<p> In this era of educational accountability, educators, parents, and patrons are interested in finding the most efficient and effective route toward increasing student achievement. Research has shown a highly effective teacher in the classroom as the central component on this path to improved student learning. As school districts restructure their hiring practices to ask teachers to join the principal in selecting the best teacher candidate to hire, new questions arise as to their role on the hiring team. This qualitative research study used an online survey to gather 146 elementary teachers’ perspectives from both a large and small school district in the Pacific Northwest. The study also included four consecutive focus groups, one group consisting of three elementary teachers from the small school district and three groups consisting of a total of 10 elementary teachers from the larger school district, to dig deeper into the practice of distributed leadership as it pertains to the hiring process. This study is based on the theoretical framework of distributed leadership and an extensive study of distributed leadership as a practice of educational reform. It contributes to literature regarding teachers’ perspectives pertaining to their experience and role in the hiring process using a distributed leadership practice in selection of a high quality teacher. The results of this study extend previous findings regarding the degree in which teachers and administrators are involved in the hiring process, and the findings of former studies indicating the relationship between school-based hiring and an effective teacher selection. The outcomes of this study explore teachers’ views as to their role on a hiring team. Additionally, findings offer principals and district hiring personnel insight into elementary teachers’ experiences as a part of the hiring team and explore teachers’ perceptions regarding the practice of distributed leadership in hiring a quality teacher. </p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:10284156 |
| Date | 03 June 2017 |
| Creators | Bair, Khristine Y. |
| Publisher | Northwest Nazarene University |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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