Principals or Agents? How State Education Agencies Build Trust to Balance Support and Accountability in Turnaround Policy Implementation

• In Event: How Helpful Is the Help From the Top of the Educational Hierarchy? Contrasting Cases

Abstract

Many note that State Education Agencies (SEAs) should move away from simply acting as compliance monitors to take more prominent roles as technical support providers. Scholars find that SEAs have struggled to do so, yet little empirical work explains what SEAs do or why they struggle. This study looks at Michigan’s Partnership Model for School and District turnaround, which began in 2018 and includes the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) as a formal partner in building the capacity of school districts to craft and meet ambitious student learning targets. Findings illustrate how the SEA built trust with Partnership leaders, yet supports remained generally "passive" due in part to the SEA’s conflicting role as both accountability monitor and technical assistance provider.

Author

• Chris Torres, University of Michigan