Examining the School Improvement Industry: The Interplay Between State Education Agencies and School Turnaround Service Providers

• In Event: 31.055 - The State Role in Improving Education: K–12 and Higher Education

Abstract

As state education agencies (SEAs) become increasingly responsible for district and school improvement, their ability to recruit, vet, monitor, and evaluate external providers is critical to ensuring that students most in need receive the services and educational opportunities we aspire to deliver through public education. Yet, little systematic consideration has been given to SEA processes to ensure districts and schools are served by relevant, high-quality external providers. We analyze publicly available documents that address school improvement and external providers for 20 states. We find the processes used to leverage external providers vary considerably by state. Implications for policy and practice are also discussed, most notably how some SEAs are considering becoming more stringent while others champion “local control” by districts and schools.

Authors

• Bryan A. VanGronigen, University of Delaware

• Coby Meyers, University of Virginia