A Network for Educational Change in the Great Lakes Region: A View through the Lens of Educational Service Agencies
Author: Peters, Randal E.
Date: 2008-07-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Educational Improvement,Educational Change,State Departments of Education,School Districts,Program Descriptions,Educational Policy,Agency Role,Questionnaires,Agency Cooperation,Educational Finance,Educational Trends,State Programs,Program Effectiveness,Accountability,Educational Resources,Education Service Centers,Regional Programs,Regional Cooperation,Networks,Profiles

The major purpose of this descriptive report is to provide an overview of the structure, capacity, and roles of educational service agencies (ESAs) across five states--Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin--in the Great Lakes region, within the context of the broader statewide systems of support for educational improvement and progress. The report provides a &quot;snapshot&quot; profile of the general structure and current capacity of ESA networks in their respective states by describing ESA programs and services, funding sources, policy relationships to state and local educational agencies, and available resources as reported by the questionnaire respondents. A discussion, embedded in literature-based context, then follows about the exemplars, trends, and findings observed across the region. The report aspires to contribute to the ongoing and important conversations about examining current policies and building capacities at the local, district, and state levels regarding the statewide systems of support for district and school improvement. Building state capacity often means tapping into the readily available statewide networks to leverage the appropriate support and resources. Great Lakes East and Great Lakes West, in their state consulting work, frequently help state education agencies (SEAs) identify potential partners within their statewide systems of support. Led by this common interest, the authors decided to take a closer look at the statewide systems of support and build a broader regional understanding of their components. Great Lakes East and Great Lakes West worked closely with the Association of Educational Service Agencies (AESA)--the national professional organization of ESAs--to conduct a survey of ESAs in the five-state region. The overall survey question is as follows: What is the capacity of ESAs in the Great Lakes states to play a more prominent role in their respective statewide systems of support to assist districts and schools in the work of educational improvement that will positively impact student performance? The report's findings are as follows: (1)  Literature supports the potential of ESAs to make a difference in the statewide systems of support; (2) ESAs continue building a network of support through exemplary programs and services (but not always with universal access); (3) There is a lack of formalized agreements between SEAs, LEAs, and legislatures regarding the roles and responsibilities of the ESAs; (4) Resources available to ESAs in their educational improvement work are not adequate; and (5) ESAs' standardized evaluation and accountability processes are emerging but remain sporadic. Appendices include: (1) Great Lakes ESA Questionnaire; (2) State Data by Individual ESA; (3) ESA Contact Information; and (4) Acronym List. (Contains 1 table and 19 footnotes.)