View/Open - Drake University

ing to the policy intervention. If will is already there, so much the better. Indeed, the best
~wedictor of ho\v a school will respond to state policy is its organizational culture when the
policy becomes effective (Elmol-e. 2002). "Motivated professionals." those who possess the
will to implemenl. Elmore continues, "senerally make every effort to do their job ell" (p.
174). In fact. nationwide research is clear that many of the new state standards enacted during
this era of ret'or~n had already been met by local districts prior to state legislation (Fuhrn~an.
Clune, Kr Elmore, 1988) simply because the locals had the u~ill to do so. This uras consistent
\ri:ith the much later findings of Clune (2001) and Hannaway and K~mball (2001) u.ho stated
that "past experience in reform \\!as a strong predictor of current success" (p. 269).
Successful implementation efforts have generally required a combination of pressure
and support from the policy itself (Elmore Br McLaughlin. 1982: Fullen. 1986: McLauzhlin &
Pfeifer. in press: h4ontjoy 6: O'Toole. 1979: Zald & Jacobs. 1978). Pressure alone is limited
to situations uthere no additional resources or changes are required to facilitate
irtil>lcnicntatio~i. \l'lic~i iupport i\ isnored. attitudes. belief$. and cu~rent practices of those lef't
10 1111plc1n~nt c;111 0111!' he ;~slrunled. Support alone is also limited because of potentiall!.
contlic.~ing priol-iti~s th;it e~i51 \\.ithi11 the in~plemenrin? organization. .\mbiguous or u.eak
~.iiicicli~ic\ 111;iy ;ill(\\\. for c'o~iipcting coalitions to shape policy to fit their ends r Kinibrou_rh k
I li 11. IOS I I. I'I.C\~LII.C ti)c.i~sc\ ;itte~ltion on the reform efkxt. \vhile iuppon ser\.es to enable the
:ic-tual iriiplcnic~ita~io~i psocc~5.
lkt;~ilc~i \1i1~1ics 01. [lie i~iiple~iic~~t;~ti~~~i
psoccss teach 115 tti;it .*ch;i~i~e i\ ~~lti~n;i[ely a
l>~-olile~il 01. 11ic \111;iIlc\1 i1111t.. ~l~~l,-;~~~gl~li~i.
1087. 13, 174 ;ind the ~III~~I-I;~I~CC
L)( the "street
IL-\.L-I ~~III~~;I~IL*I~;I~."
(\l'c;~~licrlc!~ ~k I-ipsk!.. 1077) \i.]icrc p(>lic>. siicces~ I\ cicpe~l~ie~it or1 ttic
~~;~\s~.oots illll>lclil~~ll;itio~l ~~o~icliic'tcd I?!. [lie i~lcfi\ icll~;il ;I[ 111~ r'lid ~t'tl~c' line. EI11101.c' I Ie)S()I