Exploring Organizational Transformation through Takeover: A Case Study of School Culture and Student Outcomes in an Independent Charter School

The purpose of this retrospective qualitative case study is to examine a charter school, in a takeover situation, and the factors of an organizational takeover associated with a change in school culture and student outcomes from May 2012 through October 2013, under No Child Left Behind (NCLB), to the present day. The study follows the historical course of the takeover of the school to present day and examines how changes initiated, during the period of the acquisition, have shaped school culture and student outcomes. School turnaround is still at the forefront of education; however, there is limited research on school turnaround and the factors that shaped school culture and student outcomes and even less research on, turnaround schools that have experienced takeover. For this study, the research site was a charter school in Los Angeles, with a population of approximately 900 students that experienced a takeover due to low student performance levels and financial concerns. Interviews utilized a stratified purposeful sample, and individuals directly involved in the acquisition or during the aftermath of the takeover were invited to participate. Document review was limited to those documents, having to do with the acquisition, which were provided by the school's leadership and governing board. Current documents were also be analyzed to disclose recent events related to school culture and student achievement data. The research traditions included a single case study and grounded theory design, primarily associated with the research of Strauss and Corbin (1998), who co-authored a book that described the use of grounded theory. I utilized a purposeful sample and interviewed seed teachers, new teachers, rehired teachers, and the current director and executive director. Seed teachers were key employees who were transferred from the takeover organization (Cypress Charter) to Crepe Myrtle Elementary Charter School. New teachers were new to Crepe Myrtle during the time of the takeover, but not necessarily new to the teaching profession. Rehired teachers are those educators who were initially employed at Crepe Myrtle Elementary Charter School and then hired back by the takeover organization, Cypress Charter. Furthermore, not rehired teachers and one of the former directors also participated, since Crepe Myrtle Elementary Charter School prior, to the takeover, had a co-directorship model. Finally, I interviewed current board members who were involved during the takeover. These individuals appropriately informed this research along with relevant document review.