This case study is designed to support the preparation of school administrators and teacher leaders enrolled in courses pertaining to school improvement, instructional leadership, and educational change. The principal of an urban middle school has been charged by the district superintendent to study a downward trend in math state achievement test scores. The case involves a middle school principal and how he might choose to work with his faculty to analyze the issue and develop an appropriate professional learning plan to improve instructional practice. This case scaffolds leader preparation candidates in (a) collaboratively identifying a problem underlying declining state achievement test scores and (b) developing a professional learning plan to support school improvement efforts.
AnthonyA. B.GimbertB.LukeJ.HurtM. (2019). Distributed leadership in context: Teacher leaders’ contributions to novice teacher induction. Journal of School Leadership, 29(1), 54–83.
BrykA. S.SebringP. B.AllensworthE.LuppescuS.EastonJ. Q. (2010). Organizing schools for improvement: Lessons from Chicago. University of Chicago Press.
4.
CalvertL. (2016). Moving from compliance to agency: What teachers need to make professional learning work. Learning Forward and NCTAF.
5.
CoburnC. E. (2006). Framing the problem of reading instruction: Using frame analysis to uncover the microprocesses of policy implementation. American Educational Research Journal, 43(3), 343–379.
6.
CoburnC. E.TurnerE. O. (2011). Research on data use: A framework and analysis. Measurement, 9, 173–206.
7.
ColletV. S. (2019). Collaborative lesson study: ReVisioning teacher professional development. Teachers College Press.
8.
CrowG. M.WhitemanR. S. (2016). Effective preparation program features: A literature review. Journal of Research on Leadership Preparation, 11(1), 120–148.
9.
Darling-HammondL.HylerM. E.GardnerM. (2017). Effective teacher professional development. Learning Policy Institute.
10.
Darling-HammondL.WeiR. C.AndreeA.RicharsonN.OrphanosS. (2009). Professional learning in the learning profession: A status report on teacher development in the United States and abroad. National Staff Development Council.
11.
ElfersA. M.StritikusT. (2013). How school and district leaders support classroom teachers’ work with English Language Learners. Educational Administration Quarterly, 50(2), 305–344.
12.
EpsteinJ. L. (2009). School, family, and community partnerships: Your handbook for action (3rd ed.). Corwin Press.
13.
FinniganK. S.StewartT. J. (2009). Leading change under pressure: An examination of principal leadership in low-performing schools. Journal of School Leadership, 19(5), 586–618.
14.
FullanM. (2006). Change theory: A force for school improvement. Centre for Strategic Education.
15.
GeijselF.SleegersP.LeithwoodK.JantziD. (2003). Transformational leadership effects on teachers’ commitment and effort toward school reform. Journal of Educational Administration, 41, 228–256.
16.
GlickmanI.GordonS. P.Ross-GordonJ. M. (2014). Supervision and instructional leadership: A developmental approach. Pearson.
17.
GoddardR. D.GoddardY.KimE. S.MillerR. (2015). A theoretical and empirical analysis of the roles of instructional leadership, teacher collaboration, and collective efficacy beliefs in support of student learning. American Journal of Education, 121, 501–530.
18.
GoddardR. D.HoyW. K.HoyA. W. (2000). Collective teacher efficacy: Its meaning, measure, and impact on student achievement. American Educational Research Journal, 37(2), 479–507.
19.
GraesserA. C.FioreS. M.GreiffS.Andrews-ToddJ.FoltzP. W.HessF. W. (2018). Advancing the science of collaborative problem solving. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 19(2), 59–92.
20.
GuskeyT. R. (2014). Planning professional development. Educational Leadership, 71(8), 10–16.
21.
HattieJ. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. Routledge.
22.
HirshS.HordS. (2012). A playbook for professional learning: Putting the standards into action. Learning Forward.
23.
HoyW. K.MiskelC. G. (2013). Educational administration: Theory, research and practice (9th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
24.
HoyW. K.TarterC. J.BlissJ. (1990). Organizational climate, school health, and effectiveness: A comparative analysis. Educational Administration Quarterly, 26(3), 260–279.
25.
JonassenD. H. (2000). Toward a design theory of problem solving. Educational Technology Research and Development, 48(4), 63–85.
26.
KhalifaM. A.GoodenM. A.DavisJ. E. (2016). Culturally responsive school leadership. Review of Educational Research, 86(4), 1272–1311.
27.
KillionJ. (2013). Professional learning plans: A workbook for states, districts, and schools. Learning Forward.
28.
KimM. C.HannafinM. J. (2011). Scaffolding problem solving in technology-enhanced learning environments (TELEs): Bridging research and theory with practice. Computers & Education, 56(2), 403–417.
29.
Ladson-BillingsG. (1995). Toward a theory of culturally relevant pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal, 32(3), 465–491.
LevineT. H.MarcusA. S. (2010). How the structure and focus of teachers’ collaborative activities facilitate and constrain teacher learning. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(3), 389–398.
32.
Loucks-HorsleyS.HewsonP. W.LoveN.StilesK. E. (1998). Designing professional development for teachers of science and mathematics. Corwin Press.
33.
ManginM. M. (2007). Facilitating elementary principals’ support for instructional teacher leadership. Educational Administration Quarterly, 43(3), 319–357.
34.
ManginM. M.DunsmoreK. (2015). How the framing of instructional coaching as a lever for systemic or individual reform influences the enactment of coaching. Educational Administration Quarterly, 51(2), 179–213.
35.
MarksH. M.PrintyS. M. (2003). Principal leadership and school performance: An integration of transformational and instructional leadership. Educational Administration Quarterly, 39(3), 370–397.
36.
McKenzieK. B.ScheurichJ. J. (2004). Equity traps: A useful construct for preparing principals to lead schools that are successful with racially diverse students. Educational Administration Quarterly, 40(5), 601–632.
37.
NPBEA. (2018). National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) Program Standards—Building level. www.npbea.org
38.
OpferD. V.PedderD. (2011). Conceptualizing teacher professional learning. Review of Educational Research, 81(3), 376–407.
39.
OrrM. T.OrphanosS. (2011). How graduate-level preparation influences the effectiveness of school leaders: A comparison of the outcomes of exemplary and conventional leadership preparation programs for principals. Educational Administration Quarterly, 47(1), 18–70.
40.
PaneJ. F.SteinerE. D.BairdM. D.HamiltonL. S. (2015). Continued progress: Promising evidence on personalized learning. RAND Corporation.
41.
ParisD.AlimH. S. (2014). What are we seeking to sustain through culturally sustaining pedagogy? A loving critique forward. Harvard Educational Review, 84(1), 85–100.
42.
PrintyS. M.MarksH. M.BowersA. J. (2009). Integrated leadership: How principals and teachers share instructional influence. Journal of School Leadership, 19(5), 504–532.
43.
PutnamR. T.BorkoH. (2000). What do new views of knowledge and thinking have to say about research on teacher learning?Educational Researcher, 29(1), 4–15.
44.
ReevesD. (2010). Transforming professional development into student results. ASCD.
45.
SilvaD. Y.GimbertB. G.NolanJ. (2000). Sliding the doors: Locking and unlocking possibilities for teacher leadership. Teachers College Record, 102(4), 779–804.
46.
SkrlaL.ScheurichJ. J.GarciaJ.NollyG. (2004). Equity audits: A practical leadership tool for developing equitable and excellent schools. Educational Administration Quarterly, 40(1), 133–161.
47.
TheoharisG.O’TooleJ. (2011). Leading inclusive ELL: Social justice leadership for English Language Learners. Educational Administration Quarterly, 47(4), 646–688.
48.
WatkinsS.AnthonyA. B.SchafferC.SmithK. J. (2015). A spectrum of parent and community engagement for conceptualizing and responding to the institutional complexity of urban schools. In KhalifaM.ArnoldN. W.OsanlooA. F.GrantC. M. (Eds.), Handbook of Urban educational leadership (pp. 268–279). Rowman & Littlefield.
49.
Webster-WrightA. (2009). Reframing professional development through understanding authentic professional learning. Review of Educational Research, 79(2), 702–739.
50.
York-BarrJ.DukeK. (2004). What do we know about teacher leadership? Findings from two decades of scholarship. Review of Educational Research, 74(3), 255–316.
51.
YoungsP.KingM. B. (2002). Principal leadership for professional development to build school capacity. Educational Administration Quarterly, 38(5), 643–670.
