Description
As schools across Arizona worked to meet NCLB's AYP requirement in 2010-2011, they were also labeled and sanctioned by AZ Learns. This phenomenological study focused on six effective high school principals in two Arizona school districts to ascertain how accountability policies impacted the principals' job responsibilities, autonomy, and ability to pursue social justice on their campuses. Interviews were conducted in three phases: superintendents, three principals from the superintendents' recommendations of effective school leaders, and three teachers from each school. In addition to analysis of individual principal leadership patterns, comparisons were made across districts, and from school to school within the same district. The goal of the study was to determine if and how principals were able to accomplish their goals for their school. The principals' leadership styles were examined through a Vortex Leadership Framework that posited principals at the center of a vortex of varying leadership roles, interests, and external forces, including accountability, autonomy, and limited resources. Key findings included (a) high school principals' responsibilities now include selling change to their staff, (b) principals' accountability is limited more by district constraints than by state or federal accountability, (c) principals must contend with rigid one-size fits all accountability standards that do not always meet the needs of their students, and (d) principals' autonomy is tied to their resources, including funding for staffing and programs.
Details
Title
- High school principals in the vortex: accountability, autonomy, and social justice
Contributors
- Batsell, Holly (Author)
- Powers, Jeanne M. (Thesis advisor)
- Mccarty, Teresa (Committee member)
- Davey, Lynn (Committee member)
- Arizona State University (Publisher)
Date Created
The date the item was original created (prior to any relationship with the ASU Digital Repositories.)
2013
Subjects
- Educational leadership
- Accountability
- Autonomy
- High school
- No Child Left Behind
- Principal leadership
- Social Justice
- High school principals--Arizona.
- High school principals
- Educational leadership--Arizona.
- Educational leadership
- School management and organization--Arizona.
- School management and organization
Resource Type
Collections this item is in
Note
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thesisPartial requirement for: Ed. D., Arizona State University, 2013
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bibliographyIncludes bibliographical references (p. 134-139)
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Field of study: Educational administration and supervision
Citation and reuse
Statement of Responsibility
by Holly Batsell