A Mixed Relationship: Bureaucracy and School Performance

Smith, Kevin B.; Larimer, Christopher W.

doi:10.1111/j.1540-6210.2004.00419.x

Cited by 41 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…The latter is important, as Cohen and Eimicke (2008, 155) argue: "innovation and customer needs may very well be less important than accountability and transparency." Nonetheless, public agencies pursue multiple goals when measuring organizational performance (Smith and Larimer 2004). Therefore, future studies should assess the impact of performance measurement on diverse programmatic and stakeholder outcomes (including creativity and customer needs).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What is the Effect of Performance Measurement on Perceived Accountability Effectiveness in State and Local Government Contracts?

Amirkhanyan

2011

Public Performance & Management Review

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Designing and implementing performance measurement systems in public contracts is not an easy task. Little guidance has been available on which specific measures work better in producing certain managerial benefits. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of different performance measurement practices on accountability effectiveness in government contracts. The findings suggest that the overall scope of performance measurement has a positive impact on the government's ability to effectively manage contracts. More specifically, measuring costs, client impact, service timeliness and disruptions, as well as specifying the detailed processes for service delivery are associated with higher accountability effectiveness.On the other hand, evaluating quality, client satisfaction, and using informal monitoring techniques has a negative impact on perceived accountability effectiveness. The results of this study provide motivation for the contract managers to optimize performance monitoring and reduce transaction costs by relying on the measures that are more likely to improve contract implementation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What is the Effect of Performance Measurement on Perceived Accountability Effectiveness in State and Local Government Contracts?

Amirkhanyan

2011

Public Performance & Management Review

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“…Much of the current literature on district central offices focuses on specific actions district central offices enact to inhibit school improvement efforts or improving efficiency of services to schools (Fullan, 2009;Meier & Bohte, 2000;Smith & Larimar, 2004). A research gap exists on practical steps districts can enact for successful transformation (Honig, 2010).…”

Section: Implications For Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Systems Theory Approach to the District Central Office's Role in School-Level Improvement

Mania-Singer¹

2017

AIJ

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This qualitative case study used General Systems Theory and social network analysis to explore the relationships between the members of a district central office and principals of elementary schools within an urban school district in the Midwest. Findings revealed sparse relationships between members of the district central office and principals, more opportunities for higher performing schools to participate in decision making, and few opportunities for all schools to provide feedback to the district, resulting in a centralized network structure that may inhibit the transfer of knowledge and communication, and ultimately, hinder school-level improvement efforts.Keywords: systems theory, social network analysis, district central office, reform he past two decades have been marked by large-scale federal education reforms aimed at eliminating the achievement gap between subgroups and improving academic outcomes in the nation's lowest performing schools. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), the Race to the Top Fund, and the Elementary and Secondary Act (ESEA) Flexibility waiver increased accountability of districts and schools by instituting rigorous achievement targets, implementing high stakes testing in multiple subject areas, establishing sanctions as incentives for improvement, and in some states, ushering in sweeping legislative changes tying teacher evaluations to student performance and establishing steeper consequences for persistently failing schools (Elementary and Secondary Education Act, 2011; NCLB, 2001; Race to the Top Fund, 2009). In most cases, these reforms relied heavily on prescribed efforts related to curriculum, leadership, and personnel focused at the school level, placing increased pressure and urgency on principals and teachers working in already challenging conditions (Finnigan, 2010;Finnigan, 2012).Ultimately, these efforts did not result in the intended outcomes. Arne Duncan highlighted these failures in a 2011 testimony before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, admitting that "four out of five schools in American may not meet their goals under NCLB." Results of the NAEP Trends in Academic Progress (2012) show that although progress has been made in both reading and math for nine and 13 year olds since the first assessments were given in the 1970s, there has been no significant change T A SYSTEMS THEORY APPROACH TO THE DISTRICT CENTRAL OFFICE'S ROLE 70 MANIA-SINGER / DOI: 10.5929/2017.7.1.6 in scores for 17 year olds, and scores for all grades in reading and math decreased or showed no significant change between 2013 and 2015 (The Nation's Report Card, 2015). Additionally, research on the effects of large-scale reform has found that schools that do exit the failing list are often doomed to return within a few years, and sanctions and other high-stakes incentives can have far reaching negative effects on students' academic experiences (Darling-Hammond, 2006;Mintrop & Sunderman, 2009; Scott, 2008;Selwyn, 2007;Sunderman, 2006). School improvement is a...

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“…If a clear link exists between social capital and policy performance, it would be tempting for policymakers to alter aspects of school provision and management to foster the accumulation of social capital, perhaps as part of a program to increase public values and the practice of good citizenship, while recognizing that families and communities are the main drivers. The social capital pathway may be seen to be an alternative or complement to other explanations of student performance, such as the strength of bureaucracy (Bohte, forthcoming; Meier, Wrinkle, & Polinard, 2000; Smith & Larimer, 2004), the span of control (Bohte & Meier, 2001), or more school choice (Schneider, Teske, & Marschall, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Contribution of Volunteering, Trust, and Networks to Educational Performance

John¹

2005

Policy Studies Journal

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Social capital can have a beneficial effect on public policy outcomes by helping to solve collective action problems and by providing individuals and communities with efficient social networks. In education, it also assists students’ self‐confidence, which can foster motivation and academic success. To investigate the social capital‐outcome link, this article analyzes a panel survey of 15–16 and 16–17 year olds in 27 English schools, testing whether social capital, both at the individual and at the school levels, tends to increase grades and examination performance. The analysis concludes that individual‐level trust and voluntary action improve pupil performance, but that the parental networks of some young people, particularly those from low socioeconomic status families, have negative rather than positive consequences. The findings add to a debate about the differential impact of social capital and the relative importance of its bridging and its bonding elements.

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A Mixed Relationship: Bureaucracy and School Performance

Cited by 41 publications

References 23 publications

What is the Effect of Performance Measurement on Perceived Accountability Effectiveness in State and Local Government Contracts?

What is the Effect of Performance Measurement on Perceived Accountability Effectiveness in State and Local Government Contracts?

A Systems Theory Approach to the District Central Office's Role in School-Level Improvement

The Contribution of Volunteering, Trust, and Networks to Educational Performance

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