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Federalism, Race, and the Politics of Turnaround: U.S. Public Opinion on Improving Low-Performing Schools and Districts

Public support for school improvement policies can increase the success and durability of those reforms. However, little is known about public views on turnaround. We deployed questions and embedded experiments in a nationally representative 2017 survey (n=4,214) to uncover opinions regarding (a) which level of government should lead on turnaround and (b) state takeover of troubled districts. We find a large plurality prefers states play the greatest role in identifying and fixing failing schools. However, a substantial share prefers local governments increase their role. We find high levels of support for state takeover, yet support is greater in cases of financial mismanagement than academic underperformance. Those most likely to be directly affected express the least support for state takeover. 

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Document Object Identifier (DOI)
10.26300/zfj9-sf90

This EdWorkingPaper is published in:

Schueler, B.,E., & West, M.R. (2022). Federalism, Race, and the Politics of Turnaround: U.S. Public Opinion on Improving Low-Performing Schools and Districts. Educational Researcher. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X211053317

EdWorkingPaper suggested citation:

Schueler, Beth, and Martin West. (). Federalism, Race, and the Politics of Turnaround: U.S. Public Opinion on Improving Low-Performing Schools and Districts. (EdWorkingPaper: 19-129). Retrieved from Annenberg Institute at Brown University: https://doi.org/10.26300/zfj9-sf90

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