What is Comprehensive School Reform?
The Comprehensive School Reform program (CSR) was developed to help low-performing schools overcome some of the most common obstacles to effective school reform. The CSR program requires that schools focus their reform efforts on the entire school, rather than implementing isolated, piecemeal programs. CSR also requires that schools use comprehensive school improvement models that are proven effective by scientifically-based research. And CSR requires that these models provide schools with support and training for all stakeholders, including teachers, administrators, parents, and school staff.
Many schools have been following a CSR approach to reform for years; the Title I Schoolwide Programs and the Goals 2000 school improvement initiatives were both early prototypes of comprehensive reform programs. The current CSR program began in 1998 as part of the FY1998 Labor-HHS Education Appropriations Act. At that time, $145 million was made available to state education agencies to provide competitive incentive grants to school districts for schools that pursued comprehensive reform. Grants of no less than $50,000 a year for up to three years were made available to schools that selected a comprehensive model that met nine specific criteria.
When President Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, reauthorizing the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program, new requirements were added to the original program. Today, schools seeking CSR funds must address eleven criteria when adopting a CSR model, as opposed to the nine criteria previously required.
Over 1,800 schools received grants as part of the original 1998 cohort; another 5,500 schools received grants through additional funding between 2000 and 2005. CSR program grants are renewable for up to three years.
For FY2005, Congress allocated $205,344,000 for the CSR program. For state-by-state funding summaries for FY 2001 through 2006, see the Department of Education’s CSR Program Awards.)
States receive CSR funding based on their Title I formula, and may award CSR grants to schools whose CSR reform program aligns with the eleven components outlined in the Comprehensive School Reform program guidance.
A school’s CSR approach should be based on its needs, but it is important to remember that one model may not provide every aspect of a school’s comprehensive reform effort. A comprehensive model that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s eleven criteria and has a proven track record can help a school organize all of the steps and processes required for CSR, but some schools choose to develop a model of their own or combine multiple models within a comprehensive approach. In order to be eligible for CSR funds though, a school must choose an approach that meets the eleven criteria.
Additional information, including specific program requirements, can be found on the U.S Department of Education’s Comprehensive School Reform Program website. General Information and resources on CSR can be found at Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement.
