Job Attainment and Perceived Role Differences of Cyberschool Leaders

Introduction The importance of school leadership, independent of school setting, is clear (Hargreaves, Moore, Fink, Brayman & White, 2003; Leithwood, Aitken, & Jantzi, 2006). Although we know a great deal about educational leadership within a brick-and-mortar setting, we know very little about school leadership in an online context. Considering the global technological revolution that currently is taking place and the increased availability of K-12 online coursework, online programs, and online schools, it is imperative that we begin to research and understand the differences between leaders of cyberschools (schools that offer fully online programs) and leaders of brick-and-mortar schools. In Education Transformation: How K-12 Online Learning is Bringing the Greatest Change to Education in 100 Years, Packard (2013) discussed the future of education in an online world. Packard noted, "what's clear today, however, is that a new system of educating children is unfolding, and the journey is far from compete. Although we don't know the journey's final destination, it's nonetheless worthwhile to look a little further down the road" (p. 203). This study offers important insights for understanding how cyberschool leaders were able to move into their positions given the nascence of such career options and how their roles differ from those of brick-and-mortar school leaders. These understandings should help university school administration programs that wish to better address these unique needs and offer context to leaders who want to explore this unique career path. Research on K-12 online leadership Beaudoin (2003) suggested that the need for effective leadership is significant in the online world. Abrego and Pankake (2010) articulated that cyberschool leaders cannot operate in an environment of "business as usual" by mirroring leadership practices of brick-and-mortar schools. Some work has been done to investigate how K-12 online programs are led with regard to planning (Berg & Clark, 2005), policy (Augustine-Shaw, 2001; Powell & Barbour, 2011), and funding (Baker & Bathon, 2013). However, a limited number of studies have been dedicated to understanding the explicit roles and needs of the K-12 cyberschool leader. Clark and Berg (2012) indicated that online schools and programs "can play a major role in ensuring equitable access to high-quality learning opportunities for K-12 learners" (p. 11). Of the K-12 online school literature that does exist, very little focuses explicitly on the K-12 cyberschool leader. Thus, the current research is timely and needed. Research on K-12 online learning often tends to focus on the brick-and-mortar school leader. For example, Karlin (2005) conducted research with the intent to create a handbook for brick-and-mortar school leaders regarding supplemental K-12 online courses. Additionally, Morse (2010) researched the perceptions of brick-and-mortar school leaders regarding K-12 online learning in the state of Rhode Island. Similarly, Jancek (2003) investigated the participation of Illinois public schools in K-12 online learning. Jancek found that the leaders' knowledge about technology and virtual learning influences participation rates in supplemental programs. Some research has been done on how K-12 school leaders evaluate online teachers. For example, Tobin (2004) argued that evaluations of online teaching should be similar, if not the same as, face-to-face teaching because quality instruction transcends its mode. Tobin suggested that the standards of quality education and teaching should not be modified due to the environment in which the learning takes place. In contrast, Saleh and Lamkin (2008) argued that online courses must be evaluated in a different way than face-to-face courses because mode impacts measures of quality. Given the discourse about evaluating teachers and their instruction, Rice (2009) suggested that leaders of K12 online programs and cyberschools must be strong instructional leaders who need to evaluate course design, improve course delivery, and develop teacher professional development. …