School leadership, math instruction, school climate and culture, and student achievement
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This study examined different outcomes for teachers and students dependent upon school leadership's approach to mathematics at their campus sites. Data from grades 3-5 teachers and students were collected from two adjacent school districts in semi-rural communities in the western United States. Nine schools were selected for participation comprising high, moderate, and low levels of alignment to a common leadership framework. Interviews with teachers at each of the schools were conducted to determine the school climate -- specific to mathematics -- as well as the common features of their math instruction contingent upon leadership's actions. State standardized test scores for students were also collected and analyzed. The study found a significant, but relatively minor, association between leadership and student achievement. These findings extended to analyses controlling for various demographic sub-groups. Results were inconsistent when examining sub-groups, yet still significant and informative. Qualitative analysis of interviews of teachers revealed consistent themes linking teachers' perceptions of their school's leadership to the framework used to determine school levels of leadership efficacy. Teachers' instruction also appeared to be influenced by leaderships' actions. Suggestions for future studies and research designs are provided based on the present study's findings.
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Ed. D.