Creating equitable school cultures : administrators’ skills and supports developed through lived experience

Schools serve students with a variety of learning needs, personal identities, family histories and dynamics, and cultural backgrounds. As such, administrators are being tasked with ensuring students and their families know, feel, and experience equitable school cultures. The focus of this study is to examine the lived experiences and perceptions of administrators who are seeking to create an equitable school culture. This includes reviewing literature in creating shared vision, relationship building, investing in equity work, and promoting professional development. The qualitative methodology of phenomenology is used to study the research question of: What do equity-focused school administrators perceive an equitable school culture is and what skills and supports do administrators think they need that are critical to developing that culture? Data was gathered using semi-structured interviews with five participants. Data analysis included both descriptive and values coding. The interpretation of the results arrived at four themes: inspiring; building relationships; adopting an appreciative stance; and promoting professional development. These themes add to the literature that seeks to understand the specific skillset an administrator needs and the supports that aid in the successful development of an equitable school culture. The findings of this study recognize the key role administrators play in the development of school culture as well as the barriers they face. Some recommendations include dedicated professional development days for leadership skill development and staff collaboration and ensuring additional coverage for teachers who are doing inquiry work about equity in their classrooms.administratorsequitable school cultureadaptive leadershipappreciative leadershipstrategic leadershi