Transcript The Usage of Maps in Facilitating Conversations about

The Usage of Maps in Facilitating
Conversations with Stakeholders
about Educational Desegregation in
Hartford
Brittany Price
December 18, 2009
Educational Studies
Literature Review
• Waterville Elementary School, Washington
– Invasive toad population
– Working with farmers in community
– Now professionally funded
• Steve Obenhaus, Kansas teacher
– using GIS to answer spatially-driven questions
– philanthropic themes that involve communities
near and far
• Well and clean water distributions in Haiti
Literature Review
• Salvatore Saporito and William & Mary
– SABINS database
– School attendance zones for largest 800 school
districts using the GIS program
• Jack Dougherty and Trinity College
– Visual guides to Sheff v. O’Neill
– Display achievements and failures graphically
Research Question
• How do different stakeholders within
educational reform in Hartford
approach issues of desegregation
and how do they interpret the same
distribution maps?
Relevance
• Pursuit of solution for educational inequality in
Hartford
– Sheff v. O’Neill
– Project Choice
– Magnet Schools
– Neighborhood Schools
• Spread awareness/importance of mapping software
• Furthering research from past and with the Regional
School Choice Office (RSCO)
Thesis
•
Through the analysis of the change agent interviews
it can be clearly seen that three change agents can
see the same distribution maps differently,
depending on their stakeholder position within
Hartford education; further, the maps allow change
agents to see whether school reform in Hartford is
working and suggest what changes should be made,
whether administrative, desegregation or choice
driven, to approach a solution to current
educational segregation.
Methods - Maps
• Created Hartford school distribution maps
– General Enrollment Population
– English Language Learners (ELL) Population
– Special Education (SPED) Population
• Data obtained from RSCO
• Selected one magnet school map and one
neighborhood school map for interviews
• Institutional Review Board approval
Methods - Interviews
• Conducted three interviews (30-45 min. each) with
Hartford change agents
– Educational activist working inside or outside of
the school system
– Informed and written consent was used
– Name and official titles omitted
• Two sections of interview
– Current stance on education in Hartford
– Opinions about distribution maps
• Interviews were coded for analysis with Atlas.ti
Interviews
• Stance on education system in Hartford
• Systemic Failure
• Superintendent instability
• Lottery ≠ Choice
• Test-driven culture
• Desegregation…necessary?
• Magnet school benefits
• Themes
• Neighborhood schools then turn into “dumping grounds”
for leftovers
Comments
• “Parent Advocate”–
Where do these students’
parents work?
• “School Board Member”Racial distribution of towns
sending students
• “Desegregation advocate”-Towns that are not sending
students and school needs to
work on marketing/outreach
Kinsella ELL and SPED
ELL and SPED populations mostly found in Hartford
Comments
• All -Surprised how far
some students come
from
• “Parent Advocate” -No hook to attract
people outside of
neighborhood
Sanchez ELL and SPED
ELL and SPED are often further away from school
Interesting Thoughts
• “How many of the green are also red?”
– “Parent Advocate”
• Title I free and reduced lunch
– “I am curious as to whether students with free and
reduced lunch are sticking to their neighborhood
school, branching out to attend magnet schools or
using the Choice program.”
– “School Board Member”
• Who will use them and for what purpose?
– “Desegregation Advocate”
Future Use for Maps
• Advertising/Marketing for schools
• SmartChoices website
• Recommended viewers
– Board of Education members
– Superintendent Adamowski
– School principals
– Hartford parents
• All wanted to see more maps than shown in
interview
Conclusion
• Change agents do not always agree on the proper approach to
educational reform
– “Parent Advocate” concerned about whether
desegregation is the right choice for success
– “Desegregation Advocate” pushed that desegregation
efforts are the best option because it is a similar to the real
world
– “School Board Member” concerned about the racial and
socio-economic makeup of the magnet schools and the
effect magnet schools have on neighborhood schools
• Controversial role of maps depending on person’s role in
education system
Acknowledgements
•
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Professor Sandler
Professor Dougherty
The rest of the Ed 400 Seminar
My interviewees
Regional School Choice Office