Malin, Joel
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Recent Submissions
Item Should religious schools be publicly funded? Issues of religion, discrimination, and equity
Yoon, Ee-Seul; Malin, Joel R; Sellers, Kathleen M; Welner, Kevin GThis issue offers a critical opportunity to reflect on an enduring question in education: Should religious schools be state-funded? To facilitate this reflection, this issue offers six studies from Canada, Spain, and the United States. Each delves into the unique relationships between state-funded schooling and religion in their respective contexts. In particular, these studies examine how the relationships have shifted due to numerous factors, including changing legal rulings, political ideology, demographic shifts, global migration, and education privatization. The authors carefully integrate (and interrogate) the histories and places where they conducted their analyses. Taken together, these studies offer invaluable and timely insights into the intended and unintended consequences of state funding that expands school choice, marketization, and privatization, particularly with respect to religion. This issue thus aims to inform the ongoing debate about the (potential) impact that publicly funding religious schools has on equity, segregation, and discrimination. Ultimately, we hope this issue highlights the importance of a nonsectarian approach to public education so as to create an inclusive education space wherein all human identities are welcomed and affirmed.Item Political battles in suburbia
White, Rachel S; Evans, Michael P; Malin, Joel RMedia reports have shown suburban school officials being threatened and school board meetings erupting into chaos. Rachel S. White, Michael P. Evans, and Joel R. Malin examine whether these politically contentious experiences are occurring everywhere, or if there is something distinct about the contentiousness suburban superintendents face. Drawing on a national survey of superintendents, they asked: How do political experiences of rural, suburban, and urban superintendents differ? The results paint a bleak picture about the stresses of the superintendency, and the direct toll they have on some superintendents’ well-being. However, they also identify ways to support suburban superintendents as they face political challenges.Item Equity-centered knowledge brokering: Taking stock of challenges, strategies, and possibilities
Malin, Joel R; Shewchuk, SamanthaThe pursuit of equity is a cornerstone of progress across diverse fields. Emerging literature across several fields has begun to focus on how knowledge brokers can take an equity-centered approach. This narrative synthesis draws upon that literature to explore what it means to be an equity-centered knowledge broker and to consider the challenges and possibilities inherent in that role. It identifies critical equity issues/dimensions vis-à-vis five main brokering strategies. From this review, the strategy facilitating relationships emerges as a first-order strategy for equity-centered brokers, with impacts stretching into all other areas. Therefore, equity-centered brokers should attend heavily to developing authentic, trusting relationships, value diversity, and elevate multiple forms of knowledge. This article also highlights some challenges and ongoing tensions relevant to equity-centered brokering. Relational, equity-centered knowledge brokering is time- and resource-intensive. Likewise, ongoing debates center on the merit of assuming a neutral brokering posture. Overall, it is hoped this article will benefit knowledge brokers, those with whom they partner, and those scholars who seek to understand and support them.Item Demobilizing knowledge in American public schools: Censoring critical perspectives
Hornbeck, Dustin; Malin, Joel RControversies have erupted in recent years over the teaching of critical perspectives in United States K-12 schools, particularly related to issues of diversity, race, gender, and sexuality. These tensions have resulted in attacks on critical curriculum, with nearly one-third of states banning curriculum that offers critical views of the racial past of the U.S. and over 200 bills introduced in 40 states that would restrict curriculum related to diverse topics. In this study, we apply a knowledge mobilization framework to examine what and whose knowledge is being restricted in U.S. K-12 schools, and how and why this is happening. Our findings indicate that in 16 Republican-dominated states, policies have been enacted to restrict the teaching of critical perspectives on race, sexuality, and other controversial subjects and to perpetuate a positive view of U.S. history. The study sheds light on the prevalence, underlying nature, and consequences of these educational policies.Item Teachers in control of their own professional learning!
Malin, Joel RJoel Malin explores a bottom-up, self-directed, evidence-informed approach to professional learning.Item The Role of Knowledge Brokering in Fostering Connections Between Educational Research, Policy, and Practice
Malin, Joel R; Rycroft-Smith, Lucy; Ward, VickyThis chapter introduces knowledge brokering as a concept and set of practices focusing on its applications, strengths, and challenges in education. The chapter is divided into five sections. First, we consider the sorts of knowledge it is possible to broker. Next, we focus on the various approaches to brokering knowledge, followed by the actors operating in the knowledge brokering landscape. Then, we consider the competencies that knowledge brokers require in order to tighten connections between research, policy, and practice, before concluding with a summary and recommendations.Item Superintendent Job-Seeking Behaviors: Types of Positions Sought and Reasons for Seeking
White, Rachel S; Evans, Michael P; Malin, Joel RSUMMARY: The proportion of superintendents seeking out new positions is greater than the national average superintendent attrition rate. While the majority of job-seeking superintendents are looking for other superintendent positions, many are seeking out positions outside K-12 education or desire to shift to an assistant superintendent role, primarily due to politics, stress, and school board tensions. There are no differences in job-seeking behaviors across superintendent demographics.Item Superintendents Experiencing Threats and Contention
White, Rachel S; Evans, Michael P; Malin, Joel RSUMMARY: As school board meetings have become contentious and amid an increasing trend of superintendents being fired without cause, a substantial number of superintendents or school board members have been threatened, and nearly two-thirds of superintendents expressed concern for their mental health and well-being. Superintendents in suburban districts are significantly more likely to feel or experience contentiousness at both school board meetings and elections.Item The Contestation of History in Schools in the United States
Malin, Joel R; Harnish, Jason AThis short article seeks to understand and explain current efforts to restrict historical teaching in US schools, and describes their ongoing effects. It also includes consideration in the concluding section of what might be required to bring about a healthier situation in the US, and describes what educators and citizens in other contexts might learn as well.Item How educational intermediaries connect research and practice
Malin, Joel RKnowledge brokers seek to transform education practice by sharing research, but are they effective at achieving this goal?Item The State Innovation Exchange and educational policy
Malin, Joel R; Tan, JingEspecially since 2010, conservative interests’ dominance at advancing their preferred policies across U.S. states has been clear, with large and escalating impacts in education. Although adversaries on the political left remain in catch-up mode, there have been auspicious developments. This study focuses on one of these, seeking to understand a uniquely positioned progressively state-focused policy organization called State Innovation Exchange (SiX). It was aimed to a) provide a valuable case study of perhaps the leading organization in this space, focusing on understanding its education policy footprint; b) further understandings of conflicts, tensions, and responses on the political left relative to education policy; and c) generate insights into contemporary sub-national policy mobility. We interviewed nine key stakeholders and analyzed electronic materials to address two research questions. Findings demonstrate SiX fulfills four main purposes: 1) building and sustaining cross-state progressive power; 2) acting as a counter; 3) fostering progressive leader development; and 4) advancing progressive policies/ideas. SiX shows an economics-focused agenda emphasizing working- and middle-class families, and education policy has not been a major, consistent area of emphasis. SiX does, however, play unique roles in education (as in other areas) by connecting state legislators and supporting their work. Specific to education, we surfaced some challenges SiX has faced in building alignment around a shared vision. We suggest, if SiX or a similarly situated organization can develop a clear education philosophy and policy agenda, it will be more effective at advancing its preferred policies, and in countering those being advanced by adversaries. Absent such shifts, we project continued conservative dominance of education policy at the state level.Item Information Pollution in an Age of Populist Politics
Malin, Joel R; Lubienski, ChristopherThe increasing influence of private interests in public policy has been facilitated by a growth in sources of “alternative” information and expertise. In education, teachers and schools are often the targets of these sources. This has been associated with a new political economy where private interests advance reform agendas largely through funding new information sources that ignore long-standing empirical evidence on factors shaping school outcomes in favor of anecdotes and misunderstandings about issues in education. This manuscript argues “information pollution” relative to U.S. politics and policy is presently at crisis levels, and that it is particularly acute relative to education policy. In this policy area, we show how special interests are using (mis)information strategies to purportedly elevate parent voices but are in effect promoting the interests of private actors and de-professionalizing both expertise and educators. We seek to understand this major issue, placing it within a broader sociopolitical context. The concluding discussion considers what might be required to move in a healthier direction that would bring U.S. education policy and practice into closer alignment with evidence and expertise.Item "Wouldn't it be cool if we could...?"
Poetter, Thomas S; Barczak, Kristan; Malin, Joel RThis is a formative evaluation report, completed for Butler Tech (a public-school district in Southwest Ohio) in relation to their Fifth Day Experience (FDE) pilot during the 2019-20 school year.Item Evidence-Informed Practice in Massachusetts (USA): A Systems-Level Analysis
Malin, Joel R; Winner, KendraThis chapter examines Massachusetts (USA) public primary and secondary educators’ use of evidence-informed practices. We pay special attention to the role of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) in this regard while employing the dual analytical frame laid out in this handbook’s introduction. The first section provides relevant background/context and tentatively classifies the system according to the matrix. The next sections describe educators’ use of evidence, and provide context, insights, and analyses in relation to the patterns presented. We note how certain forms of data are routinely being used (and describe DESE’s role in facilitating and shaping such use), and we describe some bottom-up (and DESE-supported) research that is occurring within districts. Applying institutional analysis to this case, evidence-informed practice in Massachusetts is skewed top-down in important ways, but there is also recognition of and some earnest efforts also/instead to promote more bottom up EIP in and across Massachusetts schools and educational organisations. Overall, we advance this case as providing an example of a robust infrastructure at the macro-level (DESE) that can facilitate and shape EIP, and especially in relation to providing relevant and timely data and supporting its use by educators. Accordingly, our final section focuses on how/why DESE has been successful in these endeavors, as a way of drawing out key lessons. This chapter also includes an appendix containing links to a variety of tools, reports, and resources, which may be of interest to readers interested in further exploring or applying similar approaches.Item K-12 Choice-Favoring and Public-Favoring Stories
Malin, Joel R; Potterton, Amanda U; Lubienski, ChristopherThis article focuses on how language favoring educational choice shapes U.S. educational policy. We outline key features of some dominant narratives, providing several examples and showing how these stories contradict accumulating empirical realities and are often tied to conceptions of “schooling as business.” We then describe emergent narratives which support and envision a strong, broadly supported public education system. Finally, we discuss what lies ahead amid continued, evolving efforts by some to privatize public resources.Item Qualitative Research Designs for Policy-Relevant Research
Potterton, Amanda U; Malin, Joel RItem Educational brokerage and knowledge mobilization in the United States: Who, what, why, how?
Malin, J. R.; Brown, C.; St. Trubceac, A.Although the central role of educational intermediaries that can connect research and practice is increasingly appreciated, our present understanding of their motivations, products, and processes is inadequate. In response, this chapter reports on a multiple-case study that asks how and why three large-scale U.S.-based intermediaries—Edutopia, the Marshall Memo, and Usable Knowledge—are engaging in brokerage activities, and compares the features of the knowledge they seek to share and mobilize. These entities were deliberately chosen and expected to reveal diversity along these dimensions. Multiple data sources were analyzed, based primarily upon Ward’s (2017) knowledge mobilization framework and Hubers and Poortman’s (2017) three suggested principles for effective boundary crossing in education. These entities contrasted widely, especially in relation to core knowledge dimensions, enabling us to identify two distinct brokerage types. To conclude, we describe theoretical (how to conceptualize brokerage) and practical (how to foster interactive knowledge exchange) implications. This study also reveals certain innovative mobilization approaches, including skillful use of social media and the production of videos depicting how and why to adopt particular strategies, which we suggest others may wish to emulate or adjust/adapt.Item Joining worlds: Knowledge mobilization and evidence-informed practice
Malin, Joel R; Brown, C.In this volume’s opening chapter, Joining Worlds: Knowledge Mobilization and Evidence-Informed Practice, chapter authors and book editors Joel Malin and Chris Brown provide relevant background and describe the purpose of the volume. It includes a definition of evidence-informed practice (EIP) and outlines challenges and benefits of making EIP a reality in schools and school systems. It also argues that brokerage is a necessary and high-leverage strategy for doing so. Several additional key terms are defined and explained, and the book’s conceptual framework is introduced – it sets out three key roles for brokers and draws attention to several key dimensions along which they vary. The book then provides a preview of the book’s remaining contents.Item Cross-Sector Collaboration to Support College and Career Readiness in an Urban School District
Malin, Joel R.; Hackmann, Donald G.; Scott, Ian MBackground: School reforms requiring collaborations spanning multiple sectors are increasing in prevalence, but extant research has primarily focused only upon cross-sector partnerships involving education and social services. College and career readiness (CCR) reforms, such as the one highlighted in this study, are also often intrinsically cross-sectoral in nature. A need exists to understand how such complex collaborations are developed and maintained. Purpose: This study examined how cross-sector collaboration has shaped the development and implementation of district-wide high school career academies in a large urban school district. Research Design: Case study methodology was applied to examine a mature cross-sector collaboration that guides and supports the district’s career academy reforms. A meta-framework concerning cross-sector collaboration, developed by Bryson, Crosby, and Stone (2015), supported our design, data collection, and analysis. Conclusions: Findings disclose a complex system of structures and processes to support reform implementation and illuminate the role and nature of cross-sector collaborations. This study provides an initial step toward understanding the elements, processes, and leadership required to develop and sustain cross-sector CCR reforms. The findings hold relevance for practitioners (e.g., how to develop and strengthen such complex reforms), community partners, and researchers (e.g., theory building regarding reform-supporting elements and their interactions).Item Integrative Leadership and Cross-Sector Reforms: High School Career Academy Implementation in an Urban District
Malin, Joel R.; Hackmann, Donald G.Purpose: This study analyzed leadership structures, processes, and practices that have enabled and constrained an ambitious career and college readiness reform within an urban school district. It was designed to discern how leaders worked across cross-sector boundaries to support district-wide high school career academy implementation. Research Methods: Case study methodology was applied to examine a long-standing cross-sector collaborative partnership that supports the district’s career academy reforms. Data were collected over 15 months through interviews, observations, and document analysis. Crosby and Bryson’s (2010) integrative leadership theoretical framework guided data collection and analyses. Findings: The integrative leadership framework was suitable for understanding the boundary-spanning leadership work that was occurring, involving school leaders, civic officials, and business members in leadership roles to support academy reforms. As expected, for example, system turbulence was key to the reform’s initiation, establishing legitimacy was arduous and important, and numerous facilitative structures were developed. Some nuances were also apparent. For instance, we noted the motivating power of the shared goal to enhance the relevance of student educational experiences, while business and civic leaders were particularly interested in developing student employment skills. We noted formidable political opposition and the development of a new, cross-sector power structure. Implications for Research, Policy, and Practice: Current educational theory is inadequate to explain or inform educational leaders who increasingly are entering into cross-sector collaborations. Scholars should seek to address this issue by prioritizing this line of research. Practitioners can benefit from insights gained by applying the integrated leadership framework to cross-sector initiatives.