| In the first decade of the 21st century, the NYC Department of Education implemented a set of large-scale and much debated high school reforms, which included closing large, low-performing high schools, opening new small schools and extending high school choice to students throughout the district. The school closure process was the most controversial of these efforts. Yet, apart from the general sense that school closures are painful, there has never been a rigorous assessment of their impact in NYC.
To begin to fill this gap, the Research Alliance undertook a study of the 29 low-performing high schools that were designated for closure in New York City between 2002 and 2008, looking particularly at the impact of these closures on students’ academic performance, attendance, and mobility.
High School Closures in New York City addresses key questions from this study, including: - Were the high schools that were closed during this period, in fact, the lowest performing high schools in NYC?
- Did the closures harm students who were enrolled in the high schools while they were being phased out?
- Were prospective enrollees better off once they no longer had the option to attend a high school that had been closed due to low performance?
These questions have particular resonance as the U.S. Congress works to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and school districts around the country grapple with the challenges of struggling schools. Policymakers, practitioners, and school communities all need better evidence about the school and system improvement options that are available to them. We believe this new study offers a valuable piece of this puzzle. |
