Open Enrollment Program Research Articles

Anywhere but Here: Neighborhood Violence and Local School Preferences in Baltimore City

In this study, we examine whether students in violent neighborhoods actively avoid their local school as a form of social and physical protection. Specifically, we use 10 years of administrative data (2010–2020) from the high school choice open enrollment program in the Baltimore City Public School System to evaluate the interaction between neighborhood violence and geographic proximity when predicting choice behavior. We find that, adjusting for observed school characteristics and constant unobserved student characteristics, students from more violent neighborhoods are substantially less likely to choose their closest school than are students in safer neighborhoods; even when the closest school is listed, it is ranked lower for students from more violent neighborhoods than for students in safer ones. These findings have implications for how we think about the relationship between neighborhoods and educational opportunity in an era of choice.

Review of Scandinavian leadership development programs: Open and closed customization

Leadership development programs (LDPs) have proliferated and diversified but still usually share the ambition of involving the participants’ on-the-job experiences. Yet, the dominant view hereof is crude, not acknowledging the variety of ways used to accomplish it. The Scandinavian context is illustrative for reviewing what we term ‘customization devices’ because of its tradition for LDPs with collective reflection, practice orientation, and broad participation. This review curates and synthesizes 31 studies evaluating empirical experiences with customization devices in Scandinavian university-based LDPs from no earlier than 2010. Such devices fall within three key categories, namely theories, cases, and relationships, and have three key effects: distancing from practice, dedicating to the program, and devising future action. Based on our findings, we challenge the dominant view that open enrollment programs cannot adequately mobilize participants’ experiences by theorizing the distinction between open and closed customization. The review further serves as a resource for LDP designers and instructors to carefully choose and mix customization devices that are complementary in their effects.

A Descriptive Analysis of Cream Skimming and Pushout in Choice versus Traditional Public Schools

Abstract One of the controversies surrounding charter schools is whether these schools may either “cream skim” high-performing students from traditional public schools or “pushout” low-achieving students or students with discipline histories, leaving traditional public schools to educate the most challenging students. In this study, we use longitudinal statewide data from Tennessee and North Carolina and linear probability models to examine whether there is evidence consistent with these selective enrollment practices. Because school choice programs managed by districts (magnet and open enrollment programs) have a similar ability to cream skim and pushout students, we also examine these outcomes for these programs. Across the various school choice programs, magnet schools have the most evidence of cream skimming, but this might be expected as they often have selective admissions. For charter schools, we do not find patterns in the data consistent with cream skimming, but we do find evidence consistent with pushout behaviors based on discipline records. Finally, some have raised concerns that students may be pushed out near accountability test dates, but our results suggest no evidence consistent with this claim.

A Mixed-Methods Examination of Referral Processes to Clinic-Community Partnership Programs for the Treatment of Childhood Obesity.

Background: Partnerships with community programs have been used to improve access to obesity care and address clinical barriers to childhood obesity management; however, little is known about the program referral process. The objective of this study was to identify factors that affect the referral from clinics to community-based programs. Methods: Active Recreation through Community-Healthcare Engagement Study (ARCHES) is a mixed-method, implementation study designed to test the feasibility of establishing clinic-community partnerships to treat childhood obesity. We collected clinical referral and program attendance data from the six ARCHES clinic-community partnerships and conducted semistructured interviews (n = 19) with key stakeholders. Logistic regression models were used to identify referral characteristics associated with ever attending a community program. We used deductive thematic analysis to examine contextual factors affecting the clinical referral and subsequent attendance at the community programs. Results: Patients referred from individual providers [odds ratio (OR): 3.20, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08-9.48], specialty clinics (OR: 2.73, 95% CI: 1.48-5.05), and community wellness clinics (OR: 3.42, 95% CI: 1.05-11.13), had greater odds of ever attending the programs compared with patients from primary care clinics. Patients referred to cohort-based programs compared with open enrollment programs had greater odds of ever attending the programs. Stakeholders emphasized the value of communication within the partnership and with patients in clinical settings. Effective provider communication with patients involved engaging and program endorsing conversations to explain the value of the program. Conclusions: We identified factors that may improve the referral process in clinic-community partnerships to provide resources to primary care providers looking to address childhood obesity. Clinical Trial Registration number: NCT03246763.

Enhancing Physician Managerial Capabilities: Partnership between Medicine and Business.

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Background Physicians are typically appointed to leadership roles within health care organizations on the basis of individual accomplishments in research, education, and/or clinical care. However, these types of achievements seldom provide the requisite management capabilities to lead within health organizations. In this manuscript, we described our initial experience in developing an in-house program to provide current and aspiring physician leaders with the managerial capabilities to enhance the quality of health care delivery within their respective organization. Methods In a partnership established between a Medical School and a Business School, we designed two series of weekend workshops to provide current and aspiring physician leaders with the financial capabilities to assist them in their future healthcare leadership careers. This course was then expanded to a Management Principles for Physician workshop with open enrollment to physicians at all levels. Baseline demographics and participant evaluations of each course were recorded. In the open enrollment Management Principles for Physician workshop, we examined the relationship between participant background and their course evaluations as well as their areas of interest for further training. Results All 3 workshops received excellent evaluations by participants. The positive impact of the open enrollment program, based on participants' self-evaluations, was the highest in female physicians, as well as early to mid-career physicians. Additionally, physicians who do not currently hold leadership positions and those who are leading at Divisional levels were the most interested in further training in finance. Conclusion In summary, this series of workshops demonstrated the feasibility of an in-house physician leadership program and yielded important information for the design of future leadership development curriculum.

State-Sponsored ‘New’ White Flight through Public School Choice and its Impact on Contemporary Urban Schools: A Case Study of Milwaukee’s Open Enrollment Program

<p align="center"><strong>Abstract</strong></p><p>‘White flight’ has largely come to mean exit from or avoidance of racially mixed public schools in urban neighborhoods. But the ‘new’ white flight is complicated by the fact that more whites who are often more affluent remain or relocate to desirable urban areas that are close to jobs and attractive city amenities. This paper describes how white flight can now happen without housing relocation with support from state-wide and municipal school choice policies resulting in the further re-segregation of regional schools. Using the Milwaukee Public School system’s Open Enrollment program as a case study, the authors demonstrate that this seemingly politically neutral school choice program supports the new white flight, enabling the children of white families to attend – and subsidize – the region’s suburban schools with declining enrollment, while further undermining the financial base of urban public schools. This study confirms earlier research indicating white students comprise the majority of participants in Open Enrollment programs, but with more non-white students participating in the Milwaukee program in the last five years. Extensive qualitative analysis of historical documents served as the primary research method for this study. Implications for other regions are discussed.</p>

Deregulation and the American Education Marketplace

The deregulation movement has impacted the social, political, and economic landscape in the United States and continues to do so. In this article, we briefly summarize the general history of deregulation in this country and the meaning of deregulation within the specific context of education policy and reform. We focus on deregulation efforts designed to provide families and students with greater choice in where and how their K–12 schooling occurs, including magnet schools, charter schools, open-enrollment programs, and vouchers. We discuss different forms of deregulation in the K–12 education system, competition effects, and various issues related to deregulation, including potential future issues that may arise in a deregulated education marketplace. In our analysis, we conclude that education deregulation has the potential to serve some members of society, but at the detriment of others, and that a great deal of future work is needed to determine the effects—both anticipated and unintended—of deregulation in this context.

Transfer of learning from executive education programs in developing economies: the key role of motivation

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to empirically investigate transfer of learning and its relationship with the training super-system. Specifically, this paper looks at motivation to transfer as an indicator of a transfer condition. The paper will also provide information on individual factors, work place factors and design factors of training programs that facilitate transfer of learning. This study will also attempt to recommend a procedure for design and delivery of executive education programs that will facilitate transfer of learning by identifying variables that were hitherto not identified. Design/methodology/approach – This study is a descriptive and exploratory. Sample for this study has been drawn from learners who participated in executive education programs delivered by Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai. Respondents completed a questionnaire developed on the HRD Evaluation Research and Measurement model, Theory of Planned Behavior and the Learning Transfer System Inventory model. Variables were reduced by EFA. The researcher also met a few HR and L & D practitioners for one-on-one discussion. The ideas generated were bounced with subject matter experts and with faculty who were designing/teaching executive education programs. Findings – The research findings are consistent with earlier studies like the Holton research (1996), (2001). Discussion also brought out the role of motivation in enhancement of skills, behaviors and knowledge. Many researchers have agreed that individual motivation factors play an important role for knowledge transfer. If the learners are not motivated about the positives arising from the training program, they would lose interest which would affect their self-efficacy and thereby the transfer of learning. The primary role of motivation to transfer comes out distinctly. Additionally, the relationship between motivation to transfer and learner readiness and performance self-efficacy is established. Research limitations/implications – The research was done with the intent of doing a pilot study on the thesis topic that the researcher has chosen for his doctorate program and hence has methodological limitations of a one-time survey questionnaire. The study has a small sample size of 30 and could have a high risk of generalization findings. Additionally, data collection is based on self-responses collected during focused group interview which is based on the “perception” of the respondents and therefore limited to self-report data. The respondents are all from executive education of a Chennai-based Institute which means that the same survey done on another set of respondents could probably throw up very different results. Participants had undergone multi-phase leadership development program in small cohort. The results could vary if participants from open-enrollment programs participated. Use of interviews and/or observation of participants could have provided more rich data. Practical implications – In practical terms, the foundation result will help L & D managers and executive education designers to understand the factors that play an important role in transfer of learning specific to Indian context. The research paper also conceptually explains the central role of “motivation to transfer”. The recommendations provided therein will help practitioners with a structured approach toward design and delivery of executive education programs. The recommended approach to design and delivery will help practitioners to come up with training programs that will provide more buck for every dollar spent. Social implications – Return on investment on learning has always been a contentious issue. Clear understanding of critical success factors in executive education can help focused design, post-training support to ensure better knowledge transfer. Originality/value – The study expands the knowledge base, regarding transfer of learning specific to India, by focusing on executive education programs which are rapidly growing and receiving great attention in the workplace. This paper is an original research initiative of the research scholar done as part of a pilot study on his PhD thesis on transfer of learning.

Can Broad Inferences Be Drawn from Lottery Analyses of School Choice Programs? An Exploration of Appropriate Sensitivity Analyses

ABSTRACTSchool choice programs continue to be controversial, spurring a number of researchers into evaluating them. When possible, researchers evaluate the effect of attending a school of choice using randomized designs to eliminate possible selection bias. Randomized designs are often thought of as the gold standard for research, but many circumstances can limit external validity of inferences from these designs in the context of school choice programs. In this article, we examine whether these limitations are applicable to previous evaluations of voucher, charter schools, magnet, and open-enrollment programs. We devise simple sensitivity analyses that researchers could conduct when analyzing lotteried programs to determine whether there are reasons to be cautious about the breadth of appropriate inferences.

School Choice and Educational Stratification

Recent growth in the number of school choice programs across the country has ignited debate on the stratifying effects of these programs. In the context of interdistrict open enrollment, this paper analyzes—both theoretically and empirically—how choice programs affect stratification levels through the mechanisms of (i) the relative characteristics of program participants and nonparticipants and (ii) the schooling choices of different groups of program participants. The theoretical analysis uses Monte Carlo simulation techniques to analyze a hypothetical world where interdistrict choice is available to students in three school districts that are allowed to vary in student composition, the type of students who take advantage of the interdistrict choice program, and schooling choices of students who open enroll. The results of these simulations provide an understanding of the conditions under which an interdistrict open enrollment program leads to increases, decreases, or no changes in stratification levels. The empirical analysis uses data from the universe of students attending Colorado public schools in 2009–10 to examine how the state's interdistrict choice program affects stratification levels. It also analyzes the factors responsible for any increases or decreases in stratification and finds both participation patterns and differences in schooling decisions across groups to play important roles. The paper concludes with a discussion of its implications for research and policy.

Dynamic Participation in Interdistrict Open Enrollment

Interdistrict open enrollment is the nation’s largest and most widespread school choice program, but our knowledge of these programs is limited. Drawing on 5 years of student-level data from the universe of public school attendees in Colorado, we perform a three-stage analysis to examine the dynamics of student participation in the state’s interdistrict open enrollment program. First, we explore the characteristics of students who open enroll in a defined baseline year. Second, we analyze the characteristics of students who continue to participate in the program in subsequent years. Finally, we examine the characteristics of students who—conditional on not open enrolling in the defined-baseline year—choose to participate in the program in one or more subsequent years.

Egypt in Transition

Egypt witnessed an unexpected uprising on 25 January 2011. People took to the streets demanding their rights to freedom, equity and a better economy, and in only 18 days managed to oust President Mubarak, who had held power for 30 years. The transition period is still ongoing with an unfolding of events creating turbulence in the political, social and economic arena. This study looks at the impact of the uprising of 25 January and the subsequent transition in higher education in general, with a focus on the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy (GAPP), Executive Education Unit at the American University in Cairo (AUC). GAPP Executive Education is considered the training arm of the school, providing education and training opportunities that serve to reinforce and reinvigorate professional leadership capacities within government agencies, public institutions, civil society and media organizations in a challenging global environment within Egypt and the region. GAPP Executive Education offers both customized programs and open enrollment programs according to current trends and needs. The unit was established in May 2010, quickly finding itself in a mixed realm of events. As an income-generating unit serving government agencies and public institutions, the transition period in Egypt and the region placed GAPP Executive Education in a test situation to find responsive solutions. The study is divided into five sections: a brief background; role of educational institutes as partners in change; impact of challenging times on structure; impact of economic changes on pedagogy; and the impact of social and political changes.

SCHOOL CHOICE: SUPPORTERS AND OPPONENTS

We examine the attitudes of Ohio homeowners about school choice, which includes open enrollment programs, school vouchers, tuition tax credits, and charter schools. Previous studies examine more limited forms of choice and investigate fewer possible influences. Overall we report at least five new findings and five findings that contradict previous studies. We find the strongest predictors of opposition for school choice are people having graduate degrees and living in high‐performing public school districts. We find people living in blue collar areas and using private schools to be the strongest predictors of support. Males tend to oppose choice and African Americans support it. We find no role for income, the convenience of alternative schools, or the protection of house values in support for school choice. Overall we report at least five new findings and five findings that contradict previous studies. (JEL H44, I22)

Do student migrations affect school performance? Evidence from Wisconsin's inter-district public school program

This paper examines the competitive effects of a unique school choice program implemented in the late 1990s, Wisconsin's open enrollment program, which allows families to send their children to schools outside their home district. In contrast to other school choice programs, districts not only face negative consequences from losing students and state funding, but they also stand to gain in the event of student emigration from other districts. The identification approach exploits differences in the number of schools in bordering districts, which affects inter-district ease-of-transfer. Estimates produce three main conclusions. First, districts that experience student out-migration produce higher standardized test scores in the subsequent year. Second, these effects are most evident among districts for which out-migration, expressed as a percentage of enrollment, falls in the upper quartile of all districts under consideration. Third, districts do not appear to respond to in-migration, indicating that districts place more emphasis on (and have more control over) preventing out-migration, as opposed to encouraging in-migration. These findings provide evidence that schools respond to competitive forces by improving quality.

Participation in school choice: a spatial probit analysis of neighborhood influence

This paper examines the factors influencing school districts’ participation in the voluntary open enrollment program in Massachusetts. It investigates whether school districts engage in strategic interaction when making the participation decision. The motivation for testing the strategic interaction hypothesis is to determine whether the driving force behind the participation decision of a district is the competition from neighboring districts, with a potential threat of taking away students and funding. The discrete choice participation decision is modeled using a Bayesian spatial probit model. The results suggest that a given district’s probability of participation is positively affected by the participation decisions of its neighbors and this provides strong evidence of horizontal interaction in school choice policies.

Strategic interaction among public school districts: Evidence on spatial interdependence in school inputs

This paper provides evidence on strategic interaction among public school districts in Massachusetts. The open enrollment program in Massachusetts is unique in testing the strategic competition thesis because it allows students to attend public schools located outside their home district. For each student who transfers out, funds are deducted from the sending district's local aid distribution and added to the receiving district's local aid. Thus, school districts no longer have the assurance of a ready supply of students and funding, instead they have to compete with neighboring districts, and enact strategies that will help retain as well as attract more students. A spatial econometric framework is applied to disentangle the correlation due to strategic interaction from the one that is simply due to spatially correlated error shocks. The results show that public school districts respond positively to the expenditure decisions of neighboring districts, thereby acting strategically when setting their own spending levels.

An examination of inter-district public school transfers in Wisconsin

Using data for all Wisconsin school districts over the 2003/04 through 2006/07 school years, we evaluate the state of Wisconsin's Open Enrollment (inter-district transfer) program to determine which school district characteristics influence parental transfer decisions. To our knowledge, this is the first study of school choice in a public school setting that evaluates transfer decisions controlling for district characteristics from which the students are transferring. The main result of our research indicates that parents of transfer students reside in districts with high property values but low taxes, and they choose to send their children to higher spending school districts. Other key findings are that parents send their children to districts with lower percentages of minorities, and are more likely to transfer from districts with fewer extracurricular opportunities.

The Integrating and Segregating Effects of School Choice

We evaluate the integrating and segregating effects of three distinct school choice programs in San Diego. We go beyond the traditional question of racial integration and examine the integration of students by test scores, parental education levels, and language status. In addition to measuring the net integrative effects of school choice, we also examine the underlying motives behind student participation in school choice programs and the limiting influence of supply-side constraints. Two of the programs that we consider are rooted in 1970s integration-based reforms that provide public transportation for program participants. The third program is a state-mandated, open-enrollment program that requires participants to find their own transportation to and from their choice schools. We find that the two programs with underlying integrative objectives do indeed integrate the district, but the open-enrollment program segregates the district along most dimensions. Provision of busing and geographic preferences appear to be important factors in promoting integration.

The adverse effects of parents’ school selection errors on academic achievement: Evidence from the Beijing open enrollment program

One major concern with public school open enrollment programs is the potential for parents’ school selection errors to adversely affect their children's academic achievement. In this study of the Beijing middle school open enrollment program, we estimate the degree to which children's school outcomes were negatively affected by the poor choices their parents made during the school selection process. We do this by examining parents’ responses to a survey on school choices combined with actual school applications, school admission records, and High School Entrance Examination test scores for 4717 students entering middle schools in Beijing via randomized lotteries. We find that the children of parents who made judgment errors in school selection were admitted to lower quality schools and achieved lower test scores on the High School Entrance Examination. Parents who had less education, whose children performed at lower levels in primary school, and who were less attentive to teachers’ opinions about schools were more prone to make these errors. Providing assistance to parents, especially those less prepared to make informed choices about school selection, is consequently important for supporting more efficient and equitable open enrollment programs.

School Choice: Supporters and Opponents

We examine the attitudes of Ohio homeowners about school choice, which includes open enrollment programs, school vouchers, tuition tax credits, and charter schools. Previous studies examine more limited forms of choice and investigate fewer possible influences. Overall we report at least five new findings and five findings that contradict previous studies. We find the strongest predictors of opposition for school choice are people having graduate degrees and living in high‐performing public school districts. We find people living in blue collar areas and using private schools to be the strongest predictors of support. Males tend to oppose choice and African Americans support it. We find no role for income, the convenience of alternative schools, or the protection of house values in support for school choice. Overall we report at least five new findings and five findings that contradict previous studies.