View in EDS

Negotiating Equity: A Critical Policy Analysis of Equity Sensemaking in District Partnership Initiatives

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Negotiating Equity: A Critical Policy Analysis of Equity Sensemaking in District Partnership Initiatives
Language: English
Authors: Meghan Comstock (ORCID 0000-0002-1575-0424)
Source: Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. 2026 48(2):489-513.
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: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 25
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Partnerships in Education, Equal Education, School Districts, Educational Change, Educational Improvement, Organizations (Groups), Instructional Improvement, Educational Policy, Mathematics Instruction, English Instruction, Language Arts, Leaders, Administrator Attitudes, School Effectiveness
DOI: 10.3102/01623737251336728
ISSN: 0162-3737
1935-1062
Abstract: In this study, I examine partnerships between districts and school improvement organizations (SIOs) focused on instructional reform, investigating how these partnerships conceptualize and negotiate equity in practice. Using a qualitative comparative case study design of nine district-SIO partnerships across the country, I find that partnerships' equity approaches in practice were related to how critically reflective they were as a partnership. Partnerships represented a spectrum of criticality that ranged from an emphasis on equality and standardization with limited interrogation of equity to an emphasis on oppression-combating approaches to equity and prioritization of critical reflection. The findings signal that in district-SIO partnerships, both ideas and individuals are powerful in shaping equity sensemaking and often impede more expansive ways of conceptualizing equity.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1506037
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1506037
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Negotiating Equity: A Critical Policy Analysis of Equity Sensemaking in District Partnership Initiatives
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Meghan+Comstock%22">Meghan Comstock</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1575-0424">0000-0002-1575-0424</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Educational+Evaluation+and+Policy+Analysis%22"><i>Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis</i></searchLink>. 2026 48(2):489-513.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  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: https://sagepub.com
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 25
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Partnerships+in+Education%22">Partnerships in Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Equal+Education%22">Equal Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Districts%22">School Districts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Change%22">Educational Change</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Improvement%22">Educational Improvement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Organizations+%28Groups%29%22">Organizations (Groups)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Instructional+Improvement%22">Instructional Improvement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Policy%22">Educational Policy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mathematics+Instruction%22">Mathematics Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22English+Instruction%22">English Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Arts%22">Language Arts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Leaders%22">Leaders</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Administrator+Attitudes%22">Administrator Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Effectiveness%22">School Effectiveness</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.3102/01623737251336728
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0162-3737<br />1935-1062
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: In this study, I examine partnerships between districts and school improvement organizations (SIOs) focused on instructional reform, investigating how these partnerships conceptualize and negotiate equity in practice. Using a qualitative comparative case study design of nine district-SIO partnerships across the country, I find that partnerships' equity approaches in practice were related to how critically reflective they were as a partnership. Partnerships represented a spectrum of criticality that ranged from an emphasis on equality and standardization with limited interrogation of equity to an emphasis on oppression-combating approaches to equity and prioritization of critical reflection. The findings signal that in district-SIO partnerships, both ideas and individuals are powerful in shaping equity sensemaking and often impede more expansive ways of conceptualizing equity.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1506037
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1506037
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.3102/01623737251336728
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 25
        StartPage: 489
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Partnerships in Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Equal Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Districts
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Change
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Improvement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Organizations (Groups)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Instructional Improvement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Policy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mathematics Instruction
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: English Instruction
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Language Arts
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Leaders
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Administrator Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Effectiveness
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Negotiating Equity: A Critical Policy Analysis of Equity Sensemaking in District Partnership Initiatives
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Meghan Comstock
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 06
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0162-3737
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1935-1062
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 48
            – Type: issue
              Value: 2
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis
              Type: main
ResultId 1