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Hovey, Wendy

College of Education and Social Sciences

2006

Ed. D.

A large body of research has demonstrated a need for effective public participation in support of a democratic society. Public advocacy groups agree on the importance of involving the citizenry in decisions that affect public policy, yet grapple with how best to accomplish this goal (Abelson, 2003; Beierle & Konisky, 2000; Graham & Phillips 1998; Leroux, Hirtle & Fortin, 1998; Pratchett, 1999; Simrell King, 1998; Rowe & Frewer, 2000). This study provides insight into the ways in which leaders might engage the public effectively by describing and analyzing the process by which one supervisory union, Addison Northwest Supervisory Union (ANSU), examined the prospect of school district consolidation. Using Rowe and Frewer's (2005) typology of public engagement activities, this study investigated the way in which the ANSU Governance Study Committee designed opportunities for public engagement. The research reported here is based on an instrumental, qualitative, single case study. Data was gathered over a period of 18 months through attendance at governance study committee meetings, document collection and review, and interviews conducted with ANSU administrators, members of the public, and governance committee members. Nested within the larger qualitative case study was a quantitative survey designed to enrich the description of the degree to which members of the ANSU Governance Study Committee viewed the committee's effectiveness as a public engagement activity in and of itself. While the school and community leaders examined in this case study were determined to engage the public in an effort to improve and equalize the educational opportunity for all ANSU students, the public engagement activities sponsored by the committee were ineffective. The application of Rowe & Frewer's (2005) typology revealed a lack of activities designed to elicit public input with the intent of influencing the development of the committee's recommendations. An over reliance on activities designed to inform rather than to engage the public in deliberation did not provide the opportunities public participants desired, nor contributed positively toward their effort to lead five communities through a public policy controversy, as defined by Shon & Rein (1994). This study offers insights into why public engagement initiatives often fail to increase citizen participation in the development of local educational policy. The case of ANSU provides a salient example of why public engagement processes must be designed strategically, reflecting careful attention to the nature of the public policy dilemma at hand. Implications and recommendations of this study are instructive in redefining public engagement, identifying supports needed by school districts as they engage the public in public policy debates, and informing future public policy initiatives in the area of public engagement.'