Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifier

557

Date

2012

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Major

Leadership and Policy Studies

Concentration

Educational Leadership

Committee Chair

Reginald Leon Green

Committee Member

Larry McNeal

Committee Member

Allen H Seed

Abstract

The specific purpose of this study was to identify the practices used by leaders of National Blue Ribbon Awarded Schools to successfully turnaround a school or to maintain proficient achievement scores within the school. The school principals answered a four part questionnaire for this study. Part 1 of the questionnaire asked about the extent to which the leadership practices were used by educational leaders serving in high poverty communitieswho transformed low performing schools into high performing schools. Part 2 of the questionnaire solicited information about the relationship between the leadership strategies used and behaviors and perceptions of the teachers. Part 3 of the survey questioned the relationship between the leadership practices and the students' perceptions about themselves and others. Part 4 of the survey inquired about the demographics characteristics of the schools and their leaders. Frequency distributions were conducted to analyze the data from the questionnaire. Based on the findings, the seven practices found in the literature were used to a great extent by National Blue Ribbonawarded principals and were contributing factors to the transformation of a low performing school or maintaining a high achieving school. The strategies were: 1) Leadership, 2) Collaboration, 3) Professional Development, 4) School Organization, 5) Data Analysis, 6) Curriculum Alignment, and 7) Student Intervention. The data analysis revealed that the school leaders observed changes in the teachers' behaviors and perceptions as a whole, specifically in the area of analyzing individual students' data and setting higher expectations for students. Additionally the data showed that principals noticed changes in students' perception about themselves and others as it related to their competence level and capabilities to learn. Lastly, the data revealed that according to the participants, there were specific practices that impact school turnaround efforts specific to the school's demographics. The conclusion from this study was that the leadership strategies identified in the literature were key contributors in transforming low performing or maintaining high achieving schools efforts.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to the local University of Memphis Electronic Theses & dissertation (ETD) Repository.

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