Articles in this Issue
School Leaders’ Use and Value of Culturally Proficient Educational Practice in Rural, K-12 Public Schools Across the United States
Jaime E. Welborn
This convergent parallel mixed methods study investigated rural K-12 public school principals' perceptions regarding the degree to which they use and value practices related to cultural competence in their roles as school leaders. While an abundance of literature regarding leadership in rural education, student educational gaps, and school change exists, inequities in policy and practice perpetuate academic and social setbacks for some of our nation's youth, including those who attend rural schools that are often racial/ethnically homogeneous and laden with socio-economic disparity. Using the lens of the Cultural Proficiency Framework, specifically the Essential Elements, this study aimed to address the research questions and add to the literature by examining (1) the school principals' value in using culturally competent practices; (2) the school principals' use of culturally competent practices; and (3) culturally competent policies and practices used in rural, public schools across the United States. The study's findings revealed the most and least important culturally competent practices to rural school principals. They identified culturally competent practices they use most and least frequently in their roles. Three themes emerged from the data: student support services, professional learning communities to support instruction and assessment, and a lack of diversity warranting little need for culturally competent practice. Conclusions were drawn from a convergence of the findings from the data analyses, and implications suggest that applying the Essential Elements of Cultural Proficiency to school improvement efforts can yield increased equity, access, and inclusion for our rural youth in all regions of the United States.
Keywords: educational leadership, rural public education, equity, cultural proficiency, organizational change, policy and practice
"What if we don’t get it right?”: Leading Schools When the World Shuts Down
Beth Hebert, James Zoll and Sheri Hardee
Keywords: adaptive leadership, crisis, K-12 schools, principal preparation programs
Developing School Leaders’ Instructional Leadership Practices Through
Roya Pashmforoosh, Beverly J. Irby, Rafael Lara-Alecio and Fuhui Tong
Professional development (PD) for school leaders is focused primarily on documenting professional learning and identifying growth areas. However, the impact of reflections related to PD on sustaining school leaders’ instructional capacity remains rather unaddressed. We examined how practicing school leaders develop their instructional leadership practices through the use of the Reflection Cycle included in PD. This study was anchored in the conceptual framework of the Reflection Cycle offered by Author et al. (2001). Reflection and transformation are two central components in this framework. To this end, we collected the data through school leader participants’ reflections related to PD. The constant comparative method of the data analysis led to the emergence of three major themes as to how school leaders reflect on the improvement of building instructional capacity to improve teachers’ pedagogy. Our findings revealed an increased awareness of instructional leadership and decision-making as informed by the practicing school leaders’ reflections. Structured reflections via the use of the Reflection Cycle show promise for enhancing school leaders’ plans for transforming and improving their instructional leadership practices.
Keywords: reflection; instructional leadership; professional development (PD); school leaders; high-needs schools; transformation.
Teacher Psychological Capital and Leadership Responsibility for Developing Staff in the Great Resignation
Carol A. Mullen and Amanda Flanagan
The purpose of this article was to review literature on teacher psychological capital (PsyCap) and leadership responsibility for developing staff. A related purpose involved investigating the phenomenon of second-career teachers (SCTs) with direct relevance for school administration. The research question guiding this analysis was, What does the research convey about teacher PsyCap in relation to the role of leaders and career switchers in particular? Peer-reviewed research from 2012 to 2023 and in international contexts was analyzed, totaling 89 articles and 5 books. In light of the teacher attrition crisis worsened by the so-called Great Resignation during the pandemic, career switcher numbers rose. Building leaders’ support for maintaining a healthy environment and retaining a quality workforce can be bolstered with knowledge of teacher PsyCap and its relationship to satisfaction and happiness. Advancing education as a focus of study in positive psychology, the authors studied teachers’ and leaders’ conceptions of PsyCap, satisfaction, and happiness from a solution-generating approach. The role of leadership in investing in teacher psychology relative to hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism (HERO) is highlighted. Leaders’ awareness of these qualities and how to foster them in order to both influence and manage positive attitudes and behaviors at work warrant deliberation on behalf of all staff, including SCTs. This topic in research and within schools deserves more attention.
Keywords: hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism (HERO); school leaders; second-career teacher (SCT); teacher attrition; teacher psychological capital (PsyCap)
Teacher Perceptions of Characteristics of an Effective Instructional Leader
Jessica Reese, Denise Glasgow, Art Safer and Tamara Korenman
This basic qualitative research study examined teacher perceptions of characteristics of effective instructional leadership. The purpose of the study was to determine what instructional leadership styles teachers identified as having the most impact on improving their own instructional skills. Previous research on instructional leadership has shown a gap in the teacher’s perspective on the leadership styles they find most effective in helping them to learn. Eleven teachers with five or more years’ experience working under at least three different principals participated in a semi structured interview research design. This qualitative study explored teacher perceptions of the leadership qualities of their principal. The results showed that effective instructional leaders are principals who possess strong characteristics of both transformational and situational leadership.
Keywords: leadership styles, instructional leadership, teacher’s perspectives
University and School Districts Working Collaboratively to Develop a Grow Your Own Partnership
Cynthia A. Conn, Claire Martin, Thomas J. Weaver, and Ramona N. Mellott
The purpose of this article is to present a review of the literature and describe an initial process evaluation for the development and implementation of a Grow Your Own (GYO) partnership for training teachers. The United States (U.S.) is experiencing a severe teacher shortage and Arizona ranks first in terms of turnover rate of teachers (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017). The lack of qualified teachers for open positions is a crucial issue impacting school effectiveness that school and district leaders are facing. In 2022, Northern Arizona University (NAU) created a GYO partnership, developed in part from similar GYO programs forming across the U.S. Specific elements leading to the initial success of the program are discussed and include offering a tuition-free option for students to complete a teacher certification program and flexible course offerings to meet the needs of a diverse student population. Based on an extensive literature review and reflection of the development and implementation of the GYO program, findings indicate a need to focus on recruitment strategies, develop strong partnerships with local school districts, and collaborate on funding distribution and sources.
Keywords: collaborate, diverse candidates, educational barriers, funding, grow your own, needs assessment, partnership, teacher certification, teacher preparation, recruitment, retention, state scholarship programs
Keywords: collaborate, diverse candidates, educational barriers, funding, grow your own, needs assessment, partnership, teacher certification, teacher preparation, recruitment, retention, state scholarship programs