The Feasibility of Creating and Sustaining Charter Schools in the Rural United States

Many parents in rural areas desire to make a choice for their child to have an education different from what the local TPS can provide, but the choice is not available (McCarthy, 2016, Bagley, Woods, & Glatter, 2001). Communities play a large role in the success of both TPSs and charter schools, especially in rural areas (Johnson & Howley, 2015, Stuit & Doan, 2012). In many cases, community characteristics impact student performance as much as the school characteristics (Bodine et al., 2008, Reeves, 2012). The research presented in this study acts as a feasibility study of the potential for rural communities across the U.S. to create and sustain charter schools, given their financial characteristics. This research adds to the national conversation of school choice by determining the accessibility and plausibility of U.S. students across the country, including those in rural areas, to have increased access to school choice options

Effecting Social Change in the 'Smart City': The West End Connect Community Project

Brisbane has declared itself a 'smart city'. But more and more Brisbane is also becoming a digitally divided city. The Brisbane community is being separated into those who have access to and are comfortable using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) – the 'haves' – and groups who do not have access to and are not comfortable using ICT – the 'have-nots'. The social and economic implications of digitally divided communities cannot be ignored by government or society as whole. The inner city suburb of West End is an example of a socially, culturally and economically diverse community. The suburb has traditionally been home to Indigenous and migrant populations as well as being a refuge for many of Brisbane's homeless people. The demographics of this suburb, however, are being significantly altered by new property developments with wealthier residents choosing to move close to the city. West End is rapidly becoming a digitally divided community. This paper explores a case study in which the Queensland University of Technology and the State Library of Queensland worked in collaboration with a number of community groups in West End to help bridge the growing digital divide. The West End Connect Community Project began in November 2004 with the aim of providing the opportunity for West End community groups to develop the skills and knowledge vital for personal and vocational success in an ever-changing environment of digital information. The paper will discuss and evaluate the strategies used to deliver and develop a community education program that will lead to social change for West End. The paper will discuss the impact of the project on the West End community as a way of bridging the digital divide

Despite Federal Moratorium, Eviction Rates Returning to Pre-Pandemic Levels

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Idaho, like many states across the country, faced rising housing costs, low home-vacancy rates and increasing efforts by landlords to evict tenants. Thanks to increased unemployment benefits, federal stimulus checks and eviction moratoriums – all part of the government’s pandemic response – renters’ lives improved slightly in 2020. But with those programs decreasing or disappearing, many Idahoans and other Americans who rent their homes will still struggle to pay rent and face imminent risk of being evicted

Idaho\u27s Communities of Excellence Charter School Grant Year 2 Evaluation 2021

In 2018, the U.S. Department of Education awarded Idaho’s Communities of Excellence (COE) consortium a $17.1 million Charter Schools Program (CSP) grant. The amount of the award increased to$22.5 million in 2019. Grant funds will be distributed over five years with the intent to achieve Idaho’s COE objectives. The following questions drive Idaho Policy Institute (IPI)’s evaluation of Idaho’s COE: How are subgrantee schools using funds for school-site implementation? How do students and parents perceive the quality of schools vis-a-vis their prior school experience? What are school and staff perceptions of the successes, improvements, and chal¬lenges at subgrantee schools? Performance data is omitted from this report as standardized testing was not completed in the 2019/20 school year. This evaluation uses: Demographic data received from the Idaho State Board of Education. Financial data received from Bluum (the non-profit organization that serves as a fiscal agent for the grant). Parent and teacher survey data from the Farkas-Duffett Research (FDR) Group. Key findings include: All Cohort 1 schools dedicated most year two spending to staffing; however, all schools continue to dedicate money to technology and furniture and fixtures. Despite the precarity of COVID-19, parents are satisfied with their school. Parents plan to continue sending their children to their CSP school. Teachers are satisfied with their school but also feel overwhelmed by their workload

Idaho Literacy Intervention Program Evaluation 2020-2021

This evaluation, of the Idaho Literacy Intervention Program (Program) annually mandated by the Idaho Legislature, considers (a) program design, (b) use of funds, including the funding amounts, (c) local education agencies (LEAs) that have utilized all-day kindergarten (all-day K), (d) program effectiveness, and (e) any other relevant matters. For the fourth year, Idaho Policy Institute (IPI) conducted the evaluation. To complete this report, IPI received relevant financial, performance, and enrollment data from Idaho’s Office of the State Board of Education and Idaho State Department of Education. This includes student-level Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI) scores, demographic data, all-day K enrollment data, and LEA literacy intervention expenditures

Idaho\u27s Communities of Excellence Charter School Grant Year 4 Evaluation 2023

In 2018, the U.S. Department of Education awarded Idaho’s Communities of Excellence (COE) consortium, led by the Boise-based nonprofit, Bluum, a $17.1 million Charter Schools Program (CSP) grant. The amount of the award increased to$22.47 million in 2019. Grant funds have been distributed over five years with the intent to achieve Idaho’s COE objectives

NSF COMPLEAT: Year 2 Evaluation

The objective of the COMPLEAT project is to improve prospective elementary teacher (PSET) engagement through an innovative, interdisciplinary, and inquiry-based approach that addresses the pressing need for integration of multiple disciplines in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The project seeks to improve learning experiences for PSETs in acquiring mathematics (math) skills by exploring the rules of math in other STEM disciplines and solidifying knowledge and skills in teaching contexts as sustainable practices. The project aims to meet these objectives through the Applying, Connecting, Experiencing (ACE) instruction model, integrating Community-Based Experiential Learning (CBEL) into PSET courses, and using Integrated Math-Enhanced (IME) STEM inquiry activities. The COMPLEAT project is being implemented at Augusta University (Augusta) in Georgia, Boise State University (Boise State) in Idaho, Kapiolani Community College (KCC) in Hawaii, and University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA) in Texas

Idaho Diagnostic Site Visit Protocol 2020

Diagnostic site visits are a common evaluation tool for schools across the United States. The goal of site visits is to provide schools with a comprehensive third-party evaluation of policies and practices that impact school quality beyond test scores and assist in school improvement planning. The following report contains a protocol for conducting diagnostic site visits in the state of Idaho. The report is based on the standards to be evaluated during the site visits: faculty and staff, curriclum and instruction, communication and culture, governance, and finance. Also included are: Methods of standard evaluation Evaluation reporting expectations Evidence of standard indicators Scoring sheets and key Interview question example

Evictions in Idaho: Statewide Data for 2021

For the third consecutive year, IPI collected all court case data in Idaho. Data were obtained from the Idaho Supreme Court. In 2021, 1, 975 (about 1.0%) of Idaho’s renting households had an eviction filing and 1,107 (0.6%) were formally evicted. Overall, eviction court filings rose by 11% from 2020 to 2021. However, the number of households with formal evictions decreased by 1.7%. For much of 2021, Idaho residents still had access to emergency rental assistance funds and federal eviction moratoria were still in place. This could explain the lower numbers of formal evictions despite an increase in filings. It may also explain why both the number of filings and formal evictions have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Although the reason for monthly fluctuations in eviction filings is unclear, the spike in August does correlate with the end of the CDC federal eviction moratorium the previous month

Idaho Literacy Intervention Program Evaluation 2021

In 2020, the Idaho Legislature authorized an independent, external evaluation of the state’s literacy intervention program (Program) that will consider: (a) program design, (b) use of funds, including funding utilized for all-day kindergarten, (c) program effectiveness; and (d) an analysis of key performance indicators of student achievement, as well as any other relevant matters. For the third year, Idaho Policy Institute (IPI) was contracted to conduct the evaluation. Performance data traditionally used in this evaluation is unavailable because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, IPI administered online surveys to teachers (n=494) and administrators (n=101) and conducted in-depth interviews with teachers (n=11) to understand the function and perceptions of the Program across the state. This report also includes data from the 2019/20 (LEA) literacy plans, budgets, and expenditure data