The Business of Education: Organizational Capacity in School Districts
Abstract
School districts are similar to nonprofit organizations in that they both deal in social outcomes and can be perceived as being ineffectively managed because social outcomes are exceptionally difficult to measure. Therefore, final organizational outcomes for nonprofits and school districts are difficult to report upon because current statistical effectiveness measurements (such as test scores and graduation rates) do not give a complete picture of school district effectiveness; statistical measurements do not reflect the social outcomes generated by schools. This study looks at applying the nonprofit practice of demonstrating organizational capacity as a way to show organizational effectiveness in school districts. The demonstration of organizational capacity, along with statistical outcome measurements, could form a more complete picture of school district effectiveness and might affect stakeholder perceptions regarding school district effectiveness.