Page A. Smith

Toward an Organizational Model of Achievement in High Schools: The Significance of Collective Efficacy

In this study, a theoretical model to explain school achievement in high schools is developed and tested. Collective efficacy is the key variable in a proposed theoretical system that also includes academic press and socioeconomic status. The authors postulate that both socioeconomic status and academic press have positive effects on school achievement in mathematics as well as improve the collective efficacy of the school. Collective efficacy, in turn, is hypothesized to have a positive effect on school mathematics achievement. Finally, the analysis concludes with a discussion of strategies to enhance collective efficacy of schools.

The Development of the Organizational Climate Index for High Schools: Its Measure and Relationship to Faculty Trust.

A parsimonious measure of organizational climate of high schools is developed and tested in this research. The Organizational Climate Index (OCI) captures open and healthy dimensions of high school climates at the student, teacher, principal, and community levels. Next the relationship between the climate of schools and faculty trust is examined in a large, diverse sample of high schools (N=97). Different dimensions of high school climate explain distinct aspects of faculty trust-faculty trust in colleagues, in principals, and in clients (students and parents).

Academic optimism and student achievement in urban elementary schools

Purpose – The aim of this study was two‐fold: to demonstrate a general construct of schools called academic optimism and to show it was related to student achievement in urban elementary schools, even controlling for socioeconomic factors, and school size.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 99 urban elementary schools in Texas and multiple regression and factor analyses were used to test a series of hypotheses guiding the inquiry.Findings – The major hypotheses of the study were supported; academic optimism was a second‐order construct comprised of collective efficacy, faculty trust, and academic optimism. Moreover, academic optimism is a school characteristic that predicts student achievement even controlling for socioeconomic status.Practical implications – The results support Banduras social cognitive theory, Colemans social capital theory, Hoy and Tarters work on organizational climate, and demonstrate the existence of a cultural property of schools called academic optimism. Furt...

Influence: A Key to Successful Leadership.

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to examine and condense the literature on influence and persuasion.Design/methodology/approach – The article identifies basic principles of influence in the theoretical and research literature, which are supported by empirical study.Findings – Ten principles of influence were identified, empirical support for each was given, and implications for educational leaders were discussed. In brief, ten basic strategies for educational leaders are proposed to persuade and influence students, teachers, and parents – ten principles of influence.Practical limitations – The propositions identified are a beginning not an end, and caution must be used to prevent the unethical use of each principle.Originality/value – This study refines Cialdinis six principles of persuasion and add four more of our own to round out ten basic strategies educational leaders can use to persuade and influence students, teachers, and parents – ten principles of influence.

The organizational trust of elementary schools and dimensions of student bullying

Purpose – This research aims to analyse student bullying and faculty trust in elementary schools in the state of Texas.Design/methodology/approach – Two dimensions of school bullying (teacher protection and student bullying) and three aspects of faculty trust (in clients, colleagues and the principal) were examined.Findings – In general, the better the organizational trust of a school, the less student bullying. In addition, the greater degree of faculty trust in a school, the more teacher protection was evident. However, as predicted, different dimensions of faculty trust were more or less important in affecting the aspects of student bullying. In addition, two simple and parsimonious research instruments designed to measure salient organizational characteristics are identified.Research limitations/implications – This study represents an addition to the extant literature on bullying in schools; particularly the relationship between organizational trust and school bullying. It, however, represents a begin...

The organizational health of high schools and student proficiency in mathematics

School climate has been associated with the academic achievement of students. The purpose of this study was to extend that body of research by examining the organizational health of a typical set of high schools in the state of Ohio. In particular, the focus was on the organizational health of high schools and mathematics proficiency as defined by the percentage of 12th grade students who passed the Ohio Proficiency Examination in Mathematics.

The Impact of Achievement Press on Student Success in Elementary Schools.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the relative impact of achievement press on student success in elementary schools in the Southwestern USA.Design/methodology/approach – Data from individual teacher assessments and student achievement tests are collected and aggregated at the campus level. Hierarchical linear modeling is utilized to calculate the Intra Class Correlation (ICC), then campus level scores for achievement press (along with control variables) are regressed on school success indicators in order to determine the relative impact of achievement press on various levels of school attainment.Findings – The results of these analyses demonstrate that achievement press made a statistically significant independent contribution to school success, both near term (one year) and longitudinally (over three years).Research limitations/implications – Via the use of a reliable and valid diagnostic tool, this investigation adds to the extant literature on school climate, achievement, and school eff...

Taps for the High Stakes Test

The article discusses a case study that stems from actual events, targets the issue of ethics in schools, and is applicable for use in a variety of educational leadership courses. The article examines the issues related to ethical responsibilities and high-stakes testing in public schools. The administration must decide what actions to take following the questionable practices of a teacher during the administration of a standardized test. The decisions of the parent, teacher, and principal will have an impact not only on the students currently enrolled in the class but also on the future educational practices within this campus and district.