Jingping Sun, Jiangang Xia, Cheng Hua, Kaiwen Man, Bob L. Johnson
{"title":"Assessing the Psychometric Qualities of the Data-Informed School Leadership Survey","authors":"Jingping Sun, Jiangang Xia, Cheng Hua, Kaiwen Man, Bob L. Johnson","doi":"10.1177/0013161x241271250","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161x241271250","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose: There is little consensus in the literature regarding a) what it means for a school leader to lead with data, and b) how to measure data-informed leadership in a reliable and valid way. This study examines the psychometric properties of an operational measure intended to assess the extent to which a school leader is a ‘data-informed school leader. The measurement invariance, reliabilities and construct and predictive validities of the Data-Informed School Leadership Survey (DISL Survey) are assessed using various psychometric statistical techniques. Methods: Using data collected from teachers in 155 public middle schools in a southern state, the following psychometric statistics used to address our purpose: the Many-Facet Rasch (MFR) Model, Bayesian second-order Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Bayesian Structural Equation Modeling- Multiple Indicators, Multiple Causes analysis (Bayesian SEM-MIMIC), and reliability analysis. Findings: Results: confirm an adequate fit from all MFR, Bayesian CFA, and MIMIC models and a high reliability (Cronbach α = .98). The DISL Survey instrument exhibits sound psychometric properties. Results likewise confirm the value of using MFR modeling and Bayesian methods to examine the psychometric properties of DISL Survey as a means of improving educational leadership measures. Implications for Research and Practice: Data from this study confirm the validity and reliability of the Data-Informed School Leadership Survey (DISL Survey) as an instrument to assess the strengths and weaknesses of Data-Informed School Leadership (DISL) and as such a means for providing feedback for improving such leadership. Heretofore a measure for assessing this leadership was non-existent.","PeriodicalId":48091,"journal":{"name":"Educational Administration Quarterly","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142207592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elizabeth M. Uzzell, Jennifer B. Ayscue, Lance D. Fusarelli, Mario M. Jackson
{"title":"“Fighting an Uphill Battle”: The Pursuit of Equity Through the Every Student Succeeds Act in North Carolina","authors":"Elizabeth M. Uzzell, Jennifer B. Ayscue, Lance D. Fusarelli, Mario M. Jackson","doi":"10.1177/0013161x241281372","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161x241281372","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose: The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) reduced the role of the federal government in K-12 education, giving states more flexibility while maintaining protections for marginalized groups. Despite the potential to leverage flexibility, little is known about how states are addressing equity. Research Methods: Using a critical policy analysis (CPA) approach, this qualitative case study uses semi-structured interviews and document analysis to examine the design and implementation of equity efforts by the state education agency (SEA) in North Carolina. Findings: SEA officials describe writing the state ESSA plan as an exercise in compliance and believe the plan could have gone further in pushing equitable solutions. Competing priorities within the SEA, including the struggle to fulfill its dual roles as service provider and regulatory agency, complicated ESSA implementation, as did state-level political maneuvers. A significant, unexpected finding is that participants were much more comfortable discussing the needs of economically disadvantaged students than students of color, and often avoided mentioning race specifically. Additionally, although the pandemic caused major disruptions to schooling, SEA officials identified “keeps” that were begun as a pandemic response and may continue as the SEA pushes equitable solutions for traditionally underserved students. Implications for Research and Practice: This study suggests that competing initiatives, staff turnover, and political ideology may limit the SEA's capacity to address power and resource imbalances and hinder efforts to promote greater equity in the educational system. Moreover, the SEA's focus shifted to ESSER funding during the COVID-19 pandemic.","PeriodicalId":48091,"journal":{"name":"Educational Administration Quarterly","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142207590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Michael H. Little, Timothy Drake, Kathryn Chapman, Austin Gragson
{"title":"Preparing Early Education Leaders: An Analysis of UCEA Principal Preparation Programs","authors":"Michael H. Little, Timothy Drake, Kathryn Chapman, Austin Gragson","doi":"10.1177/0013161x241281514","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161x241281514","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose: Recently, a confluence of factors has focused elementary school leaders on early education. One factor is that nearly 60 percent of all public elementary schools in the U.S. today have a Pre-K program in the building. Yet, prior research reveals that leaders are often not prepared to effectively lead early education programs. This study assesses the current state of early education leadership preparation among UCEA-affiliated programs. Method: Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach, our study draws on survey data from 232 principal preparation faculty members at UCEA-affiliated programs, follow-up interviews with 20 purposively sampled survey respondents, and content analysis of 113 program web pages. Findings: We found that preparation programs currently afford little attention to early education leadership coursework and content, despite faculty expressing it as an important goal. Only four percent of faculty from the survey reported that their program required a course focused on child development and/or early education—a finding corroborated by the website analysis. Last, our interviews reveal reasons for the limited engagement with early education leadership, including time constraints, limited faculty experience, and licensure and accreditation requirements. Implications: Policymakers aiming to improve early education leadership may revise principal certification requirements that could prompt revisions in principal preparation programs. Principal preparation programs, similarly, could revise their programming to intentionally expose principal candidates to key topics in early education leadership. A bi-directional and concerted reform effort is likely needed to meaningfully advance change in this area.","PeriodicalId":48091,"journal":{"name":"Educational Administration Quarterly","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142207591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elizabeth Ann Tetu, Katherine Schultz, Wagma Mommandi
{"title":"Conflict, Competition, and Collaboration in Co-Located Schools: School Leaders Navigating Structural Distrust","authors":"Elizabeth Ann Tetu, Katherine Schultz, Wagma Mommandi","doi":"10.1177/0013161x241277852","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161x241277852","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose:This study focuses on school leaders’ daily practices, decisions, and understandings to illuminate the role that distrust plays in school co-location in Denver. In order to inform decisions about the policy's implementation, we examine the relationships between structural dimensions of co-location policy and the ways that school leaders characterize and shape interactions between teachers and students in co-located schools. Research Methods: Drawing from a larger qualitative study, we conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with leaders of co-located schools in Denver to explore school leaders’ perspectives and experiences related to school co-location. We analyzed 11 school leaders’ experiences on 7 focal “shared campuses”–buildings housing more than one K-12 school–to identify their understandings of, experiences with, and responses to school co-location. Findings: Although leaders on all focal campuses attempted to keep school communities separate within co-located buildings, most still reported that conflict arose between staff and students from different schools. In some cases, leaders facilitated collaboration between schools, bringing some of the intended benefits of school co-location to fruition. More often they cited competition, which was incentivized by the district's policy of school choice, as a barrier to such efforts. Our data suggest that structural distrust embedded in the policies and processes surrounding school co-location shaped both these everyday interactions among school communities and the opportunities that school leaders saw (or didn’t see) for positive outcomes. Implications: Remedies available to those in authority–including policymakers and school leaders–require that they explicitly acknowledge distrust and change the power imbalances present among stakeholders in co-located schools.","PeriodicalId":48091,"journal":{"name":"Educational Administration Quarterly","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142226507","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Responding to Crisis: A Multiple Case Study of District Approaches for Supporting Student Learning in the COVID-19 Pandemic","authors":"Ayesha K. Hashim, Hayley Weddle, Ogechi N. Irondi","doi":"10.1177/0013161x241271317","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161x241271317","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose: Prior research shows wide variation in student learning across contexts during the COVID-19 pandemic, but less is known about why such variation occurred or how particular response approaches may help districts navigate future crises. Research methods: Drawing on crisis leadership and organizational theory, we conducted a multiple case study of pandemic response across five school districts in Michigan that performed better-than-predicted on benchmark assessments during the 2020–21 school year. We interviewed 46 district, school, and teacher leaders across district cases and analyzed data using comparative case study methods. Findings: We find that local leaders relied on existing resources such as staff-student relationships, school-family relationships, and curricula and instructional models to address foundational needs stemming from the pandemic. These resources were part of each district's distinct approach to supporting student learning prior to the pandemic and provided a reliable path forward amidst ongoing uncertainty and disruption. When previous approaches were not aligned to external demands, local leaders leveraged staff expertise, staff collaboration, and school-family relationships to develop new teaching and learning approaches. In-person and hybrid districts adapted to create safe in-person learning environments, while remote and hybrid districts adapted to use technology to engage students in distanced learning and personalized academic support. Implications: Our findings shed light on pandemic response approaches that other districts can adopt in future crises and resources that need to be cultivated and distributed across districts to support crisis response. We contribute new insights on the interplay between leadership and organizational capacity during crisis response.","PeriodicalId":48091,"journal":{"name":"Educational Administration Quarterly","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142207594","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Integrating Instructional Leadership With Social Justice Leadership: Insights From Israel's Principals","authors":"Haim Shaked","doi":"10.1177/0013161x241266806","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161x241266806","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose: This study explores how school principals can effectively integrate instructional leadership with social justice leadership, recognizing their dual roles in promoting academic excellence and fostering a socially just school environment. Research Methods: Participants in this qualitative study were 32 principals from elementary schools in Israel. Data collection involved one-on-one interviews and focus groups. Data analysis followed a comprehensive four-stage process, including sorting, coding, categorizing, and theorizing. Findings: The study identified four interrelated perspectives on the relationship between instructional leadership and social justice leadership: (1) instructional leadership and social justice leadership have divergent foci; (2) instructional leadership inherently contributes to social justice; (3) social justice leadership defines the teaching approach required by instructional leadership; and (4) social justice leadership shapes the purpose of instructional leadership. Implications: This study suggests that to encompass the entire range of integration between instructional leadership and social justice leadership, principals must consider two aspects: the influence of social justice leadership on instructional leadership goals and its impact on instructional leadership practices.","PeriodicalId":48091,"journal":{"name":"Educational Administration Quarterly","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141775147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Mediation Role of Teacher Recognition Between Transformational Leadership and Teacher Professionalism: A Multilevel Mediation Analysis","authors":"Ying Zhang","doi":"10.1177/0013161x241263845","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161x241263845","url":null,"abstract":"Given the significant influence of managerial reforms in education fields, how to promote teacher professionalism appears to be a priority task for school leaders. This study examined the mediation role of teacher recognition on the association between transformative leadership and teacher professionalism. From a sample of 1196 primary and secondary school teachers nested in 98 schools from mainland China, this study used the multilevel structuration equation model to explore the associations among the study variables on both the teacher level and school level simultaneously. On the teacher level, the results showed that transformative leadership was positively related to teacher professionalism and verified the mediation role of teacher recognition for social esteem. On the school level, transformative leadership was associated with teacher professionalism through the mediation role of recognition for care. This study suggests that transformative leadership may influence teacher professionalism via teacher recognition on both individual and school levels, while the influence mechanism could be different.","PeriodicalId":48091,"journal":{"name":"Educational Administration Quarterly","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141802141","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Angela M. Lyle, James P. Spillane, Christa Haverly
{"title":"Leading Elementary School Science: Taking a Multilevel Distributed Perspective to Explore Leadership Practice","authors":"Angela M. Lyle, James P. Spillane, Christa Haverly","doi":"10.1177/0013161x241264794","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161x241264794","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose: Most empirical work using a distributed perspective to frame research on leadership practice uses the school as the unit of analysis, focusing on how leadership is stretched over people and aspects of the situation within schools. This study investigates leadership practice for elementary science, using a multilevel distributed framework, to understand the interrelationships among educational leaders operating at various levels—from classrooms, to schools, to educational systems, and, beyond, to the educational sector. Research Methods/Approach: Using an embedded, comparative case study design, we analyzed leadership practice for elementary science reform in 13 school districts in the U.S. as leaders worked to bridge from the Next Generation Science Standards learning ideals to classroom instruction. Data collection included interviews, observations, and documents. Findings: Leading elementary science reform involved three core components of leadership practice: (1) garnering attention for science in a situation that prioritized the instruction of English Language Arts and mathematics; (2) cultivating and channeling essential relationships not only within the system but also in the broader education sector to access the resources needed to (re)build an educational infrastructure for elementary science instruction; and (3) supporting the use of educational infrastructure in everyday practice in schools. Implications: This study makes the case for using a multilevel distributed leadership perspective to frame studies of leadership practice to understand how efforts at different levels interact in shaping the practice of leadership.","PeriodicalId":48091,"journal":{"name":"Educational Administration Quarterly","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141744308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Call for Papers: A Paradigm Shift to Estimation Thinking in Quantitative Research in Educational Leadership","authors":"Jiangang Xia","doi":"10.1177/0013161x241242599","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161x241242599","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48091,"journal":{"name":"Educational Administration Quarterly","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140593324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A School Leader's Acompañamiento: Identity and Belonging With Immigrant Families","authors":"Ana Contreras","doi":"10.1177/0013161x241235644","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161x241235644","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose:This study explores the community-building practices of a school leader at a middle/high school in a Latino/a and African American community. I analyze how the principal leveraged his immigrant identity and experiences to connect with immigrant families and adapt to their needs to form a sense of belonging in the school and neighborhood. I focus on the power of immigrant and BIPOC school leaders drawing from their cultural practices to lead efforts for family engagement. Methods: My study draws on a 3-year critical ethnographic study. Qualitative data sources include participant observation of school/community events; interviews with school faculty, parents, and community members; and participatory methods. I draw on the concepts of pedagogies of acompañamiento and critical care to theorize practices that educators employ to forge relationships with families and create humanizing spaces. Findings: I argue that the school's principal, a Latino immigrant, functioned as a “border broker” in helping families find a sense of belonging in the school and community. He embodied pedagogies of acompañamiento as he accompanied parents through marginalizing experiences and created spaces where they could share and participate in decision-making. Discussion: I highlight the possibilities of pedagogies of acompañamiento in school spaces and recommend practices for school leaders in designing engagement strategies.","PeriodicalId":48091,"journal":{"name":"Educational Administration Quarterly","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140025591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}