Constraints, Values, and Information: How Leaders in One District Justify Their Positions During Instructional Decision Making

Using over 350 hours of observational data from district-level meetings, we investigate how leaders support their interpretations of problems and proposed solutions during closed-door negotiations around three policy decisions, and how they invoke race, class, and language in the process. District l...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American educational research journal 2021-08, Vol.58 (4), p.710-747
Main Authors: Huguet, Alice, Coburn, Cynthia E., Farrell, Caitlin C., Kim, Debbie H., Allen, Anna-Ruth
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Barriers
Beliefs
Decision Making
Education policy
Educational leadership
Educational Policy
Information Utilization
Instructional Leadership
Language
Leaders
Mathematics Instruction
Problem Solving
Public Schools
Race
School administration
School districts
Social Class
Urban Schools
Values
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Summary:Using over 350 hours of observational data from district-level meetings, we investigate how leaders support their interpretations of problems and proposed solutions during closed-door negotiations around three policy decisions, and how they invoke race, class, and language in the process. District leaders primarily cite constraints from stakeholders, practical realities, and policies during deliberations. They also draw on beliefs, values, and—to a lesser extent—information like research and data. Race, class, and language discourses were layered with values-based reasons, and most often addressed structural challenges to equity. The balance of attention to these factors depended on the configuration of participants and the nature of the policy decision itself, particularly decision makers’ perception that it would be controversial among certain groups.
ISSN:0002-8312
1935-1011
DOI:10.3102/0002831221993824