732 research outputs found
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Networking Lunch
No full textThetas and Etas will sit together at lunch and use scripted table conversation cards at each table to learn more about one another. Etas as the “senior” class will use this time to mentor new Thetas and answer important questions during this networking lunch. Share Business Cards, email addresses and “make a colleague for life”
Mini 10: Branding Yourself as a Transformational Leader
No full textThis session will highlight the importance of personal and professional branding as it relates to becoming a transformational leader. Participants will assess their current branding strategies and explore a simple, strategic model to help them take the appropriate steps to achieve their personal effectiveness vision
Mini 11: Leading for Educational Change in the 21st Century
No full textLeading for educational change in the 21st century requires transformational leadership, but how can we know which change strategies and initiatives are the right ones to use? This session explores the responses and findings from case study interviews with superintendents from across the country whose districts have been named Exemplar School Districts by the Partnership for 21st Century Learning. Come discover insights from these successful leaders concerning change leadership, as Rebecca shares the emergent themes from her case study research, exploring leadership strategies, change models, barriers to change, 21st century initiatives, and more
Crisis Leadership and Management of Superintendents During the 2017-18 California Wildfires
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this mixed methods heuristic research study was to discover how school superintendents described their crisis leadership and management experiences during the 2017-2018 wildfires in California through the lens of the Five Critical Tasks of Strategic Crisis Leadership framework of sense making, meaning making, decision-making and coordination, learning, accounting (Boin, \u27t Hart, Stern, & Sundelius, 2017). Additionally, this study determined the extent to which school superintendents identify their use of the Five Critical Tasks of Strateby Dianna W. Kitamuragic Crisis Leadership framework.
Methodology: This explanatory, sequential mixed methods heuristic research study investigated a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews to address the research questions as they pertain to the Five Critical Tasks of Strategic Crisis Leadership framework (CTSCL).
Findings: The major findings of this study were superintendents must incorporate the CTSCL into their traditional crisis preparedness plan and include a social-political network to effectively lead their district during a crisis. Training is inadequate for a superintendent’s preparation for a crisis; and social justice, equity, and gender equality issues also manifest during a crisis.
Conclusion: Making meaning of a crisis was the critical task that was the most significant for superintendents as they make sense of the crisis and make decisions about the safety and well-being of students and staff. The decision-making and coordination task was also significant due to an emphasis on the connection with other public officials being an essential component of leading a district during a crisis. Finally, preparation for a crisis is crucial with operations and logistics during a crisis and also the socio-political aspect of collaborating with mutual aid networks and local, state, and federal leaders to ensure the response, recovery, and rebuilding of the school district and community.
Recommendations: This study was conducted through the lens of school superintendents. It is recommended that this same study is conducted for city managers, county administrators, local and state office of emergency services, fire chiefs, or police chiefs. An additional recommendation is for the development of professional development for leaders on the socio-political practices and policies that should be developed alongside the logistical plan for crisis preparedness
How are Districts Using the Local Control Funding Formula to Close the Achievement Gap
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify and describe the impact of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) within Kern County, Monterey County, San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara County in narrowing the achievement gap in underachieving populations identified as English Language Learners (ELL) and low socioeconomic status (low SES). Additionally, the purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify strategies implemented by districts who had the highest percentage of change in narrowing the achievement gap.
Methodology: A mixed-method study was conducted in two parts. First, a quantitative analysis was conducted by comparing the achievement gap in English Language Arts of ELL and low socioeconomic students and their peers from 2013 to 2018. The data were compared, and used to rank the districts. Second, a qualitative study was then conducted through interviews with seven of districts in the top 15% by ranking.
Findings: The LCFF did indeed make an impact on the achievement gap, reducing the mean gap by 4.7% and the median gap by 4.5%. Of the four counties observed, 71% of the qualifying elementary school districts narrowed the achievement gap between the targeted subgroups and their peers. The strategies that districts used to reduce the achievement gap included themes of Personnel, Curriculum, Programs, Technology, Professional Development and Other Areas.
Conclusion: The study supported the inclusion of teacher collaboration time, and frequent Local Control Accountability Plan committee meetings. Successful districts also focused on people, they valued and empowered their people to make necessary changes. Through this empowerment and team building districts were able to meet the challenge of narrowing the achievement gap.
Recommendations: Further studies could be conducted with High School Districts, using a similar approach. Another idea for future study would be to look at only districts with over 90% unduplicated student populations and look at the impact for the districts receiving the most support
Exemplary Leadership: A Mixed-Methods Case Study Discovering How Special Education Administrators Create Meaning
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this mixed-methods case study was to identify and describe the
behaviors that exemplary Special Education administrators use to create personal and organizational meaning for themselves and their followers through character, vision, relationships, wisdom, and inspiration. In addition, it is the purpose of this study to determine the degree of importance to which special education teachers perceive the behaviors related to character, vision, relationships, wisdom, and inspiration help to create personal and organizational meaning.
Methodology: The current mixed-methods study obtained in depth qualitative data through interviews from 3 exemplary special education administrators. Following the qualitative interview process, quantitative online surveys were sent to twelve of their special education followers. The results of the qualitative interviews and the quantitative survey data were compared for triangulation.
Findings: Qualitative data from this study indicate that exemplary special education administrators use behavior from the three domains of character, relationships and vision. Similar to the qualitative data, the survey data yielded results of findings spread across three of the five leadership domains—character, relationships, and wisdom. As such, both qualitative and quantitative data showed findings in character and relationships. However, qualitative data supports vision and quantitative data supports wisdom.
Conclusions: Special education administrators must use an interplay of behaviors from the five meaning-maker domains (character, relationships, vision, and wisdom) in order to create meaning for themselves and their followers. Furthermore, special education administrators create meaning through authenticity, transparency, concern for well-being, shared student-centered vision planning, and use their moral compass to create a culture of “doing what is right”.
Recommendations: It is recommended that this study be further explored through a mixed-methods approach to both leaders and followers in addition to expanding to other populations and geological areas. Additionally, a pure qualitative study with special education administrators to better understand the special education drivers that affect meaning could be powerful information for the field. Furthermore, a case study examining special education teacher who leave the field could contribute information on the high attrition rates in special education
Culturally Responsive Classroom Management Techniques and Former Riverside County and San Bernardino County Teachers of the Year: A Phenomenological Study
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine what former County Teachers of the Year understand and describe as the methods they use for culturally responsive classroom management with respect to Brown’s Five Culturally Responsive Factors (developing personal relationships, creating caring learning communities, establishing a business-like learning environment, establishing congruent communication processes and, teaching with assertiveness and clearly stating expectations).
Methodology: This qualitative study used a phenomenological design to discover what former County Teachers of the Year do to identify and describe as the methods they use for culturally responsive classroom management with respect to Brown’s Five Culturally Responsive Factors. The data were collected through interviews and artifact analysis.
Findings: Analysis of the data revealed that former County Teachers of the Year used several methods used for culturally responsive classrooms based on Brown’s Five Culturally Responsive Factors. Each of the factors yielded three methods that former County Teachers of the Year identifies as methods used for culturally responsive classrooms. Regarding developing personal relationships teachers identified three methods, which included welcoming and greeting student’s daily, genuine conversations about personal interests, and connecting students to curriculum. Regarding creating caring learning communities, teachers identified three methods, which included collaborative learning, learning about each other through curriculum, and self-monitoring. Regarding creating a business-like environment, teachers identified three methods, which included every student has a role, every student experiences success, and soft skills. Regarding congruent communication processes, teachers identified three methods, which included praise students, reprimand in private, no judgment, value them, and be present. Regarding teaching with assertiveness and clearly stating expectations, teachers identified three methods, which included expectations are the same for all, model behavior/expectations, and self-reflection.
Conclusion: The researcher concluded there were five areas of focus based on the data. The five areas included: (a) relationships of trust, (b) collaboration, (c) student self-worth, (d) teachers’ words and actions, and (e) teachers modeling behavior and expectations. These areas were key to creating a culturally responsive classroom.
Recommendations: Three areas of further research were recommended to increase the body of knowledge related to these variables