District Related Research Update
Thank you to members who sent in updates on their latest research, whether it be dissertations, new studies, reports, books, or articles. It's another reminder of the dynamic and varied work that the SIG membership is engaged in. Make sure to take a look at the current SIG research update, where you'll find submissions from members on work done and/or published in 2011. (from Jacob Mishook)
Elected SIG Leadership
On behalf of the SIG Steering Committee and the membership, I'd like to congratulate our newly-elected officers.
SIG Co-Chair: Jacob Mishook, from the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University, has served on the SIG Steering Committee for several years and has been Acting Co-Chair and Awards Committee Chair this year. He will take the Co-Chair position on after the Annual Meeting of AERA this year, and will serve a two-year term.
SIG Treasurer/Secretary: Alan J. Daly, from the University of California San Diego, has served on the SIG Steering Committee for several years as well, and has served as Acting Treasurer this year and has served as Awards Committee Chair in past years. He will take the Treasurer/Secretary role after the Annual Meeting of AERA this year and serve a one-year term.
In addition, we want to recognize a new faculty member to the SIG Steering Committee, Tina Trujilo, Assistant Professor from the University of California, Berkeley, and our two graduate student representatives to the SIG Steering Committee, Christopher Cox, from Miami University of Ohio, and Joelle Rodway Macri, from the University of Toronto.
We greatly appreciate the past and continued service of our new officers, and welcome our new Steering Committee members. We look forward to the ongoing work of bringing together researchers and practitioners around critical issues of district research and reform.
We hope to see many of you in Vancouver. We have some interesting sessions on the schedule this year, and an exciting panel planned for the Business Meeting that will include a special discussion with representatives from district-research partnerships around the country. More information to follow.
Sincerely,
Kyo Yamashiro
SIG Co-Chair
SIG Co-Chair: Jacob Mishook, from the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University, has served on the SIG Steering Committee for several years and has been Acting Co-Chair and Awards Committee Chair this year. He will take the Co-Chair position on after the Annual Meeting of AERA this year, and will serve a two-year term.
SIG Treasurer/Secretary: Alan J. Daly, from the University of California San Diego, has served on the SIG Steering Committee for several years as well, and has served as Acting Treasurer this year and has served as Awards Committee Chair in past years. He will take the Treasurer/Secretary role after the Annual Meeting of AERA this year and serve a one-year term.
In addition, we want to recognize a new faculty member to the SIG Steering Committee, Tina Trujilo, Assistant Professor from the University of California, Berkeley, and our two graduate student representatives to the SIG Steering Committee, Christopher Cox, from Miami University of Ohio, and Joelle Rodway Macri, from the University of Toronto.
We greatly appreciate the past and continued service of our new officers, and welcome our new Steering Committee members. We look forward to the ongoing work of bringing together researchers and practitioners around critical issues of district research and reform.
We hope to see many of you in Vancouver. We have some interesting sessions on the schedule this year, and an exciting panel planned for the Business Meeting that will include a special discussion with representatives from district-research partnerships around the country. More information to follow.
Sincerely,
Kyo Yamashiro
SIG Co-Chair
New work on school boards, district reform, and consolidation
I just received a research update from SIG member Tom Alsbury, an associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at North Carolina State University. His work has focused on school board governance, district reform, and school consolidation. Thanks for the update, Tom!
Alsbury, T. L.(Ed.). (2008). The future of school board governance: Relevancy and revelation. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Alsbury, T. L. (2008). School board politics and student achievement. In T. L. Alsbury (Ed.) Relevancy and revelation: The future of school board governance. [pp. 247-272] Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Alsbury, T. L. (2008). Promoting sustainable leadership within the reform system. In B. Hand (Ed.), Science inquiry, argument and language: A case for the science writing heuristic [177-194]. Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense.
Alsbury, T. L. (2007). Systemic variables influencing scaling and succession in district reform efforts: An empirical study. In B. Despres (Ed.), System thinkers in actions: A field guide for effective change leadership in education [pp. 135-175]. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Refereed Journal Articles:
Haddad, M. A., & Alsbury, T. L. (2008). Using spatial analyses to examine student proficiency: Guiding district consolidation and reform policy decisions. Planning & Changing, 39 (1 & 2), 98-126.
Alsbury, T. L. (2008). School board member and superintendent turnover and the influence on student achievement: An application of the Dissatisfaction Theory. Leadership & Policy in Schools, 7(2), 202-229.
Alsbury, T. L., & Shaw, N. (2005) Policy implications for social justice in school consolidation. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 4(2), 105-126.
Alsbury, T. L.(Ed.). (2008). The future of school board governance: Relevancy and revelation. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Alsbury, T. L. (2008). School board politics and student achievement. In T. L. Alsbury (Ed.) Relevancy and revelation: The future of school board governance. [pp. 247-272] Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Alsbury, T. L. (2008). Promoting sustainable leadership within the reform system. In B. Hand (Ed.), Science inquiry, argument and language: A case for the science writing heuristic [177-194]. Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense.
Alsbury, T. L. (2007). Systemic variables influencing scaling and succession in district reform efforts: An empirical study. In B. Despres (Ed.), System thinkers in actions: A field guide for effective change leadership in education [pp. 135-175]. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Refereed Journal Articles:
Haddad, M. A., & Alsbury, T. L. (2008). Using spatial analyses to examine student proficiency: Guiding district consolidation and reform policy decisions. Planning & Changing, 39 (1 & 2), 98-126.
Alsbury, T. L. (2008). School board member and superintendent turnover and the influence on student achievement: An application of the Dissatisfaction Theory. Leadership & Policy in Schools, 7(2), 202-229.
Alsbury, T. L., & Shaw, N. (2005) Policy implications for social justice in school consolidation. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 4(2), 105-126.
A Bridge Between Worlds
A recent article in the Journal of Educational Change by SIG board members Alan Daly and Kara Finnigan examined the impact of underlying social networks among central office and site leaders in NCLB-influenced reform efforts. The abstract is below, and the full article can be found at the journal's website.
Daly, A. J., & Finnigan, K. S. (2009). A bridge between worlds: understanding network structure to understand change strategy. Journal of Educational Change.
Abstract A number of scholars are exploring district and site relations in organizational change efforts in the larger policy context of No Child Left Behind. These studies suggest the importance of the central office as a support to the work of reform and offer strategies for building relations between district offices and sites in order to implement and sustain change efforts. What is frequently overlooked in these studies is that organizational change efforts are often socially constructed. Therefore, examining the underlying social networks may provide insight into structures that support or constrain efforts at change. This exploratory case study uses social network analysis and interviews to examine the communication and knowledge network structures of central office and site leaders in an ‘in need of improvement’ district facing sanctions under No Child Left Behind. Findings indicate sparse ties among and between school site and central office administrators, as well as a centralized network structure that may constrain the exchange of complex information and ultimately inhibit efforts at change.
Daly, A. J., & Finnigan, K. S. (2009). A bridge between worlds: understanding network structure to understand change strategy. Journal of Educational Change.
Abstract A number of scholars are exploring district and site relations in organizational change efforts in the larger policy context of No Child Left Behind. These studies suggest the importance of the central office as a support to the work of reform and offer strategies for building relations between district offices and sites in order to implement and sustain change efforts. What is frequently overlooked in these studies is that organizational change efforts are often socially constructed. Therefore, examining the underlying social networks may provide insight into structures that support or constrain efforts at change. This exploratory case study uses social network analysis and interviews to examine the communication and knowledge network structures of central office and site leaders in an ‘in need of improvement’ district facing sanctions under No Child Left Behind. Findings indicate sparse ties among and between school site and central office administrators, as well as a centralized network structure that may constrain the exchange of complex information and ultimately inhibit efforts at change.
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