ERIC Number: ED664263
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 313
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3467-3952-4
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Systemic Barriers Have No Borders: Scaling up Leadership in Ontario Education Systems by Incorporating the R.A.I.S.E. Reflective Tool
Paul Nalli
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Arizona State University
This action research introduces an innovative construct entitled R.A.I.S.E. (Representation, Amplification of Assets, Inspiration, Support, and Empowerment and Engagement) to scale up leadership excellence in Ontario education systems. Equity (or the E-word) has become a highly contentious and volatile left-and right-wing political hotbed. R.A.I.S.E. attempts to shift the emphasis away from politically polarized discourse by approaching equity at the core of teaching and learning--the student and the family. R.A.I.S.E. poses scaffolded reflective questions that focus on connecting with every student and family based on individual assets, strengths, passions, and interests by connecting before correcting and directing them to meet individual needs. This study explores taking the R.A.I.S.E. tool beyond its initial use in a single school and examining further applications in school systems constrained by open dialogue about equity. With permission, I provided the R.A.I.S.E. protocol to school districts in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) for a self-directed rollout, with the understanding that a member of the senior leadership team would serve as a confidential participant in this study. Through purposive sampling, I conducted a qualitative, semi-structured group interview and a premortem exercise with system superintendents from GTHA school districts to determine the application and possibilities of the R.A.I.S.E. tool. This qualitative study incorporated two cycles of coding. The first cycle consisted of in-vivo and descriptive coding, and the second cycle consisted of pattern coding. During the group interview, participants responded openly to semi-structured questions to highlight implementation strategies of the R.A.I.S.E. tool and whether there were barriers or limitations to its use. Participants also shared if the tool served as an effective conversation catalyst, enabling them to approach, navigate, and sustain conversations about equity within systems and with various partners and stakeholders. During the premortem exercise, participants imagined successes and failures of the tool's implementation for the 2024-25 school year. Based on the possible uses and implementation of R.A.I.S.E., participants explained their projected futures, including if they anticipate any progress toward transformational change by moving equity from theory to action in classrooms, schools, and systems. Findings also revealed if any systemic barriers affected the tool's implementation and provided implications for additional research. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Equal Education, Leadership Training, Elementary Secondary Education, Multi Tiered Systems of Support, Student Empowerment, Teacher Empowerment, Learner Engagement, Leadership Effectiveness, Leadership Role, Politics of Education, Family School Relationship, Student School Relationship, Student Interests, Individual Needs, Barriers, Group Discussion, Consciousness Raising, Focus Groups, Theory Practice Relationship, Educational Change
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada (Toronto); Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A