The Common Core, Coherence, and Social Networks

• In Event: 16.043 - Internal and External Influences on Common Core Policy Implementation

Abstract

Purpose
The Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS) seek to bring coherence and a common focus that can facilitate coordination among individuals across schools. This paper documents the extent to which districts preparing to implement the CCLS are developing this kind of coherence and coordination by reporting on the evolution of social networks among administrators in three districts in one Northeastern state from 2010 (when the standards were adopted) to 2013.

Conceptual Framework
This study draws on a view of district capacity that suggests that reaching higher standards of learning for all students depends on building technical, human, and social capital (Bourdieu, 1986; Cohen & Ball, 1999; Corcoran & Goertz, 1995; Daly & Finnigan, 2010a; Newman, King & Youngs, 2000; O’Day, Floden, & Goertz, 1995; Spillane & Thompson 1997). In terms of social capital, effective implementation of the CCLS depends on the development of social networks: relationships through which educators can share information and expertise about the CCLS. However, this conception also suggests that building the technical, human and social capital needed to reach one goal (such as implementing a new teacher evaluation system) does not necessarily build capacity for other goals (such as CCLS implementation). Thus, we anticipate that implementation of the CCLS as one among several initiatives that schools implement simultaneously may make it harder to develop the capacity and particularly the social networks that could support more coordinated and coherent instructional improvement efforts.

Methods, Data and Analysis
We use social network analysis (Borgatti et. al, 2013) to document the development of social connections amongst administrators in three districts. All three districts face state-mandates to implement the Common Core at the same time that they are implementing new teacher evaluation systems.

We conducted social network surveys over three years which asked administrators in each district to describe the frequency with which they talked to every other district administrator about various issues including the CCLS, teacher evaluation, and teaching and learning in general. Using UCINET, we calculated overall network measures, including density, reciprocity and fragmentation and a series of quadratic assignment procedure (QAP) correlations to determine the extent the networks are correlated. We also produced maps of each network.

Results
Our results indicate that there is limited development of the Common Core networks in the three districts in our study. The Common Core network maps also show that interactions tend to cluster by school-level, and that in some cases, site-level administrators are not talking with central office administrators or each other about the Common Core. Furthermore, the Common Core networks in each district are less developed than either the networks focused on teacher evaluation or on teaching and learning in general.

Implications
Our results suggest that district leaders may need to make explicit efforts to connect conversations about the CCLS across different administrative roles, school levels, and disciplines. Without such an explicit attention to building broad-based social networks, there may be no reason to assume that the development of common standards will actually produce more coordinated and coherent improvement efforts.

Authors

• Kathryn Hill, Research Alliance for New York City Schools

• Thomas C. Hatch, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Rachel Roegman, Purdue University

• David Allen, College of Staten Island - CUNY