This case study is a narrative of four major leadership paradigms: managerial, transactional, transformational, and distributed leaderships. Understanding these leadership styles may help both practicing and prospective school leaders navigate better in the complex, dynamic, murky, and challenging waters of educational leadership. Furthermore,…

This case was written for educators who are involved in organizational change such as school turnaround, new instructional programs, intervention programs, and implementation of new programs. It explores how a new administrator navigates the implementation of a response to intervention (RTI) pilot program and how instructional leaders create…

In this study, the authors problematize the use of slogans when it comes to leading major organizational change. Specifically, they outline the slogans that Border University leaders used to explain and justify the university's transition from a regional, primarily teaching-focused university to an aspiring nationally recognized, Tier One research…

Administrators at 4-year, public institutions of higher education commonly negotiate a balance between the oft-competing goals of access and excellence. This is heightened within minority-majority campuses, such as Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), serving substantial numbers of first-generation degree seekers and low-income students.…

This case, which was developed for courses in special education leadership, concerns the overidentification of students and minorities in special education at an elementary school. The case describes the challenges that teachers, administrators, diagnostic staff, and families face when mandated changes occur in rapid response to policy-driven…

Do school boards have a role in student achievement? Recent research suggests that they do. This case study identifies 12 board of education governance practices associated with higher levels of student achievement. The relationship between these board governance practices and the role of the board in district leadership is examined in the context…

This case was developed for use in a course in educational leadership or organizational theory with a focus on change in educational organizations. In this case narrative, data are presented relating to a proposed restructuring of an educational leadership program. Students should analyze the narrative to look for information that helps them…

This case is situated in a Midwestern urban school district, exploring problems faced by its superintendent and administrators as they work to implement the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Developed from a study examining the response of P-12 districts to legislative policy mandates, the case presents problems and challenges experienced…

This case is developed for use in a policy-centered course on systemic improvement in underperforming districts and schools. The narrative details the complexity that arose in the context of one such reform initiative, a framework for analyzing that complexity, and a set of leadership decisions that follow. Course instructors can use the case to:…

This case study confronts the issues of staff motivation and teacher retention that face administrators in low-paying and/or low-performing small school settings when teacher pay is low and morale is lower, especially in communities having a lower economic base. It will present not only opportunities to try to keep good teachers but also…

This case, which was inspired by actual events, describes the efforts of a district to create a culture of accountability for professional employee practice and behavior. In the midst of new district leaders and a shift in district priorities, numerous situations test the fortitude, organizational knowledge, ethical commitments, and political…

This case was written for use in courses dealing with school administration, specifically those related to organizational change, school improvement/turnaround, and the principalship. It explores a veteran principal's first year as a "turnaround specialist" in a low-performing middle school, where she works with a sense of urgency to achieve an…

A novice assistant principal, eager to lead, begins her career as an administrator in school beset with problems and far removed from the textbook definitions of "learning community". She works with inexperienced teachers, disillusioned veteran teachers, and a principal who is distracted and overwhelmed by personal concerns. Her suggestions are…

This case was developed for use in courses on the study of organizations, with a focus on school administration and supervision. It focuses on the challenges--most notably, changing demographics and a resistant faculty--faced by a new principal whose school has a record of success but is in danger of sliding into mediocrity. Varied data are…

This case study is presented for use with graduate students in educational administration. The intent is to further those students' preparation to deal with cultural and organizational change, along with the examination of the role of the administrative team as instructional leaders. One of the primary roles of the building principal is to be the…