Filing for academic bankruptcy: The impact and economics of state takeovers

Abstract

Under increasing pressure to reform low performing schools and improve the test scores of all students, many states have turned to school takeovers as way of bringing about radical reform. Although it has been more than a decade since the first state sponsored school takeover occurred, this reform strategy has yet to be proven effective. This article begins with a brief description of school takeovers. This is followed by a critical analysis of how school takeovers were constructed by, carried out in and the lasting impact on school districts in Logan County, West Virginia; Newark, New Jersey and Compton, California.

Citation

Hunter, R.C. and Donahoo, S. (2002), "Filing for academic bankruptcy: The impact and economics of state takeovers", Hunter, R.C. and Brown, F. (Ed.) Challenges of Urban Education and Efficacy of School Reform (Advances in Educational Administration, Vol. 6), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 283-293. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1479-3660(03)80020-3