Traditionally, models of instructional leadership espouse data-informed decision making in response to student assessment outcomes as one of the core school leader behaviors. In recent years, rising expectations from accountability policies and related assessment practices have myriad implications for school districts, specifically in the areas of standards-driven reform, student assessment systems, and professional development models. As a result, demands on schools to collect and use student assessment data to inform curricular and instructional decisions has expanded. While principals are typically held responsible for school improvement efforts, more contemporary models of instructional leadership incorporate teachers as classroom-based leaders of assessment practices in forums such as professional learning communities. School and classroom assessment leaders engage in behaviors such as (a) identifying an assessment vision, (b) fostering group goals, (c) providing a model of data- informed decision making, (d) promoting teacher job-embedded professional learning experiences, (e) evaluating instructional practices with specific feedback, and (f) strategically aligning resources to school improvement goals. Unfortunately, school districts face many challenges with assessment leadership due to barriers in beliefs about assessments, time with and access to tools and training, and knowledge and skills about how to operationalize effective assessment practices that yield positive student outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore assessment leadership as a construct among P-12 school and classroom leaders in one large district in Florida. Data were collected using an Internet-based survey constructed from existing qualitative and quantitative measures of key components of assessment leadership established in the literature. A series of descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted to (a) explore the factor structure of the instrument and (b) evaluate the influence of assessment learning experiences, beliefs, and knowledge on assessment practices. Relationships among variables were examined when considering moderating variables for school role (i.e., school-level administrator or classroom teacher as professional learning communities facilitator) and school type (elementary or secondary). Limitations were discussed to inform future research in this critical area of school improvement.

Title Î? schools are supported to improve student reading achievement and to bridge the achievement gap between low-income students and other students. The researched-based practices of professional learning communities, coteaching classrooms, and the RtI 3-tiered model were added to a Title Î? school to improve students' reading achievement; however, the effects of these research-based practices on students' reading achievement were unclear. The purpose of this quantitative causal comparative study was to examine the impact of these research-based practices on reading scores of students. Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT 2.0) reading achievement scores were compared between students (n = 98) in a Title Î? school receiving researched-based practices for 3 consecutive years against Title Î? students (n = 127) not receiving researched-based practices for 3 consecutive years. Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences and Webb's depth of knowledge formed the theoretical framework of the study. The independent variable was the type of reading instructional practices. The dependent variables were the FCAT 2.0 reading scores of Title Î? 5th, 4th, and 3rd grade students. The covariates were the FCAT 2.0 scores or the Florida Assessment for Instruction in Reading test scores taken at the end of previous year for each grade level. Analysis of covariance indicated that students receiving the enhanced instructional practices had significantly higher reading scores than did the comparison group following the intervention. The implications for positive social change include providing data to the study school administration that support the use of these researched-based practices in Title Î? schools to improve students' reading achievement and close the reading achievement gap.

Taiwan English teachers in secondary schools are facing a new challenge of having to teach listening comprehension skills to their students. Many instructors are not equipped to deliver adequate listening instruction although listening comprehension has become a benchmark for senior high students aspiring to enter a tertiary institution and earn a college degree. Instructors, students, parents, administrators, and members of the Ministry of Education agree that there is a need to meet the demands of the National English Curriculum Standards. Weimar's approach of learner-centered teaching served as the conceptual foundation for this study since the focus was on ways teachers could work collaboratively to learn evidence-based strategies for teaching listening comprehension skills. Guided by 4 research questions, the study investigated the perspectives of 4 teacher-participants at a Northern District Senior High regarding the process of teaching listening comprehension. In this qualitative study, an inductive analysis was used to define themes and concepts to discern any patterns and relationships connected with the data collected: interviews, classroom observation and unobtrusive measures. The findings showed that teacher-led peer coaching, via collegial collaboration, led to the building of teaching communities and more effective use of evidence-based strategies for improving the teaching of listening comprehension. This improved teacher pedagogy may lead to a positive social change whereby teachers have skills for teaching listening comprehension and students are better prepared for further schooling. Components of the project also can be used by other school districts and educational organizations where the administration can use the model to further advance similar workforce capacity in teaching L2 learners listening instruction.

The purpose of this study was to explore how school leaders address both the technical and professional socialization needs of teachers during the planning and implementation of student formative assessment in every classroom, an initiative that is often implemented as a means of gathering the data needed to support the academic needs of all learners (Black & Wiliam, 1998; Bolman & Deal, 2008; Heath & Heath, 2010; Leithwood & Seashore Louis, 2011; Wiliam, 2010). In order to determine school leadership considerations for addressing the technical and professional socialization needs of teachers during the implementation of student formative assessment in every classroom, two research questions guided the study: 1. What do teachers perceive to be their technical and professional socialization needs experienced during the planning and implementation of student formative assessment and how are these met? 2. What are the school principals’ perceptions of how they address the technical and professional socialization needs of teachers during the planning and implementation of student formative assessment? Using a grounded theory approach, this qualitative study examined the perceptions of both teachers and principals through a multi-site case study design (Miles & Huberman, 1994). This design was chosen in order to gather insight regarding the perceptions and experiences of principals and teachers at three elementary campuses that have implemented student formative assessment in every classroom. The sites and participants for this study were purposefully selected. Data were collected through interviews and focus groups. In order to confirm emerging theoretical explanations, the researcher gathered additional data through a review of relevant documents, such as district and campus improvement plans. The prominent technical needs identified by teachers in this study were the development of a campus-wide common terminology, participation in vertical teaming, and the maintenance of the support role of a campus instructional specialist. Furthermore, teacher participants identified their professional socialization needs as reassurance from the principal with new professional learning, a gradual pace of implementation for the student formative assessment initiatives, meaningful teacher-to-teacher interaction, open and transparent communication with the principal, and opportunities to participate in building cohesive grade-level teams. Principals perceived their technical supports as facilitating vertical teaming, providing a campus instructional specialist, embedding time for collaborative professional development, and setting clear expectations for implementation. Additionally, principals perceived their professional socialization supports for teachers as facilitating the building of cohesive grade-level teams, providing reassurance with new implementation, promoting open and transparent communication, promoting a gradual implementation pace and facilitating meaningful teacher-to-teacher interactions. / text

Professional Learning Communities– A Necessity for Improving Teaching? The aim of this study was to examine what factors are important for teachers in professional learning communities to improve their teaching in order to increase the results of the students. The study was based on a program of development about language improvement that took place in two schools during the autumn of 2014. The authors of this study were also in charge of the improvement program. The data used in the analysis was based on individual questionnaires and group interviews. The theoretical framework of the study was founded on Timperley’s (2011) inquiry and knowledge-building cycle, Hargreaves and Fullan’s (2012) theory about professional capital and Stoll’s (2006) characteristics of effective learning groups. The results obtained in this study indicate that the following factors are of crucial importance for teachers to improve their teaching; leadership, systematic surveys of what students need to develop, a clearly understandable aim within the specific area of development, a clear structure within the learning group and between the meetings, scheduled time for the meetings, teachers’ mindset, a scientific approach, the use of science and initiated moderators of the learning groups. The study showed that professional learning communities working with these factors are going to be successful.

“much of what we know about leadership is today redundant because it is literally designed for a different operating model, a different context, a different time” (Pascale, Sternin, & Sternin, p. 4). This thesis describes a project that was designed with a focus on exploring ways to enhance leadership capacity in non-government organisations operating in Christchurch, New Zealand. It included 20 CEOs, directors and managers from organisations that cover a range of settings, including education, recreation, and residential and community therapeutic support; all working with adolescents. The project involved the creation of a peer-supported professional learning community that operated for 14 months; the design and facilitation of which was informed by the Appreciative Inquiry principles of positive focus and collaboration. At the completion of the research project in February 2010, the leaders decided to continue their collective processes as a self-managing and sustaining professional network that has grown and in 2014 is still flourishing under the title LYNGO (Leaders of Youth focussed NGOs). Two compelling findings emerged from this research project. The first of these relates to efficacy of a complexity thinking framework to inform the actions of these leaders. The leaders in this project described the complexity thinking framework as the most relevant, resonant and dynamic approach that they encountered throughout the research project. As such this thesis explores this complexity thinking informed leadership in detail as the leaders participating in this project believed it offers an opportune alternative to more traditional forms of positional leadership and organisational approaches. This exploration is more than simply a rationale for complexity thinking but an iterative in-depth exploration of ‘complexity leadership in action’ which in Chapter 6 elaborates on detailed leadership tools and frameworks for creating the conditions for self-organisation and emergence. The second compelling finding relates to efficacy of Appreciative Inquiry as an emergent research and development process for leadership learning. In particular the adoption of two key principles; positive focus and inclusivity were beneficial in guiding the responsive leadership learning process that resulted in a professional learning community that exhibited high engagement and sustainability. Additionally, the findings suggest that complexity thinking not only acts as a contemporary framework for adaptive leadership of organisations as stated above; but that complexity thinking has much to offer as a framework for understanding leadership development processes through the application of Appreciative Inquiry (AI)-based principles. A consideration of the components associated with complexity thinking has promise for innovation and creativity in the development of leaders and also in the creation of networks of learning. This thesis concludes by suggesting that leaders focus on creating hybrid organisations, ones which leverage the strengths (and minimise the limitations) of self-organising complexity-informed organisational processes, while at the same time retaining many of the strengths of more traditional organisational management structures. This approach is applied anecdotally to the place where this study was situated: the post-earthquake recovery of Christchurch, New Zealand.

The purpose of the Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) (School Leadership) is to empower school principals to develop the skills, knowledge and values needed to lead and manage successful schools. The study sought to achieve three objectives. Firstly, to find out if the school principals were able to use the learning from the ACE (School Leadership) programme in establishing the Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Secondly, to find out if the school principals have succeeded in establishing and sustaining PLCs in their schools. Thirdly, to find out the extent to which school principals are succeeding in transforming their schools through PLCs. The theoretical framework used in the study were Leadership Development Theory and PLCs drawing from the Community of Practice (CoP). The study was located in the interpretive paradigm using the qualitative approach. A case study methodology was employed. Semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews and document analysis were the data production techniques. I sampled three primary schools led by school principals who successfully completed the ACE (School Leadership) programme between 2007 and 2009 in the Ilembe District of KwaZulu-Natal based on convenience. The school principals of each of the three primary schools were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. In sampling teacher participants, five teachers were sampled in each of the three schools. Two senior teachers from the foundation phase, two senior teachers from the intermediate phase and one senior teacher from the senior phase were selected. I also reviewed staff minutes for the period starting from January 2012 to June 2013. The data generated was thematically analysed. The study found that two school principals were able to establish PLCs in their schools and sustain them. The study also found that PLCs had massive impact in transforming the school. I conclude that the establishment of PLCs in schools promotes learning together and sharing of ideas and teaching techniques, among the teachers supported by school principal. / M. Ed. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2013.

This study examines the experiences of five teachers who lead and participate in adventure biking trips with students. The narrative case study was framed by the author’s autoethnographic writing: her personal narratives about leading adventure education trips, teaching experiences and reflections on the concept of learning. The meaning four other trip leaders made of their adventure biking experiences was investigated through conversational style interviews characterized by open ended questions and a list of issues to be explored. The purpose of the study was two-fold: to discover what meaning teachers make of adventure bike trip experiences and what happens when teachers collectively explore that meaning in relation to their teaching practice. The voices of the participants uncovered four meaningful elements of the trip experience: personal challenge, shifting perceptions of students and student learning, the opportunity to shed the teacher facade and positive collaboration with colleagues. As the participants collectively reflected upon these meanings they began to examine their in-school teaching practices in relation to the trip spaces. Tension between the two spaces opened up a dialogue where the participants began to challenge their teaching identity, enabling them to imagine their classrooms in a different light. The results of this study point to the need for teachers to have opportunities to participate in unique and novel teaching experiences (such as the adventure education trip) that hold within them the potential to initiate change in practice. In order to challenge education experiences, time and space need to be provided for teachers to reflect and develop teacher knowledge that can transfer into the development of positive, effective learning communities with colleagues and in their classrooms.

ABSTRACT Starting in September 1997, the Hong Kong Education Commission has adopted School Self-Evaluation as part of the framework of Quality Assurance Mechanism for promoting quality education culture in schools. Under a project initiated by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, some primary and secondary schools started to implement school self-evaluation in their school. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of this self-evaluation framework based on principals’ and teachers’ perception of these participating schools. The relationships among school self-evaluation, school cultural changes, teacher co-operative learning culture and principal leadership are also explored. Furthermore, this study examines whether other factors, such as school type, teacher gender, teacher ranking position, teachers’ year-of-teaching-career and Chinese cultural values, will affect the implementation of self-evaluation in schools. A mixed approach of methodology was adopted for this research work. The findings indicated that school self-evaluation can initiate teacher co-operative learning culture, which in turn effects cultural changes in these schools. Also, the above named components play specific roles in the school self-evaluation implementation – school cultural change process: teacher co-operative learning culture acts as mediator, school self-evaluation as moderator and principal leadership as change facilitator.

ABSTRACT Starting in September 1997, the Hong Kong Education Commission has adopted School Self-Evaluation as part of the framework of Quality Assurance Mechanism for promoting quality education culture in schools. Under a project initiated by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, some primary and secondary schools started to implement school self-evaluation in their school. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of this self-evaluation framework based on principals’ and teachers’ perception of these participating schools. The relationships among school self-evaluation, school cultural changes, teacher co-operative learning culture and principal leadership are also explored. Furthermore, this study examines whether other factors, such as school type, teacher gender, teacher ranking position, teachers’ year-of-teaching-career and Chinese cultural values, will affect the implementation of self-evaluation in schools. A mixed approach of methodology was adopted for this research work. The findings indicated that school self-evaluation can initiate teacher co-operative learning culture, which in turn effects cultural changes in these schools. Also, the above named components play specific roles in the school self-evaluation implementation – school cultural change process: teacher co-operative learning culture acts as mediator, school self-evaluation as moderator and principal leadership as change facilitator.