Organized Anarchies in the Marketplace- Competition and Change in

University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Doctoral Dissertations Dissertations and Theses November 2018 Organized Anarchies in the Marketplace: Competition and Change in a Rural School District Laura Davis University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_2 Part of the Educational Leadership Commons Recommended Citation Davis, Laura, "Organized Anarchies in the Marketplace: Competition and Change in a Rural School District" (2018) Doctoral Dissertations 1433 https://doi.org/10.7275/12646291 https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_2/1433 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Dissertations and Theses at ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst For more information, please contact scholarworks@library.umass.edu Organized Anarchies in the Marketplace: Competition and Change in a Rural School District A Dissertation Presented by LAURA C DAVIS Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY September 2018 College of Education © Copyright by Laura C Davis 2018 All Rights Reserved Organized Anarchies in the Marketplace: Competition and Change in a Rural School District A Dissertation Presented by LAURA C DAVIS Approved as to style and content by: Sharon F Rallis, Chair Kathryn A McDermott, Member Eve Vogel, Member Jennifer Randall Associate Dean of Academic Affairs College of Education ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I owe several individuals appreciation and gratitude for their thoughtful contributions to this research First, I want to thank Sharon Rallis, my advisor and consistent supporter Her deep insight into the fascinating and messy world of organizational change opened intellectual doors for me, and her humor, quick wit, and empathy sustained my energy throughout the process I would also like to express my appreciation to Rachael Lawrence, a professional colleague who grew to be a critical friend and valued sounding board, and my dedicated committee members, Kathryn McDermott and Eve Vogel, whose feedback shaped and improved my work I am indebted to my research participants in the Gill-Montague Regional School District, particularly Michael Sullivan who made access possible, and whose leadership inspired me beyond the scope of this project Finally, none of this work would have been possible without the ongoing encouragement and patience of my partner-for-life, Carsten Braun, who suggested I embark on this journey in the first place iv ABSTRACT ORGANIZED ANARCHIES IN THE MARKETPLACE: COMPETITION AND CHANGE IN A RURAL SCHOOL DISTRICT SEPTEMBER 2018 LAURA C DAVIS, B.A., TUFTS UNIVERSITY B.F.A., TUFTS UNIVERSITY M.Ed., LESLEY UNIVERSITY Ph.D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Professor Sharon F Rallis The idea that competition improves schools is the current mantra of public education policy in the United States Over the past three decades, parallel policy reforms across the country have increased school choice options for families, and held schools accountable to centralized standards based on the assumption that schools in high-competition/highaccountability environments would seek to improve their performance in order to survive and thrive Despite these changes, widespread gains in student achievement have not been realized The logic behind these reforms assumes schools and parents make rational decisions; however, the public education system is typified by unclear goals, incomplete and biased information, and ambiguous decision-making criteria, which makes rational decisionmaking difficult In addition, school organizations resemble “organized anarchies” that make decisions based on a complex interplay of institutional pressures, socially-constructed information, political dynamics, and timing as opposed to utilizing rational processes (Cohen, March, & Olsen, 1972) This research illustrates this complexity through a qualitative case study of a traditional public school district in rural western Massachusetts using Cohen, et al.’s (1972) “garbage can” model of organizational decision-making that v shows how social, political, temporal, institutional, and market factors influence a school organization’s decisions in a high-competition/high-accountability environment Data collected through stakeholder interviews, observations, and artifacts from sources such as local news media and social media show that during the 2016-17 school year the case study district’s decision-making centered around problems related to resources, academics, and student behavior, all of which were directly or indirectly related to family flight to other schooling options Despite these serious threats to organizational viability, stakeholders were consumed by a debate over its high school’s “Indians” mascot This case study provides an illustration of organizational decision-making that problematizes the assumption that regulations that increase competition and high-stakes accountability automatically focus school districts’ attention and energy on improving student achievement It also suggests that values and beliefs can act as powerful motivators for school organizations to engage in deep change processes vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iv ABSTRACT v LIST OF TABLES ix LIST OF FIGURES x CHAPTER INTRODUCTION Problem Statement Purpose and Research Questions Conceptual Approach Overview of Methods 13 Rationale and Significance 15 Chapter Organization and Overview of Findings 16 COMPETITION AND ACCOUNTABILITY AS PROBLEMATIC DRIVERS OF SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT 20 Introduction 20 Market-based School Reforms in the United States 21 Local School Governance in Education Reforms 36 A Biased Perspective in the Literature on School Markets 39 Conceptual Framework 41 Chapter Summary 60 METHODOLOGY 62 Introduction 62 Rationale for a Descriptive Case Study 63 Research Setting and Case Description 65 Defining the GMRSD System 98 Sampling, Data Collection, and Analysis 102 Ethical Considerations 109 Positionality and Reflexivity 111 Limitations .113 Chapter Summary 114 MAPPING AND CONTEXTUALIZING SYSTEM ELEMENTS .115 Introduction 115 vii Organizational Leaders as Primary Participants 115 Overview of System Decisions in 2016-17 .128 2016-17 GMRSD System Elements 140 Chapter Summary 219 DECISION-MAKING IN THE GMRSD GARBAGE CAN 220 Introduction 220 Participant Attention 221 System Activity and Perspectives 223 Culture Clashes: Competing Ideas About “The Right Thing to Do” 270 Political Dynamics in the System 277 Learning through the Process .289 Chapter Summary 295 LEARNING FROM THE GMRSD CASE 296 Introduction 296 Accountability and Competition Increases Load on Garbage Can Systems 297 Organizational Culture Change Motivates Stakeholder Engagement 300 Normative Institutional Pressure and Public School Change 304 Leader Effects on Organizational Learning and Change 311 Conclusion and Implications 315 APPENDICES A IRB APPROVAL LETTER 318 B GMRSD SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING ARTIFACTS AND VIDEOS 319 C SAMPLE DATA CODING .321 D INTERVIEWS 323 E RECRUITMENT LETTER AND EMAIL TEMPLATES 324 F PHASE ADDITIONAL ARTIFACTS .325 G FIELDNOTES NOT INCLUDED WITH OTHER ARTIFACTS 328 H INFORMED CONSENT FORM 329 BIBLIOGRAPHY 331 viii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 3.1 GMRSD Local and State Demographics 74 3.2 Public Schools in Which Gill and Montague Residents Enrolled, 2016-17 with Net Student Full-time Enrollment, and Net Payment/Income 96 4.1 Enrollment in GMRSD Elementary Schools, 2007 .161 ix APPENDIX G FIELDNOTES NOT INCLUDED WITH OTHER ARTIFACTS Date 7/6/2014 7/1/2016 7/1/2016 9/25/2016 9/27/2016 10/1/2016 10/1/2016 10/18/2016 10/25/2016 11/5/2016 1/1/2017 1/1/2017 4/1/2017 4/1/2017 6/1/2017 9/3/2017 9/4/2017 9/4/2017 9/7/2017 9/8/2017 10/3/2017 10/3/2017 10/3/2017 10/3/2017 10/3/2017 10/3/2017 10/4/2017 10/5/2017 10/5/2017 11/23/2017 3/8/18 4/8/18 4/11/18 Source GMRSD website and 5.9.17 SC packet GMRSD SC Archive GMRSD SC Archive Observation Observation GMRSD SC Archive GMRSD SC Archive Observation Observation Observation GMRSD SC Archive GMRSD SC Archive GMRSD SC Archive GMRSD SC Archive GMRSD Website SES website Facebook Facebook Facebook Facebook GFMS website Gill ES website HES website Hillcrest ES website Sheffield ES website TFHS website GMRSD website GMRSD SC Archive GMRSD SC Archive Observation Facebook Facebook Facebook Event Survey Results: Parents Who Left the District GMRSD School Committee Meeting GMRSD SC minutes July-Sept 2016 Driving around Franklin County GMRSD school committee meeting GMRSD School Committee Meeting GMRSD SC minutes Oct-Dec 2016 Charter school ballot question debate - UMass GMRSD school mascot forum Driving around Franklin County GMRSD School Committee Meeting GMRSD SC minutes Jan-Mar 2017 GMRSD School Committee Meeting GMRSD SC minutes Apr-June 2017 District Parent Feedback Survey Results SES website content GMRSD page - 1.1.17-6.30.17 GMRSD page - 7.1.16-12.31.16 Gill ES page - 7.1.16-6.30.17 TFHS page - 7.1.16-6.30.17 GFMS website content Gill ES website content HES website content Hillcrest ES website content Sheffield ES website content TFHS website content GMRSD website content GMRSD supt reports to school committee AY17 GMRSD supt reports to school committee AY18 TFHS Turkey Day Football Game Sheffield ES page - 7.1.16-6.30.17 Save the TF Indians Logo - 7.1.16-6.30.17 TF Alumni Who Think a New Mascot Would Be Fine - 7.1.16-6.30.17 328 APPENDIX H INFORMED CONSENT FORM Informed Consent Form for Participation in a Research Study University of Massachusetts Amherst Researcher: Study Title: Laura Davis Investigating Public School District Decisions in the Context of School Choice Policies WHAT IS THIS FORM? This form will give you information about the study so you can make an informed decision about your participation WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE? Adults who are age 18 or older may participate in the study WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY? This research project seeks to investigate the types of decisions that are made within the Gill-Montague Regional School District organization (GMRSD), located in Montague, Massachusetts, in the context of school choice policies that give families the right to enroll their students in a variety of public and private school options I want to understand the types of decisions that are made and by whom (for example, school leaders, teachers, parents, etc.), factors that influence these decisions, how different members of the community perceive and respond to the decisions, and how outcomes that result from these decisions are evaluated WHERE WILL THE STUDY TAKE PLACE AND HOW LONG WILL IT LAST? I will conduct this study in western Massachusetts during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 school years WHAT WILL I BE ASKED TO DO? If you agree to take part, your initial participation entails one 30-60 minute interview, which may or may not be audio-recorded In some cases, I may ask participants to complete additional interviews over the course of the study (no more than ten) I will seek permission each time if I would like to interview you again You may agree to be audio-recorded or not by checking a box below I may also ask you to suggest additional participants, and assist me in contacting them for this study by delivering a recruitment memo via email or paper WHAT ARE MY BENEFITS OF BEING IN THIS STUDY? Your participation will help members of the GMRSD and others to understand how school choice policies affect small school districts Otherwise, there are no direct benefits to participants WHAT ARE MY RISKS OF BEING IN THIS STUDY? If you are an administrator or school committee member of the GMRSD, you will not be assigned a pseudonym, and statements in this interview may be directly attributed to you in written materials that I share with colleagues, and/or include in the final report For other participants, I will assign a pseudonym to use in all notes and fieldnotes While I will take every precaution to keep your identity confidential, there is a slight chance that you may be identified based on contextual information and/or quotations contained in notes or other written materials that I share with colleagues, and/or the final report (continued) University of Massachusetts Amherst-IRB (413) 545-3428 Approval Date: 02/28/2018 Protocol #: 2016-3407 Valid Through: 10/20/2018 IRB Signature: 329 Informed Consent Form for Participation in a Research Study University of Massachusetts Amherst HOW WILL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION BE PROTECTED? I will be using the following procedures to protect the confidentiality of this study’s records: ● To provide a layer of anonymity, I will be using pseudonyms for all interview participants in all fieldnotes and written materials except those who are GMRSD administrators and school committee members ● All material study records, including audio recordings, paper documents, and digital files, will be kept in a locked file cabinet to which I have the only key No other persons will have access to these files ● Any computer or electronic device hosting and/or storing electronic study records, including audio recordings, will have password protection to prevent access by unauthorized users Only I will have access to the passwords ● At the conclusion of this study, I may publish my findings All material and digital records that contain personally identifiable information will be destroyed or deleted three years after the close of the study WHAT IF I HAVE QUESTIONS? Take as long as you like before you make a decision I am happy to answer any question you have about this study If you have further questions about this project or if you have a research-related problem, you may contact me at 413.575.5718 or ​lcdavis@educ.umass.edu​ If you have any questions concerning your rights as a research subject, you may contact the University of Massachusetts Amherst Human Research Protection Office (HRPO) at (413) 545-3428 or ​humansubjects@ora.umass.edu​ CAN I STOP BEING IN THE STUDY? You not have to be in this study if you not want to If you agree to be in the study, but later change your mind, you may drop out at any time There are no penalties or consequences of any kind if you decide that you not want to participate SUBJECT STATEMENT OF VOLUNTARY CONSENT When signing this form I am agreeing to voluntarily enter this study I have had a chance to read this consent form, and it was explained to me in a language which I use and understand I have had the opportunity to ask questions and have received satisfactory answers I understand that I can withdraw at any time A copy of this Informed Consent Form has been given to me ❏ I agree to be audio-recorded today ❏ I not agree to be audio-recorded today ❏ (For prior participants only) I agree to use of prior interview data collected since September 2016 _ Participant Signature Print Name Date By signing below I indicate that the participant has read and, to the best of my knowledge, understands the details contained in this document and has been given a copy _ Signature of Person Print Name Date Obtaining Consent University of Massachusetts Amherst-IRB (413) 545-3428 Approval Date: 02/28/2018 Protocol #: 2016-3407 Valid Through: 10/20/2018 IRB Signature: 330 BIBLIOGRAPHY Allen, C (November, 1997) Spies like us: When sociologists deceive their subjects Lingua Franca, pp 31-39 Retrieved January 9, 2014, from http://linguafranca.mirror.theinfo.org/9711/9711.allen.html Ancess, J., & Allen, D (2006) Implementing small theme high schools in New York City: Great intentions and great tensions Harvard Educational Review, 76(3), 401-416 André-Bechley, L (2005) Public school choice at the intersection of voluntary integration and not-so-good neighborhood schools: Lessons from parents’ experiences Educational Administration Quarterly, 41(2), 267-305 André-Bechley, L (2007) Finding space and managing distance: Public school choice in an urban California district Urban Studies, 44(7), 1355-1376 Apesteguia, J., & Ballester, M A (2012) Welfare of naive and sophisticated players in school choice Economics Letters, 115(1), 172-174 Argyris, C & Schön, D (1974) Theory in practice: Increasing professional efficiency San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Arsen, D., & Ni, Y (2012) The effects of charter school competition on school district resource allocation Education Administration Quarterly, 48(1), 3-38 Augier, M., & March, J G (2008) A retrospective look at A Behavioral Theory of the Firm Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 66(1), 1-6 Ayscue, J B., & Orfield, G (2015) School district lines stratify educational opportunity by race and poverty Race and Social Problems, 7(1), 5-20 Bachrach, P., & Baratz M S (1962) Two faces of power The American Political Science Review, 56(4), 947-952 Ball, S., & Vincent, C (1998) “I heard it on the grapevine”: “Hot” knowledge and school choice British Journal of Sociology in Education, 19(3), 377-400 Bast, J L., Walberg, H J (2004) Can parents choose the best schools for their children? 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