Under Pressure: Leadership for Literacy and Cultural Responsiveness

Abstract

This case considers the literacy leadership practices of Principal Howard at Pinecrest Academy Title I elementary school in the southeastern United States. An award-winning school, Pinecrest Academy serves over 500 students, 98% of whom are students of color. Through the lens of instructional leadership for literacy and culturally responsive school leadership for literacy, this case study examines how the principal used school improvement planning to (a) bolster the literacy outcomes of third-grade students of color, (b) form partnerships with the parents and families of third-grade students of color to increase literacy outcomes, and (c) reframe the literacy focus when external and internal factors threatened to derail the school’s progress.