Volume 4 - Issue 1 - DBU Journal of K-12 Educational Research - Page 75

Journal of K-12 Educational Research 73 opportunities that are not characteristic of inner-city schools, Boys Latin attests to Collins’s claim that students need access to rich and longstanding ideas and diverse opportunities (Collins & Tamarkin, 1990). The Oaks Academy and Hope Academy, each with their varying expressions of what makes their programs classical, share a common belief that a philosophic approach to student formation most characterizes them as a classical institution. These schools’ emphases on student beliefs and loves have them most closely aligning with the ideas espoused by Hicks (1999) in his Norms and Nobility . The intent of the current study was to discover, through expansive exploration, in what ways these classically- modeled schools are serving a diverse student body. The unique expressions of classical educational values at each school were explored, and perceptions concerning deviations and adaptations of the classical model were elicited. As success indicators were compiled and examined, alongside observed and recorded on-site data, thematic commonalities emerged. Four primary research questions guided the current study: Research Question 1 (RQ1) From the perspective of school personnel, in what way is the school classical in its aims and practices? Research Question 2 (RQ2) From the perspective of school personnel, in what way and for what reasons is the school not classical ? Research Question 3 (RQ3) From the perspective of school personnel and its constituency, what are indicators of the school’s success? Research Question 4 (RQ4) In what ways are the classical ideals, especially as pointed toward a vision of shalom , being realized in classical schools serving diverse populations? Summary of Findings and Interpretation of Results The positive outcomes of the four schools’ academic programs have been demonstrated by their students’ performance on standardized assessments. All four schools substantially outperform their neighborhood comparison schools, and three of the four schools outperform state averages (Magan, 2018; McCoy, 2016; Texas Education Agency, 2019). In addition, the current study found that, at all four schools, the worth of classical education is felt primarily through the comprehensive relationships classical learning engenders. Relationship with Content The writings, events, and traditions of the past are considered worthy knowledge at the schools, not merely as standards for testing or college prep. Rather, the content is seen as formative to students’ lives. The wisdom of past generations is preserved for its power to inform and shape students’ characters, as well as to grant them access to ideas and opportunities beyond their immediate contexts. Table 1 Summary of the Four Schools in the Current Study School Location Type Grade Levels Gender Arlington Classics Academy Arlington, TX. Public charter K-9 Co-ed Boys Latin of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA. Public charter 6-12 Male Hope Academy Minneapolis, MN. Private Christian K-12 Co-ed, some gender separation The Oaks Academy Indianapolis, IN. Private Christian PreK-8 Co-ed Those persons within each school who took direct part in the current study include the school’s population at large, the school’s leader, and two purposive sample focus groups, one including parents and students, and the other including staff and teachers. Summary of the Study Schools within the current study can be generally s tuated within one or more of general types of classical schooling. Arlington Classics Academy, with its use of the Core Knowledge curriculum and with its unwavering commitment to family input, represents a hybrid of Adler’s (1982) P e iea -style school and classical homeschooling. Boys Lati Charter School of Philadelphia is a modern-day expression of Marva Collins’s value sets. With the school’s extensive study of Latin and its smorgasbord of learning opportunities t at are not characteristic of i ner-city schools, Boys Latin ttests to Collins’s claim that students need access to rich and longstanding ideas and diverse opportunities (Collins & Tamarkin, 1990). The Oaks Academy and Hope Academy, each with their varying expressions of what makes their programs classical, Table 1. Summary of the F ur Sc ools in the C rrent Study