1,720,984 research outputs found
Well-being and the vocation of the school superintendent.
No full textSchool superintendents face numerous challenges, high demands, and pressures from the community, school board, and stakeholders. State and federal accountability policies and mandates contribute to rising levels of stress for superintendents, which negatively affects their health and well-being. As a result, superintendents are leaving their positions sooner, which impacts a district’s growth and stability. Superintendents who do stay in their positions often experience the negative effects of stress leading up to job burnout. The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to understand the perceptions of school superintendents regarding their well-being and to examine how school superintendents perceive adopting well-being practices to enhance a work-life balance and managing job-related challenges and stresses. Nine superintendents from public and charter school districts in Texas participated in this study. The findings show how superintendents’ biggest sources of stress stem from decision-making and work demands, while support groups, physical health, and vacations promote their well-being the most. Superintendents also consider work-life balance to be essential to their well-being as an imbalance can cause stress to spillover to other areas of their lives. A call for superintendent support groups and networks was voiced to empower superintendents with the tools and guidance needed to succeed and remain effective in their jobs
Decreasing the dropout rate : examining the effects of mindfulness on decreasing anxiety in off-track-to-graduate high school students.
Get PDFThis quantitative study examines the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions in reducing anxiety levels among off-track-to-graduate high school students. These findings suggest that mindfulness-based practices hold promise as an intervention strategy for alleviating anxiety symptoms in this at-risk student population
Examining the implementation of culturally responsive leadership and critical self-reflection in Texas urban schools : a quantitative study.
Get PDFThis study explored the relationship between how Texas school leaders perceived that their behavior aligned with the implementation of Culturally Responsive Leadership (CRL) and how these perceptions related to the influence of principals on fellow school leaders, the frequency of CRL-aligned leadership development, and the district's readiness to institutionalize CRL through leadership development. During this study, a conceptual survey was developed emphasizing CRL's Domain One: Critical Self-Reflection. The survey garnered 136 responses from principals, assistant principals, and instructional coaches, using a quantitative, correlational, non-experimental approach. The data analysis from the conceptual survey resulted in the final subscales, including critical self-reflection regarding unconscious biases, pre-existing emotional intelligence skills, openness and willingness to express Culturally Responsive Leadership, principals' influence among fellow school leaders, the frequency of CRL-aligned leadership development, and district readiness for institutionalizing CRL through leadership development. The subscales were used to conduct a correlational analysis, which revealed three themes in the findings. The first theme denoted that Texas urban school leaders demonstrate a readiness to embrace Culturally Responsive Leadership in the domain of Critical Self-Reflection. While causation is not established, the study hints at a propensity for the cultivation of cultural responsiveness, particularly critical self-reflection through on-the-job experiences. Moreover, the second theme in the findings suggests additional variables are needed to determine whether Texas urban school districts are prepared to utilize leadership development as a means to institutionalize Culturally Responsive Leadership. Moreover, Texas urban school leaders required more than frequent leadership development to institutionalize Culturally Responsive Leadership. Additionally, the third theme in the research findings implied that urban school principals in Texas who exhibited Culturally Responsive Leadership influenced assistant principals and instructional coaches to adopt similar behaviors. Again, while causation is not confirmed, the results revealed a predisposition to foster healthy organizations as a strategy to institutionalize Culturally Responsive Leadership. The analysis and findings demonstrate that the conceptual survey utilized in this study is a validated and reliable quantitative tool for understanding and bolstering Culturally Responsive Leadership
Assistant principals : the disruptors of oppressive discipline practices.
No full textThe assistant principal is the gatekeeper of student discipline and is the key to closing the disproportionate discipline gap between Black and White students. Assistant principals can help close the gap by engaging in Culturally Responsive School Leadership professional development that allows them to become self-aware of their implicit bias, utilize an intervention tool that can serve as a guardrail between their implicit bias and discretionary discipline decision-making, and engage in the practice of critical self-reflection. Black students will stand a chance to be heard in discipline conversations and receive more inclusive consequences, allowing them more seat-time to access their education
Early childhood education administrators' knowledge and skills of leadership practices and core competencies.
No full textWith limited knowledge surrounding the role of the ECE administrator, it is critical to understand what leadership skills and core competencies they use as a leader in their programs. Understanding the relationship between administrators who are currently enrolled in a statewide quality improvement program and their knowledge and practices of leadership skills identified by research and state resources to improve quality will help to further our understanding of the role of the ECE administrator and help to guide future programs and supports for administrators throughout the state-using a conceptual framework where school characteristics, state agencies, and administrators' demographic influence their leadership skills. A self-administered survey was distributed, and a combination of quantitative analyses was used to understand the differences between groups and their knowledge of core competencies and practice of leadership. Additionally, logistic regression was used to understand how administrators' leadership skills and demographics influence their knowledge of core competencies
Staff and parent perceptions of whole child development practices, programs, and policies : a quantitative study.
No full textThis quantitative dissertation study explores staff and parent perceptions of Whole Child Development (WCD) practices in one of Texas’s largest school districts. Grounded in the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model, the research examines how schools coordinate health, safety, engagement, and academic challenge strategies. Survey responses (N = 71) from four elementary campuses revealed varied levels of WCD implementation, with strong practices in peer relationships and social-emotional learning, but gaps in adult mentoring, digital safety, and substance abuse education. Correlation analyses showed significant interconnections among WCD domains, affirming the importance of cohesive implementation. Independent samples t-tests identified significant perceptual differences between staff and parents, highlighting the need for improved communication and family engagement. Findings suggest that effective WCD practices are integrated, equity-driven, and reliant on strong school-community partnerships. This study provides actionable insights for strengthening WCD strategies and contributes to the growing body of research on holistic student support
Breaking barriers, building strong leaders : the transformative role of executive coaching for Black women principals.
No full textBlack women remain underrepresented in school leadership, often navigating systemic barriers, racial and gender biases, and limited access to professional development opportunities. Executive coaching has emerged as a promising leadership development tool, yet little research explores its impact on Black women principals. This qualitative single instrumental case study examined the lived experiences of Black women principals who participated in an executive coaching program to understand how it shaped their leadership development, decision-making, and ability to navigate challenges within their school communities.
The study was conducted across multiple Texas school districts and included semi-structured interviews with Black women principals who engaged in executive coaching as part of a broader leadership development initiative. Data analysis identified three key themes: (1) navigating systemic challenges and barriers; (2) professional leadership development and growth; and (3) transformative learning through executive coaching.
Findings revealed that executive coaching provided Black women principals with personalized support, strategic leadership tools, and a space for self-reflection, which empowered them to lead with confidence and resilience. Participants credited coaching with improving stakeholder engagement, equity-focused decision-making, and their ability to sustain high-performing school environments despite challenges. Additionally, the study highlighted the importance of mentorship, representation, and culturally responsive coaching in fostering leadership growth for Black women in educational leadership roles. The study contributes to existing research by confirming the benefits of executive coaching in school leadership, extending the literature by focusing on Black women principals, and identifying areas for future research on long-term coaching effects and recommendations. The findings have implications for school districts and leadership development programs emphasizing the need to integrate executive coaching into leadership preparation and support systems. By addressing systemic barriers and fostering equitable leadership development, executive coaching can serve as a catalyst for increasing representation, retention, and success among Black women in educational leadership
Principals of small rural schools as instructional leaders for special education.
No full textPrincipals have many responsibilities and priorities daily. For principals serving in small rural schools, their role as instructional leaders can be even more challenging. Given the complexities of their job, principals are charged with ensuring that all students are safe and receive the required instruction, supports, resources, special education, and other special programs, which involves intentionality with collaboration, communication, and trust equally interfaced with all stakeholders. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to elucidate the experiences of how principals structure services of special education for students with disabilities and support instructional practices of special education teachers in the small rural context. Four principals from small rural schools participated in this study and were selected using replication logic. The findings yielded 10 instructional leadership practices. Three of the instructional leadership practices emerged from two principals fundamentally different from their peers and aligned with continuous improvement school models and inclusive models of practice. The macro tasks include establishing a vision for learning, planning for instruction, and system innovation
The influence of teacher resilience on retention rates in high-poverty, high-minority schools.
No full textTeacher turnover is on the rise due to job dissatisfaction. Factors leading to job dissatisfaction include increased demands on student accountability, increased workload, teacher victimization, and a lack of administrative support. Teachers today must possess the ability to endure and overcome adversity while managing the requirements of the job. This study aimed to identify the adult personal resilience characteristics of teachers in high-poverty, high-minority schools that allow them to stay in the classroom without burning out. These teacher characteristics were identified using Taormina’s adult personal resilience theory, which defined four dimensions of adult personal resilience: determination, endurance, adaptability, and recuperability. Although teachers who stayed scored on average higher than teachers who left the district on all four dimensions, the findings were not statistically significant. Suggestions are made for practice as well as further research in this understudied area
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