Articles in this Issue
A Systematic Review of Mindfulness in School Principals
Jeana M. Partin
Research regarding the practice of leaders’ mindfulness has increased over the past several years. Emphasis on principals’ mindfulness practices helped educational leaders become stronger during these uncertain and stressful times. Specifically, researching how principals use mindfulness in a school setting advances educational leadership by exploring this relationship. This systematic review aimed to understand how principals use mindful practices in their schools and relationships with their stakeholders. Attributes of mindfulness used in their leadership practices were explored to influence ways to enhance educational leadership training. Fourteen peer-reviewed research studies from 2010-2021 were reviewed. There were five key themes identified related to a principal’s use of mindfulness: (a) school organization, (b) decision-making, (c) well-being, (d) leadership attributes, and (e) student success. This article concluded by discussing the key findings and suggestions to guide future research on principals’ mindfulness.
Keywords: well-being, mindfulness, principal, organizational trust, decision-making
A Phenomenological Examination of the Responses to Judicialization by College Student Conduct Administrators
Valerie Glassman and Travis Lewis
A qualitative study of twelve student conduct administrators sought to capture their lived experiences relative to the impacts of federal and state regulation, case law, the media, attorney encroachment, parental involvement, and the use of litigation to supersede traditional processes on their professional work and personal lives. The interviews invited participants to share personal narratives about their lived experiences and led to the discovery of seven themes pertaining to the judicialization of their work: (1) communication, (2) conservative decision making, (3) mental health concerns, (4) responding to perceptions of what student conduct is, (5) the role of campus legal counsel, (6) the shift from being student-centered to process-centered, and (7) impacts of students’ attorneys. Findings revealed that although this phenomenon has created harms for these practitioners, it has also allowed them to develop strategies for wellness, self-care, and sustainability in the profession.
Keywords: College Student Conduct, College Administrators, Judicialization
The Role of Meet Sessions and Breakout Rooms in Creating a Doctoral Learning Community: A Sequential Mixed Methods Study
Valerie A. Storey, Aimee Wagner and Gina Jones
The problem of Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) doctoral student attrition has led institutions to explore solutions to support doctoral students’ program completion. According to Tinto’s model of institutional departure, students’ social and academic integration must be addressed to increase retention. Additionally, Astin’s student involvement theory purports that the effectiveness of an engagement strategy is dependent upon the program’s ability to increase the amount of time and level of commitment of students. In VLE programs, personal interactions are limited. The purpose of this sequential mixed-methods study is to examine the perceptions of doctoral students and doctoral teaching faculty of weekly voluntary Zoom meet sessions utilizing breakout rooms in VLE doctoral programs. Data were collected from 1) 50 doctoral students (75.8%); 2) 31 (24.4% doctoral faculty teaching online; and 3) a focus group consisting of the Doctoral Students Association (DSA) leadership team. The results indicated that the implementation of a voluntary weekly meet session and the utilization of breakout rooms could facilitate the development of a DLC.
Keywords: attrition, breakout rooms, Doctoral Learning Community (DLC), doctoral student, doctoral program, meet session, online, Virtual Learning Community (VLE)
Exploring Perceptions of Urban High School Students Related to Their High Priority Counseling Needs
Olcay Yavuz
There is a growing emphasis to improve underserved students’ academic, social-emotional, and career development as schools strive to deliver comprehensive student services. The purpose of this study is to explore urban high school students’ perspectives on improving academic and counseling services. The results and implications for educational leaders and policymakers are designed to extend school leaders’ and counselors’ knowledge about delivering effective school counseling programs. Particularly, the findings allow urban school principals and school counselors to identify the high and low program needs of urban students to become college and career-ready. School leaders and counselors can apply the findings of this study to create a systemic and comprehensive student service in their schools by looking at time allocation in prevention versus responsive counseling services.
Keywords: Principal and Counselor Partnership, High Priority Counseling Needs, Urban Schools
Playing Charades: Failures, Fads, and Follies of School Improvement Plans
David C. Coker
Most public K-12 schools in the United States enact a school improvement plan each year based upon the state testing results from the previous year. Despite the many frameworks, research, and recommendations, few scholars tackled what the plans contain and the results. Using a sequential explanatory mixed methods model, two stages examined school improvement plans for language arts tests over three years: a general linear model for 1316 schools in two states and a longitudinal thematic analysis of plans within one district. Most plans produced minor improvements in test scores, and most schools developed generic, nondescript plans to improve teaching practices. The school improvement plans failed to create substantive, visible change in most schools. Instead of the usual recommendations, a simple view of improvement finds schools need to focus on three criteria at the local level: students, curriculum, and highly effective teachers. Each criterion has several subvariables, but school improvement plans should move beyond a focus on student failure and seek to improve all students.
Keywords: school improvement, strategic leadership, educational administration, thematic analysis, mixed methods
Nebraska’s Superintendency Pay Transparency Act: Considerations for Rural Midwest Policymakers
Kathryn R. Blaha and David De Jong
Salary differences between male and female superintendents start at the beginning of their careers and continue throughout employment (Biasi & Sarsons, 2022; Blau & Kahn, 2017). This practice draws attention to the lack of gender equity, as evidenced by the unequal distribution of power, wealth, and benefits between males and females employed in this profession (Parmer, 2021). Salary negotiations provide an opportunity to improve resources, tasks, and monetary compensation (Sӓve-Sӧderbergh, 2019). While men readily self-promote and negotiate, women are less likely to engage in these practices (Northouse, 2019). Literature suggests five topics attributable to women’s performance during negotiations: gender differences, beliefs, relationships, norms and stereotypes, and other reasons (Kugler et al., 2018; Odell, 2020; Reif et al., 2019; Reyes et al., 2021; Seligman et al., 2018; Stevens & Whelan, 2019). Addressing strategies associated with gender differences and their impact on negotiations is beyond the scope of this brief. However, it is appropriate to examine salary transparency as a potential solution to the issue of pay disparity. Nebraska’s Superintendent Pay Transparency Act (NSPTA) establishes stipulations and expectations regarding the publication of superintendent contracts (Gessford, 2014), providing visibility into compensation practices for the profession. Other Midwest states do not have such a robust policy
Keywords: Salary negotiations, salary differences by gender, pay disparity
Student Satisfaction and Perceived Learning in Online Learning
Environments: An Instrument Development and Validation Study
Melanie DiLoreto, Julie Anne Gray and Joshua Schutts
The Student Learning and Satisfaction in Online Learning Environments (SLS-OLE) is an easy to administer 19-item, self-report measure of student learning and satisfaction in online learning environments. Past studies have reported a measure of four domains of perceived learning and satisfaction associated with their experiences with online learning in higher education. The purpose of this paper was to examine the factor structure of the SLS-OLE with a large sample of graduate students at one university located in the southeastern United States. To assess the fit of the data to the four-factor structure, a confirmatory factor analysis was employed on data collected from 337 participants pursuing an online graduate degree in educational leadership. Results indicate the model adequately fits the data and findings signify that instructor presence is the best predictor of both student satisfaction and perceived learning.
Keywords: course structure and organization, learner interaction, instructor presence, student engagement, and online learning, instrument validation
Emergent Bilinguals and Multimedia Instructional Design: Applying the Science of Learning Principles to Dual Language Instruction
Marjorie Ceballos and Joyce W. Nutta
The purpose of this practice to theory article is to present educational leaders with critical considerations for multimedia instructional content for emergent bilinguals (EBs) in dual language programs and other EB academic settings. EBs’ academic development and achievement are advanced when multimedia instruction is intentionally designed to address language inputs and science of learning principles for multimedia instruction. Instructional leadership practices for emergent bilinguals may benefit from an understanding of the connection between the science of learning principles for multimedia design and second language learning. This article begins with a brief discussion of EB instructional leadership and continues with an overview of language inputs and dual language instruction. Next, it introduces the cognitive theory of multimedia learning and science of learning principles focused on for this discussion. The article concludes with an example of the science of learning principles applied to a second language lesson and considerations for EB multimedia instruction design as educational leaders provide EB instructional leadership in schools and school districts
Keywords: dual language instruction, emergent bilinguals, English learners, instructional leadership, multimedia instruction, science of learning
Secondary Level Literacy Coaches’ and Content-area Teachers’ Relationships as an Avenue for School Improvement
Mary Cathryn Hannah Anderson and Tania Carlson Reis
The purpose of this paper is to report on a qualitative study that examined secondary level literacy coaches’ and secondary teachers’ relationships in one educational region of a U.S. northeast state. This study employed a phenomenological approach. Data was collected in two phases. In Phase 1, the researcher interviewed five literacy coaches about their role as a coach. In Phase II, the researcher interviewed nine teachers to understand their perceptions of the coaching experience. Findings from the study show three interconnected themes. First, literacy coaching in the secondary setting is notably more complex than the elementary school level. Second, role ambiguity complicates the teacher-coach relationship. Third, lack of job clarification requires the literacy coach to define their position through relationship building. Implications for school administrators concern the importance of clarification and collaboration with teachers and coaches in implementing a coaching model. This study contributes to the current lack of evidence-based research on the secondary teacher-literacy coach relationship and how school administrators can better support the literacy coaching model
Keywords: Literacy coach, Secondary education, role ambiguity, coaching model
Teachers’ Perceptions on the Impacts of Social Emotional Learning Program Implementation
Hayle Christina Jerome, Denise Glasgow, Mary Zaharis and L. Arthur Safer
Research has shown the significance in social-emotional learning in children and adults. Likewise, studies have shown the significance on the type of leadership style an organization uses to maximize their employee’s work ethic. Despite, these two known concepts, there is a limited number of studies that show how leadership impacts the implementation of a program. This qualitative study aims to understand teacher perceptions on how a shared leadership approach impacts implementing a social-emotional learning program. Through open ended surveys and focus group interviews, data will be collected to interpret how teachers perceive shared leadership has impacted the implementation of a social-emotional learning program. In addition, this study will provide insight into how school culture and teachers’ interactions and experiences can impact the implementation of a social-emotional learning program. The data collected was coded and organized into categories to identify common themes among the participants. Following the data analysis, the researcher answered the research questions: (1) What were the teachers’ experiences with implementing a social-emotional learning program through shared leadership? (2) What were the teachers’ perceptions of the school culture during the implementation of social-emotional learning program? (3) What were the teachers’ prior learnings, and experiences of the implementation of a social-emotional learning program
Keywords: Social-emotional Learning (SEL), School Culture, Social Constructivism, Shared Leadership
The “Unite the Right” Rally and Charlottesville City Schools: The Transformation of a Crisis
Sara Lourdes Epperly, Jay Paredes Scribner, and Karen L. Sanzo
Sara Lourdes Epperly, Jay Paredes Scribner, and Karen L. Sanzo
Educational leaders at all levels must be prepared to address crises and their aftermaths. The conventional wisdom on crises and their management suggests that while crisis can originate from myriad sources, they largely proceed according to predictable stages. Our study draws from traditional and more critical literature on crisis and crisis management to understand the case the 2017 Unite the Right rally and its impact on Charlottesville City Schools. Specifically, we unpack the unfolding nature of the crisis and the district superintendent’s leadership through each phase of the crisis. We use the notion of paracrisis and crisis of challenge to understand how an acute and traumatic experience for the school community evolved into a crisis that challenged the legitimacy of the school district for its history of policy and practices that sustained institutionally racist practices for decades. Our findings illustrate how the process of crisis transformation occurred, and more importantly, how the superintendent’s approach to leadership also changed to meet the new demands of the evolving crisis. These findings raise important questions and implications for how educational leaders might think about the crises they face, and the crisis management plans that guide that work
Keywords: Crisis, Crisis management, Crisis transformation, School district leadership
How do Community College Leaders Learn Leadership? A Mixed Methods Study on Leadership Learning Experiences
Jill Channing
Jill Channing
The need for community college leadership development is pressing due to impending retirements and leadership vacancies. To better understand how leaders develop leadership skills and aptitudes, this explanatory sequential mixed-methods study aimed to examine perceptions of community college administrators’ leadership learning experiences. The study involved first collecting quantitative data through descriptive survey responses and then explaining these results with qualitative interview data from current community college administrators. In alignment with the theoretical framework focusing on social and experiential learning, this study’s findings reveal that learning occurs through a variety of means and experiences within one’s environment. When new concepts or skills are related to previous experiences and learning, this assists with learning those new concepts and skills. Results suggest that leadership is a learnable skill, experiences are key to learning leadership, and leadership development programs can integrate experiential learning more intentionally into their curricula. Further research is needed to determine the effectiveness of educational programs for community college leaders working in increasingly complex contexts
Keywords: community college leadership; leadership professional development; leadership education; experiential learning; Kolb and leadership
Utilizing a Coherent Sequence of Observations to Restructure the Principal Practicum
Thomas W. Harvey, Donna Fong, Neil Faulk, Shelly Allen, Glenn Harrison and Donna Azodi
Thomas W. Harvey, Donna Fong, Neil Faulk, Shelly Allen, Glenn Harrison and Donna Azodi
Using research-based practices a principal preparation program located in Texas restructured its practicum activities. Funded by a research grant, sponsored by Academic Partnerships, three coherently sequenced field activities, were developed and mandated as part of the practicum. These activities were performed by principal preparation candidates on school campuses and archived using video recordings. The video recordings were asynchronously observed and evaluated by certified university field supervisors. Upon completion of the evaluation, individual feedback, coaching statements, and goals were shared with each candidate in a one-to-one synchronous conference led by field supervisors. Researchers analyzed data to identify qualitative themes concerning the impact of the coherently sequenced activities. Data from the principal candidates and field supervisors were analyzed. (In memoriam, the authors recognize the contributions of Donna Azodi in this research effort.
Keywords: Principal Preparation, Principal Internship, Field Supervision
Identifying Perceptions of Superintendent Internship Site Supervisors on the Relevance and Impact of Internship Activities
Thomas W. Harvey, Michael Schwanenberger, Jimmy Creel, Johnny O’Connor, Gary Martin and
Robert Nicks
Thomas W. Harvey, Michael Schwanenberger, Jimmy Creel, Johnny O’Connor, Gary Martin and
Robert Nicks
This study explored the perceptions of district superintendents in Texas and Arizona concerning the internship activities of superintendent candidates they supervised. Twenty superintendents agreed to participate in interviews. Five uniform questions were presented during the interviews. A qualitative analysis of interview responses is shared, and conclusions are provided
Keywords: Internship, Superintendent Preparation, District Leadership
Tell Me What You Really Think: Student Voice in Assessment Design for Educational Leadership Programs
Gregg B. Dionne, Katie Sloan and Georgina E. Wilson
Gregg B. Dionne, Katie Sloan and Georgina E. Wilson
Student voice related to assessment, particularly in graduate educational leadership preparation programs, can be a powerful source of data to inform program development and implementation. This case study explores student experience and attitude toward assessment in two graduate-level educational leadership programs at a midwestern university in the U.S. A multi-method case study design was employed to gain an understanding of current assessment practices including focus groups, interviews, and document analysis. Findings reveal multiple themes related to students’ preferences for assessment as well as the absence of language pertaining to the use of student voice in the development and implementation of assessment in available guidance documents
Keywords: Student voice; educational leadership; assessment; case study
Influence of Personal and District Characteristics on Superintendents' Freedom to Implement Change, Staff Readiness for Change, and Leadership Styles
Maduakolam Ireh and Ogochukwu T. lbeneme
Maduakolam Ireh and Ogochukwu T. lbeneme
As schools continue to battle with calls for reform and restructuring, understanding important aspects of change leadership is needed in explaining factors that facilitate successful implementation of planned changes in schools. Certain personal and school district characteristics have been reported in the literature as having impact or influence on school leaders' ability to successfully initiate, lead and/or manage the implementation of change. This study examined the influence of certain personal and district characteristics of Ohio school superintendents' (N = 200) on their perceived freedom to implement change, perceived readiness of staff to implement change, and situational leadership styles. Results of Pearson product moment correlation, stepwise multiple regression, and ANOVA are presented and discussed
Keywords: change, characteristics, district, freedom, implement influence, leadership, readiness, school, staff, style, superintendent
Redesigning Principal Preparation: A Case Study of the ASU Educational Leadership Tier II Program
Janis E. Carthon, Dan Aladjem, Deborah V. Daniels and Kathleen Fletcher
Janis E. Carthon, Dan Aladjem, Deborah V. Daniels and Kathleen Fletcher
Over the past five years, Albany State University (ASU) has reconstituted its Education Specialist Leadership Tier II Program to prepare school principals to work in some of the least served schools in southwest Georgia (and, as described below, outside of Georgia as well). Prior to the redesign of the program, ASU was struggling with a limited number of applicants who met state requirements for enrollment, such as Tier I certification and a school leadership position. The redesign focused on a vision for a program that would be aligned to the best current thinking on the preparation of principals. This thinking included balancing authentic leadership experiences embedded in clinical practice, individualized guidance and mentorship from experts, and close partnerships with the school districts in which graduates were most likely to work upon graduation. This case study tells the story of what ASU did and how they accomplished this herculean task
Keywords: educational leadership program, partnerships, continuous improvement
The Effect of Charter School Management Companies on School Outcomes: A Closer Look at Michigan Charter Schools and Their Operators
Benjamin P. Jankens
Benjamin P. Jankens
Charter schools began as an experiment to improve public education in the United States of America (Weil, 2000). The theory was that these schools would operate outside of traditional public schools and would be free of the oversight and regulatory requirements constraining the current educational systems, in exchange for increased accountability and performance Lake, 2013). These new educational programs would be incubators of innovation and spawn new educational methods, addressing the challenges plaguing traditional public schools (Price & Jankens, 2016). The purpose of this research was to explore charter school performance in Michigan by looking closer at charter school operators – charter school management companies. By isolating factors that are unique to each charter school, this research drew additional conclusions and gained further insight into influences that impact charter school performance. The results of this study provide insight into how charter schools perform, specifically when looking at the differences in management styles. The results also illuminate the differences between charter schools by for-profit and nonprofit status
Keywords: charter schools, management companies, CMO, EMO, ESP, educational service providers, operators, performance, accountability