Network Analysis to Inform Policy: Testing a Rapid-Response Approach

• In Event: Thursday Roundtable Session 9:00 am
  In Roundtable Session: Advancing Critical Social Network Analysis to Address Issues of Equity in Education Policy and Politics (Table 35)

Abstract

Social network analyses, by uncovering links between people, ideas, and organizations, have great potential to inform policymaking and policy implementation (Weber & Yanovitzky, 2021); yet, this potential has been generally unrealized. This is partially because few policy actors understand network analysis, but also because SNA is often presented in ways that are inaccessible—using jargon, complex methods, etc.—without adequate explanation or discussion of why these networks matter.

We describe how we tested a “rapid response” approach to emerging policy issues concerning racial, socioeconomic, and other forms of inequity. A subset of researchers engaged directly with a national policy organization to build capacity to understand and react to a quickly evolving issue the organization named as urgent: specifically, responding to student mental health issues, including how student mental health is being framed and contested, what solutions are being promoted, and how that can inform federal policy. Using data from school districts’ social media websites and from school board meetings, we identify the key narratives and frames employed in discussions about student mental health to identify areas and levels of consensus and points of dispute or conflict.

In the paper, we describe how our team worked with the client organization to identify the network data that could be useful to policymakers or advocates, and mapped ideas and frames to understand and predict which sets of actors and ideas might coalesce, or where there are possible policy openings or windows. Through an iterative process, we identified core research questions and the appropriate network analyses. We also highlight several core challenges for researchers seeking to conduct this type of engaged, rapid-response research. For example, presenting results of complex and sophisticated network methodology to partner organizations (e.g., translation of research) in ways that can convey the rigor in accessible ways is challenging.

Research-practice partnerships with national organizations are a critical area of need and a contribution to the literature, as much of the existing literature on RPPs is focused on local- or district-level partnerships and, to some extent, state-level partnerships (Coburn & Penuel, 2016). Our ultimate goal with this presentation and paper is to start a conversation about how to use SNA to share real-time data that is useful to policy actors and can lead to action. In doing so, we highlight the strengths and challenges of such partnerships, and identify some areas of tension and possibility that could be further explored in future work.

Authors

• Jonathan A. Supovitz, University of Pennsylvania

• David K. Diehl, Vanderbilt University

• Elizabeth H. DeBray, University of Georgia

• Joshua M. Rosenberg, University of Tennessee

• Manuel S. Gonzalez Canche, University of Pennsylvania

• Huriya Jabbar, University of Southern California

• Paul G. Rubin, University of Utah

• Joseph J. Ferrare, University of Washington - Bothell