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Tight, Loose, or Decoupling? A National Study of the Decision-Making Power Relationship between District Central Offices and School Principals

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Title: Tight, Loose, or Decoupling? A National Study of the Decision-Making Power Relationship between District Central Offices and School Principals
Language: English
Authors: Xia, Jiangang (ORCID 0000-0002-6486-8613), Shen, Jianping, Sun, Jingping
Source: Educational Administration Quarterly. Aug 2020 56(3):396-434.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 39
Publication Date: 2020
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Elementary Education
Kindergarten
Primary Education
Elementary Secondary Education
Descriptors: Decision Making, School Districts, Power Structure, Principals, Standards, Faculty Development, Teacher Evaluation, Teacher Selection, Discipline Policy, Budgets, Central Office Administrators, Board Administrator Relationship, Kindergarten, Elementary Secondary Education
DOI: 10.1177/0013161X19851174
ISSN: 0013-161X
Abstract: Do school district central offices and school principals have the same level of influence on school decisions? What does the district-principal power relationship look like? These two questions are discussed but are rarely examined in the literature. Based on a nationally representative sample from the 2007-2008 Schools and Staffing Survey data, we explored these two questions. Specifically, we applied the paired samples t test to compare the district central offices' and school principals' influences and applied the multilevel modeling method to estimate the power relationship. We found that (a) on average, districts and principals had the same level of influence on establishing curriculum, whereas school principals had higher influence on the other six decision areas examined (performance standards, teachers' professional development programs, evaluating teachers, hiring teachers, discipline policies, and school budget), and (b) a tight coupling power relationship between district central offices and school principals was identified for the three areas related to the technical core of schools (performance standards, establishing curriculum, and teachers' professional development programs), a loose coupling power relationship was revealed for the personnel (hiring and evaluating teachers) and budget areas, while a decoupling power relationship was found for discipline policy decisions. Discussions and implications for school leadership and policy were included in this study.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2020
Accession Number: EJ1259991
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Tight, Loose, or Decoupling? A National Study of the Decision-Making Power Relationship between District Central Offices and School Principals
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Xia%2C+Jiangang%22">Xia, Jiangang</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6486-8613">0000-0002-6486-8613</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Shen%2C+Jianping%22">Shen, Jianping</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sun%2C+Jingping%22">Sun, Jingping</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Educational+Administration+Quarterly%22"><i>Educational Administration Quarterly</i></searchLink>. Aug 2020 56(3):396-434.
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  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 39
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Early+Childhood+Education%22">Early Childhood Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Kindergarten%22">Kindergarten</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Primary+Education%22">Primary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Secondary+Education%22">Elementary Secondary Education</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Decision+Making%22">Decision Making</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Districts%22">School Districts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Power+Structure%22">Power Structure</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Principals%22">Principals</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Standards%22">Standards</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Faculty+Development%22">Faculty Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Evaluation%22">Teacher Evaluation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Selection%22">Teacher Selection</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Discipline+Policy%22">Discipline Policy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Budgets%22">Budgets</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Central+Office+Administrators%22">Central Office Administrators</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Board+Administrator+Relationship%22">Board Administrator Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Kindergarten%22">Kindergarten</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+Secondary+Education%22">Elementary Secondary Education</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1177/0013161X19851174
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  Data: 0013-161X
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Do school district central offices and school principals have the same level of influence on school decisions? What does the district-principal power relationship look like? These two questions are discussed but are rarely examined in the literature. Based on a nationally representative sample from the 2007-2008 Schools and Staffing Survey data, we explored these two questions. Specifically, we applied the paired samples t test to compare the district central offices' and school principals' influences and applied the multilevel modeling method to estimate the power relationship. We found that (a) on average, districts and principals had the same level of influence on establishing curriculum, whereas school principals had higher influence on the other six decision areas examined (performance standards, teachers' professional development programs, evaluating teachers, hiring teachers, discipline policies, and school budget), and (b) a tight coupling power relationship between district central offices and school principals was identified for the three areas related to the technical core of schools (performance standards, establishing curriculum, and teachers' professional development programs), a loose coupling power relationship was revealed for the personnel (hiring and evaluating teachers) and budget areas, while a decoupling power relationship was found for discipline policy decisions. Discussions and implications for school leadership and policy were included in this study.
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  Data: 2020
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  Data: EJ1259991
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        Value: 10.1177/0013161X19851174
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 39
        StartPage: 396
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Decision Making
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Districts
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Power Structure
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Principals
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Standards
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Faculty Development
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      – SubjectFull: Teacher Evaluation
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      – SubjectFull: Teacher Selection
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Discipline Policy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Budgets
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Central Office Administrators
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Board Administrator Relationship
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Kindergarten
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary Secondary Education
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Tight, Loose, or Decoupling? A National Study of the Decision-Making Power Relationship between District Central Offices and School Principals
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            NameFull: Shen, Jianping
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            NameFull: Sun, Jingping
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