Date of Award

2009

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

Abstract

While reformation of the U.S. public school system has been at the forefront of public discourse since the 1980s, the system continues to fall short of the expectations of employers, communities, and parents. The responsibility for a successful school tends to fall on the shoulders of the building principal (Cotton, 2003). Research in the field ofEducational leadership has isolated specific principal responsibilities that impact student achievement (Cotton; Edmunds, 1979; Hallinger & Heck, 1998; Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, & Wahlstrom, 2004; Leithwood & Riehl, 2003; Marzano, Waters, & McNulty, 2005). The assumption is that if principals would apply these responsibilities, student achievement in their buildings would increase. However, principals function within the context of their school district - including the culture of the district and the community at large; they cannot act independently of it. Therefore, the role of the district level administration must be considered relative to their role in the establishment of the districts' vision, culture, organizational functioning, and the professional development of the principals. Research investigating the impact of district level administration is very limited. However, research results and conclusions from the study of organizational andEducational leadership, including the impact of building level administration, can inform research in the impact of district level administration on student achievement. The purpose of this study was to determine if a district level community of practice provided the means by which district administrators implement Leithwood et al.'s (2004) three responsibilities of effective leadership; set direction, develop people, and redesign the organization to make it work. The review and analysis of the data revealed that the subject of this study, the QL Project, is far more than a community of practice, although professional community was an element of the QL Project. The data was reviewed based on Leithwood's leadership responsibilities. Sufficient evidence, both in historical documents and in interview responses revealed that the QL Project, as a whole, is an effective means for the district leaders to demonstrate the leadership responsibilities. Other themes also came to light. These are the importance of a common, collective vision, a high demand/high support culture, and a comprehensive communication system to make the system work. Recommendations for further research have been made, including the role, impact and efficacy of outside consulting agencies in the establishment of vision and culture in a district, as well as the use of Buckingham and Coffman's (1999) interview to monitor the existence of a high demand/high support culture and the sustainability of adaptive changes.

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