(Un)Covering Social Consciousness in School Marketing: The Case of Detroit and Its Shifting Web-Based School Characterizations

• In Event: Navigating the Educational Marketplace: Identity, Advocacy, and Competition

Abstract

In this paper, we build on existing scholarship on school marketing, focusing especially on how race is represented on school websites through both text and image, to understand how schools of choice adapt their marketing over time. We systematically captured and coded websites from all schools in Detroit (traditional public, charter, and private), in both 2016 and 2022, and analyzed changes over time. We present preliminary findings, and discuss the implications for school leadership.

Authors

• Huriya Jabbar, University of Southern California

• Laura E. Hernandez, Learning Policy Institute

• Lizeth I. Lizarraga, University of Texas at Austin

• Tyra Timm, University of Texas at Austin

• Cecelia Jordan, University of Texas at Austin

• Zia Schwartz Kinzy, University of Texas at Austin

• Lauren C. McKenzie, University of Texas at Austin