School Accreditation Process as Routinized Action: Retaining Stability While Promoting Reform

Abstract

In this qualitative study, we explored how accreditation processes as routinized action can retain stability while promoting school reform efforts. We identified three secondary schools (two high schools, one middle) that had each employed accreditation processes as required in their respective school districts. We conducted interviews with key informants at each school, reviewed documents prepared for accreditation, and analyzed the findings based on routinized action theory. Using Feldman's (2000) typology of change (repair, expand, strive to make change), we posited how school renewal takes place in an ongoing and systematic manner. The findings suggest that the routines provided in accreditation processes can offer more than just stabilizing elements in a school organization, which had been the traditional view of organizational theorists. We offer implications for researchers and school leaders to consider in applying routines while seeking reform.