This study is to suggest theoretical framework to analyze institutional
congruence of educational policy and to analyze the structure of institutional
congruence of '2008 College Entrance Examination System Reform' building
on the theoretical framework. Analysis of the reform clarified that the reform
had some problems with setting precise causal variables, conceptual
coherence among the variables, and relationship between causal and result
variables. From the viewpoint of acquisition of external congruence to
environments, the institutional isomorphism rising from colleges' placing
higher value on essay tests and interview with marginalizing GPA elements
of high school graduates has led to the effect that the formal objectives of
institution have been decoupled from the real operation of the institution, as
the neo-institutional isomorphism theorists have argued. The reform was not
successfully launched because it has revealed the facial revision without
much consideration of sequencing for the improvement of the given
educational condition, the lack of adequate maturation for the settlement of
the institution, the manifestation of difference between bureaucrats' strong
will for the success of reform and their lack of ability, rising from the
perceptive difference of time norms on policy effect, and weakening stability
rising from power group's wielding of episodic power with combination of
essential feature of college entrance examination that requires incessant
negotiation with policy targets.