Pub Date : 2020-10-01DOI: 10.1177/0013161X19878772
K. Leithwood, Jingping Sun, R. Schumacker
Purpose: This study tested a set of variables mediating school leadership’s influence on students referred to as “The four paths model.” Each path in the model includes variables with significant direct effects on student learning and which are malleable to practices included in an integrated model of effective school leadership. Research Design: Evidence for the study were responses to a survey by 1,779 teachers in 81 Texas elementary schools about the status of school leadership and all 13 variables on the four paths. Student achievement data were provided by results of state tests combining all subjects and all grades, while the count and percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch was used to estimate socioeconomic status. Confirmatory factor analysis, regression analysis, and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the data. Findings: Results uncovered a more nuanced and complex set of relationships among the four paths and their component variables than was specified in the original version of the model. School leadership significantly influenced student learning only through variables on one path, while variables on the other three paths influenced student learning only through their contribution to variables on that one path. Conclusions: Results point to the value of future research about the relationships among variables on the four paths, as well as efforts to identify latent variables among the observed variables in the study. Results of the study can be used by school leaders to more productively focus their school improvement efforts.
{"title":"How School Leadership Influences Student Learning: A Test of “The Four Paths Model”","authors":"K. Leithwood, Jingping Sun, R. Schumacker","doi":"10.1177/0013161X19878772","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X19878772","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose: This study tested a set of variables mediating school leadership’s influence on students referred to as “The four paths model.” Each path in the model includes variables with significant direct effects on student learning and which are malleable to practices included in an integrated model of effective school leadership. Research Design: Evidence for the study were responses to a survey by 1,779 teachers in 81 Texas elementary schools about the status of school leadership and all 13 variables on the four paths. Student achievement data were provided by results of state tests combining all subjects and all grades, while the count and percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch was used to estimate socioeconomic status. Confirmatory factor analysis, regression analysis, and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the data. Findings: Results uncovered a more nuanced and complex set of relationships among the four paths and their component variables than was specified in the original version of the model. School leadership significantly influenced student learning only through variables on one path, while variables on the other three paths influenced student learning only through their contribution to variables on that one path. Conclusions: Results point to the value of future research about the relationships among variables on the four paths, as well as efforts to identify latent variables among the observed variables in the study. Results of the study can be used by school leaders to more productively focus their school improvement efforts.","PeriodicalId":48091,"journal":{"name":"Educational Administration Quarterly","volume":"56 1","pages":"570 - 599"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2020-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/0013161X19878772","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47869233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-10-01DOI: 10.1177/0013161X19883693
Audrey Addi-Raccah
Purpose: This study focused on parents’ involvement in their children’s schools through participation in collective leadership roles. Based on Bourdieu’s approach the current analysis examined the link between parents’ types of resources, types of involvement in schools, and their influences over different school domains while comparing parents from two socioeconomic status (SES) levels (low/mid and high). Research Design: Participants comprised 624 parents from 21 randomly selected elementary schools, of which 10 were of low-/mid-SES and 11 high-SES schools. Data were collected by a questionnaire and analyzed based on multivariate analysis of variance and multi-group structural equation modeling approach. Findings: It was found that for holding leadership roles in schools, parents activate diverse education-related resources. Once gaining a formal leadership role parents may feel a legitimate right to influence schools, mainly on issues related to school management domains such as fundraising. Although, some differences occurred between high-SES and low-/mid-SES schools, there was a similarity regarding parents’ leadership roles that may benefit schools by bridging between the schools and their environment. Conclusions: As schools become more heterarchical, parent leadership may be able to play an increasingly significant role in facilitating the school principal’s work and fostering school improvement. Accordingly, school principals need to support and encourage parent leadership, particularly in low-SES schools. For that purpose, educators must be more attentive, accepting and value the resources of parents of low-SES schools.
{"title":"Resources and Influences: Parents in Leadership Positions in Low-/Mid-SES and High-SES Schools in Israel","authors":"Audrey Addi-Raccah","doi":"10.1177/0013161X19883693","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X19883693","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose: This study focused on parents’ involvement in their children’s schools through participation in collective leadership roles. Based on Bourdieu’s approach the current analysis examined the link between parents’ types of resources, types of involvement in schools, and their influences over different school domains while comparing parents from two socioeconomic status (SES) levels (low/mid and high). Research Design: Participants comprised 624 parents from 21 randomly selected elementary schools, of which 10 were of low-/mid-SES and 11 high-SES schools. Data were collected by a questionnaire and analyzed based on multivariate analysis of variance and multi-group structural equation modeling approach. Findings: It was found that for holding leadership roles in schools, parents activate diverse education-related resources. Once gaining a formal leadership role parents may feel a legitimate right to influence schools, mainly on issues related to school management domains such as fundraising. Although, some differences occurred between high-SES and low-/mid-SES schools, there was a similarity regarding parents’ leadership roles that may benefit schools by bridging between the schools and their environment. Conclusions: As schools become more heterarchical, parent leadership may be able to play an increasingly significant role in facilitating the school principal’s work and fostering school improvement. Accordingly, school principals need to support and encourage parent leadership, particularly in low-SES schools. For that purpose, educators must be more attentive, accepting and value the resources of parents of low-SES schools.","PeriodicalId":48091,"journal":{"name":"Educational Administration Quarterly","volume":"56 1","pages":"600 - 640"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2020-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/0013161X19883693","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45436814","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-10-01DOI: 10.1177/0013161X19888568
E. C. Smith, Gerene K. Starratt, Carmen L. McCrink, Heidi Whitford
Purpose: This study, which investigated the relationship between veteran secondary school teacher perceptions of evaluation feedback and self-efficacy of instructional practice, was driven by the research question: What is the relationship among evaluation processes, teacher perceptions of evaluation feedback, and veteran secondary education teacher self-efficacy toward personal instructional practice? Method: Participants were recruited from two school districts in west central Florida. The study tested two hypotheses. Hypothesis 1: Veteran secondary teachers self-efficacy of instructional practice will be related to both evaluation system type (standard vs. nonstandard) and specificity of feedback (high vs. low specificity). Hypothesis 2: Veteran secondary school teacher perceptions of the characteristics of evaluation feedback will predict teacher self-efficacy toward personal instructional practice. The study instrument included the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES; Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2001) and additional feedback-related questions. Teachers were recruited through gatekeepers at the two districts and invited to take the online survey. Results: In a test of Hypothesis 1, analysis of variance revealed that teachers who reported receiving specific evaluation feedback also reported higher teacher self-efficacy compared with teachers who reported receiving nonspecific evaluation feedback, although there were no differences related to standard versus nonstandard evaluation systems. To test Hypothesis 2, multiple regression analysis showed the perceived value of feedback to be the strongest predictor of teacher self-efficacy. Conclusions: These findings, which link teacher perceptions of evaluation feedback to teacher self-efficacy of instructional practice, have the potential to inform the creation of improved professional development practices.
{"title":"Teacher Evaluation Feedback and Instructional Practice Self-Efficacy in Secondary School Teachers","authors":"E. C. Smith, Gerene K. Starratt, Carmen L. McCrink, Heidi Whitford","doi":"10.1177/0013161X19888568","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X19888568","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose: This study, which investigated the relationship between veteran secondary school teacher perceptions of evaluation feedback and self-efficacy of instructional practice, was driven by the research question: What is the relationship among evaluation processes, teacher perceptions of evaluation feedback, and veteran secondary education teacher self-efficacy toward personal instructional practice? Method: Participants were recruited from two school districts in west central Florida. The study tested two hypotheses. Hypothesis 1: Veteran secondary teachers self-efficacy of instructional practice will be related to both evaluation system type (standard vs. nonstandard) and specificity of feedback (high vs. low specificity). Hypothesis 2: Veteran secondary school teacher perceptions of the characteristics of evaluation feedback will predict teacher self-efficacy toward personal instructional practice. The study instrument included the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES; Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2001) and additional feedback-related questions. Teachers were recruited through gatekeepers at the two districts and invited to take the online survey. Results: In a test of Hypothesis 1, analysis of variance revealed that teachers who reported receiving specific evaluation feedback also reported higher teacher self-efficacy compared with teachers who reported receiving nonspecific evaluation feedback, although there were no differences related to standard versus nonstandard evaluation systems. To test Hypothesis 2, multiple regression analysis showed the perceived value of feedback to be the strongest predictor of teacher self-efficacy. Conclusions: These findings, which link teacher perceptions of evaluation feedback to teacher self-efficacy of instructional practice, have the potential to inform the creation of improved professional development practices.","PeriodicalId":48091,"journal":{"name":"Educational Administration Quarterly","volume":"56 1","pages":"671 - 701"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2020-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/0013161X19888568","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42119888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-08-10DOI: 10.1177/0013161X20947459
Ann M. Ishimaru, Mollie K. Galloway
Purpose:Despite an explosion of professional development to help educators discuss issues of race and equity, expectations for addressing racial disparities outstrip current leadership practices, and scant empirical research exists on the organizational changes that emerge from the work of equity teams. This study examined equity teams’ theories of organizational change for equity and how those theories related to their efforts to change school policies and practices. Research Methods/Approach: Drawing on institutional logics from organizational theory, this comparative case study examined transcripts and fieldnotes from 22 meetings and 27 interviews with two school equity teams in diverse contexts in the Pacific Northwest. Findings: Despite differences in the principals, team conversations, and organizational contexts, we found that both teams’ discussions asserted a primary theory of change for shifting schools toward greater equity. According to this “commonsense” notion, efforts to become more equitable as a school first require shifts in individuals’ understandings, beliefs, and attitudes—changes to “hearts and minds”—prior to engaging in other actions to address organizational change. Ultimately, our findings suggest that the dominance of a hearts-and-minds-first theory of change constrained changes to organizational policies, structures and practices. Conclusions: Alternative theories of change to catalyze equity-focused organizational shifts hold promise for fostering educational justice. Future participatory design research with schools may yield knowledge of multiyear organizational change.
{"title":"Hearts and Minds First: Institutional Logics in Pursuit of Educational Equity","authors":"Ann M. Ishimaru, Mollie K. Galloway","doi":"10.1177/0013161X20947459","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X20947459","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose:Despite an explosion of professional development to help educators discuss issues of race and equity, expectations for addressing racial disparities outstrip current leadership practices, and scant empirical research exists on the organizational changes that emerge from the work of equity teams. This study examined equity teams’ theories of organizational change for equity and how those theories related to their efforts to change school policies and practices. Research Methods/Approach: Drawing on institutional logics from organizational theory, this comparative case study examined transcripts and fieldnotes from 22 meetings and 27 interviews with two school equity teams in diverse contexts in the Pacific Northwest. Findings: Despite differences in the principals, team conversations, and organizational contexts, we found that both teams’ discussions asserted a primary theory of change for shifting schools toward greater equity. According to this “commonsense” notion, efforts to become more equitable as a school first require shifts in individuals’ understandings, beliefs, and attitudes—changes to “hearts and minds”—prior to engaging in other actions to address organizational change. Ultimately, our findings suggest that the dominance of a hearts-and-minds-first theory of change constrained changes to organizational policies, structures and practices. Conclusions: Alternative theories of change to catalyze equity-focused organizational shifts hold promise for fostering educational justice. Future participatory design research with schools may yield knowledge of multiyear organizational change.","PeriodicalId":48091,"journal":{"name":"Educational Administration Quarterly","volume":"57 1","pages":"470 - 502"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2020-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/0013161X20947459","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44368317","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-08-01DOI: 10.1177/0013161X19840402
L. Bass
Background: This study addresses the leadership of African American male leaders and their operationalization of the ethic of care in their practice by analyzing the educational leadership of African American men through an ethic of care lens. Purpose: The purpose of this article is to simultaneously remind readers of the importance of caring in schools, while discussing the caring styles of Black males in leadership. Research Design: This study examined the lived experiences of 10 African American male administrators to understand their perceptions of caring leadership. The phenomenon of interest was investigated using qualitative, exploratory study methodology to facilitate the collection of rich data that tells the stories of the participants. The themes discovered during the focus group were used during the one-on-one interviews to probe deeper into the issues and evaluate the consistency of the themes. Striking similarities that fit logically into themes emerged in the data from the focus group and the individual interviews. Findings: The themes that emerged from this study did not support the stereotype so often set forth regarding Black male leadership. The major emergent themes were: Black male leaders cared and liked being associated with caring, they felt they had to mask their caring nature because of societal expectations, they view themselves as father figures, they strongly identify and connect with a sense of spirituality, they believe that action must follow caring, and they practice “rough love” as care. Conclusion: The core foundational principles of Black Masculine Caring include a framework that acknowledges Black men have the capacity to care, and often care deeply. Black men’s capacity to care depends on their prior experience as Black men. The caring exhibited by Black men is influenced by their culture, and caring demonstrated by Black men is often misunderstood or misinterpreted.
{"title":"Black Male Leaders Care Too: An Introduction to Black Masculine Caring in Educational Leadership","authors":"L. Bass","doi":"10.1177/0013161X19840402","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X19840402","url":null,"abstract":"Background: This study addresses the leadership of African American male leaders and their operationalization of the ethic of care in their practice by analyzing the educational leadership of African American men through an ethic of care lens. Purpose: The purpose of this article is to simultaneously remind readers of the importance of caring in schools, while discussing the caring styles of Black males in leadership. Research Design: This study examined the lived experiences of 10 African American male administrators to understand their perceptions of caring leadership. The phenomenon of interest was investigated using qualitative, exploratory study methodology to facilitate the collection of rich data that tells the stories of the participants. The themes discovered during the focus group were used during the one-on-one interviews to probe deeper into the issues and evaluate the consistency of the themes. Striking similarities that fit logically into themes emerged in the data from the focus group and the individual interviews. Findings: The themes that emerged from this study did not support the stereotype so often set forth regarding Black male leadership. The major emergent themes were: Black male leaders cared and liked being associated with caring, they felt they had to mask their caring nature because of societal expectations, they view themselves as father figures, they strongly identify and connect with a sense of spirituality, they believe that action must follow caring, and they practice “rough love” as care. Conclusion: The core foundational principles of Black Masculine Caring include a framework that acknowledges Black men have the capacity to care, and often care deeply. Black men’s capacity to care depends on their prior experience as Black men. The caring exhibited by Black men is influenced by their culture, and caring demonstrated by Black men is often misunderstood or misinterpreted.","PeriodicalId":48091,"journal":{"name":"Educational Administration Quarterly","volume":"56 1","pages":"353 - 395"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2020-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/0013161X19840402","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43316772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-08-01DOI: 10.1177/0013161X19861138
Kaitlin P. Anderson
Background: Exclusionary discipline (e.g. suspension and expulsion) is associated with lower student achievement, drop-out, and involvement in the juvenile justice system. Recently, states and school districts have begun to restrict exclusionary discipline, but there remains much to be learned about the potential impact on students. Research Design: I use a comparative interrupted time series to estimate whether a state policy prohibiting out-of-school suspension as a consequence for truancy affected student achievement, attendance, truancy, or disciplinary referrals. Findings: After testing a variety of specifications checks, I find evidence of slight increases in attendance, particularly for disadvantaged students, with suggestive evidence of improvements in test scores and reductions in disciplinary referrals for some students. Conclusions: These improvements were quite modest relative to what we might expect from an intuitively appealing policy and were likely influenced by incomplete compliance, particularly in areas serving more students from traditionally disadvantaged backgrounds. Implications for policy design and school leadership are discussed.
{"title":"Academic, Attendance, and Behavioral Outcomes of a Suspension Reduction Policy: Lessons for School Leaders and Policy Makers","authors":"Kaitlin P. Anderson","doi":"10.1177/0013161X19861138","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X19861138","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Exclusionary discipline (e.g. suspension and expulsion) is associated with lower student achievement, drop-out, and involvement in the juvenile justice system. Recently, states and school districts have begun to restrict exclusionary discipline, but there remains much to be learned about the potential impact on students. Research Design: I use a comparative interrupted time series to estimate whether a state policy prohibiting out-of-school suspension as a consequence for truancy affected student achievement, attendance, truancy, or disciplinary referrals. Findings: After testing a variety of specifications checks, I find evidence of slight increases in attendance, particularly for disadvantaged students, with suggestive evidence of improvements in test scores and reductions in disciplinary referrals for some students. Conclusions: These improvements were quite modest relative to what we might expect from an intuitively appealing policy and were likely influenced by incomplete compliance, particularly in areas serving more students from traditionally disadvantaged backgrounds. Implications for policy design and school leadership are discussed.","PeriodicalId":48091,"journal":{"name":"Educational Administration Quarterly","volume":"56 1","pages":"435 - 471"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2020-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/0013161X19861138","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42032761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-08-01DOI: 10.1177/0013161X19866491
Melissa A. Martinez, M. Rivera, J. Marquez
Purpose: With the rise of the Latinx student population in the United States and the urgency to meet the needs of this diverse community, there has been an increased concern and interest in preparing more Latinx educators and school leaders. This study contributes to this knowledge base by centering the voices and experiences of four Latina school leaders in the United States. All of the school leaders were current or former school principals and/or assistant principals at the time of the study, with three being from Texas and one from California. Research Approach: Drawing on the methodological tenets of testimonio, this study asked: What are Latina school leaders’ professional experiences like, both positive and negative, given the intersectionality of their social identities? Utilizing intersectionality as a theoretical framework provided the means to analyze and understand Latina school leaders’ multiple social identities and the role that such identities played in their professional roles and career trajectories as school leaders within the larger context of educational politics and systemic inequities. Findings: Testimonios of participants centered on four themes related to how they confronted gender roles and expectations of motherhood, the criticality of mentorship, how they confronted and addressed racism and sexism, and harnessed bilingualism to empower self and others. Implications: Findings help inform those seeking to meet the needs of our growing Latinx student population, including school district administrators, current and upcoming school leaders, and those working to prepare a more diverse school leadership pipeline.
{"title":"Learning From the Experiences and Development of Latina School Leaders","authors":"Melissa A. Martinez, M. Rivera, J. Marquez","doi":"10.1177/0013161X19866491","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X19866491","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose: With the rise of the Latinx student population in the United States and the urgency to meet the needs of this diverse community, there has been an increased concern and interest in preparing more Latinx educators and school leaders. This study contributes to this knowledge base by centering the voices and experiences of four Latina school leaders in the United States. All of the school leaders were current or former school principals and/or assistant principals at the time of the study, with three being from Texas and one from California. Research Approach: Drawing on the methodological tenets of testimonio, this study asked: What are Latina school leaders’ professional experiences like, both positive and negative, given the intersectionality of their social identities? Utilizing intersectionality as a theoretical framework provided the means to analyze and understand Latina school leaders’ multiple social identities and the role that such identities played in their professional roles and career trajectories as school leaders within the larger context of educational politics and systemic inequities. Findings: Testimonios of participants centered on four themes related to how they confronted gender roles and expectations of motherhood, the criticality of mentorship, how they confronted and addressed racism and sexism, and harnessed bilingualism to empower self and others. Implications: Findings help inform those seeking to meet the needs of our growing Latinx student population, including school district administrators, current and upcoming school leaders, and those working to prepare a more diverse school leadership pipeline.","PeriodicalId":48091,"journal":{"name":"Educational Administration Quarterly","volume":"56 1","pages":"472 - 498"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2020-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/0013161X19866491","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41500949","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-08-01DOI: 10.1177/0013161X19851174
Jiangang Xia, Jianping Shen, Jingping Sun
Do school district central offices and school principals have the same level of influence on school decisions? What does the district–principal power relationship look like? These two questions are discussed but are rarely examined in the literature. Based on a nationally representative sample from the 2007-2008 Schools and Staffing Survey data, we explored these two questions. Specifically, we applied the paired samples t test to compare the district central offices’ and school principals’ influences and applied the multilevel modeling method to estimate the power relationship. We found that (a) on average, districts and principals had the same level of influence on establishing curriculum, whereas school principals had higher influence on the other six decision areas examined (performance standards, teachers’ professional development programs, evaluating teachers, hiring teachers, discipline policies, and school budget), and (b) a tight coupling power relationship between district central offices and school principals was identified for the three areas related to the technical core of schools (performance standards, establishing curriculum, and teachers’ professional development programs), a loose coupling power relationship was revealed for the personnel (hiring and evaluating teachers) and budget areas, while a decoupling power relationship was found for discipline policy decisions. Discussions and implications for school leadership and policy were included in this study.
{"title":"Tight, Loose, or Decoupling? A National Study of the Decision-Making Power Relationship Between District Central Offices and School Principals","authors":"Jiangang Xia, Jianping Shen, Jingping Sun","doi":"10.1177/0013161X19851174","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X19851174","url":null,"abstract":"Do school district central offices and school principals have the same level of influence on school decisions? What does the district–principal power relationship look like? These two questions are discussed but are rarely examined in the literature. Based on a nationally representative sample from the 2007-2008 Schools and Staffing Survey data, we explored these two questions. Specifically, we applied the paired samples t test to compare the district central offices’ and school principals’ influences and applied the multilevel modeling method to estimate the power relationship. We found that (a) on average, districts and principals had the same level of influence on establishing curriculum, whereas school principals had higher influence on the other six decision areas examined (performance standards, teachers’ professional development programs, evaluating teachers, hiring teachers, discipline policies, and school budget), and (b) a tight coupling power relationship between district central offices and school principals was identified for the three areas related to the technical core of schools (performance standards, establishing curriculum, and teachers’ professional development programs), a loose coupling power relationship was revealed for the personnel (hiring and evaluating teachers) and budget areas, while a decoupling power relationship was found for discipline policy decisions. Discussions and implications for school leadership and policy were included in this study.","PeriodicalId":48091,"journal":{"name":"Educational Administration Quarterly","volume":"56 1","pages":"396 - 434"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2020-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/0013161X19851174","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49628353","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：