CASE STUDIES: PERCEIVED INFLUENCES ON SUPERINTENDENTS IN SHARING RACIALLY DISAGGREGATED DATA WITH SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS

Abstract

Superintendents of school districts are faced with the decision to share or not share racially disaggregated student data with school board members. As part of these decisions, superintendents and school boards must both navigate organizational and political contexts, as well as perceived pressures. These pressures come from a variety of stakeholders, including special interest groups, families, staff, and community members. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to examine what pressures and power relations superintendents perceive and consider when determining whether to share racially disaggregated data with school board members. The research conducted utilizes case studies that include a series of interviews with superintendents from similarly situated districts and an analysis of documentation from school board meetings. Student graduation data and standardized test data were also examined. The superintendents in this study used their power and influence to manage their power relations with their school board members, to determine which data the school board would see and discuss, and to respond to pressures from stakeholders. Despite this agreement, the superintendents had varying strategies for how they used their power and influence to manage power relations with school board members, including whether or not they shared racially disaggregated data with their school board members. This division reflects the tension that exists in both practice and the literature around the decision to use and share racially disaggregated data.