Education Commons^™

Civic Engagement In Education: Insights From California's Local Control Funding Formula, Julie A. Marsh, Tasminda K. Dhaliwal, Michelle Hall, Morgan S. Polikoff

Education Faculty Articles and Research

In this policy brief, we use the case of California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) to provide policy makers and educators guidance on how to involve the public in goal setting and resource distribution decisions. We provide clarity around who is and is not participating, why, and what broader lessons we can draw for implementing federal and state education policies mandating public engagement. Our findings indicate tremendous room for improvement. LCFF's target populations (e.g., low-income, English learners) are not more likely to be aware of or participate in decisions than nontargeted groups, which suggests weak accountability for the use of …

Advanced Placement (Ap) Computer Science Principles: Searching For Equity In A Two-Tiered Solution To Underrepresentation, Keith Howard, Douglas D. Havard

Education Faculty Articles and Research

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between students’ participation in the two high school AP computer science exam options and their selected fields of study once they enter post-secondary education. Two studies using national public-use datasets of participation and performance were conducted. Study 1 compared score distributions for the traditional Computer Science A exam to those of the newer Computer Science Principles exam during its first two years of implementation. In Study 1, Chi-square analyses revealed large differences in performance between the two exams, with the Computer Science Principles scores clustering more around marginal pass rates. …

Conceptualizing Equity In The Implementation Of California Education Finance Reform, Taylor N. Allbright, Julie A. Marsh, Michelle Hall, Laura Tobben, Lawrence O. Picus, Magaly Lavadenz

Education Faculty Articles and Research

We examine how district administrators’ conceptions of equity relate to the implementation of finance reform. We use sensemaking theory and four views of equity—libertarian, liberal, democratic liberal, and transformative—to guide a case study of two districts, finding evidence of two conceptions of equity: (1) greater resources for students with greater needs and (2) equal distribution of resources for all students. One district demonstrated an organization-wide belief in the first conception, whereas the other conveyed individual-level understandings of both conceptions. These beliefs were mirrored in resource allocation decisions and informed by districts’ student demographics, organizational identities, and perceptions of adequacy.

From “Turning The Page” To Getting Our Noses Out Of The Book: How Ncte Can Translate Its Words Into Activism, Noah Asher Golden, Deborah Bieler

Education Faculty Articles and Research

This article raises questions about the role of NCTE in an era of widespread education reform that often runs counter to a wide body of scholarship and members’ understandings of ways to build strong, equitable educational systems. The authors call on NCTE to reinvent itself primarily as a space from which to take action toward equity and justice. This provocateur piece offers a loving critique of NCTE’s notion of advocacy at a time when neoliberal education reforms limit educators’ capacity to carry out our collective responsibilities to marginalized and vulnerable youth.

Cultivating A Professional Culture Of Peace And Inclusion: Conceptualizing Practical Applications Of Peace Leadership In Schools, Whitney Mcintyre Miller, Annmary S. Abdou

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Beyond the role of educating students across all academic domains, school leaders are tasked with the monumental responsibility of creating positive, engaged systems and cultures that embrace the growing cultural, economic, linguistic, and cognitive diversity in the United States landscape. With collective goals to create peaceful learning environments with capacity to serve diverse learners, many school leaders have embraced school-wide prevention and intervention efforts, such as Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) for social-emotional and behavioral development of students. Unfortunately, due to the inherent complexities and fragmentation of such efforts, many school leaders have continued to experience significant barriers to sustainable …

Examining The Variability In General Education Placements For Students With Intellectual Disability, Meghan Cosier, Julia M. White, Qiu Wang

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Despite the overwhelming body of research suggesting that students with intellectual disability benefit from access to general education placements, students with intellectual disability continue to be educated primarily in segregated settings. Furthermore, the percentage of students with intellectual disability included in general education classrooms varies greatly among and within states across the United States. In an effort to explore such variability in New York State, we examined trends in general education placement rates of students with intellectual disability across districts and possible predictors of placement in regular classes. Results suggest that although descriptive patterns of placement exist, a more definitive …

“In A Position I See Myself In:” (Re)Positioning Identities And Culturally-Responsive Pedagogies, Noah Asher Golden

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Culturally-responsive pedagogies require moving beyond blanket assumptions about learners to focus deeply on local meaning-makings. This narrative analysis case study examines the ways a 20-year-old African American man challenges the negative educational identity with which he is forced to contend as he navigates a large and complex urban public school system. The ways in which Jamahl, a seeker of a High School Equivalency, refuses interpellation as an uneducated learner destined to be “nothin'” provides insight as to how formal education might be more responsive to learners' negotiation of deficiency discourses. Embracing agency, specifically through awareness of the ways Jamahl employs …

“They Write Me Off And Don't Give Me A Chance To Learn Anything”: Positioning, Discipline, And Black Masculinities In School, Quaylan Allen

Education Faculty Articles and Research

This study examines the schooling of black male students in a U.S. high school. Drawing upon positioning theory and student resistance literature, I describe how the students make meaning of the pathologizing positioning practices of the school, including how they resist and internalize dominant discourses about black masculinity and how their performances of particular masculinities within the school are met with surveillance, regulation, and discipline. I argue that schools are locations where dominant ideologies of black masculinities are imposed, contested, and sometimes reproduced.

Necessary But Not Sufficient: The Continuing Inequality Between Men And Women In Educational Leadership, Findings From The Aasa Mid-Decade Survey, Kerry Robinson, Charol Shakeshaft, Margaret Grogan, Whitney Sherman Newcomb

Education Faculty Articles and Research

The gender of school leaders makes a difference in career paths, personal life, and characteristics of workplace. There is additional evidence that men and women are appointed or elected to lead different kinds of educational jurisdictions. Even if those differences did not exist, equitable access to leadership positions for people of different backgrounds would make this an important issue. This article reports gender-related findings from the American Association of School Administrators 2015 Mid-Decade Survey. Findings confirm many of the trends in research on the superintendency over the past 15 years. The profiles of women superintendents are becoming more like their …

Educational Leadership And Social Justice In The United States, Margaret Grogan

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Principals and superintendents of public schools are under intense pressure to raise the level of student academic achievement. The No Child Left Behind Act (2001), mandated the reporting of student test scores disaggregated by race, socio-economic status, English language proficiency, and participation in special education. The aim of the legislation was to eliminate the test score gap between middle class white students and under-represented minorities. However, too many recent graduates still demonstrate very weak literacy and numeracy skills. They are not likely to lead fulfilling lives. School leaders have a moral imperative to address this injustice. Research shows that the …

Data-Based Decision Making In School Counseling: Utilizing Multiple Single-Case Indicators To Evaluate Interventions, Ryan J. Mcgill, Kelly S. Kennedy, Randy T. Busse

Education Faculty Articles and Research

As the field of professional school counseling continues to move toward a data-based decision making model of service delivery, there is a need for dissemination of best practice methods for evaluating whether school-based counseling interventions are effective. In that vein, the purpose of this article is to review several methods of data-based decision making within a single-case outcome evaluation model, as well as their potential applications for school counseling interventions. To aid practitioners, the potential use of these methods is demonstrated in a case example and accompanying graphic displays.

Examining The Relationship Between School Climate And Peer Victimization Among Students In Military-Connected Public Schools, Kris T. De Pedro, Ron Avi Astor, Tamika D. Gilreath, Rami Benbenishty, Ruth Berkowitz

Education Faculty Articles and Research

In the Iraq and Afghanistan war context, studies have found that military-connected youth—youth with parents and/or siblings serving in the military—have higher rates of school victimization than their nonmilitary-connected peers. A positive school climate—where students perceive high levels of school connectedness, caring relationships and high expectations from adults, and meaningful participation—is associated with lower rates of victimization in secondary public schools. Based on a survey of 7th, 9th, and 11th grade students (n=14,493) enrolled in six military-connected school districts (districts that have a significant proportion of military-connected students), this study explores victimization rates and the role of school climate, deployment, …

Social Justice And Technocracy: Tracing The Narratives Of Inclusive Education In The United States, Scot Danforth

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Over the past two decades, the percentage of American students with disabilities educated in general classrooms with their nondisabled peers has risen by approximately fifty percent. This gradual but steady policy shift has been driven by two distinct narratives of organisational change. The social justice narrative espouses principles of equality and caring across human differences. The narrative of technocracy creates top-down, administrative pressure through hierarchical systems based on quantitative performance data. This article examines these two primary policy narratives of inclusive education in the United States, exploring the conceptual features of each and initiating an analysis of their application in …

Race, Culture And Agency: Examining The Ideologies And Practices Of Us Teachers Of Black Male Students, Quaylan Allen

Education Faculty Articles and Research

This study examines teachers of Black male students in a United States secondary school setting. Qualitative methods were used to document teachers' ideologies of and practices with their Black male students. In general, teachers drew upon competing structural and cultural explanations of Black male social and academic outcomes, while also engaging in practices that contested school barriers for Black males. Teacher beliefs about and practices with their Black male students were inconsistent in many ways, yet their agency on behalf of Black males might be understood as essential to Black male educational progress.

“Just As Bad As Prisons”: The Challenge Of Dismantling The School-To-Prison Pipeline Through Teacher And Community Education, Quaylan Allen, Kimberly A. White-Smith

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Drawing upon the authors’ experiences working in schools as teachers, teacher educators, researchers, and community members, this study utilizes a Critical Race Theory of education in examining the school-to-prison pipeline for black male students. In doing so, the authors highlight the particular role educators play in the school-to-prison pipeline, focusing particularly on how dispositions toward black males influence educator practices. Recommendations and future directions are provided on how education preparation programs can play a critical role in the transformation of black male schooling.

Understanding The Chinese Superintendency In The Context Of Quality-Oriented Education, Xiu Chen Cravens, Yarong Liu, Margaret Grogan

Education Faculty Articles and Research

The implementation of national educational reform in China calls for newer and stronger school administration. Recognizing the need to establish a knowledge base for leadership development, we employ a set of existing US professional standards for educational leaders as a frame of reference to unpack the complex role of Chinese superintendents. Using data collected from two surveys administered to more than 200 Chinese superintendents in 2007, we find that many indicators of leadership considered essential in the United States are also viewed as necessary for effective superintendency in China. Feedback from the superintendents also points out gaps between what is …

The Interrelationships Among Culture, Communication, And Conflict In A Newly Formed Doctoral Program, Julie Brockman, Joel A. Colbert, Michael Hass

Education Faculty Articles and Research

The purpose of the Setting Expectations and Conflict Resolution project was to provide faculty and doctoral students with a professional development program that addressed conflict resolution using an interest-based approach. The program included two days of training focusing on setting expectations, exploring sources of conflict, and designing interventions to address conflict as it occurs. At the end of each day, participants were given a questionnaire to evaluate the usefulness of the training and its impact on their attitudes toward conflict. Focus groups were also held to assess the impact of the program. Preliminary results indicate that the program met or …

Examining The Invisibility Of Girl-To-Girl Bullying In The Schools: A Call To Action, Suzanne Soohoo

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"It does not matter whether one is 13, 33, or 53 years old, but if you are female, chances are that other girls have bullied you sometime in your lifetime. Bullying is not the kind of abuse that leaves broken bones; rather, it is a dehumanizing experience that manifests itself in the form of rumor spreading, name calling, psychological manipulation, character assassination, and social exclusion. Female teachers who are former victims of girl bullies or who themselves have been complicit with girl-to-girl bullying, consistently casting a blind eye to this ritualized social degradation, allowing it to continue generation after generation. …

Fostering A Healthy Body Image: Prevention And Intervention With Adolescent Eating Disorders, Michelle Giles, Michael Hass

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Eating disorders are among the most frequently seen chronic illnesses found in adolescent females. In this paper, we discuss school-based prevention and intervention efforts that seek to reduce the impact of this serious illness. School counselors play a key role in the prevention of eating disorders and can provide support even when not directly involved in psychological or medical treatment. Because of their ability to play a leadership role in school-based prevention of eating disorders, school counselors are essential in facilitating a collaborative approach to the prevention of and intervention in eating disorders and their associated risk factors.

Preparing First-Time Leaders For An Urban Public School District: An Action Research Study Of A Collaborative District-University Partnership, Juanita Cleaver Simmons, Margaret Grogan, Stacy Preis, Kristin Matthews, Sheila Smith-Anderson, Betty Porter Walls, Audrey Jackson

Education Faculty Articles and Research

This article reports the results for the first cycle of an action research study about a district-university partnership. Two district facilitators and two university facilitators co-constructed a principal preparation program for an innercity school district to help prepare the next generation of building leaders. Twenty-two students participated in the 15-month nontraditional program. The study found that in preparing first-time school leaders, the most helpful experiences were those that developed self-understanding and readiness for the role change. New instructional techniques and the full-time residency facilitated this learning. It also found that the partnership, though providing new and exciting opportunities to deviate …

What The Research Says About The Delivery Of Educational Leadership Preparation Programs In The United States, Stacy Preis, Margaret Grogan, Whitney H. Sherman, Danna M. Beatty

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"The University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) and the Teaching in Educational Administration Special Interest Group (TEA-SIG) of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) recently formed a joint taskforce to study the preparation of leaders in educational administration. The taskforce has drawn together scholars in the field of educational leadership to assess the availability and quality of research on pre-service principal and superintendent preparation. It is also charged with establishing standards for research and recommending future directions for research in this area.

While other members of the taskforce addressed issues of curriculum, pedagogy, and theories of educational leadership preparation, the …

U.S. Women Top Executive Leaders In Education: Building Communities Of Learners, Margaret Grogan

Education Faculty Articles and Research

American women have been known for their leadership throughout the history of the United States. Not always called leadership, their management activities have earned them the reputation of being strong, resilient women capable of great initiative. This translates into the current notion of a woman educational leader as evidenced in a recent study. Based on the AASA (2003) national survey of women superintendents and central office administrators, conducted by Margaret Grogan and Cryss Brunner, this paper focuses on what characterizes women educational leaders and how they are shaping the most powerful position in U.S. education.

Women Leading Systems, Margaret Grogan, C. Cryss Brunner

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"Amid reports of superintendent shortages and concerns about equal opportunity, what place do women superintendents occupy in today’s school districts? Are they sought after or are they struggling to break into a traditionally male-dominated profession? What qualities, if any, do they bring to the office that may make them more desirable as education leaders? Do women even aspire to the superintendency? To gather the most up-to-date, comprehensive information on women and the superintendency, AASA recently commissioned a nationwide study of women in the superintendency and women in central-office positions. Using the AASA membership database and data from Market Data Retrieval, …

The Reality And Myth Of The Superintendent Shortage: Implications For Research And Educational Policy, Lars G. Bjôrk, Margaret Grogan, Bonnie C. Johnson

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"An examination of research findings on the perception of a precipitous decline in the quantity and quality of superintendent applicants was undertaken by leading scholars in the field and is reported in two consecutive issues of the Journal of School Leadership. We trust that this authoritative body of work adds to the knowledge base, informs the national debate, and will guide policy deliberations in the coming years. The intent of the authors of this brief end piece is to reflect on empirical findings as well as to introduce a number of provocative scholarly observations that will hopefully elevate and focus …

Defining Preparation And Professional Development For The Future., Richard Andrews, Margaret Grogan

Education Faculty Articles and Research

This paper reports on the current thinking about the position of principal and superintendent in America's schools. The positions of school principal and district superintendent have been undergoing changes in definition and scope over the last century and a half. As America undergoes significant societal transformation, the definition of these two positions has to evolve to meet the complex demands the country puts on its schools. The history of the development of the principalship and superintendency is given to provide context for the challenges aspiring education leaders will face in the new millennium. A noted systemic problem in higher education …

Guest Editor's Introduction: Leadership For Social Justice, Margaret Grogan

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"I wanted to edit a special issue of the Journal of School Leadership on social justice for two main reasons. First, I was curious to know what my colleagues had in mind when they thought of social justice. What concrete or abstract ideas might be collected under the heading of social justice? Would there be a variety of positions taken and ideologies represented? Would the manuscripts be theoretical or based on empirical research or both? Could social justice be presented in nontraditional forms of writing even in an academic journal? Questions of content and style piqued my interest."

The Short Tenure Of A Woman Superintendent: A Clash Of Gender And Politics, Margaret Grogan

Education Faculty Articles and Research

This article reports the two-year tenure of a woman superintendent in a small southern city. Placed against the background of local community politics and school district politics it shows that women in the superintendency still face Issues of gender stereotyping that influence the way they are perceived as leaders of school systems. A feminist poststructuralist framework is used to understand how the various subject positions available to women collide with the discourse of the superintendency. lt is recommended that women leaders resist the images that have been traditionally reserved for them and begin to reinvent the superintendency on their own …

A Fairy Tale About Teacher Research In Conservative Times, Collaborative Action Researchers For Democratic Communities, Suzanne Soohoo, Lani Martin, Tom Wilson, Emily Wolk

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Collaborative action research involves creating spaces for thoughtful discussion, not only about classroom practices but about schooling in general. The fairy tale created by the authors of this piece raises questions about autonomy, control, and the need for participation in the context of the current conservative climate.

Implementing Instructional Reform At The Middle Grades: Case Studies Of Seventeen California Schools, Alexis L. Mitman, Vicki Lambert

Education Faculty Articles and Research

California has a thriving climate for middle grade reform, with most middle grade schools in the state attempting some change. In this study, we examined the reform implementation process in 17 schools where staff members had devoted considerable effort to 1 of 4 instructional reforms: heterogeneous grouping, cooperative learning, active learning, or interdisciplinary instruction. Although different combinations of external and internal pressures prompted schools to focus on a particular reform, at all schools the principal or a small cadre of teachers took responsibility for building a reform vision and for logistical activities of implementation. All 4 reforms relied heavily on …

"Incentives To Alleviate Teacher Frustrations: Inroads To Better Work Production For Teachers And Administrators, Barry Kanpol

Education Faculty Articles and Research

This article first looks at how teachers' apt work is contrasted with that of teacher-perceived inept administrative work habits. Second, a distinction is made between teacher official and pragmatic work zones. More teacher autonomy was achieved through completing administrative duties within the pragmatic zone. This acted as a constant source of teacher struggle and frustration, yet concurrently this was also a possible source of liberation. Conclusions suggest that both teacher and administrators first open communication lines by airing the core of the problem that bothers them, and second, create united normative platforms on "issues." This would help to alleviate teacher-related …