Building Sustainable Civic Capacity in Urban Education Reform: Actors, Perceptions, and Recommendations for Inclusive Public Policy

Abstract

The research and literature focusing on education change, policy development, and community engagement have indicated clearly that forming a broad coalition within urban education reform through greater civic engagement can create sustainable education change, help to develop inclusive education policy, and lead to greater accountability, transparency, equity, and efficacy in delivering 21st-century education to all students. However, the actors, barriers, and opportunities related to developing inclusive educational policy and greater civic capacity in urban education reform have been under-examined in the literature around public policy and civic engagement. Drawing from quantitative and qualitative data collected in a concurrent triangulation mixed-methods study, this article examines the perceptions and relationships of various actors in urban education reform in Chicago, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and offers a deeper understanding of the barriers to and opportunities for fostering greater civic capacity and engagement in urban education reform, and developing inclusive educational policy. The study findings suggest strongly that sustained civic capacity and engagement in urban education change efforts allow for systematic improvements in educational development and innovation. Moreover, the results indicated that structural openness to new actors, stakeholders, and the reconceptualization of education as a worthy good can lead to enhanced educational quality, equity, and inclusion, particularly in urban areas. The authors also present further discussion about and policy recommendations for increased civic engagement in urban school reform efforts.