An Analysis of the Organizational Patterns of North Carolina School Districts

Abstract

School system organization has been described as the skeleton that outlines the structure anddetermines the form of a school district. (Grove, 2002). Organizational charts are the manifestations ofthese skeletons. Some are simple; others are more complex – more like nervous systems thanskeletons. Whatever metaphor is chosen, understanding the underlying organization of the complexmultiple functions of a social group such as a school district is important. Our schools are being askedto educate our children in an ever-increasingly complex and global society. Surely the organization of aschool district has an impact on how students are educated and how well they achieve curricular goals.With today’s emphasis on accountability, the ability of the school district organization to help studentsachieve and meet testing goals is critical. But what is the best way to organize a school district? Howdo superintendents make the decisions needed to organize a district? This study is a necessary firststep in determining this. In this study, we analyzed the organization of public school districts in the stateof North Carolina. We were interested in the similarities and differences in the administrative structuresdriving these organizations serving children in a diverse geographical state. We addressed twoquestions:(1) What organizational patterns are found in public school districts in North Carolina?(2) How do organizational patterns differ in districts serving different numbers of students?