A Qualitative Research Synthesis of the “No Excuses” Charter School Model

Abstract

The “no excuses” charter school model is widely regarded in public debate as an effective policy intervention to politically and economically empower historically marginalized student populations. The organizing principle of the “no excuses” model is to do whatever it takes to close the achievement gap and to prepare students for university education and the professional job market. This article seeks to critically evaluate the “no excuses” model through a qualitative research synthesis of an emerging body of qualitative research literature. The findings from this synthesis raise serious questions about the desirability of the “no excuses” charter school model.

Putting ourselves together: School belonging, parental socialization, and teacher support of Latinx youth.

“…Participants were enrolled at charter schools with a specific mission to promote high expectations and college enrollment. The broader charter network was at the forefront of a "no excuses" philosophy to close the achievement gap between White students and students of color (Ellison & Iqtadar, 2022), This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.…”

“…Participants were enrolled at charter schools with a specific mission to promote high expectations and college enrollment. The broader charter network was at the forefront of a “no excuses” philosophy to close the achievement gap between White students and students of color (Ellison & Iqtadar, 2022), which included strategies such as a longer school day and year, continuous assessment, and a strict disciplinary code to monitor student behavior. TS may become interconnected with teachers’ use of “no excuses” practices and classroom procedures (Lopez Kershen et al, 2018), especially for teachers trying to do all they can to support their students.…”

Restorative Justice in a No Excuses Charter School

“…Much of the initial popularization of the “No Excuses” movement ignored a long history of urban education research that called into question any causal linkage between the particular methods these CMOs were using and the academic achievement being generated by students attending these schools (Ellison & Iqtadar, 2022). Moreover, despite criticism that these schools were perpetuating disproportionality among students of color and students with disabilities (Waitoller et al, 2019), the “No Excuses” model was replicated throughout the United States, bolstered in part by the consistently high test scores the most prominent of these CMOs continued to produce (Cheng et al, 2017; Dobbie & Fryer, 2013).…”

Through the Eyes of Novice Teachers: Experiences with Professional Cultures Within and Outside of Neoliberal “No-Excuses” Charter Schools

“…Standardization of practice is common in NECSs, such as implementing schoolwide discipline systems (Golann, 2015) or having a standardized curriculum across classes (Mehta & Fine, 2019;Pondiscio, 2019;Sondel, 2015). They also typically share a common language and vision of teaching (Ellison & Iqtadar, 2020), often emphasizing direct instruction (Mehta & Fine, 2019;Sondel, 2016), though some research suggests that this instructional narrative may be changing (Harrison, 2022). Additionally, teachers in NECSs are frequently observed, publicly share assessment results, and engage in data-driven instruction based on standardized test results (Lake et al, 2012;Sondel, 2015Sondel, , 2016.…”

“…Though coming under extensive debate and critique for how they may perpetuate inequity or deprofessionalize teaching (Ellison & Iqtadar, 2020;Lack, 2009), NECSs represent microcosms of managerialism unseen in more traditional school settings, making them ideal locations for studying teacher experiences of organizational professionalism.…”