View in EDS

The Politics of School Reopening during COVID-19: A Multiple Case Study of Five Urban Districts in the 2020-21 School Year. EdWorkingPaper No. 22-605

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: The Politics of School Reopening during COVID-19: A Multiple Case Study of Five Urban Districts in the 2020-21 School Year. EdWorkingPaper No. 22-605
Language: English
Authors: Jeremy Singer, Julie A. Marsh, David Menefee-Libey, Jacob Alonso, Dwuana Bradley, Hanora Tracy, Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Source: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. 2023.
Availability: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 50
Publication Date: 2023
Sponsoring Agency: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Contract Number: R305C180025
Document Type: Reports - Research
Descriptors: COVID-19, Pandemics, School Closing, Urban Schools, School Districts, Public Schools, Charter Schools, Administrator Role, Public Health, Decision Making, Parent Influence, Government Role, Leadership Responsibility, Political Influences, Cultural Influences, Institutional Characteristics, Context Effect, Parent Attitudes, Administrator Attitudes
Geographic Terms: Colorado (Denver), Michigan (Detroit), Louisiana (New Orleans), Oregon (Portland), District of Columbia
Abstract: Purpose: Nearly all schools in the United States closed in spring 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyze traditional public and charter school reopenings for the 2020-21 school year in five urban districts. We provide a rich and theoretically grounded description of how and why educational leaders made reopening decisions in each of our case districts. Research Methods: We used data from a multiple-case study from March 2020 to July 2021. The research team conducted 56 interviews with school, district, and system-level leaders; triangulated with publicly available data; and also drew on interview data from a subsample of parents and guardians in each of our sites. We analyzed these data through qualitative coding and memo writing, and conducted detailed single- and cross-case analyses. Findings: School system leaders in our case sites generally consulted public health authorities, accounted for state-level health and educational guidance, and engaged with and were responsive to the interests of different stakeholders. Districts' adherence to and strategic uses of public health guidance, as well as a combination of union-district relations and labor market dynamics, influenced reopening. Parents, city and state lawmakers, and local institutional conditions also played a role, helping to explain differences across cases. Implications: In contrast to the "politics or science" framing that has dominated research and public discourse on school reopening, we show that local pandemic conditions and local political dynamics both mattered and in fact were interrelated. Our findings have some implications for how educational leaders might navigate future crises.
Abstractor: As Provided
IES Funded: Yes
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED672084
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED672084
    Name: ERIC Full Text
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text from ERIC
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: ED672084
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Report
PubTypeId: report
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: The Politics of School Reopening during COVID-19: A Multiple Case Study of Five Urban Districts in the 2020-21 School Year. EdWorkingPaper No. 22-605
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jeremy+Singer%22">Jeremy Singer</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Julie+A%2E+Marsh%22">Julie A. Marsh</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22David+Menefee-Libey%22">David Menefee-Libey</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jacob+Alonso%22">Jacob Alonso</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Dwuana+Bradley%22">Dwuana Bradley</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hanora+Tracy%22">Hanora Tracy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Annenberg+Institute+for+School+Reform+at+Brown+University%22">Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Annenberg+Institute+for+School+Reform+at+Brown+University%22"><i>Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University</i></searchLink>. 2023.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: N
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 50
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2023
– Name: SourceSuprt
  Label: Sponsoring Agency
  Group: SrcSuprt
  Data: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
– Name: NumberContract
  Label: Contract Number
  Group: NumCntrct
  Data: R305C180025
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Reports - Research
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19%22">COVID-19</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pandemics%22">Pandemics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Closing%22">School Closing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Urban+Schools%22">Urban Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Districts%22">School Districts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+Schools%22">Public Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Charter+Schools%22">Charter Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Administrator+Role%22">Administrator Role</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+Health%22">Public Health</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Decision+Making%22">Decision Making</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent+Influence%22">Parent Influence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Government+Role%22">Government Role</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Leadership+Responsibility%22">Leadership Responsibility</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Political+Influences%22">Political Influences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+Influences%22">Cultural Influences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Institutional+Characteristics%22">Institutional Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Context+Effect%22">Context Effect</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent+Attitudes%22">Parent Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Administrator+Attitudes%22">Administrator Attitudes</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Colorado+%28Denver%29%22">Colorado (Denver)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Michigan+%28Detroit%29%22">Michigan (Detroit)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Louisiana+%28New+Orleans%29%22">Louisiana (New Orleans)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Oregon+%28Portland%29%22">Oregon (Portland)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22District+of+Columbia%22">District of Columbia</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Purpose: Nearly all schools in the United States closed in spring 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyze traditional public and charter school reopenings for the 2020-21 school year in five urban districts. We provide a rich and theoretically grounded description of how and why educational leaders made reopening decisions in each of our case districts. Research Methods: We used data from a multiple-case study from March 2020 to July 2021. The research team conducted 56 interviews with school, district, and system-level leaders; triangulated with publicly available data; and also drew on interview data from a subsample of parents and guardians in each of our sites. We analyzed these data through qualitative coding and memo writing, and conducted detailed single- and cross-case analyses. Findings: School system leaders in our case sites generally consulted public health authorities, accounted for state-level health and educational guidance, and engaged with and were responsive to the interests of different stakeholders. Districts' adherence to and strategic uses of public health guidance, as well as a combination of union-district relations and labor market dynamics, influenced reopening. Parents, city and state lawmakers, and local institutional conditions also played a role, helping to explain differences across cases. Implications: In contrast to the "politics or science" framing that has dominated research and public discourse on school reopening, we show that local pandemic conditions and local political dynamics both mattered and in fact were interrelated. Our findings have some implications for how educational leaders might navigate future crises.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: CodeSource
  Label: IES Funded
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Yes
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: ED672084
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED672084
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 50
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: COVID-19
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pandemics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Closing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Urban Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Districts
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Public Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Charter Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Administrator Role
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Public Health
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Decision Making
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Parent Influence
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Government Role
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Leadership Responsibility
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Political Influences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cultural Influences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Institutional Characteristics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Context Effect
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Parent Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Administrator Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Colorado (Denver)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Michigan (Detroit)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Louisiana (New Orleans)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Oregon (Portland)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: District of Columbia
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: The Politics of School Reopening during COVID-19: A Multiple Case Study of Five Urban Districts in the 2020-21 School Year. EdWorkingPaper No. 22-605
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Jeremy Singer
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Julie A. Marsh
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: David Menefee-Libey
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Jacob Alonso
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Dwuana Bradley
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Hanora Tracy
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 04
              Type: published
              Y: 2023
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
              Type: main
ResultId 1