This is a coordinated team research project to be conducted in ten large American cities to analyze the circumstances and dynamics by which cities organize efforts to achieve significant educational reform and further related human capital development opportunities. The primary goals are to analyze the origins, progress, and extent of education reform efforts; to map out the coalitions and political interactions and structures that form the context for effective or ineffective policymaking; to determine empirically the success of different types of civic arrangements in initiating and sustaining education reform; and to provide information about the factors that activate sociopolitical support for education and related programs. The concept of "civic capacity" as a dynamic win/win construct for all important civic actors is the central theoretical notion. The cities to be studied are: Atlanta, Baltimore, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington. The research teams will use a common set of instruments and procedures and analyze the results using a common framework. Fieldwork, analysis, and initial reporting will take approximately two and a half years. The project should not only illuminate the process of systemic reform, but should provide independent information useful in interpreting the progress and results of NSF's Urban Systemic Initiative.
