An Exploratory Analysis of John Dewey's Writings: Implications for School Leaders

The purpose of this study was to synthesize the operational definition of education through an exploratory analysis of John Dewey’s writings. Dewey’s definition of education changed from 1938 to 1896. Findings suggest that schools promote more social and emotional learning through instructional activities such as service-learning.

Female Secondary School Leaders: At the Helm of Democratic Schooling and Social Justice

We chose the philosophical tradition of phenomenology as the qualitative methodology to study four women school leaders. Semi-structured interview data indicated that their professional experiences impacted how their leadership practices advance social justice in their education organizations, espouse the belief that equity matter, and exemplify the torchbearers of democratic ideals.

The examination of the relationships among secondary principals' leadership behaviors, school climate, and student achievement in an urban context

School principals' leadership is key to successful school reform, as is increased student achievement. This nonexperimental ex post facto study tested relationships among secondary school principals' leadership behaviors, school climate, and student achievement. Of 165 secondary school principals from the three largest school districts in South Florida, 58 completed three online survey instruments: the Leadership Practices Inventory, School Climate Inventory-Revised, and researcher-designed Demographic Questionnaire. Student achievement was measured by students' scores on the reading and mathematics Florida Comprehensive Assessment Tests. Three null hypotheses tested relationships among (a) five principals' leadership behaviors and seven domains of school climate; (b) principals' leadership behaviors and student achievement; and (c) principals' leadership behaviors, school climate, and student achievement. Multiple linear regressions were used to determine the degree to which the independent variables predicted the dependent variables for the first two hypotheses. ANOVAs tested possible group differences between the demographic and research variables as controls for the third hypothesis. Partial correlational analyses tested the strength and direction of relationships among leadership behaviors, climate, and achievement. Results revealed partial support of the hypotheses. None of the leadership variables significantly predicted school climate. No significant relationships were found among the five leadership behaviors and student achievement. Demographic group differences in school climate and student achievement were marginally significant. The leadership behaviors of Inspiring a Shared Vision and Enabling Others to Act were positively linked to reading achievement. Partial correlations were found (r .27 to −.35) among school climate variables of Order, Involvement, and Expectation and achievement variables. The Modeling the Way leadership variable was negatively associated with reading achievement. After controlling for gender, years at current school, and years in the district, partial positive correlations were found among leadership, school climate, and student achievement. Inspiring a Shared Vision, Enabling Others to Act, Encouraging the Heart, and Challenging the Process leadership variables were partially correlated to Order, Leadership (Instructional), and Expectation climate variables. Study results should provide policymakers and educators with a leadership profile for school leaders challenging the status quo who can create schools for enhanced student learning and relevance to the needs of students, families, and society.

A comparison of the leadership styles of the leaders at New World School of the Arts

The purpose of this study was to determine if the perceived leadership styles of the leaders at New World School of the Arts were different according to their roles in the organization. The study focused on the top leaders of the organization: the Provost who heads the college program, and the Principal who heads the high school program.^ The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) Self and Observer developed by Kouzes and Posner (1990) was used to examine and compare the perceived differences between the leaders and the programs. The LPI measures five practices of exemplary leadership. The LPI Self and Observer was administered to the leaders, administrative subordinates, and faculty. In addition to the LPI a Demographic Inventory was used to collect data about the respondents.^ This study used a causal-comparative design to determine if differences existed between the leaders at NWSA as perceived by the leaders themselves and their respective administrative subordinates and faculty. T tests were conducted on the mean differences between the five leadership practices measured by the LPI. All tests were declared significant if exceeding the 5% level $(p={<}.05).$^ Significant differences were found within the college program across all five practice areas. To a lesser degree, significant differences were found within the high school in three practice areas: Inspiring, Enabling, and Modeling. Three significant differences were found between the college and high school in two practice areas, Enabling and Encouraging.^ There is little consensus of opinion within the college regarding the operative leadership style. Within the high school there is substantial similarity of perception regarding the operative leadership style. There is substantial similarity of perception between the programs regarding the operative leadership style. ^

A frame analysis of the leadership styles of dental and medical school deans

The purpose of this study was to determine how dental and medical school deans perceived their own leadership styles and how many management/leadership perspectives they used when approaching a problem. A descriptive and correlational study was conducted which examined the leadership orientations or "frames" utilized by these deans. Four frames--the structural, the human resource, the political, and the symbolic--emerged from leadership studies which described the behavior of leaders in organizational actions and problem solving.^ Employing the repeated measures ANCOVA, it was found that there were no significant interactions between type of dean and perceptions or perspectives. However, the main effects of both leadership style perceptions and the use of perspectives were significant. This indicated that over the total sample of deans, both perceptions and perspectives were used differently; the deans perceived themselves and used perspectives the highest for the human resource frame and the lowest for the political frame. Also, dental deans' mean use overall of the four perspective frames was higher than the medical deans. In addition to the ANCOVA, t-tests performed on perceptions revealed that the deans perceived the frames differently in three human resource items. Pearson's correlations indicated that for the combined sample of deans, significant negative correlations existed when the human resource or symbolic frame was compared to the structural frame. All of the deans used multiple frames, allowing them to re-frame or combine frames according to the situation. ^

A case study of a liberal Jewish day school's middle school transition

The Jacobson Sinai Academy is a Liberal Reform Jewish Day School, in North Miami Beach, Florida. When the Academy was started over 18 years ago it was designed as a K–6 school. This was in keeping with the existing model for Reform day schools at the time and met the needs and desires of the early founders. The philosophy of the school addressed meeting the needs of the individual child as well as the fostering of Judaic values and traditions in an academically nurturing and experiential setting. Upon graduation, students moved from the Academy to a variety of public and private options, all of which served the needs of the families at the time. In recent years, due to numerous factors within the community, parents voiced concerns as to where their children would continue their education during the critical middle school years. As a result of these concerns, and through the efforts of a dedicated group of parents and lay leaders, the decision was made to add an upper school component to the existing elementary configuration. This study is a qualitative case study which chronicles the organizational change effort that was undertaken for this purpose to determine facilitating conditions and impediments leading to the change. The analysis serves to inform others wishing to advance such an undertaking. ^ Results of the study indicated that certain conditions are necessary for the successful implementation of any change effort. The culture of the organization must be acknowledged and is a primary factor to be considered when advancing change. Collaboration with those committed to the enterprise must occur, and this in turn can lead to an agreed upon philosophy which expresses the diversity of needs and values of all of those involved. Resistance, while expected from certain individuals within the organization, can be overcome through the efforts of key players who assume leadership positions that are transformational in nature. Additionally, the rationale for middle schools, and the need for this one in particular, are factors which led to the success of this initiative. ^

A study of leadership behaviors for Breaking Ranks leaders in public secondary schools

This research will investigate what it will take to develop principals who will embrace the recommendations of reform as proposed by National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP, 1996) in the Breaking Ranks document. Breaking Ranks is based on the belief that it is within the dynamics of the school culture that principals must gain insight into strategies for improving the schools for which they are held responsible. Given this context, it is important to examine perspectives that are held by principals who lead schools that embrace the concepts of reform as proposed by NASSP, thereby, could be deemed “Breaking Ranks” schools. It is within these schools that the new role of the principal develops. NASSP has identified seven key recommendations for leadership development; “attributes that need nourishing” (p. 12) for the success of school reform. The seven recommendations are included in Breaking Ranks. ^ The purpose of this study is to identify and describe how principals put the seven recommendations into practice as they function in their schools. In addition, this study will gather information on the characteristics, support, skills, and training these principals identify as critical aspects and components of their success. This is a study of principal leadership at four high school sites where “Breaking Ranks” principals have been identified. ^ This research plan will be designed to utilize an inquiry-based process with a panel of experts and four “Breaking Ranks” principals. This study will describe: (1) how a panel of experts identify what they believe needs to be done in order to put the recommendations of the Breaking Ranks document into practice and their identification of principals who are breaking ranks; (2) how identified principals say they have been able to put the recommendations of the Breaking Ranks document into practice; (3) How both groups identify and describe: (a) the characteristics and behaviors of a “Breaking Ranks” principal; (b) the new leadership skills as described by the seven recommendations identified in the Breaking Ranks document; (c) the support necessary in order to meet the recommendations in the Breaking Ranks document; and (d) The training needed in order to become “Breaking Ranks” principals; and (4) how the process of creating “Breaking Ranks” principals can be described by experts who have studied it theoretically and principals who have demonstrated it in their schools. ^