LITERATURE REVIEW
Leadership is not mobilizing others to solve problems we already know how to solve, but helping them to confront problems that have not yet been addressed successfully (M. Fullan, 2014a).
Introduction
Highly effective schools are those where high levels of academic achievement can be found in all students, regardless of cultural or economic background (McEwan-Adkins, 2009). Researchers have found several common traits associated with highly effective schools including trust, collaboration, effective leadership, and focused professional learning opportunities (Forsyth et al., 2011; McEwan-Adkins, 2009; Tschannen-Moran, 2014). The majority of studies, however, focus on improving the learning in schools where there has been a …show more content…
Current public school enrollment has surpassed previous enrollment records from the 1960’s and 1970’s (Hussar & Bailey, 2013). This record setting enrollment has already impacted public school districts in the state of Texas, where the population of children under the age of 18 is growing at a rate 6.5 times faster than the United States average (Texas Comptroller’s Office, 2014). The student population in the United States and Texas is not only increasing in size, but is also increasing in cultural diversity as more students with diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds enter public education (Hussar & Bailey, 2013; Texas Education Agency [TEA], 2014; Whalen, 2014). Adding to the 834 new schools built between 2007 and 2013, many districts in Texas are accommodating their rapidly growing student population with yearly construction of new schools (Texas Comptroller’s Office, 2014). There is a growing number of educational researchers who have found common ground in what they suggest are key components in building capacity for improved student learning (Forsyth et al., 2011; M. Fullan, 2014b; Wahlstrom, Louis, Leithwood, Anderson, & Educational Research Service, 2010). However, there has been …show more content…
Fullan, 2014b; A. Hargreaves & Fullan, 2013a; Tschannen-Moran, 2014; Wahlstrom et al., 2010)Using system based frameworks as a lens in educational research has become more prevalent over the years as researchers continue to find evidence of interconnected factors contributing to educational outcomes (Fullan, 2014; Hargreaves, 2011; Wahlstrom, Louis, Leithwood, & Anderson, 2010). In an early study, Leithwood et al. (2004) uses a systems perspective framework for analyzing K-12 policymaking that focuses on the relationships of individuals within the system and conceptualizes outcomes based on the system as a unified entity. More recently, author Michael Fullan (2010) uses the term collective capacity to describe the hidden resources within a school system he believes are untapped and uncultivated. Fullan (2010) describes the need for school leaders to create collective capacity building by creating an environment where teachers’ individual strengths come together to produce greater collective strengths. Ironically, viewing schools in the context of learning systems is a universal concept as educational
Leadership is not mobilizing others to solve problems we already know how to solve, but helping them to confront problems that have not yet been addressed successfully (M. Fullan, 2014a).
Introduction
Highly effective schools are those where high levels of academic achievement can be found in all students, regardless of cultural or economic background (McEwan-Adkins, 2009). Researchers have found several common traits associated with highly effective schools including trust, collaboration, effective leadership, and focused professional learning opportunities (Forsyth et al., 2011; McEwan-Adkins, 2009; Tschannen-Moran, 2014). The majority of studies, however, focus on improving the learning in schools where there has been a …show more content…
Current public school enrollment has surpassed previous enrollment records from the 1960’s and 1970’s (Hussar & Bailey, 2013). This record setting enrollment has already impacted public school districts in the state of Texas, where the population of children under the age of 18 is growing at a rate 6.5 times faster than the United States average (Texas Comptroller’s Office, 2014). The student population in the United States and Texas is not only increasing in size, but is also increasing in cultural diversity as more students with diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds enter public education (Hussar & Bailey, 2013; Texas Education Agency [TEA], 2014; Whalen, 2014). Adding to the 834 new schools built between 2007 and 2013, many districts in Texas are accommodating their rapidly growing student population with yearly construction of new schools (Texas Comptroller’s Office, 2014). There is a growing number of educational researchers who have found common ground in what they suggest are key components in building capacity for improved student learning (Forsyth et al., 2011; M. Fullan, 2014b; Wahlstrom, Louis, Leithwood, Anderson, & Educational Research Service, 2010). However, there has been …show more content…
Fullan, 2014b; A. Hargreaves & Fullan, 2013a; Tschannen-Moran, 2014; Wahlstrom et al., 2010)Using system based frameworks as a lens in educational research has become more prevalent over the years as researchers continue to find evidence of interconnected factors contributing to educational outcomes (Fullan, 2014; Hargreaves, 2011; Wahlstrom, Louis, Leithwood, & Anderson, 2010). In an early study, Leithwood et al. (2004) uses a systems perspective framework for analyzing K-12 policymaking that focuses on the relationships of individuals within the system and conceptualizes outcomes based on the system as a unified entity. More recently, author Michael Fullan (2010) uses the term collective capacity to describe the hidden resources within a school system he believes are untapped and uncultivated. Fullan (2010) describes the need for school leaders to create collective capacity building by creating an environment where teachers’ individual strengths come together to produce greater collective strengths. Ironically, viewing schools in the context of learning systems is a universal concept as educational