Alan R. Shoho

The Development of Assistant Principals: A Literature Review.

Purpose – The purpose of this review is to add to the discussion of assistant principals (APs), a position that has been under‐represented in the professional literature.Design/methodology/approach – An extensive search was undertaken on assistant principals, vice principals, and deputy head teachers from various sources, including journals, conference papers, doctoral dissertations, ERIC documents, articles from professional publications and organizations, and relevant books and chapters. Each document was thoroughly analyzed and common themes were identified.Findings – The assistant principalship is a unique entity because the position lacks a precise job description yet entails numerous tasks to ensure the success of a school. Although the assistant principal is a critical leader in schools, the position is underutilized and under‐researched. This review analyzes the roles, responsibilities, training, socialization, and typologies of the assistant principal.Research limitations/implications – As a resu...

A STUDY OF READERS THEATER IN EIGHTH GRADE: ISSUES OF FLUENCY, COMPREHENSION, AND VOCABULARY

This study investigated the impact of Readers Theater on eighth-grade students, the majority of whom were reading below grade level. Over six weeks of a short story unit, one class participated in Readers Theater. The comparison group of like-ability students received more traditional literary and vocabulary instruction. Quantitative measures showed that when compared with students in the comparison class, students in the Reader Theater class made statistically significant growth in reading level, as well as significant gains in fluidity and expressive measures of oral reading. Groups were not significantly different on comprehension measures. However, the Readers Theater class nearly doubled the vocabulary acquisition of the comparison group. Qualitative measures attested to the potential of Readers Theater to motivate struggling adolescent readers and to build their reading confidence.

The Complexity of Leveraging University Program Change

This article identifies four elements of complexity that influence how university educational leadership programs can leverage program change: faculty reward systems, faculty governance, institutional resources, and state-level influence on leadership preparation. Following the discussion of the elements of complexity, the article provides a vignette of a university program change in educational leadership to further highlight the complexity and to provide examples of the opportunities for program change. The article ends with a discussion of implications for change.

A cross-cultural analysis of similarities and differences among Math Olympiads in China, Taiwan, and The United States

Abstract This chapter explores the cross-cultural similarities and differences of Math Olympians and their families from China, Taiwan, and the United States. Multiple theoretical perspectives are used with these comparisons. The results of these analyses suggest that there are more areas of difference than similarity among these Math Olympians. These differences are largely due to cultural factors emanating from philosophical beliefs and evolving political factors revolving around two major concepts: individualism versus group collectivism and intrinsic versus extrinsic factors.

Attracting Diverse Students to a Magnet School: Risking Aspirations or Swallowing One’s Beliefs

This case study focuses on the ethics of advocating for a social justice perspective versus jeopardizing one’s career aspirations. There are numerous subplots to this case involving the start-up of a new magnet school, including its leaders’ concerns for meeting accountability measures and representing racially diverse, limited English proficient, and economically disadvantaged students. Through this case, we illustrate the conflicting choices school leaders may face when trying to balance their own career aspirations with their advocacy of social justice issues for underrepresented groups of students. By using Starratt’s ethical framework along with Strike, Haller, and Soltis’s and Shapiro and Stefkovich’s work on ethical dilemmas, this case highlights the importance of having an ethical framework to base administrative decision making that supports social justice actions for all students.

The Price of Departmental Harmony Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

The purpose of this case is to reflect and share the experiences of one educational leadership department as it underwent a transformation from being a department of individuals to a department of colleagues. The case illustrates that change is slow and difficult. It also demonstrates the importance of faculty fit to a department. Without it, departments of educational leadership are unlikely to model best practices of leadership to their students and community.

High School Teachers Perceptions of School Change and Its Implications for Student Achievement

ABSTRACT This study sought to determine if there was a relationship between teacher perceptions of educational change and student achievement. Teacher perceptions of change represented the independent variable and the dependent variable consisted of eleventh grade math Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills scores, cohort completion rates, and math college readiness scores. The Texas Change and Trust survey was administered to 1,785 certified teachers at 38 high schools. Analysis indicated that community pressure for change and faculty anxiety to change had statistically significant relationships with all dependent variables and that community pressure for change was the best predictor of student achievement.

Assistant principals’ perceptions of meaningful mentoring and professional development opportunities

Purpose When assistant principals experience positive mentoring and professional development, they can obtain valuable knowledge and leadership skills from these learning opportunities. To better understand the formal and informal mechanisms assistant principals use to expand their knowledge and skills, the purpose of this paper is to examine important advice mentors provided for them and the professional learning activities that prepare them for their school leadership roles. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews with 69 elementary, middle, and high school assistant principals were conducted. Questions focused on the advice mentors have provided and significant learning experiences that have aided in their growth as school leaders. Findings Results reveal that assistant principals greatly appreciate insights from mentors about how to enhance decision-making skills, improve people and communication skills, reflect on their personal qualities and capabilities, and clarify their values and beliefs. Their preferred means for professional growth is to work with former and current administrators they trust and respect. Originality/value This study goes beyond examining the structural and procedural aspects of mentoring by describing highly valued advice provided by mentors affecting assistant principals’ professional development and growth. For mentoring to be effective, this study suggests that mentors should provide opportunities for assistant principals to develop their decision-making, people, and communication skills as well to clarify their personal capabilities, values, and beliefs.

The Multiple Futures of the Field of Educational Leadership Research and Practice – An Introduction

As the sixth volume in the International Research on School Leadership series, the contributing authors in this volume consider the history, challenges, and opportunities of the field of research and practice in educational leadership and administration in schools and districts. Ten years after the work of Firestone and Riehl (2005) and their contributing authors, our aim with the present volume was to summarize and update the work of the field, and provide a space to consider the multiple futures of educational leadership in schools and districts, as both challenges and opportunities. The first decade of the twenty-first century brought significant critiques, challenges, and competition to the research and practice of training leaders and administrators of schools and districts around the world. Congruently, the field experienced significant growth and change, as multiple new sub-domains flourished and were founded. Thus, in this volume we were delighted to included excellent chapters from multiple authors that considered the duality of the challenges and opportunities of: 12

Considering the Use of Data by School Leaders for Decision Making: An Introduction

Our fifth book in the International Research on School Leadership series focuses on the use of data in schools and districts as useful information for leadership and decision making. Schools are awash in data and information, from test scores, to grades, to discipline reports, and attendance as just a short list of student information sources (Bernhardt, 2004), while additional streams of data feed into schools and districts from teachers and parents as well as local, regional and national policy levels (Henig, 2012; Honig & Venkateswaran, 2012; Piety, 2013). To deal with the data, schools have implemented a variety of data practices, from data rooms, to data days, data walks, and data protocols (Mandinach & Gummer, 2013; Marsh, 2012). However, despite the flood of data, successful school leaders are leveraging an analysis of their school’s data as a means to bring about continuous improvement in an effort to improve instruction for all students (Boudett & Steele, 2007). Nevertheless, some drown, some swim, while others find success. Our goal in this book volume was to bring together a set of chapters by authors who examine successful data use as it relates to leadership and school improvement. In particular, the chapters in this volume consider important issues in this domain, including: 123