ERIC Number: EJ846503
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005-Jan
Pages: 31
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1052-6846
EISSN: N/A
Political Risk-Taking: Leading Literacy Education in an Era of High-Stakes Accountability
Ylimaki, Rose M.
Journal of School Leadership, v15 n1 p4-34 Jan 2005
In the current accountability environment, many school districts have mandated test preparation courses, canned programs, and otherwise limited teacher risk-taking in all but very high-performing schools. This article further suggests that extant literature on risk-taking as part of educational change is no longer sufficient for understanding risk-taking in the current political environment. The author uses findings from a multicase study that investigated what happens in school districts that makes educators willing to take risks and resist the pressures of current accountability policies to redefine risk-taking as a political act. Through the use of interview data, field notes, and literature, the study describes four conditions that support political risk-taking in the current accountability context.
Descriptors: Literacy Education, School Districts, Educational Change, Accountability, Risk, Politics of Education, Case Studies, Interviews, High Stakes Tests, Instructional Leadership, Ethics, Phonics, Criticism, Reading Programs
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A