Enacting Site-Based Management: A Political Utilities Analysis

This article applies Hans Weiler's conception of the “political utilities” of decentralization to case study data on a school district's decision to enact site-based management. The article argues that site-based management may have considerable political utility in crisis contexts. Quite...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Educational evaluation and policy analysis 1994-09, Vol.16 (3), p.249-267
Main Author: Malen, Betty
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Case studies
Decentralization
Education reform
Legitimacy
Management
School districts
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Summary:This article applies Hans Weiler's conception of the “political utilities” of decentralization to case study data on a school district's decision to enact site-based management. The article argues that site-based management may have considerable political utility in crisis contexts. Quite apart from its ability to improve school performance, it may bolster the district's ability to manage conflict and maintain legitimacy. These dual utilities may be more multifaceted than the orienting perspective posits and may be encumbered by dual liabilities that make this prominent reform a precarious as well as a potent political strategy.
ISSN:0162-3737
1935-1062
DOI:10.3102/01623737016003249