School Districts Matter: Local Educational Authorities and State Instructional Policy

Local school districts do not figure prominently in contemporary school reform efforts that are primarly centered at the state and school levels of the system. This article explores ways in which school districts matter in current instructional reform efforts. The article examines haw two local school districts responded to an expanding state role in instructional policy making, documenting the way in which instructional policy making at the state and district levels expanded in tandem, frequently attempting to guide the same aspects of teachers' work Further, the case studies illustrate that state and local policies do not always support similar notions about instruction.