Effective Instructional Leadership Principal Practices in Title I schools
Purpose of Study:
Principals play a vital role in student achievement gains by their influences on instructional practices around curriculum, instruction and assessment. The role of the school principal requires that high quality instructional leadership be evident every day to increase academic achievement. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between principals’ instructional practices and student achievement. This study will also provide insight to school reform and practices, which can lead to improvements in student achievement. This research will examine schools with a high percentage of students from poverty; schools performing higher than the state average on English Language Arts, CAASPP results over two consecutive years. The study aims to analyze any significance that exists between, Title I schools (high performing), principals’ instructional practices, and student achievement. The impact of this study may be to provide support models for school administrators on practices that can be incorporated into their daily habits thus providing additional opportunities for instructional change that leads to increased student achievement.
Problem Statement:
Standards-Based education has been implemented in California since the first adoption of state standards in 1998. Student performance has not seen substantial gains with the adoption of CCSS and a new, more comprehensive assessment system. Student achievement, as measured by the state assessment CAASPP, has not seen promising results in schools with high levels of poverty. The role of the principal is critical to achieve system wide improvement. Instructional leadership is a school leadership model that has proven effective to improve student achievement. What practices of the instructional leadership model are being implemented in Title 1 schools performing above the state average in ELA within the Central Valley of California? And, how do these instructional practices of the principal contribute to student achievement gains?
Constructs:
1. Instructional leadership as an influence on student achievement according to CAASPP.
2. Relationship of principals instructional practices and academic outcomes in Title I schools.
Applicable Theories in Education Research:
1. School leadership: Glasman… Leithwood…
2. Instructional Leadership
3. Use of inquiry to solve achievement conundrums
Research Questions:
RQ 1. What is the relationship between Instructional Leadership practices and higher performing Title I elementary schools (2 years growth on English Language Arts on the CAASPP for schools who performed above the 50% and have at least 50% or more SED)?
RQ 2. What instructional practices do principals of high achieving Title I elementary schools implement to support student academic achievement?
RQ 3. What is the relationship between principal’s self-perception of instructional leadership behaviors and student academic achievement?
RQ 4. To what do principals of high achieving Title I elementary school attribute their success?
Methodology-Qualitative Analysis
Phenomenology on Instructional Leadership with an emergent design for flexibility throughout the course of study. The sample of principals are a purposeful sample. The participants are leaders that have been at their school for three or more years. These schools are Title I elementary schools (at least 50% of students SED) that are performing above the state average with at least 50% of their students at met or exceeds standards according to 2 years of CAASPP in language arts. An Inductive Analysis will take place as data are gathered. An Objectivist Perspective will be used to: identify Title 1 schools performing above the state average with at least 50% of their students performing at or above the state standard in ELA, interviews with principals to discuss Instructional Leadership behaviors and practices and a collection of artifacts that support Instructional Leadership behaviors and strategies on campus.
Variables for each Research Questions:
RQ 1. Dependent Variable: instructional practices
Independent Variable: high performing Title I schools
RQ 2. Dependent Variable: instructional practices
Independent Variable: high performing Title I schools
RQ 3. Dependent Variable: academic achievement
Independent Variable: principal perception
RQ 4. Dependent Variable: academic achievement
Independent Variable: collaborative discussion (teachers and principals)
Operationalizing Variables:
1. Academic Achievement: CAASPP scores
2. Principal Instructional Leadership
3. Poverty (Title 1)
Data Collection Methods:
Research Questions #1 – CAASPP scores over two years, interviews with principals
Research Questions #2 – CAASPP scores over two years, interviews with principals
Research Question #3 – CAASPP scores over two years, interviews with principals
Triangulation of Data:
1) Achievement
2) Principal Interviews and
3) Artifacts and Materials
