No Contractual Obligation to Improve Education: School Boards and Their Superintendents. Issue 6 (28th August 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Maranto, Robert; Trivitt, Julie; Nichols, Malachi; Watson, Angela
• Is Part Of: Politics & policy. Volume 45:Issue 6(2017:Dec.)
• Page Start: 1003
• Page End: 1023
• Publication Date: 2017-08-28
• Subjects: School Boards -- Superintendents -- United States -- Education Policy -- No Child Left Behind -- Every Student Succeeds Act -- ESSA -- Equitable Achievement Outcomes -- Academic Goals -- School Board Contracts -- Superintendent Contracts -- Performance -- Accountability Reforms -- Leadership for Equity -- Principal‐Agent Theory -- School Reform -- School Bureaucracy; Palabras Clave: Consejos Escolares -- Contratos de Superintendentes -- Estados Unidos -- Política Educativa -- Resultados de Logro Equitativo -- Rendición de Cuentas; 关键词：学校董事会 -- 负责人 -- 美国 -- 教育政策 -- 不让一个孩子掉队法案（有教无类法案） -- 每个学生都成功法案 -- ESSA -- 公平成就结果 -- 学术目标; Political science -- Periodicals; World politics -- 21st century -- Periodicals; 320
• DOI: 10.1111/polp.12216
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1555-5623

Abstract

Abstract : Since the passage of No Child Left Behind, public schools have felt pressure to emphasize equitable academic outcomes. We investigate whether contracts agreed to by school boards and the superintendents they employ include academic and equity criteria to judge the performance of superintendents. Data come from the universe of 2013‐14 school superintendent contracts in North Carolina. Only nine of the 115 contracts include academic goals of any kind, and none include equity‐related criteria. Similarly, the universe of model superintendent contracts provided by state school boards associations (N = 20) rarely mention such criteria. Findings suggest that one reason for the relatively static equity and achievement outcomes in American public schools since the national introduction of accountability‐oriented reforms is that local school boards refuse to use academic and equity criteria to evaluate superintendents. The political science literature on elections and accountability suggests possible explanations. Related Articles: Patrick, Barbara .2016 . "Performance Policies and Workforce Development: Can the Market Model Be Successfully Implemented in the Public Arena? "Politics & Policy 44 (6 ):1116 ‐1157 .http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12185/full Webber, David J .2010 . "School District Democracy: School Board Voting and School Performance ."Politics & Policy 38 (1 ):81 ‐95 .http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2009.00229.x/full Patrick, Barbara .2012 . "Fiscal Federalism, Performance Policies, and Education Reforms: Are States Using Performance Policies to Improve Workforce Quality? "Politics & Policy 40 (4 ):593 ‐628 .http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2012.00370.x/full