Chapte 1

Overview

Since the publication of the Reagan e a education epo t, A Nation at Risk, the United

States has focused attention on education efo m (United States, 1983). This epo t used

compelling language to desc ibe Ame ica’s schools as la gely inadequate and unable to meet

global demands on education, the eby leaving Ame ica’s futu e in jeopa dy. Since that time

school leade s have emb aced va ious education efo m movements such as No Child Left Behind

and Eve y Student Succeeds Act (No Child Left Behind [NCLB], 2002, Eve y Student Succeeds

Act [ESSA], 2008). Each with thei own measu es of standa dized testing, academic achievement,

and school pe fo mance. Pe haps ove looked is the impo tance of school climate in the ove all

school imp ovement p ocess. Cleveland and Sink (2018) p omote the notion that student

pe spectives on school climate should be included in school imp ovement plans. Othe esea ches

such as Zahid (2014), suggest school climate to be the numbe one conside ation fo student

academic achievement.

Dutta & Sahney (2016) esea ched the elationship between school climate and student

achievement and suggested a positive co elation. School p incipals a e the leade s of thei

building, shaping a compelling vision fo the futu e while p omoting safety, academic

achievement, and a positive climate. Depending on the schools' size, the p incipal's job desc iption

may include cu iculum, discipline, community elations, and fiscal esponsibilities. P incipals a e

equi ed to balance the expectations of state, community, and dist ict leade s to p oduce the highest

possible standa dized testing, pe sonnel, and school climate esults. These esponsibilities make

them one of the most influential school imp ovement figu es.

Background and problem statement

Leade ship p actices utilized by p incipals a e vital to the quality of thei job pe fo mance.

The influence of a p incipal extends to the pe ception of all inte nal and exte nal stakeholde s.

With inc easing esea ch to suggest positive school climates could be an influential component of

school imp ovement, p incipals should conside the extent to which inte nal stakeholde s such as

the teaching faculty pe ceive thei influence ove school climate. The extent to which p incipals

can influence school climate in A kansas’ schools is unknown.

Purpose of the study

The pu pose of this quantitative co elational esea ch was to investigate if and to what

extent p incipal leade ship p actices co elate with school climate as pe ceived by teache s in the in

u al and subu ban schools in A kansas. This study investigated the biva iate co elation between

the teache s' pe ception of the school p incipal's leade ship p actices and the co esponding

school's climate sco es. Twenty-fou schools a e included in the sample size f om six geog aphic

egions of A kansas. In all, 626 teache s pa ticipated, answe ing su veys ega ding thei

pe spective of 24 school p incipals and the co esponding school climates in A kansas. The

leade ship p actices of the p incipal and the school climate we e the va iables fo this study.

Significance of the study

The extant esea ch on school climate in cultu e is limited. P incipals seeking to imp ove

thei schools need guidance on how to p omote the best possible envi onment fo positive student

outcomes. P omoting a positive school climate may p ove beneficial to inc easing student

academic achievement. Unde standing the leade ship p actices as pe ceived that p omote a

positive school climate will benefit p incipals seeking to imp ove thei schools. This study will

ecommend leade ship p actices that may p omote a positive school climate fo ove all school

imp ovement in u al and subu ban schools in A kansas.

Research Questions

RQ1: To what extent does the ove all index of p incipal’s leade ship p actices co elate with

school climate as pe ceived by high school teache s in 24 u al and subu ban schools in A kansas?

Limitations of the Study

The scope of this study measu es the climates and leade ship behavio s of 24 schools and

p incipals. Given that school climates can change elatively quickly and a e subject to facto s

beyond the p incipals’ cont ol, the esults of this c oss-sectional study may only be app op iate fo

implementation fo a sho t time afte wa ds.

Assumptions

This study assumes that the inst uments used will accu ately po t ay leade ship behavio s

of school p incipals and p ope ly assess school climates. Responses eceived f om teache s a e

believed to accu ately eflect thei supe vising p incipal and accu ately measu e the co esponding

school climate.

Definitions

Principal. The head leade ship position in a school. P incipals manage the day-to-day school

ope ations as well as manage discipline, cu iculum, and community engagement.

School culture. The collective beliefs and no ms of a school.

Summary

School climate may be the missing link of past education efo ms. P incipals have the

ability to influence the climate of thei espective schools. Resea ches have suggested a positive

co elation between school climate and student achievement (Dutta & Sahney, 2016). P oviding

school p incipals with best p actices to p omote a positive school climate may aide in ove all

school imp ovement measu es.

References

Cleveland, R. E., & Sink, C. A. (2018). Student happiness, school climate, and school

imp ovement plans. P ofessional School Counseling, 21(1)

doi:http://dx.doi.o g/10.1177/2156759X18761898

Dutta, V. & Sahney, S. (2016), School leade ship and its impact on student achievement: The

mediating ole of school climate and teache job satisfaction, Inte national Jou nal of

Educational Management, 30(6), 941-958. https://doi.o g/10.1108/IJEM-12-2014-0170

Eve y Student Succeeds Act of 2015, Pub. L. No. 114-95 § 114 Stat. 1177 (2015-2016).

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, Pub. L. No. 107-110, § 101, Stat. 1425 (2002).

United States. National Commission on Excellence in Education. (1983). A nation at isk : The

impe ative fo educational efo m. Washington, D.C.: The National Commission on

Excellence in Education.

Zahid, G. (2014). Di ect and indi ect impact of pe ceived school climate upon student outcomes.

Asian Social Science, 10(8), 90-102. http://dx.doi.o g/10.5539/ass.v10n8p90

Chapte 1

Int oduction

Ove view

With littl warning in March 2020, T nn ss Gov rnor Bill L ncourag d schools in th

stat to clos for th r maind r of th 2019-2020 school y ar. Although T nn ss r op n d public

schools for th 2020-2021 acad mic y ar, conc rns r main as COVID-19 inf ctions incr as . Th

COVID-19 pand mic has dramatically chang d th way schools can saf ly op rat , and incr as d

th d mands on schools and t ach rs. Th lack of a coh siv f d ral and stat r spons has l ft

individual school districts att mpting to m t th n ds of t ach rs without ad quat r sourc s or

funding.

Each y ar T nn ss ducators compl t a T nn ss Educator Surv y (TES) which

id ntifi s priority ar as for r s arch rs, l gislators, and school r form advocat s. On th 2020 TES,

t ach rs indicat d pr -pand mic workloads almost id ntical to pr vious y ars (42% sp nding mor

than 6 hours p r w k), but thos who r spond d aft r th pand mic r port d incr as d workloads

(53% sp nding mor than 6 hours p r w k) (TDOE, 2020). Th 2020 TES clos d at th b ginning

of May 2020 b for th full impact of managing in-p rson, distanc , hybrid, synchronous, and

asynchronous l arning w r r aliz d by T nn ss ducators.

In this p riod of xpand d xp ctations, th Prof ssional L arning Community (PLC) has

b com int gral to th succ ss of classroom ducators b caus this structur mpow rs p opl to

accomplish mor tog th r than what can b don as individuals (DuFour & Eak r, 1998). Th

focus of this r s arch will b to id ntify if t ach r p rsp ctiv s r garding collaboration within th

PLC has chang d b caus of th COVID-19 pand mic.

Statement of the P oblem

As of Nov mb r 2020, th T nn ss Stat L gislatur has not waiv d t ach r and school

accountability m asur s, t ach r valuations, or stud nt standardiz d t sting for th 2020-2021

school y ar. School administrators and t ach rs continu to fac xpanding pr ssur to produc

acad mic r sults r gardl ss of th instabiliti s cr at d by th COVID-19 pand mic. Educators ar

stuck in a p rp tual cycl of accountability and growing d mands which disr gard th chall ng s

facing schools right now. Sinc th T nn ss Stat L gislatur will not r conv n until January of

2021, any l gislativ action r sponding to th pand mic will fall short of b ing d fin d as

“proactiv ” in mitigating t ach r workload or str ss ov r m asur s of accountability. School

l ad rs must tak action to h lp th ir t ach rs r spond to incr as d workload by ncouraging

collaboration within th PLC structur .

Pu pose of the Study

Th purpos of this study was to xamin th impact of th COVID-19 pand mic on

t ach r p rsp ctiv s conc rning collaboration within th PLC. Sinc th f d ral and stat r spons

has b n pitifully lacking in support of t ach rs, it is critical to giv districts and schools actionabl

ways to support th ir staff without adding additional burd n or str ss. Sinc th PLC is common

throughout schools, districts, and stat s, it provid s an xisting structur to m asur and xamin

th rol of collaboration for t ach rs r sponding to th COVID-19 pand mic.

Significance of the Study

In mod rn ducation history, th PLC has a long-standing history of addr ssing chall ng s

facing ducators to improv stud nt outcom s from th No Child L ft B hind (NCLB) and Rac to

th Top ducation r forms. School l ad rs must utiliz th xisting PLC collaborativ structur to

addr ss incr as d t ach r workloads r sulting from th COVID-19 pand mic. T ach r shortag s

and burnout conc rn d r s arch rs b for , and incr as d d mands r lat d to pand mic t aching

will xac rbat th s conc rns.

Resea ch Questions

For th purpos of this r s arch study, th focus will conc rn th following r s arch

qu stions:

1. Has th COVID-19 pand mic chang d t ach r p rsp ctiv s on Prof ssional L arning

Communiti s and collaboration?

2. If so, how can school administrators xpand upon this chang d p rsp ctiv as a

transformational mom nt for incr as d collaboration?

Limitations of the Study

Th COVID-19 pand mic may influ nc participation l v ls in surv ys and int rvi ws.

School cal ndars and mod s of instructional d liv ry continu to b fluid as school districts

att mpt to r spond to th spr ad of COVID-19 within th ir communiti s. Unc rtainty about th

r maind r of th 2020-2021 school y ar cr at s possibl futur limitations d p nding on th

progr ssion of th pand mic in closing schools or transitioning stud nts to a hybrid or onlin

structur . T ach rs who ar ov rwork d or str ss d may not prioritiz surv y or int rvi w

participation in r lation to oth r work duti s.

Assumptions

Within th r s arch, participants will tak a surv y asking t ach rs to answ r th sam s t

of qu stions bas d on pr -COVID-19 r coll ction (2019-2020 school y ar b for March 2020

school closur ) and during COVID-19 xp ri nc s (post-March 2020 school closur and 2020-

2021 school y ar). Th r s arch r assum s t ach rs will b abl to r m mb r accurat ly to b for

COVID-19 and will not allow hindsight bias to cloud thos r coll ctions.

Th r s arch r also assum s t ach rs will b hon st and forthcoming conc rning th ir

p rc ptions without allowing ducational “group-think” and “toxic positivity” cultur to influ nc

or sil nc th ir voic . By cr ating a surv y outsid district r sourc s and conducting individual

int rvi ws, th r s arch r has att mpt d to limit l gitimat t ach r f ars conc rning district or

school r taliation.

Definitions

Th following d finitions ar provid d to xplain words and phras s commonly us d

throughout th study:

● COVID-19 pand mic: an ongoing global h alth m rg ncy, as d fin d by th World

H alth Organization, caus d by s v r acut r spiratory syndrom coronavirus 2 (SARS-

CoV-2) (Yu n,Y , Fung, Chan, & Jin, 2020)

● Prof ssional L arning Community (PLC): ducators working collaborativ ly in ongoing

proc ss s of coll ctiv inquiry to improv stud nt achi v m nt (DuFour, DuFour, & Eak r,

2008)

● Collaboration: proc ss in which p opl work tog th r, int rd p nd ntly, to improv r sults

(Dufour, 2004)

Summa y

This chapt r provid d an introduction to th r s arch study, common d finitions, and th

pr ssing natur of xamining th impact of th COVID-19 pand mic on t ach r p rc ption of

PLCs and collaboration. Inst ad of focusing on th n gativ impacts of th pand mic, th

r s arch r hop s th COVID-19 pand mic will facilitat transformational chang in t ach rs'

approach to collaboration. Chapt r 2’s will pr s nt a r vi w of th lit ratur stablishing th

importanc of th PLC as an ducational r form ffort and th rol of collaboration within that

proc ss.

Refe ences

DuFour, R., & Eak r, R. (1998). Prof ssional l arning communiti s at work: B st practic s for

nhancing stud nt achi v m nt. Association for Sup rvision and Curriculum D v lopm nt.

DuFour, R. (2004). What is a "prof ssional l arning community?" Educational L ad rship,

61(8), 6-11

DuFour, R., DuFour, R. B., & Eak r, R. E. (2008). R visiting prof ssional l arning communiti s at

work: N w insights for improving schools. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tr .

T nn ss D partm nt of Education (TDOE). (2020). T nn ss ducator surv y 2020 ov rvi w:

A r port from th T nn ss D partm nt of Education.

https://www.tn.gov/cont nt/dam/tn/ ducation/data/2020-surv y/Combin d_Bri fs.pdf

Yu n, K.S., Y , Z.W., Fung, S.Y., Chan, C.P., & Jin, D.Y. (2020). SARS-CoV-2 and

COVID-19: Th most important r s arch qu stions. Cell Bi sci. 10:40. R tri v d

S pt mb r 19, 2020. doi:10.1186/s13578-020-00404-4

Overview

Ameri an s hools began during the early olonial period. Tea hers at that time required no

training to tea h. By the mid-1800s, s hools began to evolve, and formal training for tea hers

started. Formal training soon be ame a ollege edu ation and then morphed into a ertifi ation

pro ess. Today, thousands of individuals earn their ertifi ation to tea h in publi s hools. Though

this ertifi ation varies from state to state, all of them require a preparation program. Although

these programs must meet high standards and expe tations, individuals who omplete the

programs still begin their areers as novi e tea hers (Carr, 2013).

To assist these novi e tea hers in developing their skills, s hools implement a multitude of

professional learning models. Those models in lude professional learning seminars and mentoring.

In re ent years, s hools and s hool systems have moved to ombine these two methods by

employing instru tional oa hes to support all tea hers' growth and development. It is not yet

known whether instru tional oa hes have a signifi ant impa t on new tea hers.

ackground and Problem Statement

In the early 2000s, s hools and s hool systems began employing instru tional oa hes

(Fierle, 2020). The oa hes work losely with tea hers to monitor their instru tional pra ti es,

re ord tea her pra ti es, and provide onstru tive feedba k (Reeves, 2010). This support model

fo uses on job-embedded professional learning while walking edu ators down the path of

development and growth. As this role be omes more prominent in s hools, exploring its impa t on

first-year tea hers is needed.

Purpose of Study

The study aims to determine the impa t of instru tional oa hes/tea her leaders on the

growth and development of first-year tea hers. The study also sought to determine the differen e in

the growth of tea hers who re eived instru tional oa hing ompared to a group of tea hers who

do not re eive instru tional oa hing. The study also sought to identify tea her per eptions of the

impa t of their work with an instru tional oa h.

Significance of Study

High levels of student a hievement are the ore work for all s hools. To improve student

a hievement, s hools must in rease the apa ity of its tea hers. Continual professional growth is

imperative for all s hools and tea hers. Professional development for first-year tea hers is

espe ially important. S hools and s hool systems must employ a highly effe tive method for

supporting these new to the profession tea hers' growth. This study sought to determine if

instru tional oa hes/tea her leaders impa t first-year tea her growth ompared to other methods.

Be ause s hools have limited resour es, it is imperative to determine the most impa tful and

effe tive system for growth and development to help tea hers learn and grow.

Research Questions

1. How do Instru tional Coa hes/Tea her Leaders impa t the performan e of first-year

tea hers?

2. How do tea hers who re eive instru tional oa h support per eive

Limitations of the Study

Parti ipants in this study were volunteers. The resear her relied on the tea hers' and

prin ipals' honesty and willingness to parti ipate through interviews, pre-assessments, and post-

assessments. As prin ipals and tea hers provided assessment data, it was important that s oring be

honest and genuinely refle t their beliefs on performan e.

Additionally, the resear her did not observe or assess the quality of the instru tional oa h

support provided to the first-year tea her. A varian e in the amount and quality of the help

supplied to the first-year tea hers may be evident. Additionally, there may be a varian e in the

amount and type of support provided to the tea hers who did not re eive instru tional oa h

support.

Assumptions

In this study, it was assumed that prin ipal and tea her responses in the assessments and

interviews were honest and refle ted the per eived performan e on the given indi ators.

Additionally, it was assumed that first-year tea her supports were typi al for both groups (those

who did not re eive instru tional oa h/tea her leader support and those who did re eive support).

The study attempted to determine the impa t on first-year tea hers ompared to typi al supports

for first-year tea hers.

Definitions

● First-Year Tea her: Tea her who is entering into their first year as a tea her

● Instru tional Coa h: Someone whose hief responsibility is to support the growth and

development of tea hers.

Summary

Tea hers are the most signifi ant indi ator of student a hievement (Hanushek &

Woessmann, 2010). Developing tea hers, therefore, is a atalyst for improving student

a hievement. As tea hers enter the profession, the need for support and professional growth is

riti al. Many s hools have moved to employ instru tional oa hes as a method of support for

tea hers. This study sought to find whether that support (instru tional oa hes) has an impa t on

first-year tea hers.

References

Carr, D. (2013). The Effe ts of Tea her Preparation Programs on Novi e Tea hers

Regarding Classroom Management, A ademi Preparation, Time Management, and

Self-Effi a y (November 2013) [Do toral Dissertation]. Liberty University.

Fierle, D. E. (2020). Instru tional Coa hing for Tea her Growth: A Phenomenologi al Study

of Instru tional Coa hing as a Capa ity-building Lever for Strengthening Tea her

Pra ti e in Publi Middle S hools (28025640) [Do toral dissertation, Point Park

University]. Proquest.

Reeves, D. B. (2010). Transforming professional development into student results (1st ed.).

ASCD.

1 Coaching-Based Approach to Leadership

Overview

The emergence, global adoption, and ever-accelerating development of internet-based

technologies have facilitated a level of interconnectedness in global markets that many people

would have never imagined as little as thirty years ago. The internet has provided an easeof

access to information that is merging businesses markets, and cultures as well. With the ever-

accelerating rate of development in technology, combined with increasingly dynamic markets

responding to social and cultural influences, business leaders are facing unprecedented challenges

to create organizational cultures that are nimble and responsive to thesemarket forces. To this

end, organizations are reconsidering traditional forms of training and have made considerable

investments in executive coaching initiatives.

“Concerns arise when organizational forms of training, such as

traditional methods of training become obsolete and less effective at

equipping executives to respond rapidly to change. This concern is

especially important because executives have less time than before

in history to prove themselves in a fast-paced, global, and

environmentally challenging world” (Lord, 2010, p. 4).

As a result, organizations havebeen exploring new approaches to leadership including, a coaching-

based approach to leadership. A review of the literature on the influence and effectiveness of a

coaching-based reflects a rich discussion of important considerations. These research

considerations include: Exploring thedelayed effects of learning associated with a coaching-based

approach to leadership (Spence, et al., 2019), How coaching-based leadership is implemented in

effective project management practices (Berg, M., Karlsen, J. 2019), The perceived benefits of

implementing a coaching-based style of leadership (Elidas, A., 2016), comparative research that

evaluates the effectiveness of executive coaching as assessed to traditional forms of training, as

well as research into the efficacy of coaching itself (Grant, 2013). Yet there exists is a gap in the

research literature concerning the effectiveness of a coaching-based approach to leadership in the

2 Coaching-Based Approach to Leadership

professional development of senior managers regarding their job satisfaction in addition to

succession planning and organizational performance during periods of transitions in leadership.

Background and problem statement

It is important to note that traditional forms of training are more generic, standardized, and

less specific whereas, executive coaching is personally tailored to the particular needs of the

executive. However, although there is a great deal of discussion, analysis, and investment into

coaching initiatives to improve skills and decision-making capabilities of executives, since the

beginning of the 21st Century alone there havebeen several widely reported scandals that brought

down executives for criminal ethical violations. The collapse of Enron, Arthur Andersen, and

WorldCom highlight this point. The trend of CEO departures, some controversial and others not,

has continued. “Chief executives are leaving in record numbers this year, with more than 1,332

stepping aside in theperiod fromJanuary through the end of October” (Atkinson, 2019, p.1). This

point is reiterated by MikeDavies, Director of Global Corporate Affairs for

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), as hewrites “CEO turnover is at a record high and the successors

of following long-serving CEO’s are struggling” (2018, p. 1). Several factors are influencing this

wave of resignations that include age, early retirement, and controversy to name but a few.

This situation represents a problemfor leaders and organizations: Establishing an

organizational culture that is focused on achie