Introduction
This research paper presents an analysis of the different organizational structures of the OASIS Public School System and conventional public schools. Two research questions guide the study. First, what are the benefits and challenges of operating an educational system based on the principles of nurturing heritage language, culture, and identity offered by the OASIS model? Secondly, what implications does an understanding of the OASIS model have for the operation of public schooling in general? Current research indicates a significant effect of school settings on shaping the experiences and academic outcomes of learners. It is imperative to understand the framework within which the OASIS charter is built to make meaning of the educational outcomes that ensue.
The OASIS model delineates the structural and philosophical design of the OASIS Public School System. Before comparing this to the management of typical public schools, it is essential to understand the structures and principles of the education provided by the latter. The selection is based on the propensity for the case of public schooling because, since the inception of the United States, popular education based on the administration of state financial support has prescribed the promulgation of public education. Further, the paper draws on historical trends over the last three decades to review methodologies implemented in public school systems. It uses these eras within the history of public schooling to structure a review of extant literature exploring what can happen when educators try to prepare all learners for citizenship, with a focus on the education of urban students.
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Benefits of OASIS Public School System
The OASIS Public School System, incorporated in 2000 with a campus in Arizona and one in California, is seen as an innovator in educational practice. OASIS is an acronym for Opportunities for Adolescent Success in and out of school. The schools are recognized for hands-on, self-initiated learning opportunities designed to serve the needs of learners studying in the middle school years, which for OASIS, encompass grade levels seven through nine.
The OASIS approach appears to offer a number of strengths that are outside of the usual options for learners. Central to the schooling system remains the OASIS student. With class sizes of 35 or fewer, instructors familiar with each learner, and individualized learning plans, middle school students who study at OASIS are provided the crucial opportunity to direct their own learning with the support of adults in and out of school. Most parents appreciate the close-knit community aspect and the self-responsibility structure of the schools. Pupils in an OASIS school are more likely to perform well if they like the teachers or if they really like school. OASIS provides a unique approach to adolescent development by involving students in the decision-making process and community service, along with weekly field studies and individualized curriculum. Students at an OASIS campus are more motivated to achieve ideal behavior, take more core academic courses, are more successful on state tests, and have lower dropout rates.
Challenges in Typical Public Schools
It is fair to say that typical public schools are subject to many issues, but when examining which would be the most pressing or have the largest effect on school environments, it seems obvious to discuss bullying and violence. In the last few decades, the pervasiveness of bullying has reached a wide audience, and violence in and out of school settings has become detrimental to students, faculty, staff, and communities. Physical bullying has been around for centuries in schools, and the actions that stem from physical bullying and also from verbal bullying can even lead to various mental health issues. As a result, many children refuse to attend school, have poor academic performance, and feel unsafe. Mimicking physical and verbal bullying, cyberbullying and online harassment have gained attention as this generation is more involved in the use of technology.
Impairment of students' psychological well-being is evidenced immediately after bullying situations: suicide, depression, and anxiety are only a few events that can stage for the worst after a bullying encounter. Victims of cyberbullying who attempt suicide are usually female between the ages of 10 and 15, making them show higher psychological symptoms such as depression and hopelessness. On the same token, a percentage of students from the sixth to twelfth grade have been bullied online, while a smaller percentage of them have done the online bullying. Unequivocally, it has been found that socio-economic factors play a key role in the type and frequency of bullying that is enacted. That being said, if a school has a higher number of students that come from families with a low socio-economic status, it is burdened with a greater amount of physical aggression and disruptive behaviors, sounding the alarm for school violence. With so much seemingly against the typical student in a standard public school system, new ways must be carved out within that existing system. Human tendencies of viciousness exerted in schoolyards will continue unless educational curriculums that include making peace and learning compassionate communication are formed. Students must become part of the decision-making process, where dialogue is encouraged and empathy is rewarded to ensure a positive school environment.
Academic Performance vs. Student Well-being
Although there is no agreed-upon, comprehensive metric to measure academic performance and general student well-being holistically, we can infer that OASIS Public Schools perform just as well as typical public schools when measuring student academic performance. The typical metric used to measure academic performance is standardized test scores. In the school year alone, OASIS had English language arts certified growths and math or science certified growths. In the span from 2011 to 2019, OASIS saw an average ELA growth percentile of 53 and an average math growth percentile of 51. On the other hand, when it comes to graduation rates over the past three years, OASIS High School participants have a chance of graduating high school. While these statistics provide a good look into the academic outcomes at OASIS, it is important to compare them with those at typical public schools. This will be discussed after presenting evidence for mental health and social skill development at OASIS.
There is growing evidence about the importance of social and emotional learning for student success. Qualitative data collected from OASIS teachers includes student improvements in communicative skills, executive functioning, time management, and the development of habits that lead to high achievement in college and university settings. At OASIS, students are taught time management as well as social and communicative skills. OASIS students take weekly PEAK time and Compass courses that feature character strengths surveys, goal setting with strengths, and emotional intelligence work. Conversations with OASIS’ director also revealed that OASIS students are never suspended. Data measures students who have had at least one suspension from school during the past 12 months. In a certain year, this affected a percentage of high school males and a percentage of high school females in a specific county. In another year, the School Climate and Connectedness Survey recorded for a high school that a percentage of students reported a suspension. While it is important to examine both academic performance and social and emotional skills, it is also important to examine the culture of meritocracy and overworking present in both systems and the potential effects on general emotional well-being.
Addressing Bullying and Violence in Real-world Schools
Based on the results of this qualitative study, some evidence-based strategies for addressing violent and aggressive behavior that occurs in most schools are recommended. First and foremost, the administration must create a positive and inclusive school environment for the students. Among the recommended programs that aim to prevent violence and bullying are programs that require thorough staff training and further supervision to maintain a higher chance of success. Second, it is essential to provide protective counseling to potential victims and perpetrators, as well as social skills training for bully perpetrators and their victims. Regarding stress-related aggressive episodes and other trauma-related effects on a student population, individual counseling is also recommended. Last but not least, a new positive behavior class management system should be introduced to the general school population, including bullies and other disturbed students, to promote positive behavior as soon as possible.
In order to have a chance of providing a safer school environment with on-site violence, two urgent recommendations were formulated from the findings and the literature: a program approach—based on best evidence—that includes school-wide positive behavior class management systems, anti-bullying training, and coping strategies; and a system approach that addresses on-school violence not only by students but also by staff. As it is a combination of the two, it should also include school psychologists and educational counselors in the support staff area to provide counseling for bullies and victims. They would also provide coping strategies and give guidance in the prevention and management of violence to students' parents to address the multiple functions of school counselors. A counseling group with parents of bullies should be introduced in which anti-bullying strategies could be developed. School boards and governments should have a budget available to send children to alternative education if they are removed from the clinic.
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