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The Urban Review

, Volume 36, Issue 1, pp 37–59 | Cite as

How Communities Can Use Research to Hold School Systems Accountable

  • Howell S. Baum
Article

Abstract

This article examines how community organizations can use research to identify community education interests and influence school systems to serve those interests. A case study of the Southeast Education Task Force in Baltimore, Maryland, analyzes the organization's efforts to develop a school facility plan and persuade the school system to adopt and implement it. The organization combined formal research on school facilities, political research on allies and decision-makers, and informal collection of local knowledge. It used this research to develop short-term and long-range facility and capital improvement plans. With the research, the organization persuaded the school system to repair school facilities and assisted the system in persuading State decision-makers to approve a new neighborhood school. The article identifies conditions under which community organizations are likely to conduct and use research, as well as conditions under which they may use research influentially with a school system. The case illustrates ways community organizations can use research to hold school systems accountable for responding to community agendas.

community organizations school facilities school systems research use accountability 
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© Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2004

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