Thesis advisor: Vincent Cho / In today’s educational landscape many school environments alienate students as they often are not responsive to their cultural and linguistic needs. Culturally Responsive School Leadership (CRSL) is a high leverage strategy that helps meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students by guiding school leaders towards fostering a climate of belonging. While much of the CRSL literature centers around building-level leadership, a gap exists in better understanding district leader efforts to foster a climate of belonging. As part of a larger qualitative study of district leadership practices that foster equity, the purpose of this individual case study was to explore how district leaders in a large Northeast school district foster a climate of belonging. Interview data from ten district leaders as well as an examination of public and local documents provided data for analysis using CRSL as a conceptual framework. Findings indicate that while the district was engaging in some individual CRSL practices by working to promote culturally responsive school environments and engaging students, parents, and local contexts, a systematic and strategic approach to fostering a climate of belonging was absent. Recommendations include developing a district-level, deliberate approach to fostering a climate of belonging, conducting a detailed equity audit, and instituting a comprehensive CRSL professional development plan for building-level leaders. Keywords: Leadership, Equity, Culturally Responsive School Leadership, Climate of Belonging / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2020. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Thesis advisor: Vincent Cho / Demographic shifts in American society and public schools have increased the urgency among educators and other stakeholders to ensure educational equity and excellence are a reality for all students (Brown, 2007; Dean, 2002; Gay, 2000; Johnson, 2007). One very notable shift in the United States has been the dramatic enrollment increase of English Learner (EL) students. Supporting ELs’ achievement on standardized testing and increasing their graduation rates have been particular challenges, the meeting of which has required school districts to think differently. Culturally responsive school leadership (CRSL) has been one solution, through the application of which districts can focus on teacher preparation, culturally responsive curricula, school inclusiveness and the engagement of students and parents in community contexts. This study is part of a larger study that examined leadership practices that foster equity, included twenty semi-structured interviews of district leaders, school leaders, and teachers. Findings from this study indicate that school leaders have enacted and supported culturally responsive behaviors to educate ELs and suggest how leaders might employ CRSL behaviors for the dual purpose of supporting ELs’ achievement on standardized testing and increasing their graduation rates. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2020. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Thesis advisor: Vincent Cho / The purpose of this study was to explore the strategies districts use to retain principals in their complex roles through the framework of culturally responsive district leadership. This qualitative case study explored how district leaders in one Massachusetts school district focused on principal retention and whether their actions influenced a principal's decision to remain in their role. The study took place during a global health pandemic placing principals at the center of navigating this crisis. This study is part of a larger study that investigated how principals benefit from and shape professional capital to improve schools. Data were gathered from semi-structured interviews with district level leaders and principals. Findings demonstrated that there are things districts can do that positively influence principal retention, although these practices are not necessarily culturally responsive. Data supported the literature that professional development and mentoring, improved working conditions, and autonomy all positively influence principal retention. In addition, this study concluded that focusing on positive relationships and “growing your own” leadership are also key strategies to promote principal retention. Inorder to enact culturally responsive retention, recommendations include exploring whiteness in leadership and the influence of race on principal retention. Additionally. further investigation needs to be done examining the influence of higher accountability for student outcomes on principal retention. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Secondary administrative and leadership teams continuously search for practices that bolster cultural proficiency to address increasingly diverse student cohorts. This qualitative case study identifies the culturally responsive school leadership (CRSL) behaviors and expressions of 24 high school administrative and leadership team members in a suburban school district in Utah. Data reveals how each team demonstrates the behaviors and expressions of CRSL framework and how these behaviors and expressions position each school on the culturally proficient continuum. Superimposing the CRSL behaviors and expressions on the cultural proficiency continuum provides a current reality for administrative and leadership teams to assess their tipping points and how to move toward cultural proficiency.

Shifting demographics in the U.S. population, persistent disparities in achievement, and student discipline call for school leaders who are culturally responsive to the diversity present in their schools and communities (Brown, 2005; deBrey et al., 2019; Khalifa et al., 2016a). A review of the literature revealed that researchers maintain the position of assistant principal plays a crucial role in moving forward to the principalship and that this position should be leveraged as an embedded opportunity to learn, which can more effectively prepare leaders for the future role of principal amidst changing school demographics (Oleszewski et al., 2012). Without culturally responsive school leaders and school environments, oppressive systems will continue to thrive in our schools, creating a sense of urgency to carefully explore and understand the ideology of cultural responsiveness concerning school leadership (Khalifa et al., 2016). Culturally responsive leadership practices and behaviors have been noted as "one of the most recent extensions of the research regarding how to meet the needs of culturally diverse learners" (Kranzlein, 2019, p. 22). These practices and behaviors create inclusive school environments responsive to all students' needs (Harris, 2020; Hollowell, 2019; Khalifa et al., 2016a). The purpose of this study was to investigate elementary assistant principals' perceptions of their preparedness to lead in diverse school settings through the lens of the culturally responsive school leadership (CRSL) framework. Additionally, this study sought to identify specific professional development assistant principals perceived they needed to lead diverse schools and determine which components of the CRSL framework assistant principals currently utilize in their leadership practice. This quantitative study sample included 26 elementary assistant principals from a suburban PK-12 school division in Central Virginia. The research questions guiding this study were as follows: (1) To what extent do assistant principals perceive they are prepared to lead in diverse school settings? (2) What components of the CRSL framework do assistant principals currently utilize in their leadership practice? (3) What are self-reported professional development needs for assistant principals to lead in diverse schools? The research method included a researcher-developed survey titled the Self-Perceived Culturally Responsive School Leadership Preparedness Survey aligned to the CRSL framework created by Khalifa et al. (2016b). The survey instrument consisted of 17 items: one demographic question, 15 Likert-scale questions, and one open-ended question. The researcher used quantitative methodology techniques to analyze the data, including descriptive statistics. This study offers awareness into the perceptions of assistant principals' preparedness to lead in diverse school settings, identifies CRSL practices utilized by assistant principals, and identifies professional development needs to prepare assistant principals to lead in diverse schools. Results indicated that assistant principals perceive they are prepared to lead in diverse school settings as the building principal and that their duties and responsibilities have prepared them. Additionally, assistant principals indicated a need for professional growth opportunities focused on supporting the development of culturally responsive teachers in their schools and engaging students, parents, and Indigenous contexts. / Doctor of Education / The purpose of this study was to investigate elementary assistant principals' perceptions of their preparedness to lead in diverse school settings through the lens of the CRSL framework. The results of this study offer awareness into the perceptions of assistant principals' preparedness to lead in diverse school settings. Additionally, the study results identify CRSL practices utilized by assistant principals. It also discusses their professional development. In this quantitative study, a survey research design was used. The study was conducted in a PK-12 suburban public-school division in Central Virginia; the study sample included 26 elementary assistant principals. The research questions guiding this study were as follows: (1) To what extent do assistant principals perceive they are prepared to lead in diverse school settings? (2) What components of the CRSL framework do assistant principals currently utilize in their leadership practice? (3) What are self-reported professional development needs for assistant principals to lead in diverse schools? Results indicated that assistant principals perceive they are prepared to lead in diverse school settings as the building principal and that their duties and responsibilities have prepared them. Additionally, assistant principals indicated a need for professional growth opportunities focused on supporting the development of culturally responsive teachers in their schools and engaging students, parents, and Indigenous contexts. Recommendations for future studies and implications for practice were provided.

Recent demographic trends indicate that the number of young Latino Catholics in the United States is increasing. In response, educators and researchers have examined the Catholic school experience of Latino families as a means to provide meaningful support for this growing constituency amid broader enrollment declines and related challenges of fiscal viability. Within this context, this study examined the leadership practices of Catholic secondary school leaders in relation to the development of tuition assistance policies and community outreach efforts intended to serve Latino families. Utilizing a theoretical frame consisting of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) and Culturally Responsive School Leadership (CRSL), this study employed an explanatory mixed-methods design. Quantitative data emerged from a cross-sectional survey, which was distributed to Catholic secondary school administrators within the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Semi-structured interviews allowed for the collection of qualitative data, which constituted two case studies representing a spectrum of demographic characteristics within the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The findings of this study indicate that Catholic school leaders view the principles of Catholic Social Teaching and Culturally Responsive School Leadership as influential to their roles as school leaders. However, the frequency with which Catholic school leaders employ culturally responsive leadership practices to address Latino families is varied and inconsistent. The research data also indicate a higher frequency of culturally responsive leadership practices among specific demographic subgroups including Latino leaders, leaders with an advanced Spanish-speaking proficiency, and those who work at schools in which a majority of the student body consists of Latino students.

Latinx families, particularly those whose primary language is Spanish, are significantly underrepresented in independent schools nationwide and experience barriers to engaging in their children’s education. Recognizing the crucial role of parent engagement in student academic success and socioemotional well-being, this research aimed to understand the unique challenges faced by Spanish-dominant parents in navigating the independent school contexts. Grounded in Khalifa et al.’s (2016) culturally responsive school leadership framework, the study intended to identify effective practices and strategies that facilitate Spanish-dominant parent engagement. The narrative data, collected through both a group plática and individual interviews, offered valuable insights into the experiences of a group of Spanish-dominant mamás The findings revealed three major themes: the importance of enhanced access to services and resources for meaningful engagement, the critical role of bilingual school contacts in bridging communication gaps, and the positive impact of cultivating a sense of belonging to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for Spanish-dominant families. Language access proved to be a vital factor in fostering parent engagement, enabling these parents to actively participate in their children's education through support with translation and interpretation services and other resources in Spanish. Additionally, a bilingual family liaison provided them a portal of accessibility to the whole school. Lastly, opportunities for authentic and culturally sensitive involvement further enhanced their sense of belonging, contributing to a more inclusive and supportive school environment. This research highlighted the transformative potential of culturally responsive school leadership, emphasizing its role in empowering Spanish-dominant parents and facilitating their active involvement in independent schools.