<p>Abstract A Study of School Board & Superintendent Relations: Strategies for Building Trust in the Mistrustful Context of K-12 Public Education By Kelly Dawn Bowers Doctor of Education University of California, Berkeley Professor Heinrich Mintrop, Chair As illuminated in my study, which is only a small subset of the larger public education governance system, the mounting political pressure that school boards and superintendents face does not seem to be diminishing. It is well documented that boards under fire from constituents often make the superintendent the scapegoat, which undermines trust and threatens their strength of relationship with an uneven power dynamic. Whether attributed to general dissatisfaction with American governance which leaves superintendents subject to the political whims and winds of school boards (Lutz & Iannaccone, 1978); their increasingly limited sphere of influence in an era of high stakes external accountability (Howell, 2005), or the acute pressures of the politics of personalism (Feuerstein & Opfer, 1998), the odds of forming solid, trusting relational bonds are stacked against them. Over the past few decades, there has been a growing movement in many fields and industries, including public education, to develop new, collaborative models and approaches to managing and governing, as an alternative to more adversarial, bureaucratic and top-down methods (Ansell & Gash, 2008). With this move away from competitive toward collaborative governance, relationship building at all levels has taken on new importance. In this case study, I examined the conflict-ridden relationship dynamic and tense micropolitical climate inherited by two superintendents and boards, within a general context of distrust directed toward public education and elected officials, which is further exacerbated by negative interactions with their immediate predecessors. Using Bryk and Schneider?s (2002) concept of relational trust which was developed in other public school system settings, as an ideal measure, I was able to gather evidence of substantive change in the tenor and positive quality of the board/superintendent relationship over time. My findings highlighted two newly hired superintendents who took stock of their somewhat damaged and mistrustful board/ superintendent relationship status upon entry and strategically cultivated relational trust with their respective school boards, as substantiated by increased and genuine displays of mutual respect, personal regard, integrity and competence in their public and private interactions. My findings indicated that a board/superintendent relationship is not static but malleable, and with concentrated focus and customized strategic intervention by a new superintendent, a previously damaged governance team relationship can be repaired and trust restored. Even in a high-trust situation, however, my conclusions divulged cautionary implications, as a board and superintendent that become too close, too trusting in the public?s perception or reality, risk becoming insular or out of touch with the larger constituency they represent and serve.

<p> This study compared administrative expenditures among 542 traditional school districts and 258 charter schools in Michigan, exploring whether one organizational model might better minimize administrative spending. A non-experimental correlational research design was used with 2014-15 data available from public sources. Both a replication and modification of an earlier study (Arsen &amp; Ni, 2012) were used to model all analyses.</p><p> Multiple regression analyses were used to explore the predictive value of inputs on school, central office, and total administrative expenditures. Inputs included student enrollment, total revenues, percentage of students identified for special education services, percentage of students qualified for free/reduced meals, and whether the district/charter was in a rural area. Inputs specific to charter schools included years in operation, grades offered, and type of charter (for-profit, non-profit, or independent).</p><p> Replication of the original model found that charter schools spent more dollars and a higher percentage of dollars on administration, whether it was school, central office, or total administration. The results of the regression for total administration (including the additional variables for charter schools) indicated that the model explained 67.0% of the variance (R² =.670, F(11,788)=145.17, <i>p</i>&lt;.01). Other than charter type, all variables were statistically significant. The charter variable had the largest coefficient&mdash;controlling for other factors, charter schools spent $775 more per student on total administration with $617 going to central office administration and $158 going to school administration. These findings were consistent with the original study. Based on these data, Michigan charter schools are not minimizing administrative spending in comparison to districts. There was no statistically significant difference in administrative spending among the types of charter schools. Further research is needed as to why this difference in administrative spending persists between the organizational models of traditional school districts and charter schools.</p>

<p> School boards and superintendents have a responsibility to plan for the future, including preparing for the next leader. Superintendents function as the Chief Academic Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and the Chief Executive Officer of a district. High turnover in the superintendency and lack of succession planning can leave a district with a leadership crisis at a time when stability is needed. Succession planning in the corporate world has been utilized for years, but research clearly indicates that school districts have not followed suit. A grounded theory methodology was utilized to discover the current practices of school boards and superintendents in the North Texas Region related to superintendent succession. The researcher conducted 22 interviews with superintendents and school board members. No formal succession plans were uncovered, and data analysis did not result in theory development. Instead a descriptive qualitative methodology was adopted and two succession models were developed. They are referred to as the What&rsquo;s Next? district and the What Now? district. What&rsquo;s Next? districts had informal plans in place to fill the leadership void if and when a superintendent vacated the position. What Now? districts not only had no plan, but also had no discussion concerning succession.</p>

<p> As the country looks to increase the STEM workforce it is important to examine the effect of the programs in place, specifically the effect on the students choices in education. The Mathematics &amp; Science Academy (MSA), is a STEM-themed, public magnet school in Southern California whose mission is to increase the nation&rsquo;s pool of graduates in mathematics and science. It is 1 of the many schools and programs in place to increase the United States (U.S.) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce. This study, designed as a qualitative case study investigated how MSA has influenced female, African American students who attended a STEM magnet school in their educational pathways. Data was collected from 9 former African American, female graduates from the MSA class of 1998 primarily through interviews. Additional data was received from a pre-interview questionnaire and artifacts from their high school experience.</p><p> This study yielded 4 conclusions. First, the push to study STEM must be intentional and should be influenced by more factors than the school environment alone. Without mentors and an explicit thrust towards STEM, other factors may lead students away from STEM majors. Second, family and society are especially influential in directing a student&rsquo;s pathway. They along with the navigational and resistant capital gained by a student can divert a student&rsquo;s chosen path. Third, students are influenced by multiple factors (e.g. community, school environment, peers, family) each of which can impel them in a certain direction. Lastly, post-secondary (college) educational experiences are highly influential on choice of major and career pathways. </p><p> Based on the findings of this study, recommendations were made for leaders and administrators of STEM-themed magnet schools to consider, when developing programs that will encourage students to pursue STEM careers.</p>

<p> A competitive international school market is influential to the increased pressure on American-sponsored overseas schools to recruit and retain high-quality teachers. Teachers who feel they have more input into school decisions are more likely to desire employment at such schools, or once at the school, are more likely to stay for a longer period (Ingersoll, 2001; Mancuso, 2010). Purposefully developing teacher leadership in international schools may be a way to recruit and retain the best teachers (Weston, 2014), who positively influence school effectiveness and student learning results. With this study, I aimed to support American-sponsored overseas schools with recruiting and retaining the most effective teachers to fulfill their missions and contribute to the research base on variables that support teacher leadership to enhance school effectiveness within the unique context of American-sponsored overseas schools. With a multistage census sampling methodology, I investigated the type of leadership and intensity of leadership activities teachers perform and explored the extent school level variables teachers perceived to support the enactment of teacher leadership. The findings included (a) the large majority of teachers reported a high level and intensity of teacher leadership activities; (b) teachers desired more leadership responsibility; (c) teachers generally agreed that their schools provided the necessary supports for teacher leadership; (d) significant correlations were evident between teacher leadership levels and the school supports in the areas of organizational structure collaborative leadership, professional development, school culture in which teachers support each other, and school culture of trust; (e) no significant correlations existed between levels of teacher leadership and organizational structure autonomy, time, recognition, or role clarity; and (f) teachers who reported their schools to have a school culture, in which teachers support one another, also reported a greater number of leadership activities. No other school support variables had a significant correlation with leadership intensity. Teacher leaders feel supported, and they thrive in schools where leaders develop trusting relationships, promote an environment in which teachers support one another, establish collaborative leadership structures, and provide meaningful professional development opportunities. Teacher leadership has potentially positive implications for teacher retention and student learning.</p>

<p> Educational leadership preparation programs are fundamental in developing confident educational leaders with the capacity to lead schools with effective sound decision-making practices. In order to effectively balance the demands of educational leadership, principal leaders must be developed through effective models of preparation programs that are grounded in a societal vision of leading and learning for schools in the twenty-first century. Critical to this discourse is curricula delivered through dynamic instructional pedagogy that frames evidence-based best practices to link leadership development with student achievement and extraordinary teaching. Principal preparation programs have the initial responsibility to prepare future school leaders for the various duties and responsibilities they will face, primarily impacting student academic achievement. </p><p> The primary purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of educational leaders who completed the Preliminary Administrative Credential Program in the Educational Leadership Department at California University Long Beach (CSULB), and uncover the impact specific program components had on their leadership capacity and ability to be instructional leaders. The intent of this study is to reveal the experiences of those who have completed the program, by reflecting on their program leadership development and its application to their current practice as school site leaders. These stakeholders include student alumni who completed their Preliminary Administrative Credential at CSULB and are now serving as school leaders. Additionally, faculty who teach in the program, were asked to share their perceptions of the program, specifically around curriculum and development, and leadership capacity of graduates. This study will attempt to inform State, Universities and districts, of the components of leadership preparation that are most useful to practitioners in the field. </p><p> The findings from this case study included a descriptive picture of Alumni perceptions and learning experiences in the Preliminary Administrative Credential Program at CSULB. Alumni identified key components of the program that were integral in their educational leadership development, and instructional leadership capacity. Qualitative interviews of Alumni and Faculty combined with document analysis of program curriculum and assignments highlight the need for continued research on quality fieldwork internship, and barriers to effective instructional supervision.</p>

<p> This multi-case study seeks to understand the experiences of New York City and Washington, DC public charter school principals who have experienced leadership coaching, a component of leadership development, beyond their novice years. The research questions framing this study address how experienced public charter school principals describe the impact of leadership coaching practices on their leadership development, as well as how they describe their own leader identity construction through the process of coaching.</p><p> The education sector faces a shortage of highly skilled leaders in addition to a leadership retention crisis. Leadership coaching, used for decades in the business sector, is becoming more commonly practiced in the education sector as a way to support and develop school principals. Although research on leadership coaching for traditional public school principals has emerged over the past decade, there is a lack of research on leadership coaching for public charter school principals. In addition, the existing research on leadership coaching for public school principals is focused primarily on novice school principals. Thus, this study extends this body of research beyond traditional public school principals and novice principals to the experienced school principals in public charter schools in order to ensure that their perspectives and experiences of leadership coaching are incorporated into the literature.</p><p> Eight public charter school principals were selected for participation in the study, with data collected through interviews, documents, and artifacts shared by the participants. The findings of the study are presented within the following three main themes: the coaching process, the impact of coaching, and the principal leader identity construction. Interpretation of these findings highlights inconsistency between participants&rsquo; experience of the leadership coaching process and the literature as well as well as consistency with research on the impact of coaching. Furthermore, through artifact analysis and participant reflection, this research offers evidence that leadership coaching supports the process of leader identity construction, thus extending the literature on leadership coaching for school principals.</p>

<p> Criticism of the public school system tends to be aimed squarely at teachers in the classroom (Karpinski, 2012). As school principals lead in this current educational climate, it is incumbent upon them to provide their teachers an environment that is conducive to job satisfaction, emphasizing teacher retention, and mitigating the deleterious effects of teacher turnover on students&rsquo; academic achievement. To understand the practices of the principal, this study investigated teachers&rsquo; perceptions of their principals&rsquo; practice, asking the following questions: What is the relationship between teachers&rsquo; perceptions of their principal&rsquo;s practice of building professional capital and teachers&rsquo; job satisfaction? What are the experiences of teachers in relation to their perception of their principal&rsquo;s practice of building professional capital and job satisfaction?</p><p> Research was conducted employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods correlational study; utilizing a researcher-created on-line survey and semistructured interviews. The results of this study indicate that teachers&rsquo; job satisfaction is independent of principals&rsquo; practice of building professional capital. The quantitative findings found no correlation between teachers&rsquo; perceptions of their principal&rsquo;s practice of building professional capital and teacher job satisfaction. The qualitative data indicate that teachers attributed their job satisfaction to factors that are independent of their relationship with their principal; commitment to their students and colleagues and sense of purpose were cited as sources of job satisfaction.</p>

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