This inquiry sought to construct meaning using an invitational leadership lens in relation to how Principals are prepared to lead in schools with diverse student populations. Data revealed Principals' perceptions about preparation related to invitational leadership emphasized contradictions between Principals' inviting-oriented rhetoric and their…

School district-university research collaborations represent one strategy to increase educators' ability to use current, research-based information in program decision-making and efforts to improve student achievement. However, differences in organizational structures, goals, values, and prior collaborative experiences, have made successful…

This study examined the relationship between elementary school principals' advocacy for equity and the achievement from their respective schools. Data sources included faculty survey responses complemented by three interviews: of the principal, of his or her designated teacher-leader, and of the school itself via a guided tour of the facility.…

This study investigated the impacts of "INSIGHTS into Children's Temperament" on instructional support and math and reading skills in kindergarten and first grade classrooms with high levels of student shyness. "INSIGHTS" is a temperament-based intervention with teacher, parent, and classroom programs. 22 urban elementary…

Literacy coaching has become a prevalent mode of PD and a significant expenditure in many school districts--fulfilling components of high-quality PD, as it is job-embedded, ongoing, focused on student learning, and providing opportunities for practice and feedback on instruction. The field, however, abounds with reports of teacher resistance to…

Public K-12 schools are making major investments in digital education for a range of instructional purposes that are intended to help to raise academic achievement. As digital instruction is incorporated into K12 public schools, it is critical to ensure that both the chosen technology and modes of delivery are being effectively utilized to…

This study relied on motivational models derived from self-determination theory to explain how garden-based science activities can contribute to minority students' motivation and learning in science class and academic identity in science. Participants were 105 sixth-grade students from primarily low-SES families at two diverse urban schools.…

The purpose of this study is two-fold: to determine what external and organizational factors lead teachers in an urban, high-needs school district to consider leaving their teaching position or the teaching profession and to determine if perception of these factors differs among demographic groups of teachers. Access to high quality teachers is an…

Existing literature underscores the over disciplining of students of Color. Research indicates programs like Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) are successful in decreasing disproportionate discipline for minority students in urban schools. No studies have addressed how urban school leaders make sense of PBIS within the racialized…

Sociocultural perspectives on learning highlight varied conceptions of what it means to know and do mathematics, and in turn what it means to be mathematically competent. This work presents a dynamic conceptualization of competence--what counts as competent mathematical activity is negotiated and constructed within learning environments, and…

Purpose: Studies suggest that out-of-school suspensions and expulsions rarely improve student outcomes or perceptions of school safety. At the same time, there is consistent evidence of disparities by race, class, and ability in the implementation of "zero tolerance" discipline policies. Stakeholders across the country have leveraged…

Learner performance in the South African school education system is under tight scrutiny as it is the lens through which the health of the system is judged. However, despite the challenges faced, the South African landscape is dotted with those schools that have produced outstanding learner performance. Hence, this study is prompted by the success…

This study examined the intersections of race, class, gender, and exclusionary discipline in the lives of urban, middle school, Black girls. The lived experience of being Black, female, in an urban environment can not be understood from a lens of mutual exclusivity; Therefore, one must also include the interactions with institutions that…

Purpose: This study examines leadership development in three high schools in urban, suburban, and rural districts. Teacher leadership, leadership development, and work design and redesign literature informed the design of a model that was used as a lens to analyze each school across diverse contexts. Research methods: Data were collected from each…

"How do personal beliefs, organizational structures, and decision-making processes influence principal practice in leading for equity?" Over the course of one academic school year, we conducted semi-structured interviews, participant shadowing, and collected artifacts from three elementary school principals with demonstrated success in…