Analyzing School Promotion

Abstract

School promotion is an important milestone for students and their families. For this study I investigated a variety of school promotion processes and analyzed the factors that alter the construction and execution of the promotion process. According to Merriam -Webster Dictionary a promotion is, "the act or fact of being raised in position or rank or the act of furthering the growth or development of something" (The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 1997). Throughout this paper I looked at how school promotions are viewed in education. I investigated four different schools, ranging in grades from kindergarten to eighth and plan to observe how the schools promote their students to the next educational institution. The four schools I observed vary in educational approach from a charter school to a private Catholic school. I looked at the organization, structure, human resources, stakeholder input, political, cultural, and symbolic aspects of school promotions. The purpose of this study is to investigate and compare different types of schools to distinguish variations in school promotions for students and administration. I used Lee G. Bolman and Terrence E. Deal's four frames of organization discussed in Reframing Organizations (2008) to analyze a school promotion and examine the significance. I compared how each frame is different at alternative school sites. I studied the culture and symbolism of promotions and promotion ceremonies. I also investigated the role politics plays in the process. Lastly, I inspected the structural aspects of a school promotion and the logistics to exiting a student to their next level of education.