About Children First

From 2002 to 2013, the Children First reforms represented one of the most ambitious efforts to transform a major urban school system anywhere in the United States. Following a historic shift that placed New York City’s public schools under mayoral control, Mayor Bloomberg, Chancellor Klein, and Deputy Mayor and Chancellor Walcott oversaw a dramatic restructuring of the City’s educational landscape. Major reforms centered around three interconnected spheres of systemwide change: empowerment initiatives that shifted decision-making authority to schools, leadership reforms focused on developing and supporting strong school leaders, and accountability measures at the school and system level.^{[1] Endnote details} Some of these changes took root and produced lasting differences in policy and practice; others were reversed or diluted over time. Given this continued evolution, and the scale and complexity of the reforms, it is difficult to fully assess how students, teachers and communities were affected. But answering that question, as best we can, is crucially important for designing and implementing more effective reforms in the future.

About the Study

In this project, the Research Alliance is utilizing a mixed-methods approach to document the legacy and impact of the Children First era. The three-pronged study includes: 

1. A series of in depth interviews with a diverse group of stakeholders, including former and current senior district leaders, education advocates and leaders outside of the district, community leaders, and policy researchers to develop an oral history; 

2. A synthesis of the existing research on the Children First reforms; and

3. Longitudinal analyses of systemwide outcomes before, during, and after the Children First era.

With the support of the Walton Family Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies, this study will provide valuable guidance for future efforts, here in New York City and in other urban districts nationwide. We are particularly interested in identifying lessons from this era that are applicable to the most pressing challenges schools face today.