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ERIC Number: ED555929
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 160
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 978-1-3035-1392-3
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
School Configurations in Indiana and Their Perceived Impact in Education
Hauswald, Jeff
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Indiana University
Despite the research conducted on school configurations, little is known about the landscape of school configurations in Indiana and about the perspectives of school leaders on school configurations and their perceived impact in education. District leaders do not have the information to make informed decisions relative to the best configuration for their school districts. This study provides district leaders details on configurations across Indiana and gives detailed examples of reconfigurations and the perceived impact each has on other educational factors. Data was collected on all K-12 public, non-charter configurations in Indiana to know the various configurations in Indiana, the frequency of each configuration, and the number of districts that reconfigured from 2006 through 2011. Additionally, this study consisted of a series of in-depth interviews involving district and school leaders from six districts in Indiana. The leaders were interviewed to gain an understanding of their perceptions regarding the benefits of various configurations, as well as rationale for their district's configuration and any proposed reconfiguration. Key findings from the analysis of state level data included that during the 2010-2011 school year there were 33 different school configurations. The number of configurations greatly increased in the state of Indiana from the 2005-2006 school year to the 2010-2011 school year. Schools with greater diversity and/or greater poverty reconfigured at a much greater rate. Analyses of the interviews allowed four themes to emerge on configuration and their perceived impact in education: economics, instructional needs, students' social needs, and community traditions. From these themes, district leaders perceived economic concerns from decreased revenue and/or increased expenses as the leading reason for reconfiguration. In most cases, better meeting student instructional needs and students' social needs were seen as secondary concerns. Lastly, community traditions and a general resistance to change often prevented reconfiguration. These findings can provide leaders with data to better understand and study common configurations in Indiana. Leaders can better understand and respond to major barriers they may encounter when considering reconfiguration. District leaders can also better understand how other factors may impact their plans related to reconfiguration. Finally, policymakers can gain greater insight into how fiscal policies may be impacting decisions related to configuration and how these decisions can ultimately impact students. 1V. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Indiana
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A