The Struggle for Control of Teacher Education: A Case Study

Abstract

This study examines a governance conflict between the University of Wisconsin—Madison and the state education agency for control of the teacher education program. Using in-depth and focused interviews, document analysis, and participant observation, data were collected and analyzed for this case study. Factors identified as significant included internal institutional variables (the role of the organizational saga, the isolation and insularity of the University, the pluralistic nature of the School of Education, and the effect of decentralization on University response), external environmental forces (the prevailing general public mood, the formation of a successful coalition of external interest groups, and the role of the State Superintendent), and political processes. Conclusions of the data analysis are discussed in terms of their implications for governance of higher education.