The Accelerated Schools Project: Initiating and sustaining school reform

The purpose of this study was to examine the development of the Accelerated Schools Project from its inception in 1986 to the present day. Specifically, the study addressed five research questions: (1) What is the philosophical basis for the Accelerated Schools Project and how has this influenced ho...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Byrd, Sandra Pappas
Format: Dissertation
Language:English
Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01-01-2000
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Summary:The purpose of this study was to examine the development of the Accelerated Schools Project from its inception in 1986 to the present day. Specifically, the study addressed five research questions: (1) What is the philosophical basis for the Accelerated Schools Project and how has this influenced how the Accelerated Schools Project attempted to change the ways schools approach educating economically-disadvantaged students? (2) What in Henry Levin's background led to the initiation of the Accelerated Schools Project? (3) How did the Accelerated Schools Project begin and how has the Accelerated Schools Project expanded? (4) What factors enabled the expansion of the Accelerated Schools Project? (5) How effective has the Accelerated Schools Project been in its effort to change the way schools approach educating economically-disadvantaged students? As a descriptive, historical examination of the Accelerated Schools Project, this study utilized three sources of data. Relevant primary and secondary source documents were reviewed. Participants, informants, or attentive observers of the Accelerated Schools Project were interviewed. Finally a questionnaire was sent to the 11 Satellite Center Directors. The data were analyzed in terms of the five research questions. The results suggest that the philosophical basis for the Accelerated Schools Project draws from the works of John Dewey, the philosophical school of pragmatism, and the educational theories of progressivism and reconstructionism. The conception, design, and implementation of the Accelerated Schools Project is based on Levin's research and writing. In the 1960s and 1970s, he inquired as to how democracy could create more productive work organizations. In the 1980s, he was engaged in school-based research. He was willing to extend his work beyond writing and into school impact. The Project began in two pilot elementary schools in the San Francisco Bay area. A variety of factors, both planned and unplanned, have contributed to the growth of the Accelerated Schools Project. Among the most important are the National Center, the National Policy Advisory Board, the Satellite Centers, coach-trained schools, the technical assistance sites, and funding. The Accelerated Schools Project has demonstrated change in two areas: schools and student outcomes. Seven characteristics appear to contribute to the success of the Accelerated Schools Project. Finally, there are four characteristics of the Accelerated Schools Project that appear to contribute to Project sustainability.
ISBN:0599744677
9780599744677