Is Option B a Viable Plan B? School Counselors' Sensemaking of a Dual-Enrollment Policy in Georgia

• In Event: Connecting K–12 and Higher Education Policy Issues

Abstract

In this qualitative study, researchers employ sensemaking theory to examine how secondary school counselors make sense of “Option B,” a relatively new dual enrollment policy in Georgia that seeks to supplant traditional requirements for high school graduation with postsecondary CTAE credentials. Like other educational reform efforts, whether or not the desired outcomes of Option B come to fruition is dependent on the support of “street-level bureaucrats” who play an important role in implementing state policies within schools. Given the novelty of Option B as a postsecondary pathway, how school counselors make sense of the policy may determine its ultimate success or failure. Results suggest disagreement between policymakers and street-level bureaucrats regarding the extent of higher education expansion via Option B.

Authors

• Amy Elizabeth Stich, University of Georgia

• George Spencer, University of Georgia

• Brionna M Johnson, University of Georgia - Athens

• Sean Baser, University of Georgia