An Investigation of District Experiences with North Carolina Laboratory Schools

Laboratory schools have a rich history in the United States, but they are relatively new, markedly reconceptualized, and understudied in North Carolina. This study explored the perceived challenges, successes, opening, and closing priorities of three North Carolina public school districts that both opened and closed the legislated laboratory school. The researcher used a qualitative multi-case design and analyzed relevant district documents, participant survey responses, and transcripts of one-on-one interviews. Three cycles of coding were used to analyze the data: 1 – Descriptive, 2 – Pattern, 3 – Stone’s (1988) Values-in-Tension onto pattern codes.The findings from this study suggest that successes and challenges across the three cases were similar, with salience in responses such as relationships, partnerships, collaboration, and expanded student opportunities as named successes, and resource constraints, governance, shared resources, and student outcomes as common challenges. Additionally, district participants noted that common reasons for opening the laboratory schools were optimistic and hopeful projections for the future, while district priorities at the time of closure often included leadership changes, resource constraints, and student outcomes. Beyond the descriptive and pattern themes that emerged, Stone’s (1988) Values-in-Tension framework was evident in the study, indicating that equity and autonomy were highly valued at the opening and identified as successes, whereas efficiency and security were more influential as elements of challenge and priorities for closure.These findings contribute to the relatively understudied North Carolina laboratory school model, particularly from the perspective of the co-signing district partner. Additionally, the insights and implications suggest that more can be done to support the co-signing district partner by clarifying legislative intent, assessing the district's capacity and readiness for a partnership of this scale, and balancing laboratory school integration with institutional autonomy.