bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
School Safety, Severe Disciplinary Actions, and School Characteristics: A Secondary Analysis of the School Survey on Crime and Safety
Authors: Han Seunghee , Akiba Motoko
Published: January 2019

On the basis of a secondary analysis of survey data collected from 1,872 secondary school principals in the 2005–2006 School Survey on Crime and Safety, we examined the frequency of and reasons for severe disciplinary actions and the relationship between school characteristics and severe disciplinary actions. We found that severe disciplinary actions were frequently taken for insubordinations and physical attacks or fights rather than for weapon-related problems. After controlling for the level of students’ problem behaviors, we found that schools serving a larger number of disadvantaged students (underachievers, special education students, ethnic minority students, and students in poverty) tend to use severe disciplinary actions more frequently than do schools with a smaller number of disadvantaged students. Recommendations for ameliorating this inequality in disciplinary practices are offered.
Special Education Leadership: Integrating Professional and Personal Codes of Ethics to Serve the Best Interests of the Child
Authors: Bon Susan C. , Bigbee Adam J.
Published: January 2019

Special education teachers who also serve as case managers for students with disabilities are in unique leadership positions in which they face complex ethical dilemmas and are called on to make decisions that involve multiple competing interests and pressures. The purpose of this study was to explore how special education leaders identify ethical dilemmas and to examine the ethical perspectives that influenced their decision making. Through a series of focus group interviews based on a semistructured interview protocol, special education case mangers engaged in collective discussions about ethics and ethical decision making. The findings suggest that special education leaders operate according to an ethical framework that integrates personal and professional codes of ethics and emphasizes the best interests of the child. The complexity of integrating legal compliance pressures and administrative policy directives into the framework, however, led to inner conflict for many of the participants.
The Preparation of Preservice Elementary Educators in Understanding and Applying the Terms, Concepts, and Practices Associated with Response to Intervention in Early Reading Contexts
Authors: Mccombes-Tolis Jule , Spear-Swerling Louise
Published: January 2019

The purpose of the present inquiry was to identify how thoroughly degree-granting institutions in our state prepare elementary educators to serve students’ literacy needs from a response to intervention perspective. The first investigator collected syllabi via a Freedom of Information request made to the state's Department of Higher Education, which had gathered syllabi in relation to a separate inquiry. Results indicated that preservice elementary educators are not routinely being prepared to understand key terms, concepts, and practices associated with response to intervention in early reading contexts. Implications for school leaders, district administrators, and higher education faculty are reviewed.
“Successful” Principals: A Contested Notion for Superintendents and Principals
Authors: Scribner Samantha M. Paredes , Crow Gary M. , López Gerardo R. , Murtadha Khaula
Published: January 2019

The notion of “success” is narrowly defined and appropriated within an educational context. Typically limited to objective measures of organizational productivity, effectiveness, and efficiency, “successful” principal practices, we argue, engender action and attention to a broader array of issues and interrelationships. In this study, we conducted an exploratory case study drawing from interviews with five superintendents and three principals to probe broader definitions of successful school leadership. Data analysis revealed three themes to guide further research on successful leadership practice: capillarity of leadership actions, principals’ positionality in relation to members of the school community, and principals’ actions as moral ends.
Collective Learning from Success as Perceived by School Superintendents
Authors: Schechter Chen
Published: January 2019

School superintendents’ role has shifted from the traditional emphasis on managerial aspects to one on instructional leadership (on teaching and learning issues) achieved by generating collaborative learning opportunities at the both school and district levels. Whereas collaborative learning processes in schools have generally been associated with problem finding and solving as well as overcoming failures, this study explores superintendents’ perceptions (mind-scapes) about the determinants of collective learning from successful practices. This exploratory study employed a qualitative topic-oriented methodology, collecting data via face-to-face interviews with 61 superintendents. Data analysis of interviews revealed determinants of collective learning from success at the superintendency level, school building level, and national level. As a leadership strategy to foster collective learning, superintendents’ role should be examined in designing a districtwide framework of collective learning from success.
In Search of Excellence in Education: The Political, Academic, and Curricular Leadership of Ethel T. Overby
Authors: Randolph Adah Ward , Sanders Stephanie
Published: January 2019

This article examines the educational leadership of the first African American female principal in Richmond, Virginia: Mrs. Ethel Thompson Overby. It seeks to ascertain, through a historical framework utilizing critical race theory, how this particular educational and instructional leader conceptualized academic achievement given the context of segregation, known for its lack of resources, physical inadequacies of facilities, underfunded schools, underpaid teachers, and limited social, political, and economic power of students and their communities. More important, this research assesses what measures Overby as a school leader developed to foster the academic achievement and excellence of urban African American youth at the Elba School. We argue that this research documents how one African American female principal and her teachers conceptualized achievement beyond test scores to include other measures of achievement, such as educational access, critical and cultural literacy, community engagement and empowerment, citizenship education, and equal opportunity and success of the whole individual beyond standardized tests scores such as reading. It is hoped that today's educational leaders can learn from Overby's fostering of purposeful outcomes intended to thwart the institutional structures of racism while empowering the individual and community to view achievement as equal access and opportunity.
Measuring Change in Leadership Identity and Problem Framing
Authors: Young Michelle D. , O'Doherty Ann , Gooden Mark A. , Goodnow Elisabeth
Published: January 2019

In recent years, significant attention has been directed to the need for more and better-prepared educational leaders (Young, Crow, Murphy & Ogawa, 2009). While many organizations prepare school principals, evidence of program impact is sparse (Orr & Pounder, 2008; Southern Regional Education Board, 2008). The study described in this article seeks to examine the effects of purposefully designed collaborative learning experiences, as delivered through a university–district principal preparation partnership, on program participants. The article describes the first phase of the research: the examination of baseline candidate leadership perceptions, which led to the development of leadership identity and problem-framing research continua intended to assess participants’ preprogram perceptions. The continua include five stages of leadership identity development and five types of problem framing. Preliminary findings indicate striking differences among program candidates’ placement along these continua. Future stages of this research project will assess postprogram impact.
Aspiring School Leaders Addressing Social Justice through Art Making
Authors: Boske Christa
Published: January 2019

There is little in the professional literature about how school leaders or other professionals committed to promoting social justice deal with and manage their emotional responses to the challenges that await them in educational arenas. Even less has been written about how art making can be utilized as a means of developing new understandings and responses toward issues facing underserved populations. This study seeks to examine how 24 graduate students in the state of Texas understand the role of art making—specifically, the making of digital shorts using MovieMaker—to address issues of social justice and equity facing U.S. public schools. This study employs a grounded theory approach. Data consist of reflective interview responses, written narratives, and field notes. Participants identify art making as a valuable tool to deepening understanding and responses toward social justice and equity-oriented work in schools.
Gauging Ethical Deficits in Leadership and Student Discipline: An Analysis of Fourth Amendment Case Law
Authors: Torres Mario S.
Published: January 2019

Recent studies of school discipline (Skiba, Michael, Nardo, & Peterson, 2002; see also, NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, n.d.) have called for greater scrutiny over treatment of students in varying demographic contexts. Minimal research, however, has grappled with the ethics of disciplinary practices using legal data. Utilizing information collected from Fourth Amendment case law since the landmark New Jersey v. T.L.O. decision (1985), this study examined the ethical dimensions of student searches through the ethical lenses of justice, caring, critique, and the profession. A multiple logistic regression was employed to gauge the impact of demographic factors on aspects relative to the search including the type of search (e.g., locker), number of search actions (e.g., the extensiveness of the search), and whether the evidence recovered in the search was reported to the police. Findings suggest the application of searches is strongly influenced by school size, school minority population, and poverty level, whereas the likelihood evidence recovered during a search is handed to police for criminal prosecution is greater in larger schools and schools situated in high minority communities. The findings together allude to ethical lapses among school personnel in the realms of caring, critique, and the profession. Implications for ethical leadership are addressed.
Examining the Crossroads of Law, Ethics, and Education Leadership
Authors: Bon Susan C.
Published: January 2019

Educational leaders are bound by legal and ethical imperatives to make certain that all children have access to an education and the opportunity to learn. To better understand how law and ethics intersect, this article adopted the cultural study perspective to analyze U.S. Supreme Court opinions for language revealing the intersection of law and ethics. The Supreme Court has contributed to the realization of educational goals, relying on the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause to ensure that equal educational opportunities are not deprived because of a child's race {Brown v. Board of Education, 1954) or illegal immigration status ( Plyler v. Doe, 1982). Through the cultural study of law and exploration of legal discourse—language, symbols, and content—in these landmark Supreme Court decisions, similar taxonomies and patterns of discussion emerged illustrating the intersection of law and ethics. These taxonomies were used as coding protocols and exploratory guides for the subsequent review of education leadership literature through the quantitative content analysis method. Based on this analysis, a proposal is made advocating a paradigm shift in the way that law and education scholars analyze, discuss, and critique the Supreme Court decisions affecting children's educational rights. Specifically, this article proposes the adoption of an integrated legal and ethical paradigm to study the legal discourse in the Supreme Court's education law decisions.
A Tale of Two Educational Leadership Program Redesigns: How Policy Influences Process
Authors: Buskey Frederick , Polizzi Joseph A.
Published: January 2019

This article examines the redesign of two educational leadership programs at different institutions: a medium-sized public university and a small private university. Both were committed to principals of ethical leadership. Each program faced a state mandate to redesign. In one case, state policy focused on detailed accountability measures based on syllabi alignment to standards and a complex paper trail of documentation required for final approval. In the other case, accountability focused on a final portfolio, and programs were encouraged to be innovative. Policy differences combined with situational context to create two different approaches to the redesign work.
Ideological Homogeneity, School Leadership, and Political Intolerance in Secondary Education: A Study of Three High Schools during the 2008 Presidential Election
Authors: Journell Wayne
Published: January 2019

This study reports findings from a qualitative case study of three high schools during the 2008 presidential election. The schools appeared to promote the political ideologies of their corresponding populations, and in the two predominately ideologically homogenous schools, political intolerance often appeared to affect teachers’ instruction and students’ perceptions of safety. The findings from this study offer implications for school leaders who wish to create safe and ideologically tolerant schools even when their schools may be located within ideologically homogeneous communities.
Does Evaluation Advance Teaching Practice? The Effects of Performance Evaluation on Teaching Quality and System Change in Large Diverse High Schools
Authors: Maslow Victoria J. , Kelley Carolyn J.
Published: January 2019

Evaluation policy typically emphasizes summative judgment, but teacher evaluation also has the potential to provide formative feedback to individual teachers and feedback to focus and strengthen organizational systems to improve teaching practice. This study focuses on feedback provided through the evaluation process, with a particular emphasis on the evaluation of experienced teachers in diverse high schools. Through interviews with teachers and administrators, we explore the ways that teachers and schools use information from teacher evaluations to advance teaching practice through formative and systemic feedback. The four case studies illustrate a range of teacher evaluation practices in high schools. The effectiveness of teacher evaluation as a learning tool is shaped by the broader school context and culture and the extent to which school leaders approach evaluation as a meaningful tool for teacher and organizational learning.
Addressing the Problems of Homeless Adolescents
Authors: Murphy Joseph F. , Tobin Kerri
Published: January 2019

Homeless adolescents, known as “unaccompanied youth,” constitute a small but important portion of the overall homeless population, one that needs particular attention at school. In this article, we review existing literature to provide a background for educational leaders, researchers, and policymakers hoping to understand the phenomenon of adolescent homelessness, how it affects students at school, and the various strategies used to address it, including a broad consideration of the effects of adolescent homelessness in and beyond the school context. We also review methods that educators can use to address the problem of homeless youth, including advocating for the needs of this population in a larger policy context.
Border Crossing: A Black Woman Superintendent Builds Democratic Community in Unfamiliar Territory
Authors: Katz Susan J.
Published: January 2019

Much of the earlier research on women in leadership has told the stories of White women. Since there are very low numbers of superintendents of color both male and female nationwide, there have been very few stories reported of women leaders of color (Brunner & Grogan, 2007). This article describes the leadership issues involved when one Black woman crossed a border (geographically and culturally) to lead a school district. Delia (pseudonym) became the first woman and the first person of color to lead a small suburban school district whose population was very different from what she was and what she knew. Delia was a participant in a study designed to investigate how women school superintendents promote and support social justice and democratic community building in their school districts. Six women participated in that study: three were African American, one was American Indian, and two were White. This article briefly describes that study and then focuses on Delia, one participant in it who took a risk to apply for her first superintendency in a district not far from her old district in miles but miles apart in population, ideology, and community values.
Searching for a Needle in a Haystack: Indications of Social Justice among Aspiring Leaders
Authors: Agosto Vonzell , Karanxha Zorka
Published: January 2019

We conducted a content analysis of 34 statements of interest submitted by applicants applying for admission to an education leadership preparation program. The purpose of the analysis was to understand their orientations toward social justice. Using Kumashiro's (2000) and Apple's (2001) discussions of antioppressive education, we identified three practices in the candidates’ treatment of the writing prompt concerning leadership related to Othering: ignoring, marginalizing, and mentioning. The fourth practice—embodying, or evidencing through practice, a social justice orientation—we identified in statements submitted by a few applicants ( n = 7). This article centers on the analysis of the applications of these seven candidates through the metaphor needle in a haystack. Through conducting a secondary-level analysis to extrapolate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of critical literacy and elicit our collective perceptions of what constitutes social justice leadership, we found the social justice orientations—“or needles”—for which we searched. This self-reflexive approach to research reflects the model of program evaluation that we are developing called self-assessment for equity. We provide recommendations for faculty interested in improving their program's capacity to identify, prepare, and sustain social justice leadership.
Growing School Leaders: An Exploration of Perceptions, Actions, and Support following a Formative Assessment Experience
Authors: Kamler Estelle , Dodge Arnold , Walker Joan M. T.
Published: January 2019

The National Association of Secondary School Principals’ Selecting and Developing the 21st Century Principal program is a formative assessment identifying skills linked to effective leadership, and it is based on a simulation designed to replicate a school principal's day. The Long Island School Leadership Center became a site for this program in 2006. Using data generated from a sample of the center's participants, this mixed methods study examined (1) how participants scored on the assessment and to what extent they found it accurate and helpful, (2) the types and levels of professional development follow-up activities participants pursued, and (3) the types and levels of support they received. The findings highlighted that the assessment results proved to be an impetus for action with participants creating a specific plan to further leadership development or by heightening their self-awareness that prompted behavioral changes. The professional development activities of choice were aligned with job-related skills or had the potential to promote advancement, and participants particularly valued ongoing internal administrative support. In a few cases, the combination of identified skills based on assessment performance, coupled with targeted professional development and supported by in-district mentors, accelerated the participant's growth. In this light, this exploratory study forms the basis for further investigations of the nexus of formative assessment, professional development, and support for school administrators.
An Exploratory Analysis of the Longitudinal Impact of Principal Change on Elementary School Achievement
Authors: Hochbein Craig , Cunningham Brittany C.
Published: January 2019

Recent reform initiatives, such as the Title I School Improvement Grants and Race to the Top, recommended a principal change to jump-start school turnaround. Yet, few educational researchers have examined principal change as way to improve schools in a state of systematic reform; furthermore, no large-scale quantitative study has determined the immediate or longitudinal impact of principal change on school performance. Using 9 years of school performance data, this study examined the impact of principal change on elementary schools’ scholastic achievement in reading and mathematics. Specifically, it examined whether a principal change was associated with initial improvement and longitudinal improvement of school reading and mathematics achievement. Findings suggest that principal changes did not substantially influence initial student achievement or school performance trajectory. Furthermore, these findings suggest that making a principal change does not predispose a school for improving school performance.
Emerging Leaders for Social Justice: Negotiating the Journey through Action Research
Authors: Jacobs Jennifer , Yamamura Erica , Guerra Patricia L. , Nelson Sarah W.
Published: January 2019

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to understand the experience of graduate students in an educational leadership program as they began to apply leadership for social justice theory through the process of action research. This study used critical race theory to explore dimensions of race, power, and privilege. Findings from focus groups with 12 graduate students reveal that relationships influence the path of becoming a leader for social justice as well as their ability to engage in change on their campus. While the importance of relationships was found across all participants, several themes were unique to the emerging leaders of color. Recommendations for leadership preparation include the need to honor personal and professional experiences of students, supporting community leadership development, and highlighting the unique experiences and needs of emerging leaders of color.
Introduction to the Special Issue: Distributed Instructional Leadership as a Reform Strategy—Activating Teacher Leadership to Improve Student Learning in Urban High Schools
Authors: Bredeson Paul , Kelley Carolyn
Published: January 2019

Heightened accountability for student learning, changing demographics, and safety and security issues make leadership of urban high schools a significant challenge. Intensified new instructional leadership demands have been added to the list of traditional responsibilities shouldered by high school principals for successful management of school structures, cultures, and daily operations. Within this environment, high school principals have had to find ways to enhance their focus on instructional leadership.
Latino Parent Involvement: Seeing What Has Always Been There
Authors: Guerra Patricia L. , Nelson Sarah W.
Published: January 2019

This study reviews 20 years (1990–2010) of scholarly literature on parent involvement related to Latino parents. Parent involvement behaviors of Latino parents were identified and analyzed according to the dimensions of culture theoretical framework—specifically, the dimension of individualism–collectivism (Hofstede, 1984, 1997; Triandis, 1995; Trumbull, Rothstein, Quiroz, & Greenfield, 2001). From this analysis, categories of involvement for Latino parents emerged, which were then compared to Epstein's typology of parent involvement (1995), a commonly referenced framework adopted by the National Parent Teachers Association. Based on the results of this study of the literature, an expanded framework inclusive of the involvement behaviors of Latino parents was developed. Steps are also discussed for leaders to guide educators in expanding their conceptions of parent involvement.
Leading Learning: First-Year Principals’ Reflections on Instructional Leadership
Authors: O'Doherty Ann , Ovando Martha N.
Published: January 2019

This qualitative study examined the instructional leadership perceptions of four first-year principals. Findings illuminate five themes drawn from the data: definitions of instructional leadership, challenges that first-year principals faced, how these principals addressed these challenges, how the novice principals plan to enact their instructional leadership during the second year on the job, and an unexpected theme—perceived insider advantage. This study contributes to a better understanding of the instructional leadership challenges that first-year principals face, and it highlights implications for preparation programs and district initiatives that might contribute to more effective support to novice principals as they enact instructional leadership.
Teachers’ Perceptions of the Ethical Leadership of Male and Female Headteachers in Ghanaian Basic Schools
Authors: Agezo Clement Kwadzo
Published: January 2019

The lack of ethical leadership is a pervading factor in today's society. Although interest in ethical leadership has increased dramatically in Ghana as a result of the June 4 revolution by the military that preached probity, accountability, and integrity, ethics within the context of leadership has not been a subject of much discourse. Being a skillful school leader presumes the competence to judge the ethical consequences of actions. This implies a need for all school leaders to analyze values at stake and in turn reconcile didactic rationality with ethical rationality. This article examines the ethical leadership practices of male and female headteachers of basic schools in Cape Coast Metropolis. In sum, 571 and 14 male and 38 female headteachers participated in the study. Furthermore, 128 teachers evaluated the ethical leadership practices of male headteachers, while 443 teachers evaluated that of 38 female headteachers. The purposeful sampling technique was used to select the respondents. The independent t test was used to analyze the data. It was found that there was no significant difference in the ethical leadership practices of male and female headteachers in Cape Coast Metropolis. It was recommended that headteachers should uphold ethical leadership practices, as this is key in gaining cooperation and group cohesiveness toward the achievement of stated goals.
“I Love These Girls—I Was These Girls”: Women Leading for Social Justice in a Single-Sex Public School
Authors: Mansfield Katherine Cumings
Published: January 2019

The purpose of this article is to share the findings from a 2-year ethnography that examined female practitioners’ experiences in the field. The article describes the intentions, discourses, actions, and repercussions of female administrators and teachers working to accomplish social justice for racial/ethnic minority girls from challenging economic circumstances. The discourse adjoining social justice intentions and actions is shared with descriptions of the specific material, intellectual, and emotional ways that female educators labored for social justice in their particular context. The impact of taking an explicitly activist stance in facilitating transformative learning opportunities is discussed along with implications for practice.
Educator-Peer Workplace Bullying: Why Leadership Must Address Incivility and Create a Quilt of Caring in the School
Authors: Gray Nancy L. , Gardiner Mary E.
Published: January 2019

The purpose of the study was to examine educator–peer social relationships within the context of the organization and to consider the role of the school administrator in establishing collegial and caring relationships. The study was a critical collective case study of six educators—administrators and teachers—in U.S. schools. Through interviews, participants reflected on their experiences with educator–peer social relationships. The study found that all participants had experienced a range of positive and negative peer–social relationships, including incivility and incidents of educator–peer bullying. The article concludes with considerations for principals regarding antibullying in the workplace and recommendations for further research.
Knuckling Under? School Superintendents and Accountability-Based Educational Reform
Authors: Feuerstein Abe
Published: January 2019

The goal of this article is to explore the various ways that superintendents have responded to accountability-based educational reform efforts such as No Child Left Behind, the factors that have influenced their responses, and the implications of these responses for current and future educational leaders. With respect to the first issue, empirical data from a number of national studies (T. E. Glass & Franceschini, 2007; Johnson, Arumi, & Ott, 2006; Johnstone, Dikkers, & Luedeke, 2009; Stecher et al., 2008) make clear that while there have been a variety of responses from superintendents to accountability-based reform efforts, superintendents have mostly played a supportive role. Examining the situation more fully suggests that the driving factors behind superintendent support for accountability-based educational reform are complex and are often deeply embedded within the “DNA” of the role of superintendent. This article examines the structure of this DNA by looking at the factors that influence superintendents’ views of accountability-based educational reform from historical, political, and institutional perspectives. This multifaceted approach provides new insights into the complex relationship that exists between the structure of the role of superintendent and the agency of the individuals who inhabit that role.
The Influence of School Factors on Racial Opportunity Cost for High-Achieving Students of Color
Authors: Chambers Terah T. Venzant , Huggins Kristin Shawn
Published: January 2019

Previous work on racial opportunity cost—that is, the price that students of color pay in their pursuit of academic success—is extended here using organizational culture literature to more closely explore the interplay of school culture with the racial opportunity cost experienced by the study participants. Eighteen African American and Latina/o underclassmen at two elite private colleges were interviewed about their experiences as high-achieving students of color in high school and college. Our analysis of the data revealed five interrelated school factors that both alleviated and exacerbated students’ racial opportunity cost. Findings regarding the critical influence of school culture on students’ experiences highlight the importance of school leaders creating supportive, whole school cultures to foster school engagement and academic achievement for all students.
An Analysis of Instructional Facilitators’ Relationships with Teachers and Principals
Authors: Range Bret G. , Pijanowski John C. , Duncan Heather , Scherz Susan , Hvidston David
Published: January 2019

This study examines the perspectives of Wyoming instructional facilitators, concerning three coaching constructs—namely, their instructional leadership roles, teachers’ instructional practices, and the support that they receive from principals and teachers. Findings suggest that instructional facilitators were positive about their instructional leadership roles and about the support received from principals yet were neutral concerning teachers’ autonomy about instructional practices. Instructional facilitators highlighted their roles in mentoring, coaching, and data analysis. Significant differences were found concerning the perceptions of technology instructional facilitators and high school instructional facilitators about their leadership roles, teachers’ instructional practice, and support received from principals.
Making Mission Statements Operational: Perceptions of Principals from Tri-Association Schools
Authors: Fayad Juan David , Yoshida Roland K.
Published: January 2019

Researchers and theorists in the management and educational leadership fields have debated the importance of mission statements. This study investigated this issue within the context of American schools that are members of the Tri-Association (Mexico, Central America, Colombia, and the Caribbean). The results showed that about the same percentage of principals felt that mission statements differed and did not differ significantly from one school to the next. However, a considerable number of principals reported using their mission statements in many of the managerial and leadership tasks of their daily jobs.
Accountability Narratives of Rural School Superintendents and Administrators: Moving from Two- to Three-Level Analysis
Authors: O'Rourke David , Ylimaki Rose M.
Published: January 2019

This article focuses on the broader political sphere as it affects superintendents and other constituents of rural districts. The current landscape of education reform focuses on accountability—particularly at the policy level of both state and federal education agencies. This article draws on the literature and an empirical study that examined how rural superintendents—“held accountable” through reform policy—articulate their experiences. The discussion of cultural and political effects of accountability policy finds insight through local superintendents’ norms, beliefs, and commonsensical understandings. Thus far, many of the examinations of No Child Left Behind have analyzed the “inputs–outputs” of accountability reform—whether through critical or empirical inquiry. Furthermore, past examinations primarily focus on either macro- (structural) or micro- (local) perspectives. Findings from this study suggest the need for a third (meso- or regional) level of analysis to understand how leaders articulate accountability experiences.
A Latina Principal Leading for Social Justice: Influences of Racial and Gender Identity
Authors: Hernandez Frank , Murakami Elizabeth T. , Cerecer Patricia Quijada
Published: January 2019

In this study, the role that racial identity plays among Latina school principals is examined through a case study of a principal in a K–3 elementary school. Based on a Latina/o critical race framework and a phenomenological research approach, the study explores the degree to which having a strong understanding of one's racial identity formation may fuel leadership practices geared toward social justice. The sociocultural and historical implications of how race, class, and gender get operationalized in the identity of this Latina leader are surfaced through the following: growing up living and understanding students’ experiences; understanding the Latino family and advocating for community engagement; having high expectations for students of color by creating bridges between White teachers and students of color, as well as between families of color and White teachers; and having high expectations for students and an acute awareness of discriminatory practices in education. This study brings lessons related to improving the conditions of students of color through principals who are willing to reflect on their values, beliefs, and practices and to explore how these values and beliefs influence their work with students, families, and communities.
Lessons Learned from Secondary Schools using Technology for School Improvement: It's Just not that Simple!
Authors: Levin Barbara B. , Schrum Lynne
Published: January 2019

The purpose of this article is to describe lessons learned from studying the leadership in eight award-winning secondary schools and districts that were recognized for successfully leveraging technology as part of their efforts for school improvement. Data were collected through observations, interviews, and document analysis in schools and districts with ethnically, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse students in communities facing the types of challenges that many schools face today. Based on the cross-case analysis of eight intrinsic case studies, this article offers numerous examples and lessons learned about the role that leadership and vision, technology planning and support, professional development, curriculum and instructional practices, school culture, funding, and partnerships play in leveraging technology for school improvement.
Considerations for 21st-Century Disciplinary Policy and Practice
Authors: Englehart Joshua M.
Published: January 2019

While the conceiving of 21st-century schools has rightly included much discussion on curriculum and instruction, changing demands and conditions also present necessary changes in the way that student behavior is managed. A review of the literature on student discipline over the past decade reveals three particular issues that warrant attention in the context of adapting to changes among and around the students we serve: bullying and harassment, the discipline gap (the disparity in disciplinary consequences between White and non-White students), and zero-tolerance policy (the use of strict predetermined consequences in response to offenses regardless of the circumstances surrounding the event). For each issue, central concerns are discussed along with implications for policy and practice. To conclude, two common themes that run through these issues are described—namely, the importance of context and the need for student-centered approaches.
Closer to Learning: Social Networks, Trust, and Professional Communities
Authors: Liou Yi-Hwa , Daly Alan J.
Published: January 2019

researchers, educators, and policymakers suggest the use of professional learning communities as one important approach to the improvement of teaching and learning. However, relatively little research examines the interplay of professional interactions (structural social capital) around instructional practices and key elements of professional learning communities (relational and cognitive social capital) from the lens of social capital. We employed a mixed-method design that draws on social network analysis, surveys, interviews, and observations to understand what accounts for the pattern of professional interactions within four high-performing professional learning community schools. The results indicate that teacher trust, principal trust, professional dialogue with the principal, and years of teaching in the school play a significant role in explaining teachers’ close network relationships. Implications and limitations are discussed.
Making Sense of Organizational Change in Entrenched Schools
Authors: Carlson Cameron B. , Patterson Jean A.
Published: January 2019

This qualitative case study explores considerations for leading instructional initiatives in high-performing high schools by examining a pilot one-to-one laptop initiative in a Catholic high school. As participant-observer, Cameron collected data through open-ended electronic surveys and the left- and right-hand column case method and reviewed documents to compare responses from those involved in the initiative and their department chairs (i.e., immediate supervisors to the teachers involved in the pilot). Findings and discussion reveal how two participant groups made different sense of the pilot laptop initiative. We advocate that an awareness of sensemaking and sensegiving are necessary leadership considerations when leading instructional initiatives, particularly if the new instructional approach differs significantly from the status quo.
Serving the Public: Motivation and Commitment in Education
Authors: Ackerina Jacqueline
Published: January 2019

This study sought to expand Greenleaf's (1970) “feeling that one wants to serve” to examine public service motivation and professional commitment in an education context. The participants of this study were graduate education students enrolled in three East Coast universities. The sample was stratified into three groups based on their roles as teachers, aspiring leaders, and school district administrators in K–12 public schools. Based on an abridged version of Perry's (1996) multidimensional scale that was modified for the education sector, the public service motivation and professional commitment constructs were measured with a web-based survey. The findings have several important implications for education institutions, academic scholars, human resource managers, and leadership preparation programs.
Who Chooses and Why in a Universal Choice Scholarship Program
Authors: Carpenter Dick M. , Winters Marcus A.
Published: January 2019

This article studies parental decision making in a unique school choice program—a universal voucher system in a middle- and upper-income suburban/rural school district. A survey of parents found that applicants and nonapplicants looked similar across many personal characteristics. Choice applicants appeared to be more involved in some ways and were significantly less satisfied with their district schools. Satisfaction also represented a significant predictor of applying for a scholarship and remained so after controlling for participant background variables, several of which were significant predictors themselves. Parents cited educational quality as the most important reason for applying for the program. They were not, however, concerned with school safety or supporting religious values.
Clearing a Path for Inclusion
Authors: Dematthews David E.
Published: January 2019

The study presented here examines the efforts of one principal and the team she relied upon to create a more inclusive and high-performing school in a large urban school district. The goals, actions, and responsibilities of the team are described, as well as the daily challenges associated with school administration and special education. In doing so, this article highlights how a distributed approach to leadership can enable a principal and teachers to build teacher capacity, adapt to challenges, and ultimately serve all students in an effective and inclusive manner. The timeliness of this research is significant given an increasingly complex and accountability driven system that makes school leadership ever more difficult, particularly when attempting to promote inclusion. This study has important implications for how principals call upon school staff to support inclusive reform, and it also highlights the role principals can play when seeking to distribute leadership and enhance school capacity to serve all children.
Forces Shaping Schooling and School Leadership
Authors: Murphy Joseph
Published: January 2019

This article examines the evolution of education which informs school leadership. Using the punctuated equilibrium model of organizational change, we describe how education has evolved under the weight of shifting understandings in the economic and sociopolitical foundations of society. We track the corresponding cardinal shifts in schooling that these new perspectives have produced (and are producing). We argue that the leadership required for post-industrial schools is anchored on these hallmark changes currently unfolding in schooling.
Principal Academies in Urban Public Schools
Authors: Bell Jennifer Harper , Taylor John L.
Published: January 2019

This article presents a literature review of principal academies in urban public school districts, with an examination of five prototypical academies. Senge's five disciplines of learning organizations and Guskey's optimal mix model for professional development are linked to form the conceptual perspectives guiding the review. The analysis reveals commonalities in the urban academies’ organization, conceptual underpinnings, knowledge bases, and functions, with variations centered on contextual factors. We interrelate and link our findings with the perspectives of Senge and Guskey to inform a proposed model for urban public school academies for principals.
Assumptions, Strategies, and Organization
Authors: Cho Vincent , Wayman Jeffrey C.
Published: January 2019

Despite the importance of computerization to data use, little is known about the work of a central office when it comes to preparing for and implementing computer data systems. This study illuminates such work by drawing upon interviews and observations collected in three school districts over 11 months. We describe how central offices thought about, prepared for, and implemented computer data systems. We find that district efforts may be undermined by overly simplistic stances toward technology and planning. Accordingly, we discuss the ways in which central offices might rethink assumptions, strategies, and bureaucratic structures around data systems.
Beyond Outcomes
Authors: Farley-Ripple Elizabeth N.
Published: January 2019

Current policy goals are designed to ensure all students are college and career ready resulting in a process of curricular intensification which should have significant impact on student coursetaking in high school. However, reforms have been pursued in the context of test-based accountability, which emphasizes assessment metrics as the primary outcome measure, though such data are not useful in guiding school improvement efforts, in this article, student transcripts-available but seldom reported data-were used to explore coursetaking as a factor in mathematics achievement as part of a university-district partnership focused on equitable student outcomes. Results reveal that prescribed curricular paths are consistent with accountability goals, but actual curricular participation deviates from these paths, resulting in negative outcomes for low-income students in particular. Findings illustrate the value of non-test data in decision-making and a need to resurrect research on education processes underlying the outcomes measures dominating accountability discourse.
Contrary Socializations
Authors: Bengtson Ed , Connors Sean P.
Published: January 2019

This study examines the relationship between two first-year teachers and how organizational behavior influences their socialization when implementing an external mandate. The primary interests of this qualitative study are the organization behavior related to socializing newcomers, the manner in which new teaching roles and behaviors are realized, and the potential tension that can exist between what teachers believe their role should be and the role expectations of the organization. The findings suggest that how schools react to external mandates can influence the manner in which new teachers are socialized into their new role, potentially resulting in less desirable teaching practices.
“Obviously, That Worked”
Authors: Van Lare Michelle D.
Published: January 2019

Ever-growing expectations exist for educators to use assessments to collect, analyze, and interpret data, but how, if at all, are these processes affecting instruction? This descriptive case study of one team of second grade teachers offers an analysis of the links between teachers’ use of data within their collaborative team meetings and instructional decisions in the classroom Findings illustrate three activities that linked teacher discussions and instruction in classrooms: troubleshooting and normalizing expectations, targeting instruction, and identifying what worked While these links tightly coupled teachers collaborative use of data and assessments with their classroom instruction, they did so by prioritizing isolated instructional responses focused on discrete skills and specific instructional strategies. Implications include building structures that reframe what teachers mean by “worked” when inquiring into student learning.