https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X17711480
Educational Administration Quarterly
1–47
© The Author(s) 2017
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DOI: 10.1177/0013161X17711480
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Article
Examining the Timing
of Educational Changes
Among Elementary
Schools After the
Implementation of NCLB
Ronald H. Heck
1
and Jana Chang
2
Abstract
Purpose: This article examines the timing of changes of key educational
process indicators within three groups of elementary schools after No
Child Left Behind (NCLB) implementation: schools that met adequate
yearly progress targets consistently, schools that entered restructuring due
to prolonged academic failure but failed to exit, and schools that entered
restructuring status but managed to improve sufficiently to return to good
standing. We examine whether the timing of restructuring disrupted routine
educational processes in failing schools and whether resulting changes in
those processes were associated with the timing of exiting restructuring
status. Research Methods: We utilize a time-series design and growth
mixture modeling with known classes to identify a set of process changes
and context indicators that maximally differentiate the classes of schools
according to their NCLB restructuring status. Findings: First, we found
restructuring disrupted entrenched organizational routines. Second, changes
in teacher views regarding the quality of key school processes such as
leadership, instructional capacity, and sustained focus on school improvement
were associated with corresponding changes in NCLB accountability status.
1
University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
2
Hawaii Department of Education, Honolulu, HI, USA
Corresponding Author:
Ronald H. Heck, Department of Educational Administration, University of Hawaii at Manoa,
1776 University Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
Email: rheck@hawaii.edu
711480EAQ XX X 10.1177/0013161X17711480Educational Administration QuarterlyHeck and Chang
research-article 2017