The Parent-Centered Early School

This case study of a small independent parent-run program in Milwaukee's inner city, finds that several factors combine to make the school effective: parental involvement at all levels including governance; a clear and shared sense of mission; and a coherent Montessori curriculum that takes children from preschool through the third grade. The study employed data from several surveys of parents, teachers, interviews with participants, and observation over five years. Begun twenty-seven years ago by parents and community members alienated from dysfunctional public schools and still supported mostly by contributions, Highland today is one of only a dozen schools in the United States receiving some of its revenue under a voucher program that provides state funds to independent schools. After an overview of Highland's history, demographics, and measures of success, two chapters examine the school's commitment to diversity, nonviolence, child nurturance, and egalitarianism. Other chapters focus on how Highland involves its parents and how parents alone govern the school, analyze the role of Highland's trustees, and details the school's Montessori curriculum. The final chapter explores the possibility of applying some of Highland's lessons to public school curriculums.

Michael R. Williams

Contents *Introduction *Research on Characteristics of Effective Schools/Chapter Overviews/Procedures Used in This Case Study *Highland the School *Highland's Origins/Demographics of Highland's Neighborhood, Two Decades On The Current Highland Program/Key Staff and Faculty Throughout Highland's History/Highland's Effectiveness: Academics, Students, Parents *Cultural Diversity at Highland * Highland's Admissions Policies/Five Concerns in Educating for Cultural Diversity/Goals for Multicultural Education/Stages in Developing a Multicultural Curriculum/Highland's Multicultural Curriculum Compared to the Six Stages *The Meaning of Community at Highland *The Elements of Highland's Vision of Community/At Highland We All Help Each Other/Highland Values Children/Highland's Spirit of Egalitarianism/Highland's Value of Nonviolence/The Collegiality of Highland's Staff *Recent Research on Parent Involvement *Socioeconomic Factors in Parent Involvement/The Effects of Parent Involvement on Student Achievement/The Effects of School Intervention Programs that Promote Parent Involvement/James Comer's Parent Involvement Model *How Highland Involves Its Parents *Three Types of Parental Attitudes about School Involvement/Educating Parents Formally/All Highland Parents Work in the School/Survey of Highland Parents, 1994 *Parents Govern Highland *Recent Experiments to Reform Decision Making in U.S. Schools/Parent Control at Highland/Survey of Highland's 1994-95 Parent Board Members *The Trustees of Highland *A History of Highland's Trustee Group/The Trustee Role/A Survey of Trustee Involvement and Attitudes/Trustees for an Urban Public School? *Highland's Early School Curriculum *Understanding the Montessori Model/The Highland Children's House (Three to Six Years)/The Montessori Model at the Junior Level in Highland Community School/How Highland Extends the Montessori Model/Highland Compared to Other Current National Reform Experiments Highland's Lessons for Public EducationMission and Values/Organizational Practices/What Can Highland School Tell the Public School? *Conclusion *References *Index