Leadership, school culture, collaborative practice, and teacher beliefs: A case-study of schoolwide structures and systems at a high performing high poverty school.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Historically, high poverty schools have not been meeting standards for proficiency and have been associated with low academic achievement according to years of research and national averages. The relationship between professional learning and student achievement may provide insight into how it influences classroom instruction and student learning, especially in high poverty schools.
This study aimed to identify the perceived schoolwide structures and systems that contributed to high student achievement in a high poverty school; how the organizational systems were implemented and sustained to impact high student achievement; and how instructional leaders and leadership help cultivate professional learning to foster effective classroom instruction. A qualitative case-study was conducted, including eight semi-structured interviews with administrators, teachers, and staff along with eight classroom, school, and two collaboration meeting observations. School artifacts were also collected and analyzed to triangulate data.
This research focused on two main structures perceived to exist that influenced schoolwide effective classroom instruction leading to high student achievement, including providing rigor through implementation of A-G eligibility and the bell schedule as a result of district centralization requiring embedded collaboration time. Within those structures, systems were in place to contribute to high student achievement, including direct and indirect mentoring and relationships, data-driven decisions, and positive teacher beliefs.
The main systems that were found to be implemented and sustained to support high student achievement included professional learning and high expectations for all, including open communication. The instructional leaders supported professional learning for their staff to cultivate effective classroom instruction by instilling ownership and ensuring that they are knowledgeable. With high expectations held for all and the supported collaborative practices implemented and sustained, the school has developed a strong school culture through collective efficacy.
Although the research suggests that collective efficacy and a strong school culture are valuable in regards to professional learning, there is still a need to understand how and why dialogue works as an effective tool for change amongst teachers and staff. The relationship between the dialogue that occurs during collaborative practice and student achievement needs to be investigated further in order to provide a deeper understanding of how to structure dialogue amongst teachers and staff to help impact student achievement through professional learning opportunities.