Social capital has been found to have positive effects on teachers’ instructional practices and student outcomes.  

 

Balancing Voices addresses decisions about implementing and evaluating reforms, and evaluating teachers and administrators.  

 

In randomized trials, we find that those assigned to a Balancing Voices approach reported higher levels of procedural fairness and legitimacy of authority figures than those assigned to “business as usual.” 

 

Accordingly, schools that more explicitly and formally balance the interests of different stakeholders in their decision making may be able to cultivate greater flows of social capital to improve instructional practices and student outcomes.