Schools as Societal Change Agencies
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Authors
Peixoto, Joel
Issue Date
2024
Type
Dissertation
Language
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
There is a call to action to close disparities and address inequalities throughout various institutions across the United States. There is a growing amount of research on the topic of education in relation to how schools can better serve as critical societal change agencies. This qualitative study serves to answer questions on the experiences and perceptions of school leaders, school district leaders, and community agency leaders on the roles and responsibilities of school systems and personnel to serve as societal change agents. This comparative case study is reported through the ethnographic perspectives in individualized interviews around one centralized public school district. The nine participants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling due to their work in the school district or partnership with schools. In Vivo and Process Coding with elements of Values and Emotion Coding were utilized to determine themes and responses. First, findings for agency leaders included the inherent good behind the responsibilities of school leaders, hope for change with advancing partnerships, and identified issues preventing change. Findings for school and school district leaders covered the demands of their roles, the value of partnerships, and identified unintended consequences. Secondly, participants shared responses on how they sustain practice and reduce disparities. Finally, the study reports on how participants collaborate to drive change through enhancing and leveraging partnerships, emphasizing the roles of school and school district leaders, and advocating for policy change. The study's final discussion discusses implications and suggestions for ongoing or future research.