Abstract
The achievement gap between minority students and mainstream students has generated serious concerns over the years, while a growing body of research seems to suggest that possibilities of addressing the problem, lie in leadership that teachers can provide in all schools. But the nature of leadership that teachers can practice has not always been clear, especially regarding students at risk of academic failure. In developing this phenomenological study, the researcher adopted a multi-tire research design, which triangulates analysis of data from extant literature and two vignettes to bring out the essential qualities of instructional leadership. The article concludes from the analysis that substantive school reform, comprises the reorganization of public education such that teaching and leading, embedded in the practices of (a) creativity (b) empowerment (c) acknowledgement, constitute the core functions, and the prerogative of a teacher in the classroom. The distinctive practices constitute a foundational model for understanding the emerging concept of culturally inclusive instructional leadership and at-risk students in a context of a serving relationship. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2016.v6n2p27
Highlights
The nature of instructional leadership the teachers exercise, regarding students at risk of academic failure in K-12, has not always been clear (Keegan & Crescenta, 2006)
While the achievement gap among the demographic subgroups of K-12 remains a significant challenge, a growing body of research suggests that schools that restructure themselves as culturally inclusive learning communities, like other service based organizations, can provide high quality education that addresses student at-riskiness (Senge, 2010)
The “achievement gap” between minority students and mainstream students regarding the American public school system has generated serious concerns, which, over the years have resulted in a growing body of empirical research (Capper, 1993; Plucker & Burroughs, 2010)
Summary
The nature of instructional leadership the teachers exercise, regarding students at risk of academic failure in K-12, has not always been clear (Keegan & Crescenta, 2006). Focused attention appears not to have been given to the investigation of the nature of instructional leadership regarding students at risk of academic failure. While the achievement gap among the demographic subgroups of K-12 remains a significant challenge, a growing body of research suggests that schools that restructure themselves as culturally inclusive learning communities, like other service based organizations, can provide high quality education that addresses student at-riskiness (Senge, 2010). Discussed in this paper, are the concomitant activities to be performed by instructional leaders with at-risk students. The activities include, challenging the process, encouraging the heart for others to act, and modelling the way, in a serving relationship
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