Dr. Fenzel Publishes
Book about Nativity Schools

Dr. Mickey Fenzel recently published Improving Urban Middle Schools: Lessons from the Nativity Schools. Albany, NY: SUNY Press. View details.

The book takes a look at Nativity schools (now known as NativityMiguel Schools), alternative middle schools that have had great success educating urban students considered at risk.

Nativity schools--there are over forty in urban areas throughout the United States--provide an important alternative to urban middle schools failing to provide their students with an adequate education. Nativity schools, which are privately funded, provide a year-round educational experience for at-risk urban children. They feature small classes, an extended day, and attention to students' social and spiritual developmental needs. L. Mickey Fenzel visited eleven Nativity schools in seven cities, conducting interviews and classroom observations, and collecting standardized test scores and survey data. Fenzel examines features of the Nativity model that distinguish it from other educational programs and takes a closer look at the controversial use of volunteer teachers. The Nativity model is also discussed with respect to its social justice mission that is rooted in Jesuit tradition.

"This book addresses an overlooked topic in school reform. It will be beneficial to a number of audiences, including charter and small school research. Obviously, the author has spent an enormous amount of time studying these schools and the research presented in this book will be an asset to many aspects of educational research." -- Steven B. Mertens, coeditor of The Young Adolescent and the Middle School

FEBRUARY » 144 pp » 9 tables
$16.95 pb 978-0-7914-9350-2
$59.50 hc 978-0-7914-9349-6