Improving urban middle schools : lessons from the Nativity schools / L. Mickey Fenzel.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Fenzel, L. Mickey, 1949-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Education, Urban--United States--Case studies.

Education, Urban.

Church and education.

United States.

Educational change--United States--Case studies.

Educational change.

Church and education--United States--Case studies.

NativityMiguel Network of Schools.

Genre:

Case studies.

Physical Description:

xvi, 130 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, [2009]

Summary:

Nativity schools, of which there are over forty in urban areas throughout the United States, provide an important alternative to urban middle schools that are failing to provide their students with an adequate education. Nativity schools, which are privately funded, provide a year-round educational experience for at risk urban children. They feature small classes, an extended day, and attention to students' social and spiritual developmental needs. L. Mickey Fenzel visited eleven Nativity schools in seven cities, conducting interviews and classroom observations, and collecting standardized test scores and survey data. Fenzel examines features of the Nativity model that distinguish it from other educational programs and takes a close look at the controversial use of volunteer teachers. The Nativity model is also discussed with respect to its social justice mission that is rooted in the Jesuit tradition.

Contents:

The current state of urban middle schools

The Nativity school model

Nativity school structures and programs

Academic success

Social, emotional, spiritual, and physical development

Instruction and instructional quality in Nativity schools

Costs, funding, and governance

Summary of findings, conclusions, and implications.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 119-124) and indexes.

ISBN:

9780791493496

0791493490

9780791493502

0791493504

OCLC:

231164517