The Comer Model: School Improvement for Students at Risk

Abstract

This study assessed the effect of the School Development Program (SDP) or Comer Model on selected outcomes of schooling in six elementary schools in a southern New England urban school district. Subjects included elementary school students and their teachers. Five major questions were posed: 1. Has the SDP model made a difference in student achievement within experimental schools? 2. Has the model produced any changes in student self-concept? 3. Based on teacher perceptions, has the model produced any changes in student behavior? 4. Based on student perceptions, has the SDP produced any changes in classroom climate? 5. Is school attendance improved in schools using the SDP model? Five major conclusions were drawn: 1. Academic achievement in schools using the SDP model was significant when compared to control schools. Students in SDP schools performed better in the areas of reading, mathematics, and language than their peers in non-SDP schools. 2. The study revealed a significant difference between SDP and non-SDP schools on student perception of Intellectual and School Status, one of the six dimensions of self concept measured by the Piers-Harris Self Concept Scale. 3. Teachers in SDP schools assessed their students favorably in the areas of cooperation, industry, dependability, and social control. They assigned an evaluation of "very good" for their students in these areas. 4. Students in SDP schools viewed their classroom environments more favorably than their peers in control schools. 5. The SDP model did not significantly influence the attendance of students. The findings of this investigation should influence Comer and his associates to work closer with schools to identify the skills and behaviors needed for educators and parents to work collaboratively. The question of principal leadership is central to any school improvement intervention. Hence, the training program should consider the modifications needed to change the leadership behavior of principals who may resist a collaborative change model.