Coherent, instructionally-focused district leadership

This session explores how school district leadership contributes to the improvement and equalization of student learning, based on an exploratory study of four mid-sized school districts located in Texas (1), North Carolina (1), and Ohio (2). Theory based on an extensive review of prior literature guided the inquiry. Cases were selected via examination of a series of outcome indicators within each state. Data gathered via repeated visits to each district include interviews with administrators, teachers, and community members; observations of classrooms and meetings; and document analysis. The symposium includes a theoretical overview, presentation of individual case results, cross case thematic analysis, and discussion by the studys primary funder. The aim of the session is to advance understanding of how districts contribute to instructional improvement and student learning through comparison of theoretical priors with case data and cross-case analysis