Promoting Ecological Approaches to Educational Issues: Evidence from a Partnership around Chronic Absenteeism in Detroit

ABSTRACT

Many problems that we conceptualize as “educational” have multiple causes that cut across students’ ecosystems. Yet, most education reforms are targeted narrowly at schools, educators, and students. Supporting educators and community leaders in conceptualizing educational problems from an ecological perspective and designing policies in alignment with that conceptualization is critical to improving student outcomes. This study documents the macro-, meso-, and micro-level institutional conditions that shaped how educators and community leaders conceived of the problem of absenteeism in response to research framed ecologically. Our findings highlight the challenges researchers may have in influencing ecosystemic policy solutions, but they also provide insight into potential pathways for doing so through research partnerships.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

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Notes on contributors

Sarah Winchell Lenhoff

Sarah Winchell Lenhoffis an associate professor of educational leadership and policy studies at Wayne State University. Her research focuses on education policy implementation and access to equitable educational opportunities, with a focus on how collaborative research with practitioners and community members can facilitate systemic improvement. Her recent research has examined district and school infrastructure to support school improvement; the effects of school choice policy on equitable opportunities for students; and the causes and consequences of student absenteeism. She is the director of the Detroit Education Research Partnership.

Jeremy Singer

Jeremy Singer is a doctoral candidate in educational leadership and policy studies at Wayne State University and a research assistant for the Detroit Education Research Partnership. His research interests are related to the social and material context of urban education, including student stratification in marketized school choice contexts and the intersection of geography, class, race, and school policy.