Anticipation, Reorganization, and Preemption: A Study of Pre-Implementation at Adams School

• In Event: Roundtable Session 7
  In Roundtable Session: Qualitative Explorations of Policy Implementation in Districts and Schools

Abstract

Despite major advances, educational inequality persists as a significant issue in American education. Accountability policy has become a central approach for achieving equality. However, accountability has proven to be controversial due to a range of unintended consequences. I take an important step towards understanding the form accountability policy takes over time by studying the time prior to formal policy implementation. I argue that schools engage in preparatory activities during this time that form the foundation for policy implementation. I study how school leadership receives and situates policy messages in one high-stress school. My analysis illustrates the ways that the leadership’s options are constrained by their local context and past performance as they strive to prepare for upcoming policy shifts.

Author

• Debbie Kim, Northwestern University