Education Commons^™

Lessons From Principals Of High-Performing Ethnically Diverse High-Poverty Schools, Elizabeth T. Murakami, W Sean Kearney

School Leadership Review

This study examines practices of principals working in high-performing, high-poverty schools with a high representation of students of color in south central Texas. This study explores how leaders build individual and organizational capacity in high-needs schools. Using a criterion sample, and a conceptual framework focused on leadership for learning, three principals were included in this study. Their schools each had 85% representation of students of color, 85% or more of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, and at least 85% of students demonstrating mastery on state assessments. Principals demonstrated that while it is paramount to set organizational structures and policies conducive …