School improvement programs--United States

The purpose of the study was to examine instructional leadership through an in-depth multi-case study of three high poverty and high minority elementary school sites where the principals had been identified as instructional leaders. The study identified how schools with unique populations practiced instructional leadership and compared the methods used to the six standards described by the NAESP. In addition, the research identified actions of instructional leaders used to enhance school improvement efforts in schools serving high poverty and high minority populations while contributing to the understanding of the principal's role as an instructional leader. The three findings were: that the elementary school principals leading high minority and high poverty schools each incorporated the six standards set by the NAESP to improve instruction and student achievement; each of the principals implemented the NAESP standards based on the specific needs of their schools by using a reframing process to assess the context and identify which standards to focus on; and principals were reflective and responded to the needs of the environment by shifting leadership roles. The findings in this study were based on interviews of teachers and principals, observations of both formal and informal meetings, and review of school documents. Based upon the three findings, the following three conclusions resulted from the study. First, the six NAESP Standards provide a foundation of practice for what principals need to know and be able to implement in order to become effective instructional leaders. Second, instructional leadership is a flexible, not a stagnant model. Third, the use of reflective practice is essential for providing the flexibility in the thinking that is needed to reframe the six NAESP Standards to fit the unique context and lead a school toward continued improvement. Building an effective foundation using the six NAESP Standards is contingent upon the principal applying a focus on the standards that will contribute the most to student achievement and being able to be a reflective practitioner demonstrating flexibility in both thinking and leadership roles.

The recent shift toward favoring the scientific paradigm and evidence-based practice has resulted in the comprehensive use of the term Scientific Based Research (SBR) in the No Child Left Behind Act. This shift to economically introduce scientifically based interventions to nationally raise student achievement has taken on greater significance. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships among a state's capacity to implement the SBR components, its contextual environment, its implementation strategy and the comprehensiveness of its planned policy implementation. The data for Capacity to implement, Context and Strategy were gathered through a 66-item survey sent to State Program Directors for the Title IA, Comprehensive School Reform, and Reading First programs in each of the fifty states. The response rate was 70%. The data for Comprehensiveness came from content analysis of the SBR components found in federally approved state plans. Correlational analysis and multiple regressions were used to elucidate the nature of the relationships among the variables. The study resulted in three major conclusions. First, based on the assumptions of the evaluative literature, the study expected to find that the presence of certain Capacity, Contextual or Strategic factors would favor higher Comprehensiveness of implementation in state plans. However, this study found that some factors: Horizontal Linkages, Amount of Knowledge, Internal and External Technical Assistance, Partnership and Coordination, and Political Support were less useful than expected in producing a comprehensive state plan. Second, policy makers and implementation planners can allocate resources to the following practically significant factors to plan implementation of federal mandates more efficiently: Cross Functional Linkage, Finances, and Negotiation. They can also minimize efforts to utilize Partnerships, Coordination and Horizontal Linkages which though statistically and practically significant, were negatively related factors. Finally, if extra resources are available, the following strategies, all statistically significant but of low practical significance, can used to support the establishment of effective and efficient planning decisions: the Amount and Knowledge of Personnel; Internal Technical Assistance; Political support; and Technical Assistance from External Agencies. Therefore, careful calculation and prioritization of resources by state planners along these guidelines can be used to optimize implementation planning.

The purpose of this study was to determine if changes could be detected in teachers' approaches to their professional practice and in the achievement of their students following the implementation of a teacher leadership capacity-building intervention framework. Specific aspects examined were (a) teachers' perceptions of changes in their classroom environments, instructional practices, planning, assessment, and confidence in instructing diverse learners; (b) observer ratings of teachers' classroom practices; (c) teachers' readiness for self-directed learning; and (d) student achievement. The study addressed four research questions and three hypotheses. Following the professional development intervention, teachers' perceived changes in their professional practices were documented on a self-report survey, with the greatest positive change reported in types and variety of instructional practices. Significant gains were found in teachers' observed effective behaviors (Florida Performance Measurement System scores), teachers' Self-directed Learning Readiness Scale scores and student achievement in reading. The outcomes, while they cannot, of course, be solely attributed to the intervention, support the concept that teacher leadership capacity is built from within when teachers are encouraged to take a greater responsibility for the design and implementation of their professional development and to share their strengths with their colleagues in a true learning community. The intervention was implemented in an at-risk school, but it provides a framework that can be replicated elsewhere. This project required a commitment of resources for observations, peer coaching, modeling instructional strategies, team meetings, reflective team planning, team data analysis, and a variety of professional development sessions chosen and designed by staff that took place both within and outside of the regularly scheduled workday. The school district, an outside private foundation, and additional grants provided funding for most expenses, including an on-site professional development facilitator. Further follow-up research is warranted given the brevity of this study and the time needed for systemic change.