Identifying Power Structures

This paper reports on two processes used to begin a long-term series of studies on educational power structures in the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Purposes of the study were to determine if (1) substrata or pools of power undergird educational power structures, (2) certain paths to power are typically followed by influentials, (3) separate power structures exist for grades K-12 and postsecondary education, and (4) power structure changes can be predicted. The research method used involved asking the executive director of each state education association to make a list of the five to ten most influential decision-makers in the state and then asking each of those persons to do the same. After two rounds of interviews with 112 persons, consensus was reached on 50 top leaders. The other method used was also a modified reputational process. The paper draws no conclusions, since additional work in progress is testing the efficacy of the processes. Observations are made, however, about the number of noneducators who are influential in educational decision-making, and the number of individuals originally tagged as second and third raters who move into the power structure. (Author)