A Longitudinal Study on School Principals' Autonomy as Street-Level Managers During Unprecedented Educational Reform.

This study focuses on how school principals in Chile exercise individual autonomy and discretion as street-level managers during the implementation of the Nueva Educación Pública (NEP) [New Public Education Law], a major reform transferring public school management from municipalities to Local Public Education Services (SLEPs). Using a longitudinal qualitative design with interviews of 14 principals over three years, the research identifies three adaptive strategies principals employed to navigate institutional precarity and limited middle-tier support: Collective Influence through forming a principals' association to enhance systemic impact; Territorial Networks by rebuilding connections with municipal and community organizations to secure essential services; and Pedagogical Improvement via autonomous management of educational initiatives amid weak SLEP guidance. The findings highlight principals' evolving managerial capacities to bridge strategic reform goals and operational demands, illustrating both the enabling and burdensome aspects of autonomy in a complex, resource-constrained context. This research contributes empirical evidence on street-level management in the Global South, emphasizing the importance of longitudinal approaches to understand how principals' adaptive strategies shape educational policy implementation.