Expertise about how best to address the challenges schools face does not reside solely in the central office. Columnist Joshua P. Starr discusses how district leaders should rethink their roles to ensure that they are focused on the work that only they can do. Some tasks will be better suited to leaders at the school level, and sometimes expertise…

This phenomenological study investigated the perceptions of Arizona school superintendents in their capacity as instructional leaders. The study bridges the gap in comprehending the experiences and perspectives of superintendents in Arizona schools. The study's findings identified the beliefs in teaching and learning, the challenges and barriers…

Creating a dynamic educational community takes collaboration and accountability from ALL constituents. Current research on leaders sets the foundation for recognizing the need for organizations to develop wellness initiatives and enhance research. In today's transient work world, wellness initiatives may aid in retention. Targeting the emotional…

Many district and school leaders have leveraged instructional leadership or social justice leadership to advance student achievement for minoritized students. While research has examined these approaches separately, we identify a potential gap at the nexus between instructional and social justice leadership. In particular, we find a need for…

This study is a phenomenological inquiry on the achievement bridge in Latina leadership and educational advancement. The case studies used counter-storytelling to explore the triumphs and challenges of Latina leadership in superintendency. Education is in dire need of leaders who disrupt, disquiet, or unhinge oppression with the disposition of a…

The history of Kansas City Kansas Public Schools (KCKPS) is rich, and it is not as well-known as the history of Kansas City Public Schools in neighboring Missouri. KCKPS had its own unique journey that magnified the challenges it faced to integrate the district. This historical research study examines the history of KCKPS and how race relations…

Email has become a prominent communication tool for principals. Although principals have reported benefits of communicating via email, they have also indicated that it has intensified their workload. Specifically, principals have indicated that they receive a large volume of email, which contributes to extending and fragmenting their workdays.…

Men continue to dominate the superintendency in the United States, even though more than half of the specialized degrees needed to be a superintendent are earned by women (National Center for Education Statistics, 2019; Warner & Corley, 2017). Nationwide, 26.7% of the superintendents are women, while 27.75% of the superintendents in Illinois…

The purpose of this research is to shed light on the educational leadership practices regarding school support services at the municipal level in Iceland from the point of view of actors from both municipal and school levels. Furthermore to explain how those views are shaped by the structural arrangements and human resources of the services,…

Many district and school leaders have leveraged instructional leadership or social justice leadership to advance student achievement for minoritized students. While research has examined these approaches separately, we identify a potential gap at the nexus between instructional and social justice leadership. In particular, we find a need for…

Decisions about who is in charge of school systems often make the news. High-profile cases such as the recent takeover of the Houston Independent School District by the State of Texas -- where one of the first steps by state leaders was to replace the superintendent -- highlight the central importance of district leadership as well as the public…

This qualitative study focuses on the intersectionality of race and rurality by looking at the responses of Wyoming principals and superintendents to the issues of diversity and social justice within Wyoming. The responses are presented and analyzed through a new framework called Cowboy Epistemology, and the Cultural Competency Continuum (Lindsey…

Superintendents spend most of their time on administrative tasks and have a significant role in improving instructional outcomes. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the how superintendents envision their role in improving student achievement, as well as the actions they take to enact that role. Semi-structured interviews with 14…

The role of a principal has changed drastically over the past several decades. Principals must now be able to instructionally support their teachers to provide equity of learning for all students. The purpose of the phenomenological qualitative study was to determine key instructional leadership characteristics and styles that principals perceived…

The purpose of this study was to conduct a qualitative research study that could add to the existing body of literature about Latina recruitment and retention in educational administrative positions. The rate of Latina administrators is disproportionate to white males and females. To identify specific strategies that promote the increase of…