Pamela S. Angelle

An Organizational Perspective of Distributed Leadership: A Portrait of a Middle School.

Abstract Interest in the concept of distributed leadership has increased as evidenced in the recent literature. While there has been much discussion, there has been scant empirical evidence of distributed leadership in practice. This research study examines one middle school where educators practiced distributed leadership daily. Approached from an organizational perspective, the researcher gathered data from administrator and teacher interviews, organization context, and student outcome records. Findings from this qualitative case study form the basis for a model of distributed leadership. Organizational preconditions include: (a) leadership practice as support for organizational structure, (b) trust as strengthening organizational culture, and (c) relationships as the foundation for organizational affiliation. Organizational constructs of organizational structure, organizational culture, and organizational affiliation, in turn, lead to the organizational outcomes of (a) efficacy, (b) increased trust, (c) job satisfaction, and (d) teacher intent to stay.

Teacher Perceptions of Teacher Leadership: Examining Differences by Experience, Degree, and Position

Researchers for this multisite quantitative study examined the relationships between teacher perceptions of the extent of teacher leadership in a school and the grade level, degree level, and leadership status of the respondents. Data for this study were collected in two administrations in 43 schools in seven U.S. states. To test for differences among the variables and the four factors of the Teacher Leadership Inventory, a one-way ANOVA was conducted for each variable. Findings indicated significant differences between elementary school teachers and middle/high school teachers, teachers with a bachelor’s degree and teachers with graduate degrees, and formal teacher leaders and teachers in no leadership position. Attention to these results will allow school districts to better align leadership training with the needs of specific teachers and support principals in school improvement.

Teachers as Leaders: Collaborative Leadership for Learning Communities

All the key documents explicating the essential features of effective middle level schools highlight the importance of organizational structures that foster teaching, learning, and meaningful relationships. This We Believe: Keys to Educating Young Adolescents (National Middle School Association, 2010) identifies interdisciplinary teams as one of these organizational features and reminds us that these teams need “daily or regular common planning time” so they “can plan ways to integrate the curriculum, analyze assessment data, examine student work, discuss current research, and reflect on the effectiveness of instructional approaches being used” (p. 32). Teachers also use common planning time to address management issues related to individual student and parent concerns, the day-to-day management of the team, and scheduling of activities. Turning Points: Preparing American Youth for the 21st Century (Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development, 1989) also addressed the need for teachers to have greater authority to make decisions that affect the educational experiences of their students. The Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development noted,

Teacher leadership and collective efficacy: teacher perceptions in three US school districts

Purpose – Collective efficacy and teacher leadership, two constructs central to school reform, were examined in this quantitative study of three school districts. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between teacher perceptions of the extent of teacher leadership and the extent of collective efficacy. Research was guided by the following questions: Do teachers who perceive a strong sense of collective efficacy also perceive a greater extent of teacher leadership in their schools? Are there differences in perceptions of collective efficacy and the factors of teacher leadership, specifically, sharing expertise, shared leadership, supra-practitioner, and principal selection? Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected utilizing two instruments, the Teacher Leadership Inventory (TLI) (Angelle and DeHart, 2010) and the Teacher Efficacy Belief Scale – Collective Form (Olivier, 2001). Descriptive statistics and ANOVA were run to examine mean differences by district in teacher collective...

Global conversations about social justice The Swedish−US example

This qualitative study investigated the social justice practices of four principals − two from the United States and two from Sweden. The purpose of the study was to enhance our understanding of school leaders’ actions as they work to promote socially just practices in different national contexts. Principals were interviewed to examine their perceptions of what social justice leaders do, how they make sense of social justice, what helps and hinders the work of social justice, and how they learned to become social justice leaders. Findings from the principals’ interviews are presented as a fictional conversation to illustrate similarities and points of departure in social justice practice between the two countries. Principals emphasized the proactive nature of social justice leadership, demonstrated through decision-making, strategic planning, and daily interactions. The importance of giving voice to those who cannot speak for themselves, holding high expectations for all students, and the importance of modeling positive values was underscored. Conclusions from this study illustrate that social justice leadership in practice, despite the national context, offers more commonalities than differences.

Courageous, Collaborative Leaders Confront the Challenges and Complexities of School Improvement

Courageous, collaborative leadership is considered one of the essential characteristics of a successful middle school (NMSA, 2003). These leaders, both administrators and teachers, are described as “architects for change” and “prime determiners of the school culture” (NMSA, p. 10). Recognizing that “improvement does not depend upon any single person” (p. 11) and attempting to better understand what courageous, collaborative leadership entails, this review of the research focuses on issues related to the challenges and complexities of school improvement. Specifically, it provides readers with a summary of what the research says about school improvement and focuses on the variety of issues (e.g., change as it relates to context, culture, and capacity) to which courageous, collaborative leaders must be attentive in the process of improving their schools. According to Kelly and Lezotte (2003), there are two kinds of schools—improving and declining. From that perspective, school improvement can no longer be viewed as optional or a luxury. The school improvement process represents a “required opportunity.” Schools as organizations are held accountable, and the work performance of teachers and administrators is measured indirectly, through the performance of students (Quality Counts, 2001). Kelly and Lezotte also remind us that “The bureaucratic, top-down, outside-in, standards-based, results-driven call for school improvement is sweeping over the schools of this nation like a tidal wave” (Introduction, ¶ 1). As part of the current accountability movement, schools are expected to justify the value and effectiveness of their programs. Apart from public relations and accountability issues, educators have come to recognize that they can no longer rely on intuition, tradition, or convenience in making decisions about the best practices and strategies to improve student learning. Data-driven decision making has become not only a familiar term, but also a more prevalent practice. With No Child Left Behind (2001) the number of schools “in need of improvement” has reached into the thousands and is expected to grow as standards for making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) become more and more stringent. To clearly understand what we mean by school improvement, we turn first to the difference between school effectiveness and school improvement.

Beliefs and Behaviors of Two High School Principals in Developing a Sense of School Community for Students

This qualitative study investigated two high school principals’ articulation of establishing a sense of community. The principals’ narratives, values, beliefs, and behaviors are examined through the lens of community membership, fulfillment of needs, influence, and emotional connections. Findings show that the principals, leading schools with different contexts, both implemented structures and processes that addressed elements of the frame as foundation for student success. While the principals expressed similar beliefs regarding community, behavioral approaches differed in implementation.