The Impact of Superintendent Support for Curriculum Mapping on Principals’ Efficacious Use of Maps

Abstract

Pressures on school leaders to reform are pervasive within the United States. Prior studies show that superintendents who provide clear expectations and goals, collaborate, ensure quality professional development, and attend to curriculum alignment develop effective building leaders (Marzano & Waters, 2009; Wahlstrom, Louis, Leithwood, & Anderson, 2010). New York State public school principals in schools containing Grade 7 were the target population for this quantitative survey study. Superintendent support for curriculum mapping was the independent variable. Dependent variables were (1) curriculum map use by principals, (2) use of maps as boundary objects (i.e., within schools, boundary objects are tools that principals can use to promote professional conversations with teachers about curriculum, instruction, and student learning), and (3) principals' efficacy to use maps. Findings showed that significant positive relationships exist between superintendent support for curriculum mapping and each dependent variable-principals' use of curriculum maps, use of maps as boundary objects, and efficacy to use maps. Results also showed a lack of accountability and monitoring of principals' use of curriculum maps by superintendents. Industry, business, government, and schools are facing the challenges brought on by a global financial collapse and sputtering economy, rising emergent markets, and dizzying technological transformations of how people live and work with one another. amid this background, schools are pressed to reform curricula, instruction, and assessments while facing reduced revenues and personnel, community resistance to rising school taxes, and changing priorities at the state and federal levels (Maxcy, 2011; Picus & Odden, 2011). With little time dedicated to instructional leadership