Why Reform Sometimes Succeeds: Understanding the Conditions That Produce Reforms That Last
Item
Title
Why Reform Sometimes Succeeds: Understanding the Conditions That Produce Reforms That Last
Abstract/Description
Counter to narratives of persistently failed school reform, we argue that reforms sometimes succeed and seek to understand why. Drawing on examples from the founding of public schools to the present, we find that successful system-wide reforms addressed problems that teachers thought they had by being consistent with prevailing norms and values, mobilizing a significant public constituency, and building the needed educational infrastructure. We distinguish between system-wide and niche reforms, suggesting that some—particularly those seeking ambitious instruction—failed system-wide but succeeded by creating protected educational niches. We conclude with a discussion of the implications for the Common Core.
Author/creator
Date
In publication
Volume
54
Issue
4
Pages
644-690
Resource type
Research/Scholarly Media
Resource status/form
Published Text
Scholarship genre
Theoretical
Open access/full-text available
Yes
Peer reviewed
Yes
ISSN
0002-8312
Citation
Cohen, D. K., & Mehta, J. D. (2017). Why Reform Sometimes Succeeds: Understanding the Conditions That Produce Reforms That Last. American Educational Research Journal, 54(4), 644–690. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831217700078
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