Four types of local school politics in Chicago elementary schools under the 1988 reform¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · 6 claims (6 for) · 1 study (1 associational), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 6 claims rest on one study

Description¶

Drawing on a case-study synthesis, the report identifies four general types of local school politics shaped by the interplay of three sites of power: the Local School Council, the principal, and the faculty. These are consolidated principal power, adversarial politics, maintenance politics, and strong democracy. Strong democracy occurs when "there is dissatisfaction with current operations, sustained debate about school change, and shared interests emerge across the three sites of power to promote school improvement." The typology organizes the report's analysis of governance and improvement.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• The typology rests on the reform's devolution of authority to three local sites of power: the LSC, the principal, and the faculty

Constraints¶

• Types were derived from case-study synthesis of Chicago elementary schools during the first four years of reform and apply to schools with IGAP scores below national norms

Target Learners¶

• Elementary school students in the Chicago Public Schools

Target Learning Objectives¶

• School-wide organizational conditions that support instructional improvement and student learning

Claims¶

• Prevalence Four Politics Types Chicago Elementary [+M]
• An estimated 19 percent of Local School Councils are nonfunctional [+W]
• An estimated 46 percent of Chicago elementary principals display inclusive leadership [+W]
• School characteristics relate to politics type: Hispanic schools show a marked tendency toward strong democracy and small schools less adversarial politics [+W]
• The indicator system correctly classifies 96 percent of case-study schools' politics and 92 percent of their improvement approach [+W]
• About 18 percent of elementary school faculties are highly engaged, with another 33 percent moderately active [+W]

Related Theories¶

• Competing theories of action for school change in Chicago: business-oriented, teaching-and-learning, community-dialogue/equity, and parental-control views
• Five types of local school improvement initiatives, grouped into three major approaches
• Four-type taxonomy of school politics under Chicago decentralization: strong democracy, consolidated principal power, maintenance, and adversarial
• Reform theory: expanded local democratic participation stimulates organizational change that fosters improved teaching and learning

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Bryk, A. S., Easton, J. Q., Kerbow, D., Rollow, S. G., & Sebring, P. A. (1993). A View from the Elementary Schools: The State of Reform in Chicago. Consortium on Chicago School Research. https://consortium.uchicago.edu/publications/view-elementary-schools-state-reform-chicago