As achievement gaps persist among some groups of students, school leaders are identifying strategies and implementing plans to support the academic needs of diverse student populations. The purpose of this research study was to identify the leadership practices and strategies used by National ESEA Distinguished School principals who have successfully minimized the achievement gaps among Caucasian and non-Caucasian students. Six successful National ESEA Distinguished School principals were interviewed. These leaders represented rural and urban pre-K–12 schools in different geographic regions of the United States. A qualitative research methodology with in-depth interviews was used to gather the data. The participants were asked open-ended questions during the semi-structured interviews. The findings in this study reflect nine leadership strategies and practices identified by these school leaders to minimize achievement gaps. The leadership strategies were compared to Kouzes and Posner's (2017) five leadership practices, which are model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart. Results can be used to inform practitioners about what worked for leaders who have been effective at minimizing achievement gaps. Based on these results, school division leaders should consider designing targeted professional development, mentoring, and coaching around effective principal leadership practices. / Doctor of Education / As achievement gaps persist among some groups of students, school leaders are identifying strategies and implementing plans to support the learning of diverse student populations. The purpose of this research study was to identify the leadership practices and strategies used by National ESEA Distinguished School principals who have successfully minimized the achievement gaps among Caucasian and non-Caucasian students. Six successful National ESEA Distinguished School principals were interviewed. These leaders represented rural and urban pre-K–12 schools in different regions of the United States. The participants were asked open-ended questions during the semi-structured interviews. The findings in this study reflect nine leadership strategies and practices identified by these principals to minimize achievement gaps. The leadership strategies were compared to Kouzes and Posner's (2017) five leadership practices, which are model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart. Results can be used to inform school leaders about what worked for principals who have been effective at minimizing achievement gaps.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was first passed in 1965 and has since been reauthorized several times, including as No Child Left Behind in 2001 and the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015. The ESEA seeks to address the needs of low-income students; however, decades of reform efforts and government reports documenting inequality have done little to close gaps in educational resources or outcomes for marginalized groups. Accountability systems based on standardized testing are seen by policymakers on the Left and Right as the best way to improve education for marginalized groups, improve students’ economic preparedness, hold schools accountable for the funds they spend, and maintain an objective meritocracy. This paper argues that testing is a flawed tool to achieve the goal of education equality as accountability systems rely on flawed assumptions influenced by conservative and neoliberal economic ideologies.

The problem of this study was to determine the purpose of ESEA Title II, 1965, and evaluate the impact of the operation of this legislation on selected public schools of Texas.

As the practice of social justice in traditional schools becomes embedded in the discourse of educational settings (Theoharis, 2007), school leaders are increasingly being required to practice social justice leadership by identifying and initiating practices that engage students from diverse and under-served backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to identify the leadership practices of six former and current principals who have led National ESEA Distinguished Schools (formerly National Title I Distinguished Schools) in the United States. These principals work with diverse student populations that typically struggle to make academic gains and meet state standards. As such, this study sought to delve into the leadership practices of Title I principals. By understanding the leadership practices in which these principals engaged, and how consistent these practices are with the principles of social justice, a model of social justice leadership can be postulated for consideration. A qualitative research methodology, in-depth phenomenological interviews (Seidman, 2013) was used. Open-ended questions were posed during the semi-structured interviews of the principals. The findings in this study provide details on what actions six Title I principals from districts across the United States took to lead their schools to National ESEA Distinguished School status. These social justice leaders address the social structures of oppression, privilege, and opportunity that can deprive marginalized student groups from access to educational opportunity. Principals reported that the actions they took to ensure equity and fairness were around creating safe and orderly learning environments, professional learning communities, and professional development for staff. / Doctor of Education / This study will provide insight into the leadership practices of Title I principals and how they successfully led Title I schools and gained national recognition. The National Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Distinguished Schools (formerly National Title I Distinguished Schools) Programs recognizes schools for their growth in student academic achievement. The purpose of this study was to identify the leadership practices of these principals and to understand how consistent these practices are with the principles of social justice leadership. The target population of the study was principals from six Title I schools who obtained National Distinguished ESEA School status. These principals work with diverse student populations that typically struggle to make academic gains and meet state standards. Each principal participated in a 60-minute, semi-structured interview. The purpose of the interview was to uncover and encapsulate a person's experience (Seidman, 2013). The analysis of the experiences of these leaders provided a lens that other school leaders might consider to improve their leadership practice. The data analysis indicated that these social justice leaders address the social structures of oppression, privilege, and opportunity that can deprive marginalized student groups of access to educational opportunity. Principals reported that the actions they took to ensure equity and fairness were around creating safe and orderly learning environments, professional learning communities, and professional development for staff. Findings from the study indicated more research is needed on the practices of social justice leadership.

This paper is divided into four chapters. Chapter one presents an introduction and overview of the nature of the problem, its significance and implication for public policy, and a presentation of the research design and methodology. Chapter two reviews the historical and legal background of bilingual education policy. Chapter three presents a literature review of bilingual education policy making, and examines the impacts and effects of federal aid in practice. Chapter four provides a summary of survey findings and recommendations for reform of the funding criteria for Title VII ESEA bilingual education grants.

The purpose of this study was to expand upon the research with high school principals and leaders of school divisions as they seek to implement the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework. Though a significant number of studies have been conducted at the elementary and middle school levels, research at the high school level has lagged (Choi et al., 2019). This study consisted of a survey sent to 251 principals in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The survey return rate was 17%, with a fully completed survey return rate of 10%. The survey consisted of a principal self-assessment of the MTSS framework and of the four elements necessary for the implementation of MTSS: collaborative culture, Response to Intervention (RtI), Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS), and social-emotional learning (SEL). The self-assessment section of the survey was followed by a series of Likert scale statements addressing collaborative culture, RtI, PBIS, and SEL. These statements went into specific detail to create a deeper reflection on the school culture by principals. The statements were divided into two parts. The first part addressed potential obstacles within the school culture and the second addressed potential principal actions. The first phase of analysis consisted of a two-tailed t test to compare the mean of the MTSS framework self-assessment to the means of the self-assessments for collaborative culture, RtI, PBIS, and SEL. The second phase was a series of two-tailed t tests to compare the means of collaborative culture, RtI, PBIS, and SEL to the means of the Likert scale statements. The p-value for all but one two-tailed t test performed in the study exceeded the accepted 0.05. The one exception was the mean of the principal self-assessment for SEL compared to the mean of the Likert statements for SEL at 0.03 and N = 25. Beyond conducting the mean analysis, Likert scale ratings for each statement were examined to identify trends and outliers. The implications of the results are that the data from the survey or similar surveys can be useful to principals and leaders of other school divisions to inform professional development, prioritize resources, and implement strategies to improve student performance in both academic and social-emotional learning. / Doctor of Education / Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) was part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015. Originally focused on literacy, MTSS has evolved into a framework designed to eliminate achievement gaps in academics and in social-emotional learning (SEL) for students. This study was designed to add to the research as it applies to the implementation of MTSS at the high school level. The research at the elementary level, and to a lesser degree at the middle school level, is much more robust than at the high school level. The survey used in this study was based on a literature review that showed there are four elements necessary for the implementation of MTSS: collaborative culture, Response to Intervention (RtI), Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS), and SEL. The survey was sent to high school principals in the Commonwealth of Virginia and consisted of five sections. The first section was a principal self-assessment of the readiness of the culture of their school to support the MTSS framework, as well as for collaborative culture, RtI, PBIS, and SEL. The following four sections of the survey included a series of Likert scale statements for each element of implementation (i.e., collaborative culture, RtI, PBIS, and SEL) that addressed obstacles to implementation as well as principal actions to overcome those obstacles. A two-tailed t test was performed to determine whether any of the comparisons of the means were statistically significant. Only one t test, the mean comparison of SEL self-assessment to the mean of the Likert scale statements, was statistically significant with a p-value of 0.03, with the mean of the self-assessment rating higher than the mean of the Likert scale statements. The analysis of the Likert scale statements did show trends and outliers for specific statements for all four elements necessary for the implementation of the MTSS framework (i.e., collaborative culture, RtI, PBIS, and SEL). The data collected along with the literature review, adds to the research on MTSS for high school principals and school division leaders. The data point to implications for principals and leaders of school divisions in terms of professional development, allocation of resources, and areas of focus for closing academic and social-emotional gaps for students.

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