School Leadership and the Experience of Education Under Oppression

Background: This qualitative study examined apartheid-era South Africa, from 1948 to 1994, which established social and administrative policies that deliberately curtailed the education of Indigenous and other South Africans as a means of oppressing non-European ethnic groups. Analysis: In lieu of face-to-face interviews, the experience of education under apartheid is examined through stories and interviews submitted to the Apartheid Archives Project, curated by the University of the Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg, South Africa. The central question asks how the personal experiences of an oppressive school system, as interpreted through the framework of Freirean education, informs school leaders. Conclusion: Oppression infiltrates school systems, impinges on the educational process, and robs students of learning opportunities. In recognizing this, educators engage their responsibility as school leaders, and embrace the pivotal role education plays in social reconstruction, liberation, and humanization.

Ministerial Education Councils’ Capacity for Policy Decision-Making in Canada, Germany, and Switzerland: Finding a Balanced Perspective

Scholars have become increasingly vigilant about leaders, the role of government and wider governance bodies, and their influence on education policy. Councils in Europe and North America, generally, and education councils, specifically, are good examples of influential bodies whose decision-making processes have rightfully come under scrutiny; however, many scholarly assessments have been characterized by rhetorical claims that focus on these bodies’ limited ability to make decisions and address social challenges. This article details a qualitative, comparative case study conducted in 2018 that investigated how Councils of Ministers of Education in Canada, Germany, and Switzerland address national educational issues of collective interest. The resulting dataset is comprehensive, and this research invites colleagues to refine or rethink some of their limiting rhetorical tools and underlying assumptions.

The Need of the Virtual Principal Amid the Pandemic

This mixed-method study evaluates P–12 principals’ and district officials’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic amid the abrupt change to virtual leadership. Professional learning needs are identified in relation to the three domains of leadership as seen in literature: school management, instructional leadership, and program administration. The quantitative study instrument, which included an online survey given to 270 principals and district officials in South Carolina, allowed principals and superintendents to rank order their professional development needs to be better prepared for the virtual principalship. The top need expressed across all races, genders, and school settings was virtual instructional leadership. The qualitative measure includes interviews of 10 principals/district officials, and five major themes were identified as administrative struggles/priorities in the virtual principalship during the pandemic: increased presence and communication; projecting calm during uncertainty; displaying flexibility, empathy, and patience; knowledge of technological capabilities; and a systems approach to sustained instructional leadership. The study showed a heightened need for soft skills development.

Understanding the Application and Use of Indigenous Research Methodologies in the Social Sciences by Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Scholars

Indigenous research methodologies articulate how researchers and Aboriginal communities engage in research together. These methodologies are informed by Indigenous cultural and ethical frameworks specific to the Nations with whom the research is being conducted. This study explores how such research relationships were articulated in the dissemination phase of research. We carried out an Indigenous qualitative content analysis of 79 peer-reviewed articles published January 1996 to June 2018, predominantly in the fields of social sciences. Our findings show that most articles were written by Indigenous researchers or a research team composed of Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers. Such collaborations articulated the principles of Indigenous methodology (IM) much clearer than those authored by non-Indigenous scholars or when partnerships with Indigenous communities were less evident with respect to the principles guiding the research process. The principles of IM that were manifest in these research partnerships were relevance, respect for Indigenous knowledges, responsible relationships, wholism, and Indigenous ethics. The findings of this study will help to guide future researchers who work with Indigenous peoples, especially with respect to the need for a deeper understanding of how such research relationships are sustained over time to bring about meaningful change for Indigenous peoples and their communities.

A Psychometric Look at Principal Professional Development

This study evaluates aspects related to P12 principals’ professional development needs in South Carolina regarding the three domains of school leadership: management, instructional leadership, and program administration. A survey to rate principals’ current leadership knowledge, rank order their professional development needs, and provide a confidence rating regarding their abilities was given to over 1,100 principals and 85 superintendents. Through examining relationships with a psychometric model, results derived latent leadership ability scores and self-reported confidence ratings of principals as well as the superintendents’ leadership scores and confidence ratings of their principals. This study found a significant discrepancy between principals’ and superintendents’ confidence ratings and their corresponding leadership ability scores, respectively. A further analysis of the rank-ordered professional development needs highlighted instructional leadership to be the most needed topic for professional development. Finally, atypical response patterns regarding principal’s current leadership knowledge are also identified through person-fit analysis to provide additional information regarding P-12 principals’ professional development needs.

Homeward Bound: Educational Leaders’ Perceptions of Hiring Repatriating International Teachers

The purpose of this study was to determine how educational leaders interpret job applications from international teachers who are planning to repatriate. Ten rural and urban educational leaders from the Canadian province of Manitoba were presented with three different fictitious cases to screen and analyze for shortlisting purposes. The findings suggest that international teachers need to clearly communicate their work experiences and explain how acquired intercultural and linguistic competencies would be advantageous for the school community. Educational leaders should apply an international awareness when screening job applications. Recommendations for both leadership development and global teaching careers are offered.

Louisiana School Counselors’ Daily Activities and the ASCA National Model: A Complex History and a Hopeful Future

This mixed methods, concurrent nested study was designed to explore the extent to which one state’s school counselors report daily activities that align to the ASCA National Model (ASCA, 2005, 2012, 2019). In spite of federal and state legislation, state policy, and a state model supporting best practices for school counseling, a significant number of school counselors in this study (approximately 25%) report barriers to implementing comprehensive, developmental models. These barriers include inordinate amounts of duty, testing, and coordination of specialized services. However, with nearly three out of four school counselors in the sample reporting knowing and implementing pieces of the ASCA National Model (ASCA, 2005, 2012, 2019), we remain hopeful for the future of school counseling in Louisiana.

Exploratory Data Analysis in Schools: A Logic Model to Guide Implementation

Exploratory data analysis (EDA) is an iterative, open-ended data analysis procedure that allows practitioners to examine data without pre-conceived notions to advise improvement processes and make informed decisions. Education is a data-rich field that is primed for a transition into a deeper, more purposeful use of data. This article introduces the concept of EDA as a necessary structure to be embedded in school activities by situating it within the literature related to data-driven decision making, continuous school improvement systems, and action research methodologies. It also provides a succinct six-part framework to guide practitioners in establishing EDA procedures.

Operationalizing and Measuring Personalized Learning in K-12 Schools: Development and Implementation of an Innovation Configuration Map

In 2012, the United States Department of Education announced the Race to the Top-District grants. One joint award was made to two large educational cooperatives in the same state that together represented 111 mostly rural schools in 22 districts. One of the grant’s identified four essential projects was the implementation of personalized learning. This article describes how the grant’s external evaluation team worked with grantee leadership and school districts to operationalize personalized learning and then develop and implement Innovation Configuration Maps to measure school-level personalized learning environments. Developmental steps, adoption processes, and preliminary school-level results are reported.

Self-determination and inclusion: The role of Canadian principals in catalysing inclusive-positive practices

While the placement of students with complex learning needs in Canadian classrooms may be mandated in policy, the development of inclusive-positive practices requires direct, and at times delicate, support and encouragement from principal teams. Without genuine engagement and buy-in from teachers and school staff, students in inclusive classrooms may not find meaningful opportunities in those spaces. Often, it falls on principals to be leaders of attitudes and practices so that inclusive school communities can thrive. Fortunately, the framework of self-determination theory provides a path by which principals can catalyse attitudinal changes (autonomy), best practices (competences), and enriched community relationships (relatedness). This study includes the questionnaire responses of 275 principals (and vice principals) from six provinces in Canada. Of those 275 participants, 46 principals also participated in interviews. The findings of this study suggest that affecting attitudinal changes requires specific and comprehensive practices. Principals also need to model inclusive-positive attitudes in their behaviour and practice. Finally, the careful curation and maintenance of relationships is a necessary for the well-being of the school communities. Implications for principal practice and school well-being are included.