School Leaders Research Articles

“The Kids can Handle it”: A Culturally Responsive Case Study of Four Detracking School Leadership Teams

Purpose: This comparative case study focused on high schools in California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia using the lens of Culturally Responsive School Leadership to investigate the actions of school leaders in implementing detracking and asks How do school leaders’ actions regarding detracking fit into the larger framework of Culturally Responsive School Leadership? Research Methods: This study uses a qualitative comparative case study method involving interviews with leadership team members at detracking high schools. Findings: Leaders in all the schools explicitly demonstrated creating inclusive spaces, embracing community assets, and enacting culturally responsive instructional leaders. Leaders at three of the schools explicitly celebrated students’ identities. Leaders at two of the schools suggested they engage in critical self-reflecting aimed at combating biases against minoritized students but did not explicitly mention this self-reflection. Implications for Researchers and Practitioners: Though emergent in nature, these findings add to our collective knowledge about practices in detracking schools that may be beneficial elsewhere and being to fill in gaps in our knowledge about specific detracking conditions over which school leaders have control. These findings also demonstrate a need for researchers, professors of leadership education, and policy makers to support school leaders in becoming culturally responsive and sustaining the practices at the heart of CRSL. Applying this framework allows for a rigorous discussion of leaders’ specific actions along with avenues of detailed consideration for researchers, educators of future school leaders, and policy makers in a coherent manner to create and sustain schools that can serve all children well.

Racialized Decoupling and Race-Neutral School Integration Policies From the Implementers’ Perspective

Today’s school integration policies in the United States are often “race neutral.” Scholarship on these race-neutral school integration policies finds they do not change the racial and ethnic composition of schools or do so under very specific conditions. Yet, we know relatively little about the mechanisms explaining these outcomes. Building on 2 years of qualitative data collection in two public elementary schools in a New York City implementing a voluntary, race-neutral integration policy, I find school leaders experience a racialized decoupling of their commitment to racial equity from the policy’s race-neutral design, its choice-based design, and the implementation context. I show how school leaders navigated this decoupling and how it led to racialized outcomes. I contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms shaping the outcomes of race-neutral policies, a point of growing importance given recent Supreme Court decisions on higher education.

Neoliberalism and the Complexities of Conceptualizing Community School Policy for Racial Equity

Full-service community schools are increasingly adopted as educational policy nationwide to transform educational institutions into community hubs, addressing racial and social disparities and countering deficit narratives related to marginalized youth and families. As the movement toward community schooling as an educational policy gains momentum, more research is needed to understand the complex process of conceptualizing such an initiative for racial equity. Spanning from the early planning stages to 3 years into the implementation of community schooling, this paper uncovers the tensions that emerge as school and district leaderships’ interpretation of the purpose of community schooling and root cause of racial inequity unveil conflicting conceptualizations of the community school initiative: community schooling rooted in neoliberal ideals of efficiency, coordination, and service choice, on one hand, and those rooted in more transformative approach with systemic reflection and change in classrooms, schools, and other institutions on the other.

Female Leaders in Lebanese Private Schools: Perceptions, Barriers and Leadership Characteristics

Globally females are underrepresented in leadership positions. In academic settings, despite the majority of teachers being females, there is no equal representation between the two genders when it comes to leadership. The trend remains that females teach and males manage. This is discriminatory and unfair, especially when female leaders have an advantage over male leaders in school settings. If females are more effective in academic leadership positions, why aren’t they provided with equal leadership opportunities? This paper uncovers the perceptions surrounding female leaders and their ability to lead, the barriers that forbid females from advancing to leadership positions, and the predominant leadership characteristics viewed in each gender. By surveying female and male teachers from Lebanese private schools in the district of Mount Lebanon, this paper indicates that female leaders are surrounded with positive perceptions, but are, however, prevented from advancing to leadership positions by several challenges. The two most prominent barriers to female leadership are found to be related to organizational discrimination, and societal pressures. Moreover, the predominant leadership characteristics visible in each gender are confirmed by this study. Similar to studies about the situation of female leaders in other Arab countries, this research reveals a growing acceptance for female leaders in Lebanese private schools, despite the presence of challenging barriers. By uncovering the current situation of Lebanese female leaders in private schools, this study helps pave the path for much needed solutions in terms of gender equality and equity.

Exploring factors influencing secondary school teachers’ engagement in reflective teaching

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that influenced secondary school teachers’ engagement in reflective teaching. A quantitative approach with survey design was used in the study. To collect relevant data, a structured questionnaire which had 33 items was administered to 361 teachers. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to gauge the key factors. The results of structural equation modeling illustrated and validated that five independent variables, including inadequate professional development, lack of time, unsupportive school culture and leadership, resource constraints, and inadequate recognition, had significant impact on teachers’ engagement in reflective teaching. In line with the findings, the study suggests the need for school leaders and respective bodies to provide adequate professional development through arranging tailored schemes, institute supportive school culture and leadership, ensure sufficient time and resource provision, and recognise the importance of reflective teaching in order to encourage its practice in secondary schools.

Student development of social capabilities and life skills: a mixed-methods study from Pakistan

ABSTRACT Holistic development of school-going students has gained momentum. Developing countries need to equip students with skills to thrive in the contemporary world, yet research on this topic in Pakistan is limited. This study, therefore, examines students’ non-cognitive skills (i.e., social capabilities and life skills) using a sequential mixed-methods approach. The sample was selected through multi-stage cluster sampling technique. The quantitative sample comprised students (n=263) from eight schools. The qualitative sample of students (n=16), teachers (n=8), and school leaders (n=4) was purposively selected. The results revealed that students are socially capable and possess basic life skills. However, schools do not explicitly prioritise the development of social capabilities and life skills. As a result, the holistic development of students is generally a neglected aspect in Pakistan. Moreover, educational structures and the school system strongly predict students’ non-cognitive skills. This study has implications for policy, practice, and further research.

Significance of Educational Leadership Styles on Pupils Academic Achievement in Primary Public Schools in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania

The study investigated the significance of educational leadership styles towards academic achievement in primary public schools in Morogoro Municipality. A convergent research design was employed. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study targeted teachers and heads of schools, with simple random sampling used for teachers and purposive sampling for heads of schools, resulting in a sample size of 77 respondents. Data were gathered through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, and analyzed using descriptive statistics for quantitative data and thematic coding for qualitative data, aligning with the study’s research objectives. The study found that, effective leadership styles significantly impact academic performance in primary public schools. Visionary, supportive, and collaborative approaches, coupled with clear communication, create a positive school culture, motivate students, and improve teacher-student interactions, thereby enhancing academic success. The study recommended that school leaders adopt these styles, prioritize vision and support, and foster collaboration to boost educational outcomes. Providing professional development for leaders and encouraging a culture of continuous feedback will further align leadership practices with the needs of the school community, ultimately supporting student success and driving academic excellence.

Integration of displaced students into the culturally and linguistically different school environment

AbstractThe rapid increase in the number of refugees arriving in the last decade and the discussion about the integration of Syrian refugees into Turkish society has received special attention. As an important tool of socialisation in childhood, the educational system and school environment need to be structured using refugee‐friendly and equity‐based methods to meet the needs and expectations of refugee children. Based on the perceptions of school leaders and teachers, this study attempts to understand the challenges faced by Syrian refugee students during their integration into the school environment in Turkey and explore the practices of educators in meeting these challenges. A phenomenological qualitative design explored educators' beliefs, thoughts and experiences regarding the education of Syrian refugee children in Turkish schools. Participants of this research were 21 educators including 4 principals, 3 assistant principals, and 14 teachers working in primary and secondary schools with Syrian refugee students. The results show that Syrian refugee students in Turkey encounter various challenges as they adjust socio‐culturally, psychologically, and academically within the school setting. Although some of the teachers apply culturally relevant methodologies unconsciously, there is a gap in professional training on this. Educators declare the need for more practical and inclusive approaches despite the efforts by the Ministry of National Education. Hence, this study suggests the necessity of targeted training programmes because the purpose is to better equip teachers with effective strategies of integration. Thus, it is recommended that gradual language education and mutual cultural activities are widely applied to make refugee students feel more comfortable and to successfully improve their academic achievement. Context and implications Rationale for the study This research is motivated by the precarious situation of Syrian refugee students residing in Turkey. Why the new findings matter The new findings underline large gaps in culturally responsive pedagogy among educators and call forth the need for all‐round, hands‐on training programmes to better facilitate the academic and socio‐cultural integration of refugee children. The findings also reveal a gap in the familiarity and application of culturally responsive pedagogy among educators, pointing to a need for professional development in this area. Implications for practitioners, researchers and policy makers This paper, therefore, calls for the practical training of practitioners in culturally responsive pedagogy to become more supportive of their refugee students. A call is sent out to the framers of the educational policies, which incorporates comprehensive professional development along with inclusive education policies that address the requirements of refugee children. Building on these findings, researchers might explore systems, strategies, and interventions to effectively integrate displaced students into the classroom. The study thus requires collaborative efforts in the creation of supportive school environments that juxtapose socio‐cultural and academic success for quality education among refugee students.

Addressing Inequity in Special Education Referrals: Integrating General and Special Education Strategies in School Leadership

Addressing Inequity in Special Education Referrals: Integrating General and Special Education Strategies in School Leadership

Islamic Boarding School Managementto Develop Students' Talents and Interests

This study focuses on examining the implementation of Islamic boarding school management in its efforts to develop the talents and interests of students, both in terms of methods and programs carried out by the Islamic boarding school. The approach to this research is qualitative with a case study type. Data and data sources were obtained from the research subjects, namely the Al-Mukhlisin Islamic Boarding School, Padang Lawas, North Sumatra. Data collection techniques were carried out by in-depth interviews with the leaders of the Islamic boarding school, teachers, and students. Direct observation of daily activities at the Islamic boarding school. And documentation of documents and physical evidence at the location. The method used by the Islamic boarding school as the result of the analysis to determine the talents and interests of students is through daily observation, extracurricular activities, interviews, and discussions, as seen from the involvement of students in external competitions. This method allows the Islamic boarding school to see and improve students' talents according to their skills. The programs show comprehensive and structured management implementation, such as extracurricular activities of Tahfidz Al-Qur'an, calligraphy art, music art and various sports. In addition, this Islamic boarding school also routinely sends its students to participate in multiple national and international competitions, which have resulted in various achievements. These programs not only increase the skills and knowledge of students but also form strong characters and personalities by Islamic values. The Islamic boarding school also provides adequate facilities such as laboratories, art rooms, and fields that support activities as extracurricular activities. This study states that effective and innovative management is the primary key to developing the talents and interests of students. The originality of this Islamic boarding school management development research manages various innovative programs that include academic, religious, art, and sports activities and produces various achievements of students in multiple fields.

Motivated leadership and mutual learning: a case study of promoting sustainable food consumption in an early childhood education centre in Aotearoa New Zealand

ABSTRACT Food system transformation is urgently needed; although dominant food and sustainability discourses tend to focus on powerful stakeholders like governments and industries. We sought to understand how localised; community-based initiatives promote food system change; and how this is experienced by the people they are meant to involve or benefit. We conducted a reflexive qualitative case study with a community-oriented early childhood centre in Aotearoa New Zealand that developed an increasingly sustainable programme. This included providing plant-based food; a garden-to-table and nature-oriented pedagogical focus; and well-embedded low waste practices. We engaged with the community of school leaders; staff; and whānau to explore their processes; their experiences of changes made; and their challenges. Our case study methodology involved semi-structured interviews; group discussions; document analysis; and a reflexive thematic analysis. We identified two main themes; including (1) the importance of leadership for initiating and sustaining change; (2) experiences of changes were linked to relationships and shared learning. These findings contribute to understanding the complexities involved in shifting to sustainable food practices at a local; community-focused level; these might benefit other communities or the stakeholders working to better support them.

Physical Activity Behaviors and Negative Safety and Violence Experiences Among High School Students - Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2023.

Schools are in a unique position to offer opportunities for students to be physically active throughout the school day and promote health and well-being. However, experiences that threaten safety or perceptions of safety might affect students' physical activity behaviors. Using the 2023 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey, six physical activity behaviors and five negative safety and violence experiences were examined from a nationally representative sample of U.S. high school students. This report updates national estimates for physical activity behaviors overall and by sex, grade, race and ethnicity, and sexual identity. In addition, associations between negative experiences and physical activity behaviors were examined, stratified by sex, via unadjusted and adjusted prevalence ratios. Regardless of negative safety and violence experiences, male students had a higher prevalence of meeting aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and both aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity guidelines compared with female students. In adjusted models among female students, a positive association was observed between being threatened or injured with a weapon at school and meeting the aerobic guideline, meeting the muscle-strengthening guideline, and playing on ≥1 sports team. Among male students, positive associations were observed between witnessing neighborhood violence and meeting the aerobic guideline and the muscle-strengthening guideline. A negative association was observed between attending physical education classes on all 5 days and witnessing neighborhood violence among female students and being bullied electronically among male students. Physical activity might serve as a mechanism that students employ to cope with negative safety and violence experiences. Understanding current physical activity behaviors among students with these negative experiences will be useful for school leaders, teachers, and public health practitioners who influence physical activity infrastructure and programming in schools and work to support safe, supportive, and inclusive school environments for student health. Although future research is needed to further explore these associations, physical activity continues to be an important behavior to prioritize for adolescent health in the school setting.

A critical race feminist research-informed agenda that centres African American girls in school principal research and practice

ABSTRACT The purpose of this article is to present five areas for research and school leadership practice that centre African American girls. An analysis of critical race feminist research published in peer-reviewed articles yielded five themes for inclusive and affirming leadership research and practices: (1) Centring African American girls’ and their families’ voices, identities and lived experiences in school visioning and decision-making; (2) Enacting a school culture to ensure access to rigorous curriculum that centers African American girls’ lived experiences; (3) Cultivating emotionally safe school environments; (4) Dismantling inequitable discipline policies and practices and creating physically safe school environments and (5) Ensuring professional learning that centers critical race feminisms and builds educator capacity to affirm African American girls. To underscore the importance of centring African American girls in principal practice, these areas are aligned with culturally responsive school leader behaviours.

STRYV365 peak team and Brain agents: teacher perspectives on school impact of a trauma-informed, social-emotional learning approach for students facing adverse childhood experiences.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have a profound impact on children's and adolescents' academic performance and overall wellbeing. In contrast, positive childhood experiences help mitigate the negative effects of ACEs on health and wellbeing. Trauma-informed and social-emotional learning (SEL) programs in schools may address these impacts, with school staff playing a pivotal role in ensuring their success and influencing school outcomes. This study aimed to assess the strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement in the STRYV365 peak team and Brain Agents programs. The aim was to refine program implementation and determine the preliminary effects on students, teachers, and the broader school environment. To achieve this goal, four focus groups were conducted after the program concluded, involving 17 school leaders, administrators, and teachers from four urban schools serving students in fifth through ninth grades. The audio transcripts were professionally transcribed and analyzed by four co-authors using Dedoose for inductive coding, leading to the identification of major themes and subthemes. Three key themes were identified from transcripts: school-wide perspectives of STRYV365 programs, strengths and impacts of STRVY365 programs, and suggestions for program improvement. School staff noted that the peak team was particularly engaging for students, helping them develop SEL skills and foster both peer-to-coach and peer-to-peer relationships. Additionally, the STRYV365 programs were found to enhance student-teacher relationships and staff relationships. Teachers expressed strong interest in taking a more active role in future programming. Overall, this study highlights the importance of teacher and administrator involvement in maintaining consistent SEL activities for urban youth. The findings also suggest that short-term, 4-week SEL programs can have a positive effect on school culture, as well as on student-teacher relationships and teacher-teacher relationships.

COVID Just-in-Time Extension for Community Health Outcomes: A Collaborative Information-Sharing Platform for a School Health Community.

The COVID-19 pandemic challenged school health professionals to navigate a dynamic public health emergency and to stay aware of changing recommendations. This study aimed to determine the value of the COVID Just-in-Time ECHO (Extension for Community Health Outcomes) Learning Series for Schools among participating school health personnel and to describe their ongoing information needs during the pandemic. School health, public health, and education professionals across Colorado participated in this ECHO series. Participants attended 1-hour sessions every 2 to 4 weeks from March 2020 through December 2021 for a total of 34 sessions. Data collection included postsession and postseries surveys assessing what participants found most valuable and what additional information they needed. School nurses represented 113 of 224 participants (50%). ECHO content noted as being the most valuable included epidemiology updates and special topics as chosen by participant input. Postseries surveys identified the value of experiencing shared knowledge among Just-in-Time ECHO participants. Participants identified ongoing needs for information about COVID-19 guidance and risk mitigation in schools throughout the sessions. In postseries surveys, participants reported additional ongoing information needs related to COVID-19 outside schools. This ECHO series delivered reliable and time-sensitive information for school health personnel and school leaders and may provide a useful model for information sharing among education and public health professionals.

Adolescent Students’ Sexual Behaviors: Experiences from the Eastern Ghana Special Schools for the Deaf

This study assessed adolescent students’ sexual behaviors in eastern region schools for the deaf in Eastern Ghana. The study used the descriptive survey design, which describes, analyzes and interprets conditions that exist. The population of the study was 125 adolescent students from three selected Junior High Schools (JHS) for the deaf in the Eastern region of Ghana. The study sampled 95 (52 Boys and 43 girls) students to participate through a questionnaire. Data was analyzed using frequencies and percentages. The study established that the majority of the adolescent students with deafness were sexually active as they had had sexual intercourse before the study took place. They engaged in risky sexual behaviors in various ways, such as having sex with more than one regular partner. The study’s recommendations include that the school leadership should encourage teachers to sensitize the adolescent students on safer practices to avoid the risk of acquiring sexually transmitted diseases.

School Counsellors, Values Learning, and The New Zealand Curriculum

The writer reports on a professional development workshop with a group of 16 school counsellors, which explored how their counselling work with students related to values learning. They found that counselling with students frequently, even typically, involves helping the students to develop the value thinking abilities outlined in The New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2007). The wide variety of therapeutic approaches that counsellors employ is illustrated. The distribution of power in the counsellor–client relationship is also explored, along with its effects for the learning environment in the counselling room. This study will be useful to school counsellors, teachers, and school leaders who are interested in ways in which the counselling room is a location for values learning, and how the distinctiveness of that learning environment can be protected and enhanced.

Improvement science and school leadership: the precarious path to dynamic school improvement

Improvement science and school leadership: the precarious path to dynamic school improvement

Physician Altruism and Spending, Hospital Admissions, and Emergency Department Visits

Altruism-putting the patient first-is a fundamental component of physician professionalism. Evidence is lacking about the relationship between physician altruism, care quality, and spending. To determine whether there is a relationship between physician altruism, measures of quality, and spending, hypothesizing that altruistic physicians have better results. This cross-sectional study that used a validated economic experiment to measure altruism was carried out between October 2018 and November 2019 using a nationwide sample of US primary care physicians and cardiologists. Altruism data were linked to 2019 Medicare claims and multivariable regressions were used to examine the relationship between altruism and quality and spending measures. Overall, 250 physicians in 43 medical practices that varied in size, location, and ownership, and 7626 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries attributed to the physicians were included. The analysis was conducted from April 2022 to August 2024. Physicians completed a widely used modified dictator-game style web-based experiment; based on their responses, they were categorized as more or less altruistic. Potentially preventable hospital admissions, potentially preventable emergency department visits, and Medicare spending. In all, 1599 beneficiaries (21%) were attributed to the 45 physicians (18%) categorized as altruistic and 6027 patients were attributed to the 205 physicians not categorized as altruistic. Adjusting for patient, physician, and practice characteristics, patients of altruistic physicians had a lower likelihood of any potentially preventable admission (odds ratio [OR], 0.60; 95% CI, 0.38-0.97; P = .03) and any potentially preventable emergency department visit (OR, 0.64; CI, 0.43-0.94; P = .02). Adjusted spending was 9.26% lower (95% CI, -16.24% to -2.27%; P = .01). This cross-sectional study found that Medicare patients treated by altruistic physicians had fewer potentially preventable hospitalizations and emergency department visits and lower spending. Policymakers and leaders of hospitals, medical practices, and medical schools may want to consider creating incentives, organizational structures, and cultures that may increase, or at least do not decrease, physician altruism. Further research should seek to identify these and other modifiable factors, such as physician selection and training, that may shape physician altruism. Research could also analyze the relationship between altruism and quality and spending in additional medical practices, specialties, and countries, and use additional measures of quality and of patient experience.

School Leader Preparation in the U.S. State of Virginia: Exploring the Relationship between Data Use in Standards and Program Delivery

School Leader Preparation in the U.S. State of Virginia: Exploring the Relationship between Data Use in Standards and Program Delivery