Overview of No Excuses Education
"No excuses" charter schools have extended school days, years, college-going cultures, and strict discipline policies. In certain urban areas, Charter Management Organizations (CMOs) have replicated these models en masse, mostly serving low-income and minority students.
The no excuses learning model is rooted in a philosophy that all students can achieve high potential with excellent teachers, high expectations, and community support.
Impacts of No Excuses Education
Early measures like high-school graduation, college attendance and graduation rates are becoming available for the first no-excuses schools. In a decade, we can examine earnings and crime rates. I’d bet we will see a significant positive impact from no-excuses education.
Characteristics of No Excuses Schools
What do no-excuses schools look like? A teacher described one: Schools like KIPP and Success Academy are founded on no excuses for the achievement gap between minorities and affluent whites. They set high expectations and strict codes with long school days to bridge that gap.
Challenges and Critiques of No Excuses Model
Recommendations to replicate no-excuses practices ignore research on effective practices for achievement. They overlook resources, committed staff, and willing families needed to replicate successfully, limiting the report’s usefulness.
Studying no-excuses charter schools has prompted reimagining education, as when Noble, Chicago’s largest charter network, apologized for assimilationist, patriarchal, white supremacist discipline. Loosening tight controls gives students voice and autonomy without sacrificing culture but can deepen learning.