Critical Policy Analysis: Navigating Policy In/Coherence and Examining State-District Policies Impacting K-12 Equity-Centered Leadership

• In Event: Implementing Justice: Race-Conscious Policy Futures and the Practice of Educational Equity

Abstract

This study investigates the coherence and incoherence between state and district education policies and their implications for developing equity-centered principal pipelines and diversity. Employing a critical policy analysis framework, we systematically collected, coded, and analyzed over 150 policy documents across seven state-district pairings. A notable finding across the dataset is the widespread absence of policies explicitly aimed at increasing principal diversity—an overlooked but essential lever for advancing educational equity. Findings indicate that while districts increasingly pursue localized strategies to advance equity in leadership, these efforts are frequently constrained by fragmented or historically insufficient state policy frameworks and financial support mechanisms. The findings offer key insights for policymakers and education leaders seeking to advance principal diversity and equity system-wide.

Authors

• Maria Del Carmen Unda, University of Texas at Austin

• Estela Lopez, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Kait Ogden, University of Texas at Austin

• Jacob Navarrete, University of Texas at Austin

• Joshua Childs, University of Texas at Austin

• Ain A. Grooms, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• April L. Peters-Hawkins, University of Houston

• Eligio Martinez, Cal Poly Pomona