The educational service agency : American education's invisible partner / E. Robert Stephens, William G. Keane.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Stephens, E. Robert.

Contributor:

Keane, William G.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

School management and organization--United States.

School management and organization.

History.

United States.

School management and organization--United States--History--20th century.

Physical Description:

xii, 252 p : illustrations ; 23 cm

Other Title:

American education's invisible partner

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Maryland : University Press of America, [2005]

Summary:

Education service agencies (ESAs), the middle echelon in the P-12 education structure, serve local school districts and their children in 42 states. Since these agencies work directly with local school districts and their students, they are largely invisible to the general public and, incredibly, not a small number of legislators. Yet ESAs are responsible for the direct or indirect expenditure of billions of dollars and are perhaps the main vehicle for training in-service teachers, administrators, and other staff members throughout the country. In addition, they provide technical assistance in a whole variety of management areas such as finance, food service, transportation, purchasing, and technology.

This highly researched, well-referenced book, the first ever to document the work of service agencies in America, begins with four chapters that summarize the history and development of service agencies into current times and catalogue the different financing and governance structures under which they function. Three chapters are devoted to descriptions of programs and services offered for students, whether they have special interests or needs. Another chapter deals with ESAs as the lynchpin for partnerships with community agencies, businesses, and other levels of government. The book concludes with two chapters about the growing insistence on accountability for ESAs and a final chapter projects three scenarios about the possible future roles of ESAs in the American education system.

Contents:

Chapter 1 The Evolution of the Educational Service Agency Concept 1930-1960 1

Stages in the Evolution of the Service Agency Concept 2

Stage 1 The Early Formative Period 3

Origins of State Variations 5

Types of Local School Districts 5

The Emerging Role of State School Administration 6

The Emergence of Early Forms of Service Agencies 9

Stage 2 The Concept at a Crossroad 12

Major Factors Giving Rise to the Controversy 13

Proposals for Change 14

Chapter 2 Stage Three: The "Golden Age" in the Development 23

Early Structural Modifications 23

Precipitating Factors Causing Middle Level Reorganization 23

State Developments 26

An Early Typology 29

Stage 4 The Restructuring Period 30

Further Changes in the Calculus 31

Other Major Forces Promoting Restructuring Activities 32

Federal and State Influences on Service Agency Development 36

Formal Endorsement in Federal Legislation Directed at Local General Government 40

Support in Positions of Federal Executive Branch 41

Advocacy in State and National Professional Communities 44

Chapter 3 Educational Service Agencies in Contemporary America 51

Working Definitions of Present Day ESA 51

Service Agencies Featured in the Profile 53

Number and Type of Educational Service Agencies 54

A Conservative Count 54

Establishment, Alteration, and Dissolution Practices 57

Establishment Patterns 57

Criteria Used to Establish Geographic Boundaries 57

Membership Status of School Districts 58

Alteration and Dissolution Practices 60

Mission 61

Themes of Statutory Provisions 61

Individual Service Agency Mission Statements 62

Governance Features 62

Powers and Duties of Governing Board 64

Advisory Groups 65

Programming Patterns 65

Major Programming Patterns 66

Statutory Requirements 66

Joint Service Agreements 69

Role in State Regulatory System 70

Enhanced Role in State School Improvement Strategies 70

Staffing Practices 70

Chief Executive Officer 70

Staffing Levels 73

Other Patterns 74

Financial Features 74

Major Types of Funding Sources 74

Independent Taxing Authority 76

Total Expenditures 77

State Funding Formulas 77

Other Required Financial Practices 81

Acquisition of Facilities 81

Chapter 4 Structure and Organization of ESAs: A Commentary 85

Type and Number of State Networks 85

Establishment, Alteration, and Dissolution of ESAs 88

Mission Statements 89

What Is the Network to Do? 89

Governance Practices 89

Selection of Board Members 89

Powers and Duties of Governing Boards 89

Programming Features 90

Staffing Practices 92

Financial Practices 94

General Observations 95

Chapter 5 The Impact of ESAs on Teaching and Learning 103

The Role of ESAs in School Improvement 104

Time 104

Money 105

Financing School Improvement Efforts at ESAs 105

New Directions in ESA Curriculum and Instruction Services 106

Cost 106

Substitutes 106

Technology 106

Higher Standards for All Students 107

Site-based Training and Curriculum Development 107

Distance Learning 109

Virtual Learning 109

Assisting Low-Performing School Districts 111

Program Examples 112

Chapter 6 Services to Students with Special Needs 117

Special Education 118

The Federal Government and Education of the Handicapped 118

Preschool Special Education 120

Examples of Other Special Education Programs 121

Prevention 121

Vocational/Technical Education 122

Alternative Education 125

Court-Involved Students 127

Agency-Involved Students 127

Migrant Children 128

Charter Schools 128

Gifted and Talented Education 128

Magnet Schools 130

Other Pupil Personnel Services 130

Chapter 7 Improving School and School District Infrastructure 133

Assistance in Meeting Special Physical Facility Needs 134

Assistance in Addressing Organizational and Management Capacity Issues 136

Examples of Support Programs 139

Strengthening Management Support Systems 139

Leveraging Financial Resources 140

Activities of Statewide Networks 144

Broad Programming Patterns 146

Differences in Involvement in Program Planning and Implementation 146

Variations in the Recipients of Programs and Services 148

Variations in the Financing of Programs 149

Financing Management Support Services 150

Programming Changes 1979-1999 151

Two Primary Foci 151

Programming Consistent with Mission 152

Critical Role of the State 154

Potential Multiple Benefits 157

Chapter 8 Strengthening Schools Through ESA Partnerships 161

Historical Roots of Partnerships 161

Education's Partnerships with Business 161

Education's Partnerships with Unions 164

Education's Partnerships with Community Agencies 164

Conceptual Bases for Partnerships 165

Requirements of Successful Collaborations 166

Basic Characteristics 166

Personal Characteristics of Collaborative Leaders 167

The Weaknesses of Collaboration 167

Major Conclusions Regarding Successful Collaborations 168

Sustaining Educational Partnerships 168

The Governance of Partnerships 168

The Durability of Partnerships 169

ESAs as the Locus of Partnerships 169

The Convenience of the ESA as Partner 169

Two Types of Educational Partnerships 170

Intra-Education Partnerships 170

Inter-Agency Partnerships 174

Chapter 9 Holding Service Agencies Accountable: Concepts and Practices 177

Contemporary Notions of Accountability 177

Rationale for the New Focus 178

Potential Benefits of Performance Measurement 180

State Accountability Practices 181

Traditional Features 181

The New Generation of State Accountability Practices 184

Organization of the Discussion 187

State Adoptions of an Accreditation System: A Growing Phenomenon 188

State Adoptions of a Policy-Relevant Annual Report Card 191

The Need for Benchmarking Activities 195

The Need for Costing-Out Studies 196

The Need for Voluntary Efforts at Accountability 196

The Need for Reciprocal Accountability 197

Chapter 10 Accountability and Accreditation for ESAs: Current Practices 201

State Accreditation Systems 201

Georgia RESAs 201

Iowa AEAs 202

Nebraska ESUs 207

Ohio ESCs 210

Oregon ESDs 211

Texas RESCs 213

West Virginia RESAs 216

State-Sponsored Annual Report Cards 217

New York BOCES 218

Oregon ESDs 219

Texas RESCs 219

Voluntary Accountability Activities of Service Centers 221

Voluntary State Network Efforts 221

Individual Agency Voluntary Accountability Practices 225

Chapter 11 The Future of Educational Service Agencies 231

Forces Shaping the Future 232

Pressures on State Education Agencies 232

School Choice 233

Focus on Interorganizational Cooperation 234

Urban and Rural School Problems 234

The Knowledge Explosion 235

Technology 235

Site-based Delivery 236

Three Scenarios for the Future 236

Scenario #1 A Worst Case Scenario 237

Scenario #2 A Best Case Scenario 238

Scenario #3 Most Probable Scenario 239

Shedding Invisibility 240

Data for Policy Decision-Making 242

More Cost Analysis Studies Needed 242

Surviving Competition and Thriving 246.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

076183155X

OCLC:

61279540