Browsing by Subject "School management and organization--Texas--Case studies"

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The comparison of district administrators' and stakeholders' perceptions of effective strategies and tactics in the integration of technology in school districts
(2004) Guevara, Roger Carreon; Estes, Nolan
Three separate case studies compared district administrator and stakeholder perceptions of effective strategies and tactics in the integration of technology in Texas school districts. This study surveyed 100 educational technology experts and elicited 74 nominations of Texas school districts that effectively integrated technology into the academics. This study included only the most frequently nominated districts that obtained at least a Recognized performance rating by the Texas Education Agency. Findings indicate that foundational values and organizational orientation, both internal and external, greatly influenced the operational practices regarding technology integration on the district and campus/classroom levels. Within all three districts, despite obvious differences in size, wealth, geographic location, and percentage of student ethnicities, the leadership exhibited similar behavior and targeted nearly identical practical objectives toward technology integration which included: (a) developing and communicating a common vision, (b) committing to academic excellence via high expectations, and (c) Maintaining a culture of continuous support. This study identified the perceived ineffective practices regarding technology integration that were subsequently clustered into the following domains: (a) Leadership Challenges, (b) Finance Challenges, (c) Professional Development challenges, and (d) Management Challenges. This study also sought to determine the convergences and divergences in the perceptions of the district administrators and stakeholders in relation to technology integration. The findings indicate that the perceptions of effective technology integration practices varied greatly among the districts, ranging from Strongly Convergent to Strongly Divergent. However, a strong degree of consistency was evident among district respondents in terms of the perceptions toward ineffective technology integration practices where the range was extremely narrow, ranging only from Convergent to Strongly Convergent. Given these findings, it seems that while a myriad of paths may lead toward effective academic use of technology, district administrators, especially the superintendent, must be particularly effective in developing strategies and tactics that cultivate technology integration based not only on the maturity of the district but also in the suitability for operating within the context of the community. Furthermore, the findings also suggest that convergent perspectives on ineffective technology integration practices are significantly more likely to occur between administrators and stakeholders than agreement on effective practices.
District-level success: a case study to determine how a recognized Texas school district made progress in closing achievement gaps with all students
(2007-12) O'Doherty, Ann Patricia, 1959-; Ovando, Martha N., 1954-
Bound by compulsory attendance laws, over 48 million children attend public schools in the United States each year. Unfortunately, for a growing percentage of these students, compulsory attendance has not resulted in equitable achievement. In spite of educational reforms aimed at the school, district, state, and most recently, federal level, academic achievement gaps continue to exist between students of color and students of poverty as compared to white and/or more economically advantaged peers. Previously identified Educational Frameworks including the Effective Schools Correlates, Malcolm Baldrige Quality Improvement Educational Criteria, Stupski Foundation Components, and Professional Learning Communities Characteristics have described the elements present in successful schools and districts; however research into the process of how districts have made progress toward closing achievement gaps is less prevalent. This grounded theory study examined the processes employed by a single Texas school district serving over 26,000 students in an economically and ethnically diverse community which had made progress in closing achievement gaps with all students. Data gathered through semi-structured interviews, direct observations, and document reviews informed the findings. The research utilized Strauss and Corbin's three stages of coding: open coding, axial coding, and selective coding (Strauss & Corbin, 1998) for data analysis. Findings regarding the processes employed revealed that the district: created systems to select, develop and, evaluate leadership personnel; nurtured a district culture of shared accountability for results; crafted systems of accountability; built district structures to support learning and achievement; endorsed district-level decision-making; engineered a research-based and inquirydriven decision-making culture; intentionally managed change; deployed systems district-wide to impact change at the campus and classroom level, and embraced a commitment to professional learning.
The role of public school superintendents in providing equitable learning opportunities for children from poverty at the K-12 level
(2006) Privitt, Galen Wayne; Estes, Nolan; Northcutt, Norvell
This study was conducted as a qualitative case study of a school district in southeast Texas. The study gathered data concerning the successful philosophies and methods of a superintendent who had demonstrated accomplishment over a period of not less than three years. The superintendent who was the subject of the study has been employed in that school district for six years and has served for more than fifteen years as a public school superintendent in Texas. His story lists many methodological and philosophical approaches designed to provide a culture of success in his school district which meets the needs of children from low socio-economic homes in his district. This work consists of a report of the literature, the subject superintendent’s story of accomplishment and the methods employed to collect the data.