Leadership for Family and Community Engagement: A Qualitative Policy Analysis of State Principal Evaluation Processes

2021 ◽  
pp. 0013161X2110525
Author(s):  
Linda Mayger ◽  
Kathleen Provinzano
Keyword(s):  
School Improvement ◽  
Policy Analysis ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Principal Evaluation ◽  
Developmental Approach ◽  
Evaluation Systems ◽  
Community Stakeholders ◽  
Leadership And Student Achievement ◽  
Principal Performance ◽  
Every Student Succeeds Act

Purpose: The primary purpose of this policy analysis is to examine how states changed their principal performance evaluation systems since the passage of Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015. In particular, we focus on whether states have capitalized on the flexible policy landscape to make space for meaningful family and community engagement (FCE) in assessing principals’ effectiveness. Research Methods: This study uses document analysis to review the structure of principal evaluation systems in all 50 states and selects 17 revised systems for a deeper review of their approach to leadership for partnering with families and communities. Findings: A plurality of states have not substantively revised their evaluation systems. Several of the revised systems narrowly focused on instructional leadership and student achievement measures and were thus unsupportive of meaningful FCE and federal policy aims for schools to work in partnership with family and community stakeholders. The principal evaluation systems most supportive of authentic family and community engagement allowed for flexible goal setting and explicitly encouraged the use of stakeholder feedback as evidence of principals’ effectiveness. Implications for Research and Policy: The authors discuss the implications of the results in terms of 1.) expanding definitions of educational leadership to include tenets of authentic FCE, 2.) creating coherent yet compendious systems for school improvement, and 3.) planning for and implementing a developmental approach to the evaluation of school leaders.

Funding Structures and State Capacity for School Improvement under the Every Student Succeeds Act: Case Studies of Five States

2021 ◽  
pp. e20210005
Author(s):  
Hailey Karcher ◽  
David S. Knight
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
School Districts ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
Title I ◽  
Local Autonomy ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Improvement Strategies ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Every Student Succeeds Act

Under the Every Student Succeeds Act, the federal government allocates 7% of Title I funds, about $1 billion per year, for school improvement. States have substantial autonomy in allocating these funds, including which schools are identified for federal school improvement, what improvement strategies are used, and whether external intermediaries are involved. A growing area of research explores the private, often for-profit school improvement industry, but few studies track the finance and policy structures that funnel public funds to external K–12 intermediaries. In this study, we draw on document analysis and interview data to explore school improvement practices and finance policies in five case study states. We find that states use varied methods for identifying schools for improvement, and also vary in the extent to which they provide local autonomy to school districts. Some states, such as Texas and Tennessee, incentivize schools to adopt particular strategies or encourage partnering with an external intermediary. Texas provides a list of vetted external intermediaries they expect districts to work with (and support financially). Other states, such as California and New York, provide more state-led school improvement strategies through regional offices and give districts greater local autonomy. Findings point to possible benefits of local autonomy, while highlighting potential challenges associated with unregulated market-based reforms in education.

scholarly journals Teacher Leadership Effects on Student Achievement and Student Satisfaction: A Meta Analysis on the Studies Published in Turkey and USA

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
ŞENGÜL UYSAL ◽  
YILMAZ SARIER
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Teacher Leadership ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Average Effect ◽  
Leadership And Student Achievement ◽  
Direct And Indirect Impacts ◽  
Indirect Impacts ◽  
The Relationship

Teacher leadership has grown in importance over the past decades and the growing interest results in the studies presenting direct and indirect impacts on school improvement processes and outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of teacher leadership on student achievement and student satisfaction. The methodology involved an analysis of 22 published studies of the relationship between teacher leadership and student achievement with student satisfaction. The meta-analysis involved a comparison of the effects of teacher leadership on student achievement and student satisfaction in Turkey and USA. The results indicated that the average effect of teacher leadership on student achievement is modest and positive and it is strong and positive on student satisfaction. Comparing the countries, in Turkey the average effect of teacher leadership on student satisfaction is much stronger than it is in USA.

scholarly journals 10 Best resources for community engagement in implementation research

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (10) ◽  
pp. 1457-1465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas Glandon ◽  
Ligia Paina ◽  
Olakunle Alonge ◽  
David H Peters ◽  
Sara Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Implementation Research ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Project Planning ◽  
Crowd Sourcing ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Community Stakeholders ◽  
Broad Array

Abstract Implementation research (IR) focuses on understanding how and why interventions produce their effects in a given context. This often requires engaging a broad array of stakeholders at multiple levels of the health system. Whereas a variety of tools and approaches exist to facilitate stakeholder engagement at the national or institutional level, there is a substantial gap in the IR literature about how best to do this at the local or community level. Similarly, although there is extensive guidance on community engagement within the context of clinical trials—for HIV/AIDS in particular—the same cannot be said for IR. We identified a total of 59 resources by using a combination of online searches of the peer-reviewed and grey literature, as well as crowd-sourcing through the Health Systems Global platform. The authors then completed two rounds of rating the resources to identify the ‘10 best’. The resources were rated based on considerations of their relevance to IR, existence of an underlying conceptual framework, comprehensiveness of guidance, ease of application, and evidence of successful application in low- or middle-income countries or relevant contexts. These 10 resources can help implementation researchers think strategically and practically about how best to engage community stakeholders to improve the quality, meaningfulness, and application of their results in order to improve health and health systems outcomes. Building on the substantial work that has already been done in the context of clinical trials, there is a need for clearer and more specific guidance on how to incorporate relevant and effective community engagement approaches into IR project planning and implementation.

scholarly journals Community Engagement for the Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) Program: an Analysis of Key Stakeholder Roles to Promote a Sustainable Program in Zambia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Mumba Zulu ◽  
Trevor Mwamba ◽  
Alyssa Rosen ◽  
Tulani Francis L. Matenga ◽  
Joseph M Mulanda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Male Circumcision ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Health Centre ◽  
Urban Setting ◽  
Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision ◽  
Medical Male Circumcision ◽  
Community Stakeholders

Abstract BackgroundWithin the Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) programme, community engagement has been central in facilitating the acceptance of VMMC, especially in non-circumcising communities. To date, there has been inadequate mapping of community stakeholders, their power, roles, and strategies in facilitating sustainability of VMMC programmes. We use the case of the development of community engagement plans for sustainability of VMMC in Zambia to illustrate diversity of stakeholders, their power, roles, and strategies in community engagement. The analysis was guided by the power and interest model.MethodsData were collected using document review, in-depth interviews (n=35) and focus group discussions (n=35) with community stakeholders, health workers, health centre committees, counsellors, teachers, community volunteers and parents/caregivers. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. ResultsDifferences were noted between the rural and urban sites in terms of power/influence and interest rating of community stakeholders who could be involved in the sustainability phase of the VMMC response in Zambia. For example, in the urban setting, neighbourhood health committees (NHCs), health workers, leaders of clubs, community health workers (CHWs), radio, television and social media platforms were ranked highest. From this list, social media and television platforms were not highly ranked in rural areas. Some stakeholders had more sources of power than others. Forms or sources of power included technical expertise (knowledge, skills, roles), local authority (traditional, political, religious leadership), financial resources, collective action (action through schools, churches, media platforms, other community spaces), and relational power (community / family bonds). Key roles and strategies included strengthening community engagement in the planning processes by broadening local coordination and engagement systems, enhancing community involvement in providing VMMC information through the use of locally recognised communication spaces and channels, facilitating ownership of VMMC through promoting a community-led monitoring and evaluation process, as well as improving local accountability processes in VMMC activities.ConclusionBy consulting with the most relevant stakeholders, and considering community needs in programme development, the VMMC programme may be able to leverage the community structures and systems to reduce long term demand generation costs for VMMC and increase the acceptability and frequency of male circumcision.

scholarly journals Shaping “Digital Futures” in Alberta: Community Engagement for Rural Broadband Development

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rob McMahon ◽  
Michael McNally ◽  
Kris Joseph
Keyword(s):  
Community Engagement ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Large Bande ◽  
Rural And Remote ◽  
Community Stakeholders ◽  
Community Networking ◽  
Rural Broadband ◽  
Canada Limited ◽  
Unique Context

Background Despite rich literature on rural and remote broadband and community networking initiatives in Canada, limited research is available on the sequencing, mechanisms, and processes of community engagement for this purpose.Analysis  The authors use a case study of the Digital Futures initiative in Alberta, Canada—a biannual symposium that engages a range of public, private, and community stakeholders to discuss rural broadband—to illustrate the iterative formation and application of such mechanisms.Conclusion and implications  The authors demonstrate how an engaged approach to communications research situated in the unique context of the involved community of practice—in this case, stakeholders involved in addressing broadband deployment and sustainability in Alberta—can help generate a cycle of research and praxis that reflects the normative goals of the scholarship of engagement.Contexte  On possède une littérature riche sur les initiatives canadiennes de réseautage communautaire et à large bande dans les régions rurales et reculées. En revanche, la recherche sur le séquencement, les mécanismes et les processus d’engagement communautaire demeure limitée.Analyse  Digital Futures en Alberta est un symposium biannuel rassemblant un éventail de parties prenantes des secteurs publics, privés et communautaires pour discuter de la transmission rurale à large bande. Les auteurs ont recours à une étude de cas sur ce symposium afin d’illustrer la formation et l’application itératives de tels engagements communautaires.Conclusion et implications  Les auteurs démontrent comment une approche engagée envers une recherche en communication se situant dans le contexte unique d’une communauté de praticiens—dans ce cas, des parties prenantes impliquées dans le déploiement et le maintien de transmissions à large bande en Alberta—peut aider à réaliser un cycle de recherche et de pratique reflétant les objectifs normatifs d’un savoir engagé.

Examining the Parent Trigger as a Strategy for School Reform and Parental Engagement

2015 ◽  
Vol 117 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-36
Author(s):  
John Rogers ◽  
Christopher Lubienski ◽  
Janelle Scott ◽  
Kevin G. Welner
Keyword(s):  
School Improvement ◽  
School Choice ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
State Level ◽  
Parental Engagement ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
School Governance ◽  
Initial Examination

Background/Context Parent trigger policies have become a popular option in the education reform toolbox, giving parents the potential ability to induce substantial structural changes at their local public school. This reform approach emerged in California during the Great Recession, and has since proliferated to a number of states, spurred on by policy advocates, philanthropic funders, and associated reform organizations. These state-level policies allow a majority of parents at low-performing schools to petition to force school transformation through conversion to charter school status, replacement of school leadership and/or staff, or other corrective actions expected to improve outcomes at the school. Purpose This analysis considers the emergence, evidentiary basis, and potential of parent trigger policies. In particular, we focus on the policy, political and social circumstances in which parent trigger legislation emerged in California, the efficacy of the school improvement levers on which it draws, and the underlying assumptions about democratic engagement that inform the approach. Research Design This policy analysis draws on multiple forms of evidence to examine the efficacy of the parent trigger approach for school improvement and community engagement. The initial examination of the emergence of parent trigger considers public policy positions, media statements, and press accounts to trace the nuances of this policy landscape. Then, in lieu of useful research evidence on parent trigger itself, we turn to the research literature on the remedies that parent trigger tends to adopt, including studies in school choice, charter schools, and various school improvement strategies, as well as the implications for parental empowerment. Findings Reviews of extant evidence on policy remedies implicit and explicit in parent trigger indicate that, although parent trigger may have emerged from a deep-seated desire to improve educational opportunities for disadvantaged children, it is unlikely to actually improve the educational quality of schools, given that the overall effects of these policy interventions are mixed, at best, and parent trigger adds another element of instability to already unstable school communities in disadvantaged areas. Conclusions/Recommendations Our analysis suggests that parent trigger tends to assume an aggregative model of democratic action drawn from a market-style economic premise. Unless policy makers promote a more deliberative model of community engagement, empowerment, and school governance, it is likely that parent trigger could contribute to continual corruption of democratic institutions and avenues for school governance.

The Relationship Between Measures of Preservice Principal Practice and Future Principal Job Performance

2021 ◽  
pp. 016237372110250
Author(s):  
Christopher Doss ◽  
Melanie A. Zaber ◽  
Benjamin K. Master ◽  
Susan M. Gates ◽  
Laura Hamilton
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
Principal Effectiveness ◽  
Effective Principals ◽  
Principal Retention ◽  
Evaluation Systems ◽  
School Based ◽  
Preservice Preparation ◽  
Principal Practice ◽  
Aspiring Principals ◽  
Principal Performance

Principals are the second-largest school-based contributor to student achievement. Interventions focused early in the “pipeline” for identifying and developing effective principals might be a promising strategy for promoting principal effectiveness, yet no prior research has examined measures of principal performance during preservice preparation. We analyze 31 measures of principal practices developed by New Leaders and integrate into their year-long, preservice Aspiring Principals program. We link these measures to administrative data in nine districts to understand how they predict student and principal outcomes after candidate placement. We find associations with gains in student achievement on standardized tests, gains in student attendance, and higher rates of principal retention. We compare our results with studies of measures from licensure exams and evaluation systems.

scholarly journals Can States Take Over and Turn Around School Districts? Evidence From Lawrence, Massachusetts

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beth E. Schueler ◽  
Joshua S. Goodman ◽  
David J. Deming
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
School Districts ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
Group Instruction ◽  
School Students ◽  
State Takeover ◽  
Achievement Gains ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Every Student Succeeds Act

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to identify and turn around struggling schools, with federal school improvement money required to fund evidence-based policies. Most research on turnarounds has focused on individual schools, whereas studies of district-wide turnarounds have come from relatively exceptional settings and interventions. We study a district-wide turnaround of a type that may become more common under ESSA, an accountability-driven state takeover of Massachusetts’s Lawrence Public Schools (LPS). A differences-in-differences framework comparing LPS to demographically similar districts not subject to state takeover shows that the turnaround’s first 2 years produced sizable achievement gains in math and modest gains in reading. We also find no evidence that the turnaround resulted in slippage on nontest score outcomes and suggestive evidence of positive effects on grade progression among high school students. Intensive small-group instruction over vacation breaks may have led to particularly large achievement gains for participating students.

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