How-to-Study Blog

In his New York Times column of May 8th, David Brooks described the outcomes of a study of the charter schools operated by the Harlem Children’s Zone.  The study (conducted by Harvard economists) compared students in these schools to students throughout New York City.  The researchers found “enormous” achievement gains.  The gains were statistically higher than gains reported for conventional approaches such as Head Start, raising teacher pay, and reducing class size.  The Harlem Children’s Zone schools eliminated the achievement gap between its black students and the city average for white students. 

The basic theory of the Harlem Children’s Zone schools is that by the time middle-class students enter middle school, they have internalized models in their heads of what they can achieve, how to control their impulses, and how to work hard.  In contrast, many students from low-income homes lack these internalized models.  Working from this premise, the Harlem Children’s Zones schools created a disciplined, orderly, and demanding milieu to help these students inculcate middle-class values.  Meticulous attention is paid to behavior and attitudes.  Students are even taught such basic social skills as looking at the person who is talking to them, and how to shake hands in a conventional manner.  The schools are academically rigorous and college-focused.

How do you feel about this approach?  Are you bothered by the emphasis on middle-class values?  We, just as Brooks and the researchers, are encouraged by the elimination of the racial achievement gap. Please weigh in with your thoughts.