The passage of ESSA in 2015 created a novel mandate for States to develop school accountability systems that use alternative measures of school quality beyond test scores. This created an opportunity for States to be innovative and make new forms of data available that could potentially lead to new strategies for improving schools. This study…

There is fertile ground to expand the ideas of resilience and growth as two important skills in leadership (Bell, 2009). Little research has examined how trauma and violence are reappropriated in post-trauma contexts. In fact, resiliency and adaptive strategies often influence life and career choices (Wolin & Wolin, 1993). Although this…

This article extends mixed-methods longitudinal research with school and district leaders (2008-present) about their most pressing leadership challenges. Here--through in-depth, qualitative interviews--we explore how a subsample of 30 principals described and understood their "internal experiences" of addressing pressing challenges. More…

This article situates the counternarrative of three African American female school principals and their leadership practices toward equity using a critical race theory framework (CRT). The data come from a larger exploratory study that addressed the understanding of the so-called achievement gap by school leaders. Four prevalent themes emerged…

This study explored principle licensure students' sense of engagement, program effectiveness, and preparedness to lead engagement focused on academic achievement. Data analysis using attributes of effective preparation programs, and positive psychology constructs (e.g., flow) found "Goal Achievement," "Commitment," and…

While many states have adopted new requirements for teacher evaluations in pursuit of Race to the Top funding (Darling-Hammond, 2013), this qualitative case study of one Rocky Mountain school district that has been working on developing a system of supervision and evaluation to support teacher effectiveness for over a decade examines how teachers…

This qualitative case study utilized distributed leadership theory and Capobianco and Feldman's (2006) conceptualization of conditions for collaborative action research (CAR) to describe the implementation of CAR as professional development (PD) and school improvement strategy in two educational contexts, one alternative school and one rural, in a…

Literature in the field of school leadership substantiates principals' influence on student achievement. Less clarity is available concerning principals' influence on school turnaround or the competencies needed for principals to effectively engage in and sustain the turnaround of low-performing schools. This study seeks to illuminate principal…

Research into equity leadership has been a growing focus within educational leadership. Few studies explore the role of the superintendent in equity work. Drawing from interview data and observation of monthly regional leadership meetings, this article examines how 12 superintendents describe their equity leadership practices. Focusing on the ways…

As transgender individuals receive more attention nationwide, it is only a matter of time before increased numbers of transgender educators seek placement in teacher education programs, and eventually, employment as teachers. Given the high levels of discrimination against transgender individuals historically, it is reasonable that P-12 school…

This multi-case qualitative study describes how leadership coaches working in a university-based coaching program provided support to school principals in three urban elementary schools in the western United States. Drawing on qualitative data collected during a single school year, the study examines which issues leadership coaches prioritized and…

This investigation examines the impact teacher protection and principal role ambiguity have on elementary school student bullying. Data were collected from 1,554 teachers and 198 campus administrators from 104 elementary schools in Texas. HLM analyses are employed to identify the effect that teacher protection, administrator role ambiguity, school…

Black boys in racially segregated urban schools are vulnerable to the trappings of the school-to-prison-pipeline. In this article, I use narrative inquiry and critical race theory (CRT) to examine the stories of two elementary school principals struggling to create more inclusive schools for Black boys with emotional disabilities (ED) in a…

This study examined the relationships between enabling structures, academic optimism, and student achievement to determine whether academic optimism served as a mediator between the two. Student achievement was measured using both criterion-referenced and norm-referenced tests. Findings indicated a relationship between academic optimism, enabling…

The teacher evaluation process provides opportunity for instructional feedback and teacher improvement, but also may influence the beliefs teachers have about the quality of their own work and their confidence levels as a teacher. Self-efficacy plays a vital role in determining teacher effectiveness and the students' academic experience, but…