\u201cBridging, brokering, and buffering\u201d: a theoretical exploration of school leaders\u2019 engagement with local school wellness policy implementation

Y Asada,M Schwartz,J F Chriqui,L Turner

doi:10.1186/s43058-020-00029-1

Abstract

BackgroundThe Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-296) prompted the expansion of federal requirements for local school wellness policies, which aim to improve health promoting practices across school districts in the USA. This qualitative study examined how school district superintendents—as key school leaders who are often listed as the district accountability figure for wellness policies applicable to kindergarten through 12th grade—engaged with wellness policy implementation. The inquiry was guided by evidence-informed implementation and leadership frameworks, including the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and “bridging, buffering, and brokering” strategies from education leadership theory.MethodsWe conducted focus groups and interviews with superintendents (n = 39) from 23 states. Interviews were recorded and professionally transcribed; transcripts were team-coded in Atlas.ti v8 using an iteratively revised coding guide that was informed by CFIR, pilot testing, and during weekly analyst meetings. Principles of constant comparative analysis were employed to develop themes.ResultsMost superintendents’ reported positive perspectives and personal motivations to engage with wellness policy implementation. Within the CFIR process domain, superintendents demonstrated adaptive leadership traits and employed a combination of “bridging, buffering, and brokering” strategies to lead implementation activities. Rather than focus on personal traits, an emphasis on specific strategies highlights actions that may be applied.ConclusionsThe findings offer practical strategies to support superintendents with implementation, as well as a formative contribution to the dearth of theoretical frameworks in school wellness literature, particularly by advancing the specific understanding of leadership roles within a broader implementation framework. The application of education theory allowed for a deeper inquiry into the potential ways that leaders’ strategies and engagement influences implementation more broadly.

Highlights

The intentional focus on strategies offers pragmatic opportunities and removes the need for personal motivations to engage with implementation
These findings contribute to gaps in the theoretical development and examination of the role of leaders and strategies in the context of school wellness policy implementation
Superintendents from all four Census regions attended the focus groups, with a majority employed in suburban school districts (54%); in small school districts (72%); and in school districts with a majority of White students (64%)

Summary

Introduction

This qualitative study examined how school district superintendents—as key school leaders who are often listed as the district accountability figure for wellness policies applicable to kindergarten through 12th grade—engaged with wellness policy implementation. No studies have focused on the unique characteristics or activities of superintendents with respect to wellness policy implementation, and importantly, no studies have applied evidence-informed frameworks to guide this inquiry

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion