Browsing by Subject "Superintendents"

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Factors superintendents consider when making the decision between commercially developed curriculum or locally developed curriculum
(2011-05) Veazey, Lana Kay; Olivárez, Rubén; Sharpe, Edwin; Keating, Xiaofen; Ott, Bobby; Siler, Jill
This study examined the factors superintendents consider when making the decision between commercially developed curriculum or locally developed curriculum. This study was guided by three research questions: (a) What factors does the superintendent consider in selecting a curriculum? (b) How do these factors impact the decision to use a commercially developed curriculum or to use a locally developed curriculum? and (c) How does the decision-making process regarding curriculum selection correlate with other functions of the superintendent and the school district? This qualitative multiple-case study intended to describe the experiences of six school superintendents who have served in this capacity for ample time to have developed a perspective in relation to curriculum choice for their respective districts. During semi-structured interviews, questions posed to the participants were organized around the following themes: (a) importance of curriculum along with time devoted to overseeing curriculum and how this relates to other responsibilities of the superintendent; (b) the factors considered when deciding curriculum choice; (c) the pros and cons of commercially developed curriculum and locally developed curriculum; and (d) the challenges associated with curriculum. This questioning along with the review of documents relating to curriculum guided the development of the findings and provided structure for the reporting of data and analysis. The data collected through the interviews and document reviews were coded according to first-level coding and pattern coding. This research study revealed that overseeing and maintaining a guaranteed and viable curriculum is very time and cost intensive, but the essential piece for student achievement. In addition, in regards to deciding between commercially developed or locally developed curriculum, the superintendents in this study were adamant advocates for their curriculum choice and had justifiable reasons for their choice. The final finding disclosed in this study was that with the role of the superintendent being very taxing, the function of Curriculum and Instruction does not always take priority. In conclusion, with such emphasis placed on having a guaranteed and viable curriculum, as the chief instructional leader, superintendents must put forth a concentrated effort to select a curriculum that will promote and support student learning and success.
Rural school district superintendents' perceptions of new legislative reform : a qualitative study
(2017-04-13) Rentz, Crystal Alicia; Olivárez, Rubén; Reyes, Pedro; Reyna, Sylvia; Sharpe, Jr., Edwin
The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of rural school district superintendents on the implications of new federal regulations being implemented due to the failure of NCLB to meet its intended targets. This study was guided by the following three research questions: (a) What are rural superintendents’ perceptions about current legislative reform as a consequence of ESSA and state education policy? (b) What are the challenges to implementing ESSA and state education policy in rural school districts? (c) What recommendations do rural superintendents have for ESSA and state education policymakers? The objective of this study was to investigate how superintendents from rural school districts of similar sizes and demographics received information concerning reforms such as ESSA and how they developed plans to implement organizational change. Ten superintendents from a representative sample of rural school districts were interviewed about their lived experiences in the current era of educational transition following the federal passage of ESSA. Data analysis yielded the following six themes: Inconsistent Message Delivery by Regulators, a Compliance Mentality, Financial Constraints, a Need for Differentiation by School District Size and Geography, a Lack of Human Capital, and the Importance of Service Centers. This study found that rural school superintendents were not adequately equipped with all the information and resources needed to implement organizational change effectively at the initiation of new legislative reform. Legislative action is either compliance driven or reform driven. Therefore, if legislation is truly designed to reform education, policymakers need to develop policies that are differentiated and realistic for all school districts and to arm superintendents with needed information to form effective implementation plans.
To the Superintendents and High School Principals of Texas
(University of Texas at Austin, 1893-06) The University of Texas at Austin