Purpose: Despite the popularity of open enrollment as a school choice mechanism, there is little research on how principals behave in a district-run competitive setting. This study adds to our understanding of how open enrollment policies affect the role of the principal as well as educational equity by examining the roles and behaviors of school principals in an unregulated marketplace of schools. Research Method: This study uses an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach. We first analyze school-level transfer data for school year 2014-2015 and demographic data in order to examine trends such as poverty concentration as well as to identify “winners,” “losers,” and “nonplayers” in the open enrollment marketplace. Since principals are heavily involved in recruitment, student screening, and selection of specialized programs, we interviewed 12 principals to better understand their role in the competitive settings. Findings: We find that some schools have emerged as “winners” in this marketplace, attracting large numbers of transfers without losing many students, while other principals and schools struggle to overcome a negative perception and find a market niche to attract students. Our quantitative analysis indicates a relatively small relationship between open enrollment and increased segregation in the district. District oversight seems to have prevented worsening segregation. However, many principals seek more control on the screening process raising equity concerns if formal regulations are not provided. Implications: These findings have implications for school and district leaders navigating open enrollment plans as a means to increase enrollments and encourage innovation while also maintaining equity.

中文翻译：

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成为首选地区：对美墨边境公平的影响

目的：尽管公开招生作为一种择校机制很受欢迎，但很少有关于校长在学区竞争环境中的表现的研究。本研究通过检查学校校长在不受监管的学校市场中的角色和行为，加深了我们对开放招生政策如何影响校长角色和教育公平的理解。研究方法：本研究使用解释性顺序混合方法。我们首先分析了 2014-2015 学年的学校转移数据和人口统计数据，以检查贫困集中度等趋势，并确定公开招生市场中的“赢家”、“输家”和“非参与者”。由于校长大量参与招生、学生筛选和专业课程的选择，我们采访了 12 位校长，以更好地了解他们在竞争环境中的角色。调查结果：我们发现一些学校已经成为这个市场的“赢家”，在吸引大量转学的同时没有失去很多学生，而其他校长和学校则在努力克服负面看法并找到吸引学生的市场利基。我们的定量分析表明，该地区的开放招生与种族隔离加剧之间的关系相对较小。地区监督似乎阻止了种族隔离的恶化。然而，如果没有提供正式规定，许多校长会寻求对筛选过程的更多控制，从而引发公平问题。含义：