The Role of District Leaders in Improving Achievement and Advancing Equity

Abstract

Fierce political and social pressure has intensified the demands for district leaders to narrow achievement disparities but research provides limited guidance for practice. Rorrer, Skrla, and Scheurich (2008) described a theory: district leaders should enact certain essential roles for school reform. Capacity-Building efforts of district leaders are essential to the role of Instructional Leadership. Building capacity comprises the specific actions of district leaders to improve the district’s ability to achieve complex goals. This qualitative case study explored the actions district leaders took and how they prioritized those actions to build capacity to improve student achievement. Data was collected from a single Massachusetts school district using semi-structured interviews and document reviews. This study found that leaders: established concrete learning practices (i.e. job-embedded professional development, instructional coaching model); created a supportive learning environment (i.e. establishing trust and providing time); and reinforced teacher learning (i.e. feedback and support). This study also found that leaders’ actions were driven by data. Recommendations include shifting to a data-informed decision-making process, coordination of leadership team efforts across the district and limiting initiatives to core priorities.