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.

An investigation of the relationships between selected characteristics and leadership outcomes of Athletic Training Education Program directors

There is currently no evidence describing what characteristics make an Athletic Training Program Director (PD) an effective leader. An influx of accredited programs resulted in a rapid increase in the demand for PDs, yet training and preparation for these positions has failed to evolve. Although Certified Athletic Trainers (ATs) are trained in specific content areas, they may not always be prepared for the administrative and leadership responsibilities associated with the role of PD (Leone, 2008). This dissertation examined the relationships between selected characteristics and leadership outcomes of Athletic Training Program Directors. Each PD participants (n=27) completed a demographic questionnaire to obtain the leader's academic preparation, accreditation experience and leadership training history. Each participant also completed the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) to obtain leadership styles, behaviors, and outcomes. Overall, the PDs reported utilizing transformational leadership most often and passive avoidant leadership least often. There was no significant difference between PDs with master's and doctorate degrees on overall leadership outcome. However, participants with a doctorate degree scored significantly different on the effectiveness component of the leadership outcome compared with participants with a master's degree. Those participants who have completed academic coursework on leadership scored significantly different on the leadership outcome compared to those who have not completed academic coursework on leadership. Findings from this study indicate that changes to the current requirements for the role of PD may be warranted. Consideration should be given to increasing the minimum degree requirement and requiring academic coursework on leadership. Future research may be useful in determining specific degree guidelines and types and amounts of leadership training that would be beneficial to Athletic Training PDs.

Spirituality and transformational leadership in education

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between school principals' self-reported spirituality and their transformational leadership behaviors. The relationship between spirituality and transactional leadership behaviors was also explored. The study used Bass and Avolio's (1984) Full Range Leadership Model as the theoretical framework conceptualizing transformational leadership. Data were collected using online surveys. Overall, six principals and sixty-nine teachers participated in the study. Principal surveys contained three parts: the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ Form-5X Short), the modified Spirituality Well-Being Scale (SWBS) and demographic information. Teacher surveys included two parts: the MLQ-5X and demographic information. The MLQ-5X was used to identify the degree of principals' transformational and transactional leadership behaviors. The modified SWBS (Existential Well Being) was used to determine principals' degree of spirituality. The correlation coefficients for the transformational leadership styles of inspirational motivation and idealized behavioral influence were significantly related to principals' spirituality. In addition, a multiple regression analysis including the five measures of transformational leadership as predictors suggested that spirituality is positively related to an individual's transformational leadership behaviors. A multiple regression analysis utilizing a linear combination of all transformational leadership and transactional measures was predictive of spirituality. Finally, it appears that the inspirational motivation measure of transformational leadership accounts for a significant amount of unique variance independent of the other seven transformational and transactional leadership measures in predicting spirituality. Based on the findings from this study, the researcher proposed a modification of Bass and Avolio's (1985) Full Range Leadership Model. An additional dimension, spirituality, was added to the continuum of leadership styles. The findings from this study imply that principals' self-reported levels of spirituality was related to their being perceived as displaying transformational leadership behaviors. Principals who identified themselves as "spiritual", were more likely to be characterized by the transformational leadership style of inspirational motivation.

Moral Leadership: A Model for Educational Leaders in the 21st Century

Furthering the understanding of and exploring the literature on moral leadership models is the purpose of this research paper. A review the literature was undertaken, synthesizing concepts and offering a new paradigm for educational leaders.

Parents Acquiring Learning Strategies (PALS): How Empowering Hispanic Parents Increases Parental Involvement and Student Achievement

Some Hispanic parents in Miami-Dade County show limited involvement in the educational process of their children. Currently, Miami-Dade County Public schools consists of an increasingly high number of language minority students who come from homes where parents are limited in their English proficiency. Consequently, these parents have difficulty assisting their children with schoolwork and often feel they lack adequate skills to involve themselves in school curricula. The lack of parental involvement by this population has a negative impact on students’ learning and their academic achievement. The purpose of this study is to impact the level of participation of these families and to study its ultimate effect on students’ academic achievement.

School Efficacy and Educational Leadership: How Principals Help Schools Get Smarter

Schools become learning communities when both teachers and students exert extraordinary commitment and performance. When shared leadership between administrators and teachers is fostered, students benefit academically. This is called school efficacy. In this action-research paper, two principals in low-performing, high-poverty urban schools share their recommendations for fostering higher student achievement, making their respective schools smarter.

Technology Integration and School Leadership

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) brought many significant changes to American schools including accessibility to technology. Through an extensive literature review of the relationship between technology leadership and student achievement, five major themes emerged from data that support the need for more effective computer-based education in schools.

Feminine Concepts of Leadership and Power: A New Framework for Development Ethics and Education Development

The last twenty years have been a period of growth in education development, development ethics, and female leadership studies. Literature indicates meaningful connections between these disciplines and points towards reassessment of obstacles to systemic change. A new term enpowerment is coined to define a proposed framework for ethical development practice.

The Role of Leadership Style in Employee Engagement

This paper explores the relationship between leadership styles and engagement in the workplace. The competitive global markets are forcing organizations to look past their products and the bottom line and move beyond just employee motivation and towards having an engaged workforce.

Engagement Leadership: A New Developmental Model

This paper explores the connection between leadership behaviors and employee engagement to build a proposed conceptual model. A conceptual link between employee needs (Herzberg, 1959; Maslow, 1970), emotional intelligence (Goleman, 1998), and transformational leadership (Bass, 1985) is discussed.

Student Leadership Summit, 10th Anniversary Time Capsule Burial Ceremony, February 2, 2013

Time capsule table at the Student Leadership Summit 10th Anniversary. Time capsule table at the Student Leadership Summit 10th Anniversary. The Annual FIU Student Leadership Summit is held each February on the Biscayne Bay Campus. The Summit is a one-day conference for current student leaders. The Summit offers our students the opportunity to learn from the vast expertise of our faculty and administrators, to share their leadership experiences with each other and to establish a network of support and cooperation within the university. On Feb. 2, 2013, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of holding the Student Leadership Summit. In honor of this occasion, we buried a time capsule containing materials from the day as well as messages from participants to the participants of 2023 when the time capsule is to be opened.

Student Leadership Summit, 10th Anniversary Time Capsule Burial Ceremony, February 2, 2013

Time capsule and burial plaque. The Annual FIU Student Leadership Summit is held each February on the Biscayne Bay Campus. The Summit is a one-day conference for current student leaders. The Summit offers our students the opportunity to learn from the vast expertise of our faculty and administrators, to share their leadership experiences with each other and to establish a network of support and cooperation within the university. On Feb. 2, 2013, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of holding the Student Leadership Summit. In honor of this occasion, we buried a time capsule containing materials from the day as well as messages from participants to the participants of 2023 when the time capsule is to be opened.

Student Leadership Summit, 10th Anniversary Time Capsule Burial Ceremony, February 2, 2013

Time capsule table at the Student Leadership Summit 10th Anniversary. The Annual FIU Student Leadership Summit is held each February on the Biscayne Bay Campus. The Summit is a one-day conference for current student leaders. The Summit offers our students the opportunity to learn from the vast expertise of our faculty and administrators, to share their leadership experiences with each other and to establish a network of support and cooperation within the university. On Feb. 2, 2013, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of holding the Student Leadership Summit. In honor of this occasion, we buried a time capsule containing materials from the day as well as messages from participants to the participants of 2023 when the time capsule is to be opened.

Race, Gender, & Leadership: Perspectives of Female Secondary Leaders

Female secondary principals not only have to deal with internal and external pressures to lead successfully but are scrutinized because of their gender (Shakeshaft, 1993; Skrla & Young, 2003; Thurman, 2004). The purpose of this study was to investigate how female secondary principals from one southwestern state teased out complex views of leadership, gender, and race.

The Five Foundations of Leadership in Japan's Lodging Industry

This article discusses the results of pioneer research done by Michigan State University's School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management researchers, in cooperation with the Japanese Management Association, on the foundations of Japanese lodging industry leadership. While the results presented here simply represent the opinions of CEOs and presidents in Japan's lodging industry, the research offers an insight into leadership foundations and the results provide a guide for developing leadership skills in those who aspire to be future leaders in Japan’s lodging industry