ABSTRACT
A new get-tough attitude toward habitually low-performing schools has taken hold in recent years as policymakers have raised the stakes in their jurisdictions’ accountability systems. School reconstitution is one of these high-stakes accountability measures. Reconstitution is also a part of U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley’s action agenda. In this chapter, I explore how reconstitution policies might affect teachers’ motivation to increase their performance as educators serving in schools with large concentrations of students placed at risk. I base my exploration both on theoretical models that aid in the conceptualization of salient questions and on empirical findings from the first year of a 3-year study that illustrate key theoretical and policy issues. The aim of the chapter is to contribute to an incipient discussion about the role of reconstitution policies in educational reform.
