Who Are the Influentials? A Cross-State Social Network Analysis of the Reading Policy Domain

Abstract

This study assessed policy actors' influence on state reading policy and compared the structure of reading policy networks across eight states. Data for the study came from structured interviews and archival documents and were analyzed using social network analysis methods. This study found that state reading policy networks were heterogeneous in terms of both composition and policy actor influence, with government actors occupying significantly more central and more prestigious network positions than nongovernment actors. The analyses failed to confirm, however, that teacher organizations were the most central interest groups in state reading policy networks as hypothesized. Implications of this study for education policy actors were discussed and directions for future research suggested.