Scaling Up an Untracking Program: A Co-Constructed Process

Abstract

The adoption and implementation of the Advancement Via Individual Determination untracking program in the state of Kentucky illustrates the utility of viewing the "scaling up" process of educational reform within a conditional matrix. In this article, we examine the way in which the consequences of actions taken in one context become the conditions for actions taken in other contexts. When the reform process is understood as a conditional matrix, we are afforded a better opportunity to understand the complexities confronting the implementation of a successful prototype than provided by unidirectional interpretations. Some educators may initiate reform efforts, others may push or sustain them, and still others may resist or actively subvert reform efforts. This range of actions shows that the agency of educators is part of a complex dynamic, shaping and shaped by the structural and cultural features of school and society.