A Case Study of Middle Grades Leadership in a Conversion Charter School

Bickmore, Dana L.; Dowell, Margaret-Mary Sulentic

doi:10.1177/0192636515575602

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…These are goals that require leadership skills above and beyond management (Dressler, 2001). Yet, charter principals have reported prioritizing their management duties over instructional leadership (Bickmore & Dowell, 2011, 2015). Campbell and Gross (2008) reported that charter principals on average spend two thirds of their time on management tasks and much less time on instructional issues.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, research has suggested that charter school principals have insufficient access to preparatory programs or professional development that trains them specifically for the unique challenges and responsibilities of leading a charter school (Allen & Gawlik, 2009; Bickmore & Dowell, 2015; Briggs et al, 2013). Preparatory programs designed for charter school principals are limited.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Uncharted Nature of Licensure Requirements for Charter School Principals: Implications and Possibilities for Policy Action

Hedges

Ruddy

Boyland

et al. 2018

Journal of Research on Leadership Education

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The authors drew upon state policy documents and other public sources to review licensure requirements for charter school principals. The results indicate that few states have adopted licensure requirements for charter school principals compared with traditional public school principals, and many exempt charter school principals from licensure altogether. They found that training and support for charter school principals is available, but is concentrated in the states with the highest number of charter schools. These findings have significant implications for policy makers, charter school advocates, and authorizers. These implications are discussed and related to the existing literature regarding principal preparation and licensure.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Uncharted Nature of Licensure Requirements for Charter School Principals: Implications and Possibilities for Policy Action

Hedges

Ruddy

Boyland

et al. 2018

Journal of Research on Leadership Education

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Detroit or Kansas City), student enrollment numbers can be a makeor-break issue for charter schools. Charter school leaders are often faced with tasks such as recruiting students (Bickmore & Dowell, 2015;Farmer-Hinton, 2006) and are more likely to identify responding to parental and community expectations as critical issues than traditional public school leaders (Portin et al, 2003). The issue of student recruitment is especially important in cases where the school's mission targets a specific population such as students from a specific geographic community or students who have a certain background.…”

Section: Student Recruitment and Retentionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A study of those who made the jump

Keuseman¹,

Sarah²

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This interpretive, exploratory qualitative study examines the similarities and differences between charter school leadership and traditional public school leadership. Previous research has examined the differences in school leadership in traditional public schools from large-scale, quantitative data (Cravens, Goldring, & Penaloza, 2012; Goff, Mavrogordato, & Goldring, 2012). Though research exists on specific facets of charter schools such as student achievement, there is little research on the needs of charter school leaders and how well-prepared they are for their unique roles (Huerta, 2009; Hughes & Silva, 2013). The purpose of this study is to contribute to the body of knowledge on school leadership by developing an emic description of the relationship between charter school leadership and traditional public school leadership through a qualitative interpretivist study approach. School leaders in Minnesota who have been heads of school in both independent charter schools and traditional public schools were surveyed, and four were selected for in-depth follow-up interviews. The guiding research questions are: (1) What are the differences between traditional public school leadership and charter school leadership according to school leaders in Minnesota who have been leaders of both types of schools; (2) How do school leaders in Minnesota who have been leaders of both charter schools and traditional public schools experience instructional leadership in the different school organizations; and (3) How do school leadership preparation programs help prepare educators for leadership in charter schools? Findings from this study indicate that differences in school leadership in traditional public schools and independent charter schools may exist due to organizational v structure, including the expanded scope of school leadership in charter schools. However, some of the differences may be because of school size, as leaders with experience in both types of schools indicated that leading a charter school is similar to leading a small, rural, traditional public school. The findings also examine the structures created to support charter school leadership, and the need for professional community and support. Implications for school leader professional development and school leadership preparation programs are discussed. vi

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