Comprehensive Platform Networks for School Reform: A Leapfrog Strategy for Struggling State Systems

Year 2018, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 257 - 282, 15.12.2018

Justin Bathon Jean W. Van Rooyan Rika Jobert

https://doi.org/10.30828/real/2018.2.6

Abstract

This article presents a review of the development
of platform network models that rely on partnership contracts to implement
comprehensive school reform. The literature from the previous three decades of
development of school networks, emerging largely from the United States of
America, is reviewed. The recent development of similar network models in South
Africa is then presented for comparison. Through the addition of
technology-based platforms, emerging models of platform networks are presented
through a review of minimal contractual requirements for partnering school
boards. Finally, implications for educational leaders, particularly in
struggling, low-income school contexts in South Africa and the United States,
are presented as the impetus for considering partnerships with existing
platform networks and the development of additional public models.  

Keywords

Platform Network, Emerging Technology-based Platforms, Partnerships, South Africa

References

• Barletta, B., Comes, D., Perkal, J., Schumaker, R., Wallenstein, J., & Yang, B. (2018). Networks for school improvement: A review of the literature. New York, NY: Columbia University Center for Public Research and Leadership. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. (2018, August). Network for school improvement: Fact sheet. Seattle, WA. Bitter, C., Taylor, J., Zeiser, K. L., & Rickles, J. (2014, September). Providing opportunities for deeper learning. Findings from the study of deeper learning opportunities and outcomes [Report 2]. Washington, DC: American Institutes for Research. Borman, G. D. (2009, August). Research brief: The past, present, and future of comprehensive school reform. Washington, DC: Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement. Borman, G. D., Hewes, G. M., Overman, L. T., & Brown, S. (2003). Comprehensive school reform and achievement: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 73(2), 125–230. Brewer, S., & Harrison, R. (2013). Spark schools. Lexington, MA: Clayton Christensen Institute. Chapman, C., & Hadfield, M. (2010). Realising the potential of school-based networks. Educational Research, 52(3), 309-323. Datnow, A. (2005). The sustainability of comprehensive school reform models in changing district and state contexts. Educational Administration Quarterly, 41(1), 121–153. Datnow, A., Hubbard, L., & Mehan, H. (2007). Extending educational reform: From one school to many. New York, NY: Routledge. Desimone, L. (2002). How can comprehensive school reforms models be successfully implemented? Review of Educational Research 72(3), 433-479. Din, B. (2017, June 23). Growing affordable private school industry raises questions. The Star. Glazer, J. L., & Peurach, D. J. (2013). School improvement networks as a strategy for large-scale education reform: The role of educational environments. Educational Policy, 27(4), 676–710. Harp, L. (2018, August). Trimble County Junior High: Making sure learning sticks. Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence Blog: Bright Spots. Huberman, M., Duffy, H., Mason, J., Zeiser, K., & O’Day, J. (2016, October). School features and student opportunities for deeper learning: What makes a difference? [Report 5]. Washington, DC: American Institutes for Research. Huberman, M., Bitter, C., Anthony, J., & O’Day, J. (2014, September). The shape of deeper learning: Strategies, structures, and cultures in deeper learning network high schools. Findings from the study of deeper learning opportunities and outcomes [Report 1]. Washington DC: American Institutes for Research. Joubert, R. (2017). The law of education in South Africa (3rd ed.). Hatfield, South Africa: Van Schaik Uitgewers. Kim, J. (2017, September 19). How big is the LMS market? [Web blog post]. Languille, S. (2016). ‘Affordable’ private schools in South Africa. Affordable for whom? Oxford Review of Education, 42(5), 528-542. Lehmann, C., & Chase, Z. (2015). Building School 2.0: How to create the schools we need. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Means, A. J. (2018). Platform learning and on-demand labor: Sociotechnical projections on the future of education and work. Learning, Media and Technology 43(3), 326-338. Melia, M. (2017, December 20). School ditches online learning program after parents revolt. US News. Murphy, J. F., & Datnow, A. (Eds.) (2002). Leadership lessons from comprehensive school reform. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Nagel, D. (2017, March 3). Chromebooks surge in schools as Apple slides. THE Journal. Naidoo, J. P. (2005). Educational decentralization and school governance in South Africa: From policy to practice. Paris, France: International Institute for Educational Planning. Orland, M., Connolly, B., Fong, T., Sosenko, L. D., Tushnet, N. C., Yin, R. K., Burt, J.M., & Warner, E. (2008). Evaluation of the comprehensive school reform program implementation and outcomes [Third year report]. Washington, DC: U. S. Department of Education. Pather, R. (2018, July 2). Curro: A timeline of alleged racism. Mail and Guardian. Retrieved from https://mg.co.za/article/2018-07-02-curro-a-timeline-of-alleged-racism Peurach, D. J., & Glazer, J. L. (2012). Reconsidering replication: New perspectives on large-scale school improvement. Journal of Educational Change, 13(2), 155–190. Peurach, D. J., Glazer, J. L., & Lenhoff, S. W. (2016). The developmental evaluation of school improvement networks. Educational Policy, 30(4), 606–648. Peurach, D. J., Lenhoff, S. W., & Glazer, J. L. (2016). Large-scale high school reform through school improvement networks: Exploring possibilities for “developmental evaluation.” Teachers College Record, 118(13). Rickles, J., Zeiser, K. L., Mason, J., Garet, M. S., & Wulach, S. (2016, August). Deeper learning and graduation: Is there a relationship? [Report 4]. Washington, DC: American Institutes for Research. Silvernail, D. L. & Johnson, A. F. (2014, January). The impacts of public charter schools on students and traditional public schools: What does the empirical evidence tell us? Gorham: University of Southern Maine, Center for Education Policy, Applied Research, and Evaluation. Singer, N. (2017, May 13). Education disrupted: How Google took over the classroom. The New York Times. Smith, P., & Thompson Blake, B. (2016, March 14). Lighting a spark: Rocketship inspires innovative school network in South Africa. Redwood City, CA: Rocketship Public Schools. Srivastava, P. (2016). Questioning the global scaling up of low-fee private schooling: The nexus between business, philanthropy, and PPPs. In A. Verger, C. Lubienski, & G. Steiner-Khamsi (Eds.), World yearbook of education 2016: The global education industry (pp. 248-262). London, England: Routledge. Summit Learning. (2018). Summit Learning program agreement. Redwood City, CA: Summit Public Schools. Summit Public Schools. (2017, September 11). A guide to the science of Summit [Web log post]. The Economist. (2017, January 7). South Africa has one of the world’s worst education systems. Thompson Blake, B. (2017, July 11). How core values help one school create more from more [Video file]. Tshetlo, M. (2017, November 2). Hands-on Panyaza Lesufi maps out his plans for schools in Gauteng [Web log post]. Todd, N. (2018, May 2). Spark Schools: Adapting at the speed of scale. Entrepreneur Magazine. Vander Ark, T., & Dobyns, L. (2018). Better together: How to leverage school networks for smarter personalized and project based learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Woodworth, J. L., Raymond, M. E., Han, C., Negassi, Y., Richardson, W. P., & Snow, W. (2017). Charter management organizations. Stanford, CA: Stanford University, Center for Research on Education Outcomes. Zeiser, K. L., Taylor, J., Rickles, J., Garet, M. S., & Segeritz, M., (2014). Evidence of deeper learning outcomes. Findings from the study of deeper learning opportunities and outcomes [Report 3]. Washington, DC: American Institutes for Research.