Education Commons^™

Principals’ Perceptions Of Successful Leadership, Gary L. Childers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this qualitative multiple case study were to determine the catalysts and pathways that caused principals to move from managers to effective leaders. Data were collected through a series of interviews with 4 principals who were selected through a purposeful sampling procedure. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using inductive coding to determine themes. Findings were presented for each theme within the context of reviewed literature.

National polls indicate that 6 out of every 10 of the nation’s schools need major changes or an overhaul. Can improving the skills of their leaders make a difference in …

A District-Wide Study Confirming The Relationship Between Professional Learning Communities And Student Achievement In Elementary Schools, Joseph Samuel Backman

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have studied professional learning communities for over two decades. Educators have utilized the elements of professional learning communities in their schools to improve instruction and student learning. Yet, there is limited empirical evidence that establishes, describes, and confirms this relationship. This study was completed to better understand the nature, strength, and types of relationships between the individual elements of professional learning communities and student achievement. The sample for this study was 26 elementary schools, 439 teachers, and nearly 11,000 students. An analysis of professional learning communities and student achievement data through hierarchical linear modeling indicated that each of the …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Actions To Achieve Equity And Access To Excellence In A Large School District, Sidney Moss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-method, descriptive study was to determine the teachers' perceptions who were employed in the target school district from 2003 to 2011, regarding school district second-order change leadership decisions, events, and challenges, and the extent to which equity and access to excellence for all students were achieved. Also investigated was the relationship, if any, that existed in achieving equity and access to excellence based on school district second-order change leadership from 2003 to 2011. Teacher perception data were analyzed from a survey presented to teachers in over 16 schools who had been consecutively employed in the target …

Transformative Leadership: An Asset-Based Approach To Leadership For Diverse Schools And Learners, Marilyn Sudsberry, Brooke Kandel-Cisco

Scholarship and Professional Work – Education

Traditionally, school leadership has been viewed as emanating from a sole source, the school administrator. This top-down perspective suggests that school leadership lives and dies by the leader's specific skills, mind-set, and preferred activities. This perspective ultimately oversimplifies the difficult work that school administrators must navigate in order to ensure the success of all learners. While there is no doubt that many individual school administrators are empathetic and compassionate educators, unilateral decision-making means that the cultural, linguistic and social lenses utilized to inform decision-making are limited to the perspective of the administrator.

In this chapter we propose that school leadership …

Supervising Principals' Perceptions Of Preparing New Principal Program Completers: Meeting The 2011 Florida Principal Leadership Standards, Wesley Trimble

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to determine to what extend completers of School District A’s Preparing New Principals Program (PNPP) are prepared to meet the 2011 Florida Principal Leadership Standards (FPLS). Major questions addressed (a) the perception of principals regarding how well prepared completers of School District A’s principal preparation program were to meet the 2011 Florida Principal Leadership Standards, (b) if the perceived importance of the 2011 Florida Leadership Standards varied by leadership level, (c) if the perceived importance of the 2011 Florida Leadership Standards varied by a school’s free/reduced lunch percentage, and (d) the 2011 Florida Principal Leadership Standards perceived …