Description
District Leaders face enormous challenges in pursuing increased student achievement and educational equity for every student in the wake of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, but little is known about how the district Leaders implement the four Essential Roles of enacting systemic reform set forth by Rorrer et al. (2008): Providing Instructional Leadership, Reorienting the Organization, Establishing Policy Coherence, and Maintaining an Equity Focus. This study employed a concurrent mixed methods case study research design to gain insight into district roles and district-driven reform efforts. The urban district was chosen because of steady improvement in student achievement over a period of more than six years. Online quantitative survey data (N =46) and qualitative interviews of district employees (N = 14) were collected concurrently, analyzed independently, and then triangulated with archival materials to synthesize results. Findings indicate that the target district implementation of Providing Instructional Leadership, Reorienting the Organization, Establishing Policy Coherence, and Maintaining an Equity Focus were generally well established or partially enacted. Interview data revealed that the district's clear communication of long-range vision, coupled with data transparency, frequent face-to-face meetings, and quality listening skills contribute to the success of the target district in enacting reforms. Interviewees stress the crucial role of district support for professional development in properly preparing the staff to enact reform. Combined, these findings suggest that systemic reform can be achieved at school district level via implementation of the essential roles of Rorrer et al. (2008). Findings inform the educational community regarding the district's role in facilitating school improvement and ensuring educational equity by tapping leadership capacity at all levels of the system to address NCLB's mandate of high student achievement for all.
