High school principals' perspectives on curriculum reform policy: A qualitative examination exploring how nine New Jersey high school principals related to Option Two

This study investigated the ways nine New Jersey high school principals learned about, understood, used, and realized successes and challenges with a state curriculum reform policy called Option Two.;I sought to learn more about how principals make meaning of their experiences with Option Two; to do so, I used a qualitative research design. I collected data by interviewing nine high school principals and four school district leaders. I interviewed four of the principals twice because I wanted to learn more about how they used Option Two to influence curricula programs in their schools. My data analysis included writing analytic memoranda, using emic and theoretical codes, building displays and crafting narrative profiles of each participant.;The findings suggest that most of the principals I interviewed did not learn about Option Two from the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE). Nevertheless, all but one participant explained that he understood the policy. The eight principals who understood Option Two used it to create various alternative learning experiences. All of these experiences took place away from the high school campus.;Four principals and four district leaders I interviewed agreed that Option Two led to school improvement in some way. Six of the eight principals who used Option Two felt that Option Two programs were successful in their schools, but they all agreed that challenges hampered their efforts to expand these programs. The most common challenge encountered by the principals and the district leaders was the lack of full community support.;This study's contribution to the research on curriculum reform policy is important because research about state curriculum reform policy can lead to significant improvement in how the policy is delivered. My research may aid the NJDOE and the state's high school principals who want to use the policy in their schools. I make three recommendations to the NJDOE that can assist the agency in promoting Option Two, and four recommendations to principals that are intended to help these leaders use the policy effectively to create innovative curricular programs.