A Re-New-ed Paradigm in Successful Urban School Leadership

Abstract

This article examines the impact that a principal's communityleadership has on school-community relations and student outcomes. Comparisons are drawn between leadership behaviors that emphasize school-centered approaches and community-centered approaches. Research Methodology: Ethnographic research methodology was conducted over a 2-year period, during which the researcher conducted participant observations, interviews, and descriptive and interpretive memoing. Findings: The principal's role as community leader-including high principal visibility in the community and advocacy for community causes-led to trust and rapport between school and community. Consequently, parents who were previously hostile changed their relationship with school, and supported his or her handling of their children. This led to improved academic outcomes for students. Implications: This study has implications for how principals view their role, presence in, and relationship with the community. It also offers reflection on how and where the center of schoolcommunity relationships should be (i.e., school vs. community).

Principles of Leading Change: An Inductive Analysis from Post-Katrina New Orleans

“…He saw community connections as a way to ally himself with community members and give himself some of the capital he lacked. This is in line with others who have advocated for an expressly political role for successful urban principals (Khalifa, 2012).…”

Counteracting Educational Injustice with Applied Critical Leadership: Culturally Responsive Practices Promoting Sustainable Change

“…These researchers and others suggest that culturally responsive leadership may result in socially just and equitable outcomes for all learners in contexts where disparities are present (Gooden & Dantley, 2012;Horsford, 2011;Jean-Marie, 2008;Khalifa, 2012;Santamaría, 2014;Tillman, 2008). Many of these academics research and publish together as well as present papers at conferences in symposia, making major contributions to the field by providing innovative ways to think about leadership from a variety of worldviews.…”

Equitable leadership on the ground: Converging on high-leverage practices

“…To begin to identify high-leverage leadership practices for equity, we conducted an extensive review of the literature on social justice and equity in leadership and education (Ishimaru & Galloway, 2014). We found the following leadership practices consistently described as those most likely to effect educational change towards equity: inclusive development of an equity vision (e.g., Fullan & Hargreaves, 1991;Kose, 2009;Stone-Johnson, 2014;Theoharis, 2007), creating and sustaining an equitable culture (e.g., Louis & Wahlstrom, 2011;Scheurich & Skrla, 2003), facilitating rigorous and culturally responsive teaching (e.g., Gay, 2000;Ladson-Billings, 1994;Rigby, 2014), supervising instruction for equity (e.g., Kose, 2009;McKenzie et al, 2008;Rigby, 2014), equitably allocating resources (e.g., Brayboy et al, 2007;Byrne-Jimenez & Orr, 2013;Darling-Hammond, 2010), authentically collaborating with families and communities (e.g., Auerbach, 2007;Ishimaru, 2013;Khalifa, 2012;Moll et al, 1992;Wilson et al, 2013), modeling equitable practices (e.g., Brown, 2004;Furman, 2012;McKenzie et al, 2008), and influencing policy (e.g., Anderson, 2009;Evans, 2013;Koyama, 2014).…”