Designing Inter-Organizational Networks to Implement Education Reform: An Analysis of State Race to the Top Applications. (March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Russell, Jennifer Lin; Meredith, Julie; Childs, Joshua; Stein, Mary Kay; Prine, Deanna Weber
• Is Part Of: Educational evaluation and policy analysis. Volume 37:Number 1(2015:Mar.)
• Page Start: 92
• Page End: 112
• Publication Date: 2015-03
• Subjects: educational policy -- governance -- networks -- state education agencies; Education -- Evaluation -- Research -- United States -- Periodicals; Education -- Research -- United States -- Periodicals; 370.7
• DOI: 10.3102/0162373714527341
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0162-3737

Abstract

This study sought to understand the opportunities and challenges associated with the implementation of state designed Race to the Top (RttT) funded reform networks. Drawing on a conceptual framework developed from the networked governance literature, we analyzed the 12 state RttT grantees' applications. Our analysis revealed that states designed large implementation networks with potential to bring a wide range of resources to bear on reform efforts, particularly through participation of numerous nonsystem actors. However, coordinating large and diverse networks places state education agencies (SEAs) in a new and challenging role. The extent to which networks extend state capacity to support educational improvement or further complicate the work of SEAs remains an open question. We propose a model including a set of theoretical propositions to guide future research.