CHARTER MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS (CMO) AND CHARTER SCHOOL RELATIONS: AN EXPLORATION OF THE SOCIAL NETWORKS AHMET ULUDAG PH.D – ACCORD INSTITUTE

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY “how a CMO system employs resources to collaborate, use data, and share ideas for education reform.”

RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1.How CMOs and charter schools collaborate, use data, and share ideas to reform education? 2.What is the underlying social network structure of the CMO leadership team?

CHARTER SCHOOLS IN ED REFORM More than 5,700 charter schools serving more than 1.9 million children across US (December 2011) Funded at 61 percent of their district counterparts. Average charter schools $6,585 per pupil funding vs $10,771 per pupil at conventional district public schools. Of the approximately 6,700 charter schools that have ever opened across the US, 1,036 (15%) have closed since 1992.

CHARTERS AND CMOS

CHARTERS AND CMOS AS OF

METHOD AND DATA Method: Exploratory case study design Social Network Analysis (SNA) Sample: Mid-size, urban, K-12 CMO with over 3100 students. Student Demographics: 57% Hispanics, 20% White, 12% African American, 5% Asian, and 6% other ethnicities 69% Economically Disadvantaged Data Collection: Spring 2012 Social Network Survey Participants (n=46): Principals Assistant Principals CMO leaders CMO Staff

ANALYSIS Response rate: 75% UCINET Version 6.0 SNA Measures: Density: refers to the existing proportion of ties in a network to possible ties Centrality: The simplest way of determining which actors are most central in a network in-degree centrality (popularity) out-degree centrality (influence) Core Periphery (CP): correlation with a “theoretically perfect” highly-centralized structure. Examined Collaboration, Data Use, and Sharing Ideas Networks

FINDINGS dense collaboration ties exist between site and CMO leaders while less dense ties are visible in data use and share ideas social networks some CMO office administrators are central in the underlying social networks; however, there are principals central to network structure suggesting a highly decentralized CMO collaboration, data use, and share new ideas social networks both CMO leadership and school principal seek ties with others to resolve school issues, to get help for data use to improve student achievement, and to share new ideas decentralized collaboration, data use, and share new ideas based on core/periphery analysis.

SNA MEASURE: DENSITY & RECIPROCITY RelationshipDensity Reciprocity Out-degree Centralization In-degree Centralization Use Data17% 12%26%18% Share Ideas12% 5%42%16.5% Collaborate53%26%73%31.3% Table 1: Density and Reciprocity of Assist Networks

COLLABORATION: HOW LIKELY ARE YOU TO COLLABORATE WITH THIS PERSON TO ADDRESS SCHOOL ISSUES? * Gray squares, or nodes, are school site staff, e.g. principals and assistant principals, and CMO staff are black triangles.

DATA USE: WHOM YOU TURN FOR HELP IN USING DATA FOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND IN WHAT FREQUENCY? * Gray squares, or nodes, are school site staff, e.g. principals and assistant principals, and CMO staff are black triangles.

SHARE IDEAS: FROM WHOM DO YOU GET NEW IDEAS AND WITH WHOM DO YOU SHARE NEW IDEAS ABOUT TEACHING AND LEARNING? * Gray squares, or nodes, are school site staff, e.g. principals and assistant principals, and CMO staff are black triangles.

Social ActorsCollaborationData UseShare New Ideas CMO Leader A CMO Leader B CMO Leader C CMO Leader D CMO Leader E Principal A Assistant Principal A Principal B Assistant Principal B Principal C Assistant Principal C Principal D Assistant Principal D Principal E Assistant Principal E Principal F Assistant Principal F Principal G Assistant Principal G Principal H Assistant Principal H Principal I Assistant Principal I Principal J Assistant Principal J Principal K Assistant Principal K Principal L Principal M Principal N Table 2: In-Degree Centrality Scores for CMO, Principals, and Assistant Principals

DISCUSSION & IMPLICATIONS an entire CMO and its school principals’ social network data through social network analysis. provides insights into CMO informal networks how CMO and school staff choose who they collaborate to address school issues, from whom they get help and to whom they provide help for data use to improve student achievement, from whom and to whom they share new ideas. The implication for the CMO leadership is to maintain this cross leadership connections while developing likeability of the CMO staff with low in-degree. The CMO studied may need to strengthen data use and share ideas network ties better with higher density and coreness for all staff.

Ahmet Uludag Accord Institute for Education Research