;
Darling-Hammond, 2002; McTighe et al., 2004) and examples of success from their own
community BHCHS provided an opportunity to promote not only academic success, but personal
success not described in the literature.
Although the literature provided a solid foundation, there were ideas and practices not
found in previous literature regarding the application of ideas and concepts found in the
literature. Although this is one case study that cannot be generalized nor applied for causation,
the researcher believes there is more to be uncovered about the underlying reasons as to why this
combination of practices has provided such positive outcomes.
Collaborative Shared Leadership
Although a number of leadership practices arose in this study the most salient leadership
practice was a collaborative style of shared leadership made possible through continuous efforts
to build capacity among staff and stakeholders alike. Leadership existed at every level within the
school. In creating this style of leadership, the hierarchical titles remained, but the power to act
was not centralized or maintained by a few individuals. Leadership was shared among the
various teams and stakeholders.
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This style of leadership was achieved through three separate, but concurrent
processes. First school leaders established and maintain a foundation of trusting relationships
based on mutual respect and appreciation with and among faculty. Second, school leaders were
tasked to building capacity, giving faculty the tools they need to successfully do what is being
asked of them. Capacity building was done by providing continuous mission aligned professional
development relevant and applicable to the faculty’s practice. In addition to staff professional
development opportunities, faculty received individual weekly coaching to improve their
practice. These individuals were empowered to act in the best interest of the students, school and
community. A clear example of this is a faculty member who recognized that a subpopulation of
students and parents did not appear to have a voice and as a result created a parent advisory
council for parents of ELL so their voice and concerns may also be heard. The third piece to
achieving this leadership style required school leaders set up collaborative team centered
environment and empower teams to share responsibilities for different areas.
At Bee Hive Charter High School, teams included grade level teams and department
teams. Different teams had different functions and purposes. Each team had a designated team
leader who was responsible to keep the ball rolling, the collaboration going and maintain open
communication with the rest of the school community, but not to do all the work. Grade level
teams were designed to work together to support students, create grade level programing, lead
grade level outdoor education trips, plan interdisciplinary curriculum, address the needs of their
assigned grade level, improve their practice and review, reflect and make meaning of grade level
data. They essentially took ownership of what happened in that particular grade
level. Departments met to discuss, refine, and align curriculum, improve teaching practice,
review and reflect on subject area data, address current issues with subject area and support one
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another. Although the department teams did not have ownership over a grade level, they had
ownership of what happened within their department. These same ideas were utilized to create a
student run Leadership program in which students take ownership and initiative when it comes to
creating campus culture and hosting events for the school.
On the surface, the leadership practices at Bee Hive Charter High School may appear
similar to distributive leadership, in which a top leader empowers those around them to take on
leadership roles (Elmore, 2000), and transformational leadership, in which a leader forms a
relationship to transform followers into leaders (Burns, 1978), which both appear to be
happening in this situation, yet the researcher was inclined to believe that there was more to this.
The researcher draws a distinction between these two ideas and what is present at Bee
Hive Charter High School that leads the researcher to describe leadership practices as a shared
leadership rather than distributive. One administrator spoke about the style of shared leadership
she experienced at Bee Hive Charter High School explaining that as a top administrator by title,
she did not have all the answers and a top down approach would not produce the best outcomes
for student learning, achievement or growth (Administrator A, personal communication, October
10, 2017). She acknowledged others were better informed or had more relevant experiences to
make decisions in certain areas than she did. The researcher does not believe this style of
leadership is distributive as this administrator is not inviting guidance or recommendations
(Burns, 1978), rather they are giving the power to the teams to do what is in the best interest of
the student and school
The administrator also spoke of the increased productivity and depth a collaborative
group could produce over that of an individual. She felt her role was just as much guiding the
school toward constant improvement and staying true to the mission and vision as it was to
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support the decisions of the collaborative teams and campus leaders. In this case study,
leadership did not exist top down, nor was it just distributed, rather it was shared with the whole
community as individuals and groups empowered to take on leadership roles.
In reflection of the literature, it was evident that Bee Hive Charter High School possessed
characteristics of a high performing school as noted in the literature review (Haycock et al.,
1999; Kannapel et al., 2005; Lezotte, 2001; Shannon & Bylsma, 2007), however, these
characteristics were loosely defined in the literature review and as such was challenging for the
researcher to utilize this information to provide a meaningful comparison. If the characteristics of
a high performing school was a matter of checking items off a list, Bee Hive Charter High
School was on board, however, if one was to clearly define and put parameters around such
characteristics, the researcher believe there would be distinct differences. In review of the
literature, there seemed to be an absence of information as it related to relationships at high
performing schools outside of literature specifically referring to collaboration (Hall & Hord,
2006; Shannon & Bylsma, 2007). Literature on positive results of educator collaboration (Barth,
1990; Hall & Hord, 2006; Rosenholtz, 1989; Shannon & Bylsma, 2007) was consistent findings,
however literature did not address collaboration as it relates to leadership.
Descriptions of professional development at highly effective schools (Hawley & Valli,
1999) are consistent with findings in this research study. The literature also speaks of continuous
job-embedded meaningful and targeted professional development (Shannon & Bylsma, 2007)
which is consistent with the findings, yet the researcher finds it difficult to believe that these
characteristics are well defined and quantified. Continuous professional development for one
institution may me once a month or once every other week whereas to Bee Hive Charter High
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School, this is defined by weekly or bi-weekly meetings depending on what type of development
is being referred to.
Literature described effective PLCs as having the following characteristics: develop
curriculum, agree and commit to common learning and performance standards, collaborate on
assessment, analyze student work to improve instruction, norm grading of student work, evaluate
teaching and student learning for strengths and weaknesses to improve classroom practices and
build the next steps together (DuFour et al., 2005; McLaughlin & Talbert, 2006; Newman &
Wehlage, 1995; Schmoker, 2006; Shannon & Bylsma, 2007). These activities are consistent
with those of department teams with the exception that one pivotal item is missing, the alignment
of curriculum to the school’s mission and state-wide standards as well as the vertical department
wide alignment. In terms of grade level teams, they did not fit the mold of effective PLCs. They
were learning communities with a slightly different purpose and additional responsibilities
including tracking and supporting students as well as taking on the responsibility of addressing
the needs of a grade level.
Familial Community of Acceptance
The third theme that arouse had to do with school culture. Bee Hive Charter High School
culture was one of a community with strong familial ties where all individuals are accepted for
who they are and where they are and empowered to be their best self.
There was a unique multifaceted culture present in which everyone seemed to be part of
the in group. It was a fascinating experience to witness such a positive welcoming space where
there was a void of outwardly negative or deficit minded individuals. Staff spoke about the
culture, explaining the significant level of buy-in and positivity because “…it was organic, and it
grew on its own” continuing on to say, “we had a voice in creating what BHCHS is basically”
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(Teacher K, personal communication, November 16, 2017). Just as all members of the
community could be and were leaders, all members of the community played a role in
maintaining the established school culture. From day one of Summer Bridge, students were
taught about the basic standards of engagement, the Tribe Agreements. The Tribe Agreements
include attentive listening, appreciations/no put downs, mutual respect, the right to pass/right to
participate, assume best intentions and mindfulness. These standards of behavior applied to all
individuals in the community, not just the students and they contributed to the safe and respectful
space that school culture was built on.
Beyond the tribe agreements was the idea of people first. One administrator elaborated
on the idea stating “…our content's important, sure, but more than that we want to make sure that
our students walk out with the confidence to be the people they want to be, and we know that,
that matters more than our content” (Administrator C, personal communication, November 20,
2017). All staff sought to build meaningful positive relationships with students and each other.
In doing so, they modeled the behavior for the students to follow, and they did. Strong
supportive relationships were a key characteristic of the community in all areas of this study.
Relationships were often described as “like family.” Multiple staff shared that the students may
as well have been their own children because they cared for them so much and wanted the best
for them. This supportive family environment paved the way for a high degree of openness and
acceptance.
Accepted for who they are or where they are. This statement intentionally has many
meanings as it was described a safe space for all regardless of gender, sex, race, sexual
orientation, religion, ethnicity, nationality, physical appearance, intelligence, ability, etc. students
and staff were accepted as part of the community. If a student wanted to go “…from a he to a she
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or a she to a he, go for it…” and it would be accepted by the BHCHS community with little to no
fuss (Teacher I, personal communication, October 27, 2017). Students struggling with their own
self-identity had a safe space to discuss and discover their own truth. The school was a safe
haven for even the most nontraditional quirky students to be accepted and encouraged to be
themselves. Addition, regardless of the student’s ability to read at a 1
st
grade level or a 12
th
grade
level, they were accepted as valued members of the classroom community in which all
participants contribute to the learning environment (Teacher I, personal communication, October
27, 2017; Teacher K, personal communication, November 16, 2017). Staff shared that no matter
where the student was in their own development, both intellectual and personal, they were
accepted and pushed to be their best selves in and out of the classroom. This community was not
one of deficit minded people, rather they considered the strengths and opportunities people
brought to the community rather than what they took.
In addition to being accepted as part of the community all individuals were asked to be
their best selves. For faculty, this meant dedicating significant time and energy to fostering
relationships with students, building relevant curriculum, engaging students, and communicating
with families in addition to fully participating in their respective teams and possibly taking on
after school responsibilities. For students, this meant taking on the challenge to do their best to
live up to the high expectations set for all students.
Although all of the items discussed in this section may have benefited from the small
school environment, they did not occur as a result of the small school environment. These things
happened as a result of people coming together in an unspoken declaration of people as a
priority.
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Results of the research are consistent with the literature review as it pertains to outcomes
of student-centered learning environments and the relationships (Cotton, 2000; Gay, 2000;
Waxman et al., 2002), high expectations both academic and non-academic (Newmann &
Wehlage, 1995; Shannon & Bylsma, 2007) as well as practices of safe and orderly environments
of high performing schools (Edmonds, 1979; LePage. et al., 2005; Shannon & Bylsma,
2007). Although the findings are consistent with the literature it is important to point out that
what was being done was similar to those items in the literature review, the how remained the
variable. There are a number of ways faculty and staff could have created relationships with
students, however, nowhere in the literature does it speak to close communities that resemble
familiar ties.
Summary
This chapter described the data collected in the case study of a non-traditional
outperforming urban K-12 school. Using the information in the literature review, Chapter Two,
three research questions were developed to guide the research. Those three questions were:
1. What programs and practices are implemented in an urban outperforming non-traditional
school?
2. What are the leadership practices in an urban outperforming non-traditional school?
3. What are the cultural norms in an urban outperforming non-traditional school?
Data collected in this study provided examples of school wide programs and practices, leadership
practices and cultural norms of one outperforming non-traditional urban K-12 school.
Bee Hive Charter high school was selected as the subject of this case study as it met the
criteria established by the thematic dissertation group as urban, outperforming and non-
traditional. Through utilizing Creswell’s (2014) data analysis process, data including document
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review of pertinent documents, interviews and observations, was triangulated for this case study
through which clear trends emerged.
Bee Hive Charter High School’s programs and practices included a clear mission from to
which all programs and practices were aligned. Through the creations of research based best
practices, program and service data was collected, analyzed and reflected upon to determine
alignment and impact as it pertained to the school’s mission. In alignment with the school’s
mission, programs were created to foster community and provide intentional learning
experiences to promote student’s self-efficacy and healthy risk taking as it pertains to their
academic and personal self-discovery.
Bee Hive Charter High School utilized a collaborative shared leadership model in which
all members of the campus community were empowered leaders. All staff members engaged in
a considerable of ongoing targeted professional which totaled over 250 hours in the 2016-2017
school year. Faculty worked in collaborative department and grade level teams, taking on shared
responsibility for their department and grade level students and activities. Faculty interested in
becoming future leaders had opportunities to take part in cohort programs sponsored by BHCS to
grow leadership from within the organization.
One could describe the Bee Hive Charter High School community as a close-knit
community with familial ties. This community was founded on the bases of positive
relationships between and among staff and students. The community utilized a group of behavior
standards, the Tribe Agreements, for all people to promote positive school culture. A common
thread of acceptance was paired with high expectations for both staff and students.
Although many of these items are similar to those found in the literature review, it was
not apparent that they were in fact the same. Many items in the literature review were not well
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defined and had vague descriptions appearing to encompass many variations, however, this does
not seem justified. There are a number of characteristics and findings from this study that
although similar to the literature, hard to believe that they are in fact describing the same process,
procedure of approach.

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CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction
The ever-changing global landscape has prompted United States leaders to examine the
U.S.’s position as it continues to behind the education systems of other comparable nations
resulting in significant consequences (OECD, 2007; OECD, 2013). With only two thirds of U.S.
students completing a high school diploma and more children being born into poverty every
year, there are significant consequences for the country that does not adequately education and
prepare its citizens to engage in the global economy. Closer examination of the data reveals the
subpopulations represented in the thirty percent that dropout of high school who are often
minority students from urban communities plagued with poverty. Multiple studies demonstrate
that a higher level of education is often correlated with higher lifetime earnings (Baum et al.,
2013, p. 14). More problematic are the statistics that reveal the high school graduation rates of
minority students, specifically African American and Latino students are between 50 and 57
percent (Chapman et al., 2011). While in the last several decades, research has maintained an
increased focus on the issue of poverty, the income and achievement gap has grown, and the
number of children born into poverty continues to grow at an alarming rate (Annie E. Casey
Foundation, 2010; National Center for Children in Poverty, 2015). In addition to an increased
likelihood of living in or near poverty, these individuals face additional challenges including
inadequate medical care and an escalating probability of going through the criminal justice
system (Amos, 2008; Davidoff, 2005; Harlow, 2003; Pew Charitable Trust, 2008). In one school
of thought, this group becomes the financial burden of the rest of the country.
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It is widely believed by many that education is the key to escape poverty. To have the
chance to compete for jobs in the U.S. and global economies that more often than not require
skilled labor, these individuals and communities must gain access to quality education and
commonly higher education (U.S. Department of Labor, 2007; OECD, 2007). This requires a
reevaluation of what is happening in our education system. The disparity between the
educational experience and outcomes of high poverty urban minority students and that of their
more affluent counterparts in suburban schools continues to grow. Urban public schools often
failed to meet the educational needs of their students. In an attempt to right this injustice, a
number of non-traditional schools, i.e. charter schools, were developed to meet the needs of these
communities. Some of these non-traditional schools with similar demographic population as
their local traditional public schools seem to be out-performing those schools.
This study utilized a design and instruments created in collaboration with a thematic
dissertation cohort of twelve student at the University of Southern California to examine culture,
leadership and programs and practices present at these non-traditional outperforming urban K-12
schools. Although each research utilized the same research design, each was tasked to study a
different outperforming urban K-12 institution in Southern California and complete the written
report independently. This study and those of the thematic dissertation cohort are valuable
individually and collectively as they may provide a stepping stone to shed light on how to
address a progressively mounting discontent in many urban schools, riddled with low student
achievement, and lack of workforce preparation. This data combined with the previously
existing work on outperforming schools may provide a more solid foundation for future studies
with the focus of outperforming urban schools. Through examination of this combined data,
researchers may be provided one more avenue to understand some of the perceived factors and
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elements that exist in outperforming schools for educators to reflect on their own schools and
districts. Understanding the cultural, leadership and campus-wide programs and practices may
prove beneficial to maximizing student potential at similar and dissimilar institutions.
Purpose and Methodology
The purpose of this research was to investigate a school’s practices to identify the present
factors in a non-traditional outperforming urban K-12 school. The following research questions
were which guided the study were:
1. What programs and practices are implemented in an urban outperforming non-traditional
school?
2. What are the leadership practices in an urban outperforming non-traditional school?
3. What are the cultural norms in an urban outperforming non-traditional school?
A multi-method approach was utilized by the researcher in this case study (Creswell,
2014) to collect data utilizing tools created in collaborating with the thematic dissertation
cohort. The data collection in this study included document review, surveys, observations and
interviews. The data was categorized and analyzed, consistent with recommended approaches
for this type of research (Maxwell, 2013; Creswell, 2014; Merriam, & Tisdell, 2016). Data was
collected via document review, surveys, observations and interviews to allow the researcher to
triangulate data in an effort identify themes and patterns (Gall et al., 2003) and explore the
meaning making of participants within their particular contexts, (Maxwell, 2013). The data
collection process began with the collection and review of documents. Shortly after,
observations began to be able to observe end of term activities in the 16-17 school year. Three
separate observation tools were developed and utilized by the thematic cohort and to identify
items within all four of Bolman and Deal’s (2003) frames in order to triangulate the data with
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other sources (Creswell, 2014). Interviews were conducted throughout summer and fall semester
while the survey was administered in the fall semester. The last step of the data collection
process was to code and chunk the data according to Creswell’s (2014) six-step method of data
analysis and interpretation providing for triangulation and the emergence of overarching themes
in the study.
Themes
Three themes emerged from the data collected to support the three research questions for
this case study addressing what factors are present in an outperforming non-traditional urban K-
12 school.
The first theme corresponded with many characteristics of high performing schools
identified in the literature (Allensworth et al., 2001; Cohen, 1987; Cotton, 2000; Daniels et al.,
2001; Darling-Hammond, 2002; English & Steffy, 2001; Gay, 2000; McTighe et al., 2004;
Shannon & Bylsma, 2007; Zemelman et al., 2005). Bee Hive Charter High School was found to
create intentional and responsive student-centered programs developed through reflective
practice. Faculty provided relevant and engaging student-centered curriculum responsive to the
needs of the student as concluded as a result of data analysis. BHCHS also sought to provide
exposure to interdisciplinary curriculum and authentic learning experiences. All programs,
practices, policies, curriculum and services were anchored in the BHCS Best Practices which
included five focal points: small learning communities, interdisciplinary curriculum & authentic
assessment, relevant & engaging instruction, environmental & experiential learning, and
collaboration with partners (Bee Hive Charter Schools Organization, 2015). Although the
literature provided a solid foundation, there was an absence of scale and application. The
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 157

researcher believed there is more to be uncovered about the underlying reasons as to why this
combination of practices has achieve this scale of positive outcomes.
The second emergent theme contained some components consistent with the literature
while there was an absence of discussion on shared leadership in the literature reviewed (Barth,
1990; Hall & Hord, 2006; Haycock et al., 1999; Kannapel et al., 2005; Lezotte, 2001;
Rosenholtz, 1989; Shannon & Bylsma, 2007). In a similar way Professional Learning
Communities were present in the literature (DuFour et al., 2005; McLaughlin & Talbert, 2006;
Newman & Wehlage, 1995; Schmoker, 2006; Shannon & Bylsma, 2007), however the teams
present at Bee Hive Charter High School were more than typical PLCs and no additional
information was available for this type of group. The research revealed a collaborative shared
leadership made possible through continuous efforts to build capacity among staff and
stakeholders alike. Leadership existed at every level within the school, despite the hierarchical
titles. To maintain this style of leadership, administrators fostered positive relationships with and
among staff, provided ongoing targeted professional development to build capacity and
empowered groups through a collaborative team environment. Leadership was not distributed or
transformational, it was shared and provided for a greater amount of trust and sharing of power
than that referred to in distributed or transformational leadership (Burns, 1978; Elmore, 2000).
Results of the research are consistent with the literature review as it pertained to the third
emergent theme regarding outcomes of student-centered learning environments and the
relationships (Cotton, 2000; Gay, 2000; Waxman et al., 2002), high expectations (Newmann &
Wehlage, 1995; Shannon & Bylsma, 2007) as well as safe environments (Edmonds, 1979;
LePage et al., 2005; Shannon & Bylsma, 2007). Although the findings are consistent with the
literature it is important to point out that what was being done was similar to those items in the
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 158

literature review, the how remained the variable. The third theme demonstrated an organically
developed community with strong familial ties where individuals are accepted for who and
where they are and empowered to be their best self. This theme was based on positive
relationships which demonstrated care between and among staff and students. The school
culture fostered respect for all through the implementation of Tribe Agreements maintaining a
high level of acceptance for all people as contributors to the community. Paired with the
acceptance was a general expectation that students would work to be their best self and meet the
high expectations set for them in all areas of school life.
Conclusion
The issue of low educational achievement for high-poverty urban schools is a significant
problem for the whole society. There are significant detrimental impacts in the social, political
and economic environment of the United States. The high drop-out rates are often accompanied
by higher crime rate (Amos, 2008) and an increase in spending on the criminal justice system
(Pew Charitable Trust, 2008). The economic impact on the expanding criminal justice system
without considering the loss of wages for skilled employees (U.S. Department of Labor, 2007) is
and will continue to strain the United States economy until the issue of low educational
attainment for high-poverty urban communities is addressed. The cost of low-educational
achievement in high-poverty schools is great; however, the benefits of finding solutions and
replicating best practices and programs that work in these schools is greater. Increasing a young
adult’s life prospects ultimately positively impacts the global economy (Amos, 2008). A
solution to this issue would mean an increase in high school graduation rates and college
attainment rates which would lead to a more skilled and innovative labor force, which would
result in higher incomes for workers from low-income backgrounds. This cultural shift would
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 159

break the cycle of poverty and result in more stable communities and increased civic
engagement.
As a result, it is necessary to identify what is working in urban schools in an effort to
isolate the factors and intentionally develop programs to replicate them in schools that are failing
our nation’s most vulnerable population. This case study was one of 12 in a thematic
dissertation group utilizing the same research design to identify factors present in outperforming
non-traditional urban K-12 schools. Each member of the cohort utilized a different school
resulting in 12 different non-traditional outperforming urban K-12 school case studies. This case
study identified three emergent themes from the data:
• Intentional and responsive student-centered programs developed through reflective
practice
• Collaborative shared leadership made possible through continuous efforts to build
capacity among staff and stakeholders alike
• Community with strong familial ties where individuals are accepted for who and where
they are and empowered to be their best self
Although these are the results of only one case study which cannot be generalized, a
collaboration of the 12 case studies in this cohort in addition to the previously written data on
this topic may prove to be of great impact to schools and students in challenging urban
environments.
Implications for Practice
Through this study I have come to many realizations about my own practice. In my work
at previous institutions, my interaction with students was primarily relationship based which
allowed for a greater amount of trust and streamlined the facilitation process for a number of
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outcomes. In my current position at a slightly larger school, I found that my practice has become
more transactional rather than relational as a result of the inadequate human resources allotted to
my department. This is unfortunate as my current educational institution has great capacity, yet
this potential is unrealized in many ways. I have made a more conscious effort at every turn to
humanize the experience with my students and build relationships when possible as I know the
value of such an investment. Likewise, I understand the value of relationships within my own
department and have been far more intentional about setting the foundations for stronger bonds
among professional peers. As I look toward my future as an educator, I will further seek to work
collaboratively within the school community and stakeholders to develop opportunities to foster
the environments of that empower others to serve as mentors and facilitators to learning.
As an administrator and department lead, I find myself constantly reevaluating capacity
and best use of time when it comes to human resources. For current and future administrators, I
urge you to consider the value of building capacity from within rather than constantly be seeking
the next best person to hire. Investment in personnel goes a long way, both in terms of
relationship with staff and longevity and productivity of the whole team and organization.
Another consideration for administrators is the importance of giving even your best teachers the
opportunity to grow into other positions, despite the fact that you may want to keep them in the
classroom because they are so effective. Allowing the opportunity for an individual to explore
their strengths and potential as they may perhaps possess strengths and skills that further
demonstrate their ability to be valuable contributors in other areas as well.
On the topic of staffing, more and more I have heard about the value of intentional hiring
to fit the mission rather than someone who may be a standalone good teacher. In order for that to
happen, there must first be a very well-defined mission and collective vision agreed upon by
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school leadership and ideally all staff in order to have an understanding of what they are working
toward. Additionally, ongoing meaningful, relevant and targeted training for faculty to improve
their practice as a result provide more engaging educational experiences for students.
For faculty and staff that have the privilege of working directly with students, I urge you
to think about what is most important when working with the student. Is it passing a test, or
learning a skill or concept? Consider the type of educator you would want for your own children
and be the person you would want to teach your children. It is easy to forget the most important
things when your consumed with the day to day of lesson planning, classroom management,
disciple, grading and the million other things teachers are asked to do. I challenge you to take a
step back and reflect on the relationship you have with your students. Remember the role of an
educator is most effective when a relationship can be developed with the students. When they
know you care, they are more likely going to be invested in what you are trying to teach them
than when they don’t know you care. Relationships matter. They are more important than
anything else you can teach a student. In 10 years, a student may not be able to tell you who
what the quadratic formula is, but they may be able to verbalize the importance of someone
showing them how to put on a tie or believing in them. They will remember the person who took
the time to encourage them to try or try again. Focus on the student as a person, not just their
academic self. Every student deserves to have a chance and for someone to believe in them.
Recommendations
Throughout this study, there were a number of items that sparked additional curiosity for
the researcher which were not addressed in this study. Perhaps additional research in these areas
may assist future educators in further developing the American education system by virtue of
understanding what is working and how, if at all, it may be replicated.
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 162

A curiosity that arose from this study had to do with school size. In this study, the
researcher found that size played a significant role in the school’s ability to function as it did. If
the staff were larger, it may be more difficult to get buy-in or build meaningful relationships with
a large percentage of the staff. In the same way, if educator caseload was greater, would they be
able form the same types of meaningful relationships with students as they did in this small
environment? Following in the same line of thinking, the researcher would like to gain a greater
understanding of How school size or student to staff ratio impact a students’ persistence in
education? In that same regard, how do these factors impact a students’ long-term goal
attainment? These types of data may have implications on decisions to maintain large schools
and districts or reevaluate the opportunity cost for schools and districts our students. If this data
provided evidence that these relationships played a significant role in the lives of students, how
might an educator foster the relationships found in this study at a larger educational institution?
Perhaps this would be a matter of further developing these skills within the educator.
A significant component that existed throughout the study for all educators at Bee Hive
Charter High School was professional development either through a teacher development
program, instructional coach training or other program in additional to all staff professional
development programs. Armed with the knowledge that at this day in age, only half of new
educators return to the profession after the first five years, the researcher in this study would like
to pose the following question: to what degree does continuous teacher and professional
development lead to more time spent in the education profession for new educators? Although
there are currently existing programs for new educators, new educators have a diverse set of
experiences in these programs, some more positive than others. If it was found that continuous
site-based teacher and professional development opportunities did in fact positively impact
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 163

educator retention in the field, then the researcher imagines a great deal of change in the way
educators are supported and trained in their first several years at a school site. Regardless of the
outcome, something must be done to address the exodus of new educators from the education
profession.
In a similar way, the researcher is also curious as to how an outperforming urban school
sustains their educators? In the example of an outperforming non-traditional urban school, the
researcher found that most staff have many responsibilities beyond classroom teaching and as a
result spent a significant amount of additional time on campus and with students. The researcher
found that approximately a third of the staff present at Bee Hive Charter High School had been
hired by the current administration and the question loomed whether these individuals would
remain at Bee Hive Charter High School with the current programs and practices or if they
would leave for another school or leave the education as a whole.
Summary
Although a number of recommendations and implications arose from this study, the
researcher rediscovered within her own practice, the importance of educational models based on
relationships. Other ideas that emerged as prominent in the study and future opportunities are
the way professional development is utilized as a practice of building capacity across an
organization and the value of a culture of collaboration and teamwork. Through a reflection
process of making meaning for all manner of data, an organization may be able to be more
responsive to the needs of the students and community in an effort to increase student personal
growth and educational outcomes. There are a number of specific research areas that have
emerged from this study, yet the largest question in the mind of the researcher is how might one
successfully replicate the factors found in this case study at a much larger traditional school.
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 164

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CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 178

Appendix A
Documents and Artifacts
Document Review

1. What practices and programs are implemented in urban outperforming non-
traditional schools?
● Master calendar
● Daily schedule
● Mission statement
● School plan
● SARC (school accountability report card)-state mandated
● Curriculum guide
● Student-Parent/Guardian handbook
● Staff handbook
● LEA plan (Local education agency plan)
● School site council minutes
● School website
● WASC (Western association of school and colleges) accreditation
● Departmental meeting notes/agenda
● Senior Thesis presentation
● LCAP
● The Single Plan for Student Achievement
● California Department of Education
Attendance records
Demographics
Retention rates
Graduation rates
School Programs available
● Discipline records
● After School Program: Clubs and organizations
● Volunteer/parent volunteer records
● Field trips documents
● List of faculty and staff
● Fundraiser forms
● Fundraisers
● Grants
● Achievement test scores
● Recruitment information
● Organization chart
● Board Meeting Agendas
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 179

● Board Committee Meeting Agendas
● Local School Wellness Policy
● Education Protection Account

2. What are the leadership practices in an urban outperforming non-traditional school?
● School plan
● District budget/fiscal year
● SARC
● LCAP
● The Single Plan for Student Achievement
● Leadership Team Meeting Notes
● Departmental meeting notes/agenda

3. What are the cultural norms in an urban outperforming non-traditional school?
● Master calendar
● Daily schedule
● Mission statement
● Vision
● School plan
● Display of student work
● Curriculum guide
● Student-Parent/Guardian handbook
● Staff handbook
● School site council minutes
● Student thesis
● Departmental meeting notes/agenda
● Leadership team meeting notes
● Team meeting notes
● California Department of Education
Attendance records
Demographics
Retention rates
Graduation rates
School Programs available
● Recruitment information

CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 180

Appendix B

Survey Instrument

OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL SCHOOL SURVEY
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
1) What is your primary role at the school?
❑ Administration ❑ Teacher ❑ Teacher with leadership role
❑ Classified staff ❑ Other certificated staff
2) How many years have you worked in your current role?
❑ 0 – 3 ❑ 4 – 7 ❑ 8 – 15 ❑ 16 or more
3) How many years have you worked at this school?
❑ 0 – 3 ❑ 4 – 7 ❑ 8 – 15 ❑ 16 or more
4) Have you previously taught at any other schools?
❑ Yes ❑ No
5) What is the primary reason you decided to work at this particular school? (Mark all that apply)
❑ Curriculum ❑ Mission/Philosophy ❑ Staff ❑ Employment Opportunity
❑ Unhappy at previous school ❑ Other __________________________

Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Agree Strongly
Agree
Not
Applicab
le
Vision and Mission
1) The school has a clear mission/vision.

1 2 3 4 N/A
2) I have a clear vision of what the school is
trying to achieve.
1 2 3 4 N/A
3) The staff shares a common understanding
of what the school wants to achieve.
1 2 3 4 N/A
4) The staff works beyond their official
roles in order to help achieve school goals.
1 2 3 4 N/A
5) The school’s vision/mission is evident in
multiple methods/practices.
1 2 3 4 N/A
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 181

6) The staff keeps the school’s goals in
mind when making important decisions.
1 2 3 4 N/A

Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Agree Strongly
Agree
Not
Applicabl
e
Leadership
1) The leaders at my school lead by
example.
1 2 3 4 N/A
2) The school provides a clear pathway for
leadership opportunities.
1 2 3 4 N
N/A
3) School leaders/administrators consider
various viewpoints when making decisions.
1 2 3 4 N
N/A
4) School offers many leadership
opportunities for all staff members.
1 2 3 4 N
N/A
5) Leaders/administrators hold staff
accountable for improving student learning.
1 2 3 4 N
N/A
6) When issues arise at the school,
leadership responds in a prompt manner.
1 2 3 4 N
N/A

Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Agree Strongly
Agree
Not
Applicabl
e
Learning Environment
1) The school environment is conducive to
learning.
1 2 3 4 N/A
2) Teachers use effective strategies to help
different subgroups of students meet high
academic standards.
1 2 3 4 N/A
3) Teachers use a variety of approaches and
activities to help students learn.
1 2 3 4 N/A
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 182

4) School work is meaningful to students. 1 2 3 4 N/A
5) Instruction is adjusted to meet individual
needs.
1 2 3 4 N/A
6) Classroom activities are intellectually
stimulating and engaging.
1 2 3 4 N/A
7) What instructional practices do teachers often use in the classroom? (Mark all that apply)
❑ Scaffolding ❑ Direct Instruction ❑ Differentiated Instruction ❑ Technology
❑ Collaborative Learning ❑ Hands-on learning ❑ Project-based learning
❑ Other _______________________________
8) How is instructional content delivered at your school? (Mark all that apply.)
❑ Traditional Classroom ❑ Small group ❑ Independent Study ❑ One-to-one
❑ Blended Learning ❑ Distance Learning ❑ Dual language
❑ Other _______________________________
9) How does student attitude toward learning compare to your last teaching experience?
❑ Better ❑ About the same ❑ Worse ❑ No previous experience
❑ Not Applicable

Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Agree Strongly
Agree
Not
Applicabl
e
School Environment
1) Student discipline is managed well. 1 2 3 4 N/A
2) Teachers show they care about all of their
students.

1 2 3 4 N/A
3) The staff respects the diversity of all their
students.

1 2 3 4 N/A
4) Student interactions are polite and
supportive of one another.
1 2 3 4 N/A
5) What are the common discipline practices at the school?
❑ Detention ❑ Rewards/Consequence Programs ❑ Parent/contact meeting
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 183

❑ Restorative Discipline ❑ Office referrals
❑ Other _________________________

6) Which of the following clubs/activities/sports are offered at the school?
❑ STEM/STEAM ❑ Visual arts ❑ Performing arts
❑ Technology programs ❑ Sports ❑ Advanced academics
❑ Other ________________

Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Agree Strongly
Agree
Not
Applicabl
e
Standards/Expectations of non-traditional schools
1) Students are expected to achieve at high
standards.
1 2 3 4 N/A
2) All students are consistently challenged by
a rigorous curriculum.

1 2 3 4 N/A
3) Teachers are involved in creating and
implementing a culturally relevant
curriculum.
1 2 3 4 N/A
4) The school gives teachers substantial
freedom to carry out lessons and activities.
1 2 3 4 N/A

Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Agree Strongly
Agree
Not
Applicabl
e
Monitoring of teaching and learning

1) Assessment results are used to determine
professional learning activities.
1 2 3 4 N/A
2) Teachers receive regular feedback on how
they are performing.

1 2 3 4 N/A
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 184

3) Teachers provide feedback to each other
to help improve instructional practices.
1 2 3 4 N/A
4) Students receive regular feedback about
what they need to do to improve.
1 2 3 4 N/A
4) The school gives teachers substantial
freedom to carry out lessons and activities.
1 2 3 4 N/A
5) What is the evaluation process for teachers at the school?
❑ Portfolio model ❑ Formal observation ❑ Value-added model ❑ Teacher survey
❑ Parent/student survey ❑ Informal Observations ❑ None of the above ❑ Other
__________________

Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Agree Strongly
Agree
Not
Applicabl
e
Collaboration and Communication
1) School staff are interdependent and value
each other.
1 2 3 4 N/A
2) I feel comfortable sharing my ideas with
other staff members.
1 2 3 4 N/A
3) The school supports and appreciates the
sharing of new ideas by staff members.
1 2 3 4 N/A
4) Teachers regularly discuss teaching issues. 1 2 3 4 N/A
5) The staff works in teams across grade
levels to help increase student learning.
1 2 3 4 N/A
6) Staff routinely work together to plan what
will be taught.
1 2 3 4 N/A

Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Agree Strongly
Agree
Not
Applicabl
e
Family and community involvement
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 185

1) The school works with community
organizations to support its students.
1 2 3 4 N/A
2) Teachers have frequent contact with the
families of their students.
1 2 3 4 N/A
3) The school provides ample information to
families about how to help students succeed
in school.
1 2 3 4 N/A
4) Many families are involved as volunteers
at the school.
1 2 3 4 N/A
5) Compared to your last teaching
experience, how involved are
parents/community with the school.
1 2 3 4 N/A
6) The school has systems or structures in place to support and encourage parents to be involved in the
school.
❑ The school has many systems and structures in place that encourage and support parent
involvement.
❑ The school has some systems and structures in place that encourage OR support parent
involvement.
❑ The school has a few systems and structures in place that encourage OR support parent involvement.
❑ The school does not have any systems and structures in place to encourage and support parent
involvement.

Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Agree Strongly
Agree
Not
Applicabl
e
Professional Development
1) Professional development activities are
consistent with school goals.
1 2 3 4 N/A
2) The school provides enough opportunities
to grow professionally through professional
development opportunities.
1 2 3 4 N/A
3) Different staff members periodically lead
professional development activities for other
staff.
1 2 3 4 N/A

CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 186

Appendix C

Observation Protocols

School Site Observation Protocol

School _________________________________ Date______________________________
Observer _______________________________ Grade/Subject______________________
Observation duration: ______________________ Time______________________________

RQ 2: What are the leadership practices in an urban outperforming non-traditional
school?
What was your first impression of the leadership?

Please consider the following items to help facilitate your observation:
● Single Leader or Leadership team
● Who are the formal leaders
● Who are the informal leaders
○ Where are they; what are they doing
● Traits of leader(s)
● Leadership practice
● Decision making process
○ how does it work; who is involved
● Leadership communication to/from stakeholders
● Leadership interaction with stakeholders
● Stakeholders role
● Clearly articulated mission and goals

RQ 3: What are the cultural norms in an urban outperforming non-traditional school?
What was your first impression of the school site? Staff?

CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 187

In preparation for your observation, please consider the following
Do you see or hear information regarding the following questions/items
(This is a guide to help facilitate your observation):

Considerations for Professional Culture
● Collaborative practices
● Professional development
● Monitoring of instructional practice for consistency
● Use of data
● Program evaluation
● Common understanding of expectations
● Instruction reflect high expectations
● Student engagement
● Classroom environments

Student Support
● Advertised/promoted supports and resources: physically, socially, and emotional
support
● Service personnel accessible
● Identify/ support students at risk of dropping out, students in crisis, and students who
require intensive assistance
● Identification of students with special needs
● School resources to support diverse academic needs
● Procedures for lunch
● Group work/individual work
● Structure and organization of school
● Student work posted in hallways
● Communication of announcements and programs
● School spirit
● Appearance of campus

Various Stakeholders (Teachers, staff, students, parents, community members, board
members, community partners, etc.)
● Stakeholder engagement
● Feedback opportunities
● Methods of communication
● Partnerships
● Interaction among/between stakeholders

CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 188

Classroom Observation Protocol

Teacher_________________________________ Date______________________________
School _________________________________ Grade/Subject______________________
Observer________________________________ Time______________________________
Observation duration: _____________________

Research Questions
RQ1: What practices and programs are implemented in urban outperforming non-
traditional schools?

Classroom Environment
Student Seating Arrangement (create a diagram of the classroom layout including what
direction students are facing, desk arrangement, tables, open space, instructional centers,
resources, computers, etc.):

Student Demographics:
Male:
Female:
Race/Ethnicity:
Description of classroom wall space:
(Students work to aid in learning, data, standards, posters, what is written on the
whiteboard/chalkboard, code of conduct, etc.)

Instructional programs used in classroom
Curriculum:

CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 189

Resources/Materials:

Instructional practices used by teachers in classrooms:

1. What does the teacher
do?

2. What does the student do? 3. What are the interactions
between teachers and
students?

Stakeholders’ involvement in the classroom (community partners, aids, tutors, etc.):

CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 190

General Observation Protocol

Name of Observer Date Time

Location Study

Brief Summary of Observation

Physical Space
Define the physical
space.
· Geographical
· Temporal
· Physical
· Political

Utility: What is the
purpose of
event/setting?

Participant reactions to
physical setting

Other

People/Participants
Who are the participants
taking place in
observation/event?

CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 191

How many participated?
Demographical
information:
· Racial
· Ethnic
· Gender
· Class

What are the roles of
those being observed?
How do you know?

What was each of the
specific participants
doing?
· Group interaction
· Individual actions
· Passive participants
· Active participants

Purpose of Events/Observation
Why is the event taking
place? Are there any
political contexts to be
discussed?

Who was invited to
event? Who was not?

Was there any
discussion of
educational policy?
Why? How so?

What are the positions
of the various
participants involved?
· Power dynamics
· Roles

What is being
discussed?

CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 192

Sequence of Events
Beginning

Middle

End

Observer Role
What am I doing? What
is my role throughout
the observation?

Describe some of my
interactions with other
participants throughout
the observation.

How did my
interaction/presence
affect the observation
participants?

Other

Pictures

CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 193

Appendix D
Interview Protocol
I. Introduction
Thank you for agreeing to participate in my study. I appreciate the time that you have set aside to
answer my questions. The interview should take about an hour.
Before we get started, I want to provide you with an overview of my study and answer any
questions you might have about participating. I am currently a doctoral student at USC and I will
be conducting interviews, surveys, and observations for my research. I have structured my line of
inquiry around organizational practices that narrow the achievement gap in outperforming non-
traditional urban schools.
Thank you for volunteering to participate in this study. I want to assure you that I am strictly
wearing the hat of researcher. This means is that the nature of my questions and observations are
not evaluative. I will not be making any judgments on how you are performing as an educator.
None of the data I collect will be shared with other teachers, administrators, or the district.
I am happy to provide you with a copy of the findings if you are interested. Do you have any
questions about the study before we get started? If you don’t have any further questions, I would
like to have your permission to begin the interview.

II. Setting the Stage
1. I am hoping we could start with you telling me a little bit about this year’s students that
you are serving here at the school.
2. Tell me about any specialized training you received to work with the students that you
serve.
3. What are some of the challenges and concerns the students bring to you?
4. How often do you meet with parents/guardians to speak on behalf of student’s academic
growth?
5. What are some of the instructional challenges that students encounter in the school?

III. Heart of the Interview (Interview Questions are directly tied to your Research
Questions)
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 194

Interview Questions
Questions RQ#1
What programs
and practices
are
implemented in
an urban
outperforming
nontraditional
school?
RQ#2
What are the
leadership
practices
present in an
urban
outperforming
nontraditional
school?
RQ#3
What are the
cultural norms
in an urban
outperforming
nontraditional
school?
1. Why did you choose to
come to this school, and
what are your experiences
here in comparison to where
you were before?

X
2. When others visit your
school, what do you believe
their first impressions are?

X
3. Why do you believe
parents should send their
children to this school as
opposed to the traditional
neighborhood school?

X
4. What do you believe puts
your school in a position to
outperform traditional
schools?

X
5. How significant of a role
do you feel the
principal/students/teachers
play in the molding of the
school culture/climate?
• What other factors
do you feel have an
impact on school
climate?

X
6. How does the school
resolve discipline issues
when they arise?
• How are stakeholders
involved?

X
CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 195

7. How empowered is the
staff to make decisions in the
best interest of the students
without waiting on the
leadership? Can you give an
example?

X

8. What specific leadership
practices do you believe are
most significant factors
that sustain and improve
student achievement?

X

9. How are decisions made
to implement researched
instructional practices at
your school?

X

10. How are resources and
programs used to increase
student academic
achievement?
X

11. What school-wide
programs or rules does
your school implement in
order to promote student
success?
• What was the
process in coming
up with these
school-wide
implementations?
• How are they
implemented?
(Action-
Resolution?)
• How are they
measured for
effectiveness?
(Specific
benchmarks?
Numbers?)
X

12. How would you
describe the
implementation of
X

CASE STUDY OF AN OUTPERFORMING NON-TRADITIONAL URBAN SCHOOL 196

professional programs,
training, and professional
opportunities to grow?

IV. Closing Question (Anything else to add)
I am wondering if there is anything that you would add to our conversation today that I might not
have covered?

V. Closing (thank you and follow-up option):
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me today! I really appreciate your time and
willingness to share. Everything that you have shared is really helpful for my study. If I find
myself with a follow-up question, I am wondering if I might be able to contact you, and if so, if
email is ok? Again, thank you for participating in my study.

Abstract (if available)

Abstract The purpose of this research was to investigate a school's practices to identify the present factors in a non-traditional outperforming urban K-12 school. The study focused primarily on school wide programs and practices, leadership practices and cultural norms present within the Southern California school selected for this study. A multi-method approach was utilized by the researcher in this case study to collect data utilizing tools created in collaborating with the thematic dissertation cohort. The data collection in this study included document review, surveys, observations and interviews. Creswell's (2014) six-step method of data analysis and interpretation was utilized to triangulate data and reveal the emergence of overarching themes in the study. Three themes emerged from the data of factors present at the school studied: (1) Intentional and responsive student-centered programs developed through reflective practice, (2) Collaborative shared leadership made possible through continuous efforts to build capacity among staff and stakeholders alike and (3) Community with strong familial ties where individuals are accepted for who and where they are and empowered to be their best self. a number of recommendations and implications resulted from this research. The most prominent question for future research being, how one can replicate the environment and success found at this outperforming non-traditional school in a larger traditional school setting.

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University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

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Asset Metadata

Creator Jara Guerra, Monica L. (author)

Core Title Success in reflective practice: a case study of an outperforming non-traditional urban high school

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Publication Date 04/12/2018

Defense Date 03/09/2018

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

Tag collaborative leadership,non-traditional,OAI-PMH Harvest,outperforming,shared leadership

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Gothold, Stuart (committee chair), Hocevar, Dennis (committee member), Ott, Maria (committee member)

Creator Email mjara@usc.edu,mljara@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-9598

Unique identifier UC11669139

Identifier etd-JaraGuerra-6234.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-9598 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-JaraGuerra-6234.pdf

Dmrecord 9598

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Jara Guerra, Monica L.

Type texts

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

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA