Inside an "Autonomous" Urban School

• In Event: Roundtable Session 7
  In Roundtable Session: School Choice in International Contexts

Abstract

A fundamental presumption of independent state-funded schools - such as charter schools in the USA, and academies in England - has been that increasing autonomy enables these schools to innovate in educational and managerial practice. This paper traces what autonomy associated with these types of schools means to various stakeholders at local level (such as teachers, school leaders, and representatives of the sponsor) and the extent to which they are able to ‘innovate’ in their daily practice. In doing so, it applies conceptualizations of autonomy and innovation from charter school research to research focusing on independent state-funded schools in England. The paper reports on a longitudinal in-depth ethnographic study, involving data collection over a ten year period.

Authors

• Maija Salokangas, Trinity College Dublin

• Mel Ainscow, University of Manchester