Academic bankruptcy
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Academic bankruptcy describes the status of a school district that exhibits low academic performance. Several states have laws in place that allow for direct intervention in the event that a school district is deemed academically bankrupt.[1]
Criteria for determining academic bankruptcy
Within the states that recognize academic bankruptcy as grounds for state intervention, the specific criteria for determining whether a school district qualifies vary significantly. According to a policy brief by the Education Commission of the States (ECS), academic bankruptcy laws generally allow states to intervene when school districts "consistently fail to satisfy state education performance standards."[1]
Intervention methods
According to ECS, state intervention methods range from warnings and temporary leadership replacements to state takeover of the district.
Noteworthy cases
Jersey City, New Jersey
The Jersey City, New Jersey school system was the first in the nation to be taken over by a state on the grounds of academic bankruptcy. In 1989, the state dismantled the district's school board and terminated the superintendent, appointing a new superintendent who was vested with broad authority. The district remained under state direction until at least 1997.[1][2][3]
See also
External links
Additional reading
- The Atlantic, "What Would Happen If the State Took Over Your School District?" April 1, 2013
- Education Commission of the States, "Policy Brief: Academic Bankruptcy," March 1997
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Education Commission of the States, "Policy Brief: Academic Bankruptcy," March 1997
- ↑ Education Week, "New Jersey Officials Seize Control Of 'Bankrupt' Paterson Schools," September 4, 1991
- ↑ Harvard Graduate School of Education, "From Academic Bankruptcy to Race to the Top: A History of Turnaround Schools," December 8, 2009
