Educational Leadership Commons^™

Nourishing Teachers’ Leadership For Learning: Insights From Practitioner Research, Simon Clarke

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

This session contends that leadership and learning are mutually supporting and reinforcing. It is only recently that attempts have been made to describe in practice the complex connections existing between the two activities by drawing on empirical evidence. To this end, this session will depict ways in which leadership and learning are indispensable to each other in day-to-day teachers’ work, and the implications this symbiosis has for practice. Firstly, the session will consider the key foundations and principles of leadership for learning, especially as they relate to the Carpe Vitam international leadership for learning research project. Secondly, we will discuss …

Capabilities Required For Leading Improvement: Challenges For Researchers And Developers, Viviane Robinson

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

The leadership of improvement is a challenging task, requiring capability in 1) using relevant knowledge to 2) solve complex educational problems, while 3) building relationships of trust with those involved. In this keynote address, Viviane describes what she has learned from her leadership research and development program about each of these three leadership capabilities. In addressing the first of these leadership capabilities, she describes key findings about how leaders’ relevant knowledge intersect with their ability to build trust and solve the problems that stand in the way of their improvement goals. Her discussion of the second capability draws on empirical …

Acer Research Conference Proceedings (2017), Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

Educational leaders play a crucial role in setting directions for improvement and innovation. Leaders – whether or not they are in formal leadership roles – create the tone of an institution, set priorities and directions for change, build coherence and shared commitment across the community and maintain a sharp focus on measurable improvements in student outcomes. Effective leaders take a deep interest in the quality of teaching and learning. They closely monitor indicators of student achievement and wellbeing and promote institution-wide conversations and professional learning focused on improving teaching and learning processes and student outcomes. They also form partnerships with …

Sustaining The Human Spirit Of The High School Principal Leading For Equity, Ryan David Richardson

Dissertations and Theses

Shrinking budgets and swelling public accountability characterize public education in the 21st century. Pressures to increase achievement while assuring the emotional and physical safety of all students make the work of the secondary principal daunting. A leader for equity must be a symbolic, visionary, and instructional leader that creates positive change that leads to student achievement, especially for students that are traditionally underserved. The demands placed on school administrators generate leadership burnout. As we strive to meet the rigorous goals of improving academic achievement while teaching and caring for each child, we must create environments for effective administrators to thrive …

Culturally Responsive School Leadership For Latino/A Students Success, Victor H. Vergara

Dissertations and Theses

Historically, education in the United States has been tailored to fulfill the needs of White students. As the Latina/o population increases in the United States, we must prepare teachers and school administrators to provide opportunities for an equal education for minority students of all races, cultural backgrounds, or ethnicities. School leadership plays an important role in the effectiveness of educational access for minority students. Leaders must review and modify their practices to ensure that minority students have the opportunity to be productive citizens in our society. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the characteristics of effective high school …

A Narrative Study On The Leadership Development Of Female Superintendents In New Jersey, Mitzi N. Morillo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study was to explore, through the lived experiences of 8 women who achieved the superintendency in New Jersey, the intersectionality of gender, social norms, and race and how these women developed as leaders. The study was designed to identify perceived barriers to career ascension in education administration and the successful strategies that female superintendents in New Jersey utilized to overcome those barriers. The study explored strategies that future leaders might utilize to address leadership development and career ascendency for women who aspire to the superintendency. For this study, a narrative research design was best suited to …

A Study Of Lived Experiences Of African American Male Principals In Urban Elementary Schools, April E. Brooks

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The cycle of low performance of African American males continues to eliminate the pool of African American male educators who can serve as role models for future generations (Hale, 1986; Noguera, 2003). The objective of this dissertation is to understand the lived experience of African-American male principals post Brown v. Board of Education, and how they perceive their leadership experience working in an urban elementary school setting by exploring their commitment to black children, specifically black males. The questions examine the experience of AA male principals, their beliefs, perceptions, cultural intersections, and use of cultural resources in relation to AA …

An Intellectual Space For Educational Leaders' Diversity And Social Justice Discourse, Yanira Oliveras-Ortiz, Jennifer Jones

Diversity, Social Justice, and the Educational Leader

Educational leaders, particularly the campus leaders, have often defined their job and responsibilities as overwhelming. However, regardless of the endless tasks on school administrators’ to do lists, ensuring that every child receives an excellent education should be at the forefront of everything educational leaders do. An excellent education is one that not only transfers knowledge to children but also one that develops the critical thinking skills that students will need to make sense of the world and be successful citizens of the democracy in which we exist. Educational leaders have the moral responsibility to understand, and hopefully embrace critical pedagogy …

Principal Leader Of The Band: A Conversation Between Dr. Lorraine Hedtke And Dr. Jay Fiene, Dean, College Of Education At California State University, San Bernardino, Lorraine Hedtke, Jay Fiene

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

This is an interview that took place between Dr. Lorraine Hedtke and Dr. Jay Fiene, Dean of The College of Education at CSUSB, to explore the trajectory of his professional career. What was unearthed were intersecting themes between being a math teacher, a band leader, a professor in higher education and a college dean. All speak to similar values of caring and justice that drive Dr. Fiene to make a difference in communities where he has been involved.

The Impact Of A Value-Added Model On Educational Leadership Practices In Northwest Louisiana, Candice D. Webert

Doctoral Dissertations

This study addressed the impact of VAM, concerns with VAM data, uses and interventions educational leaders provided teachers, and components perceived as necessary for VAM effectiveness as an evaluation tool. The demographics used for this study were position, school size, and experience. Due to the documented need for educational accountability from the 1960s to present, the knowledge gained in this study was valuable. While the initiative was implemented as a response to increased accountability, the perceptions and understanding of such new initiatives can impact their effectiveness; in turn, impacting educational leadership. This study focused on the effectiveness of VAM.

In …

Forming And Supporting Lay Catholic Elementary School Principals As Spiritual Leaders, Erin C.O. Barisano

LMU Theses and Dissertations

The role of a Catholic school principal is complex and includes promoting Catholic faith and spirituality throughout the school community. The additional job requirements of spiritual leadership are intentional formation for prospective and novice principals and efforts to sustain spirituality for experienced principals. This qualitative study explored the perceptions held by experienced lay elementary principals of their role as spiritual leader as well as how prepared they felt to serve in this role. Additionally, the study explored suggestions for sustaining principals in their role as spiritual leader. Participants were six lay Catholic elementary principals working in the Archdiocese of Los …

Book Review: Indelible Leadership: Always Leave Them Learning, William Loose

Journal of Catholic Education

Review of Indelible Leadership: Always Leave Them Learning by Michael Fullan

Principals’ Perceptions Of Their Knowledge In Special Education, Maria Banda Roberts, Federico R. Guerra

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications

With the Every Student Succeeds Act continuing to legislate accountability for special education and Hispanic students, the appropriate content in principal preparation programs relevant to successful leadership of special education programs is vital. This mixed methods study analyzed the survey responses of 84 principals in South Texas from predominantly Hispanic schools to determine the principals’ perceptions regarding their legal, foundational, and contextual knowledge of special education and their suggested topics for inclusion in curriculum content of principal preparation programs to provide the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively implement and supervise special education programs. Results indicated that the principals’ greatest …

Relating Leadership And Counseling: An Example From The Greek Educational System, Evangelos C. Papakitsos Dr., Argyrios Argyriou Dr.

Journal of Research Initiatives

Contemporary educational leaders must manage complex school community processes in which many factors are involved, such as students, teachers, parents and the social environment, the different disciplines with their specific features, outdated infrastructure, limited financial resources, the relevant legislation, the superior educational authorities, etc. To resolve the problems that arise in a manner ensuring quality management that is not easily quantifiable, apart from the various models of educational administration that have been occasionally proposed, counseling skills can be a valuable asset in a context of multiple authority, as it is encountered in the Greek educational system. The acquirement of counseling …

Some Things You Can Do To Support Public Education Now, Dave Powell

Education Faculty Publications

Yesterday a group of students here at Gettysburg College, where I teach, organized a Solidarity Rally. It consisted largely of teach-ins designed to start conversations, and hopefully it will the first of many events that bring people together to think more carefully about how we should respond to things going on outside of our college and town. [excerpt]

The Relationship Between Building Teacher Leadership Capacity And Campus Culture, Dawn R. Harris, Kriss Kemp-Graham

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods research study was to explore the relationship between building teacher leadership capacity and campus culture in a suburban East Texas school district. Developing teacher leaders by building leadership capacity depends on administrators’ abilities to develop leaders from within the existing staff and to shape campus culture. Results of this mixed methods study yielded findings that identified a statistically significant relationship between teacher leadership capacity and campus culture. Leaders play a role in the culture of corporate and academic organizations, and culture is at the forefront of exemplary performance of both entities. Therefore, …

Navigating The Complex Practices Of Specialized Literacy Professionals In Formalized Teacher Leadership Positions, Thea Anne Yurkewecz

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation reports on how one school community engaged in a professional development grant initiative that incorporated teacher leadership. Teacher leaders may have numerous roles and responsibilities that support the professional learning and instructional practices of school communities. This study examined the experiences of three specialized literacy professionals as teacher leaders and professional development facilitators. Case study methodology (Merriam, 1998; Stake, 2005; Yin, 2009) and the six principles of adult learning (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 2005) provided a framework to capture the contextual and descriptive practices of how these teacher leaders navigated their roles and responsibilities. Three important findings emerged …

A Call For Framing Educational Leadership From A Cognitive And Learning Science Lens, Steve Myran

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

[Introduction] One of the dominant themes in the field of educational leadership today is that leadership matters in terms of student learning; that effective school leaders can develop the capacities of teachers which in turn can improve student learning outcomes (Darling-Hammond, L., LaPointe, Meyerson & Orr, 2007; Leithwood, Seashore Louis, Anderson & Wahlstrom 2004; Louis, Leithwood, Wahlstrom, Anderson, Michlin, & Masccall, 2010). More specifically, it is widely cited that school leadership is second only to classroom instruction among all school related factors that contribute to student learning (Leithwood, Seashore Louis, Anderson, & Wahlstrom 2004). Others however have disagreed, (Wiseman & …

Power, Positioning, And The Potential Of Adult Learning Communities, Jacquelyn Mcmanus

EDL Sixth Year Theses

An initial curiosity around the variations and effectiveness of literacy coaching led to the extension of this research study, which explored the needs of adult learners in general as they existed and operated in their professional learning communities (PLCs). With a greater understanding of what adult learners sought from their learning communities, the research also established why certain adult learners pursued leadership positions, specifically was there a common profile of an adult learner who decided to lead PLCs instead of just participating. This study explored the functioning of the adult learners in their current PLCs and the perspectives of those …

Teachers', Educational Specialists' And School Leaders' Perceptions Of The Cumulative Impact Of Education Reform Mandates, Lucy Nevins Litchmore

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Throughout the history of education, there have been changes in funding, organization, governance, and curriculum. As a result of these changes, education reform and mandates have become cyclical in nature. However, with so many structural changes, the purpose of reform mandates often fall short of the intended purpose; closing achievement gaps and allowing equal access for all students.

The purpose of this study is to examine the way in which teachers’, educational specialists’, and school leaders perceive the cumulative impact of education reform efforts that will be bounded by subject of mathematics. In a qualitative case study, a combination of …

Understanding Author Academic Disciplinary Background To Direct A More Effective Use Of Standardized Testing Within The School Community, Joseph Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

Since the days of Horace Mann, standardized testing has been used as a control mechanism by policy makers to determine who makes decisions about what will happen in public schools. A dynamic struggle for educational control and governance has continued since that time between the local, state, and federal levels. This struggle for control puts school principals in a unique organizational position where they are expected to use standardized tests within the school community with teachers, students, and parents to improve education but at the same time manage external accountability mandates from district, state and federal levels of governance. To …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Traditional And Alternative Principal Preparation Programs, Summer Pannell Ph.D., Bernnell M. Peltier-Glaze Ed.D., Ingrid Haynes Ph.D., Delilah Davis Ph.D., Carrie Skelton Ph.D.

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

This study sought to determine the effectiveness on increasing student achievement of principals trained in a traditional principal preparation program and those trained in an alternate route principal preparation program within the same Mississippi university. Sixty-six Mississippi principals and assistant principals participated in the study. Of the 66 participants, 41 competed a traditional principal preparation program, and 25 completed an alternate route principal preparation program at the same university. The data included the type of principal preparation the participant received, the number of consecutive years served as a principal or assistant principal, and student achievement data for their assigned schools. …

The Experiences Of First-Generation Women From South-Central Appalachia Who Have Obtained Their Doctorate Degree In Educational Leadership, Teressa Ann Dobbs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate the experiences of first-generation women from South-Central Appalachia who completed a doctorate degree in educational leadership (EdD). Research indicates that nearly one third of doctoral recipients reported being first-generation, and the majority of these students concentrated in certain academic areas such as education. Furthermore, the literature suggests that there is a strong correlation between educational achievement levels and family background as well as cultural and geographic factors. While the amount of literature on minority groups has increased over the past 20 years, literature on the people and culture of Appalachia is limited. When first-generation …

Teacher Alienation: Reconceptualizing The Educational Work Environment, Jesse Robert Soza

LMU Theses and Dissertations

The following dissertation examined the relationship between dissatisfaction found within teacher working conditions and Melvin Seeman's theory of alienation. More specifically, it showed that all forms of teacher dissatisfaction engender feelings of alienation and that the oppressive nature of alienation is the root cause of all the negative consequences associated with teacher dissatisfaction. After an introduction, the literature review presents detailed descriptions of Seeman's theory of alienation, Paulo Freire's theory of empowerment, and the latest information surrounding the issue of teacher dissatisfaction. Next, qualitative narratives from interviews with six teachers about their experiences with dissatisfaction are presented. The researcher then …

Challenges For Novice School Leaders: Facing Today’S Issues In School Administration, Andrea Beam, Russell L. Claxton, Samuel J. Smith

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Challenges for novice school leaders evolve as information is managed differently and as societal and regulatory expectations change. This study addresses unique challenges faced by practicing school administrators (n=159) during their first three years in a school leadership position. It focuses on their perceptions, how perceptions of present novices compare to those of experienced school leaders, and how pre-service programs can better prepare them for these challenges. Findings showed that perceptions of present novice school leaders vary somewhat from those of experienced school leaders. Two themes shared relatively the same prominence among experienced leaders as they did with novices: navigating …

Advisement: From Bank Street To Binghamton, Margaret Yonemura

Thought and Practice: (1987-1991) the Journal of the Graduate School of Bank Street College of Education

The author describes her experience of adapting the Bank Street advisement model to a new master's program in early childhood/elementary education at the State University of New York at Binghamton.

The Advisement Process In School Reform, Esther Rosenfeld

Thought and Practice: (1987-1991) the Journal of the Graduate School of Bank Street College of Education

As the new Teacher Director at Central Park East II elementary school, the author chose to adapt Bank Street's advisement model to the staff development work at her school. She suggests that the process may be appropriately applied more broadly in efforts at school reform.

Latina Titans: A Journey Of Inspiration, Velma D. Menchaca, Shirley J. Mills, Filomena Leo

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications

This qualitative research examined the journey of renowned female leadership in higher education. Two top level Latina administrators of universities were interviewed extensively to discover their journey to leadership. The theoretical framework used was Latina critical race theory, feminist theory, and counter-storytelling. Themes that surfaced were strong supportive mother, fervent faith, humble beginnings, mentors, intelligence, and challenges not obstacles. These guiding themes serve as a path for Latinas who aspire to higher educational leadership positions.

Presidential Assistants In Higher Education And Their Use Of Power, Authority And Influence, Michael A. Sass

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The position of presidential assistant (PA) is a regularly occurring senior-level administrative position within institutions of higher education. PAs are instrumental to the success of the organization in which they work. Unlike many other higher education positions that fall into a specific hierarchy related to authority, the PA position does not often do so.

Nsu Educational Leadership (Florida State-Approved For Certification) Curriculum 2016, Nova Southeastern University

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice College Archive

No abstract provided.