This study examined how two high schools have successfully increased
graduation rates while serving minority-majority and impoverished communities. Data
collected for this qualitative, multi-site, case study employed publicly-available archival
materials, interviews, focus groups, and observations in leadership meetings to help
narrate a story that takes into account the complexities of human relations, specifically
those in school settings in an urban school district. Thirty-four participants were selected
by the principals at the participating schools and included members of their leadership
teams, such as literacy coaches, assistant principals, magnet coordinators, students,
parents, security specialists, and guidance counselors.
The conceptual framework of the study was based on three research questions.
The first question examined the synergistic relationships between the selected middle and
the high schools with the purpose of addressing students’ at risk of dropping out factors
in the areas of academic engagement, behavior, and attendance. The second question investigated the different types of initiatives enacted to provide support and efforts to
engage or reengage students. The third question was used as a guide to observe the
effects that the principals have on the work of stakeholders and how they serve their
students.
This study examined the various ways in which two high schools and their three
feeder middle schools combine efforts to reengage students academically and socially.
The selected high schools have demonstrated success in graduation rates while serving
minority-majority students in areas of poverty, as determined by the high percentage of
students qualifying for the Free and Reduced Lunch program. The findings indicate the
existence of purposeful collaboration between personnel with an emphasis on
programmatic continuum, communication, and other initiatives to strengthen articulation.
Further, this study identified various forms of support programs for students to remain
engaged or reengage, such as extracurricular activities, mentoring, and expansion of
interest-based classes. Lastly, the findings demonstrate that the principals involved in
this study clearly established a mission and vision and their leadership teams enact such
with a balance between their own initiatives and adherence to the goals of their respective
school leaders. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2018. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fau.edu/oai:fau.digital.flvc.org:fau_40712 |
| Contributors | Collado, Washington B. (author), Maslin-Ostrowski, Patricia (Thesis advisor), Reyes-Guerra, Daniel (Thesis advisor), Florida Atlantic University (Degree grantor), College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology |
| Publisher | Florida Atlantic University |
| Source Sets | Florida Atlantic University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation, Text |
| Format | 247 p., application/pdf |
| Rights | Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder., http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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