Educational Leadership
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Item Embargo CULTIVATING BELOVED SCHOOL COMMUNITIES: HOW SCHOOL LEADERS LEARN AND LEAD FOR EQUITY(East Carolina University, May 2025) Steiner, Jennifer MIn the participatory action and activist research (PAAR) study, I explored how equity-centered school leaders who cultivate beloved communities can interrupt systemic inequities in education. Grounded in psychological safety, collective responsibility, and equity-centered leadership principles, nine school leaders as co-practitioner researchers (CPRs) and I engaged in three cycles of inquiry. Using the PAAR methodology and through Community Learning Exchange (CLE) protocols, 1:1 consultations, and reflective practices, participants examined their dispositions and actions. As a result, the CPR members analyzed their leadership practices collaboratively and implemented strategies to foster beloved communities where students, families, and educators feel seen, heard, valued, and supported. Two findings from the study demonstrate that leaders need to experience collaborative, authentic holding spaces—brave spaces—with equity-centered colleagues to become a beloved community (Arao & Clemens, 2013; Drago-Severson et al., 2023; Khalifa et al., 2016). As leaders engaged in a beloved community, their concept of leadership evolved, leading to a shift in their leadership practices. Leaders navigated systemic challenges—including fiscal instability, leadership turnover, and political pressures—by coming together in brave spaces and grounding their leadership in shared frameworks. A key insight from the research was the shift from a model of shared accountability to collective responsibility, emphasizing interconnectedness and mutual care over hierarchical enforcement. This shift aligns with the Kwanzaa principle of ujima (collective work and responsibility) and underscores the importance of co-constructing school environments that are healing-centered and justice-oriented. The study highlights the necessity of affinity groups and networks that support leaders in processing the emotional and strategic complexities of their roles. These spaces enabled leaders to practice vulnerability, engage in productive conflict, and develop sustainable self-care strategies, mitigating the burnout often associated with equity-centered leadership. The research is important for district leaders, policymakers, and scholars seeking to cultivate beloved school communities that prioritize healing, transformation, and racial justice. By centering the experiences of school leaders and fostering a culture of relational trust, this study contributes to the growing body of scholarship on transformative leadership and equity in education.Item Embargo LEADING IN NEPANTLA: THE COMPLEXITY OF SERVING AS A TEACHER AND LEADER IN A TEACHER-LED SCHOOL(East Carolina University, May 2025) De Alba, AdrianTeachers traditionally work in a classroom and have little to no say outside those walls. I engaged a group of four co-practitioner researchers (CPR) from an alternative teacher-led school in a participatory action and activist research (PAAR) project and study. As teachers and leaders, they occupied nepantla – a liminal space between teaching and leading and between their values and district constraints. I analyzed how teachers as leaders developed and implemented a project-based instructional program in an alternative school and the assets and challenges they encountered. In the final data cycle, I conducted an ethnographic study of two teacher leaders as they shared their successes and challenges in operating a teacher-led school focused on shifting the power structure to include students. Using the Community Learning Exchange axioms and protocols (Guajardo et al., 2016), the team crossed boundaries to develop their individual and collective capacity as school leaders. At the intersection between teaching and leading and between district demands and their belief in the power of student-generated curriculum, the teachers as leaders collaborated to leverage student voices amid challenges. The team challenged the traditional hierarchy, elevating teachers as leaders and allowing them to exist in a complex environment in which they experienced freedom and conflict. The findings emerged as a cautionary tale: (1) Teacher leaders in an alternative school without a principal did not rely on a traditional hierarchy for decision-making, simultaneously existing in a position of decision-making dissonance and empowerment, and (2) teacher leaders in an alternative setting focused on project-based learning were empowered to authentically use student voices to develop curriculum and school structures, causing internal conflict due to longstanding educational traditions and limited resources. While teachers felt liberated beyond the classroom to lead, they simultaneously felt overwhelmed by the demands of teaching and leading. They recognized that they needed decision-making and conflict-resolution structures to more effectively navigate the liminal space of teacher and leader. The implications for those engaging in democratic structures for schools need processes and protocols for decision-making and conflict resolution.Item Embargo CULTIVATING SUPPORTIVE AND CARING IEP PROCESSES: ADDRESSING THE UNDERLYING CONDITIONS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATORS(East Carolina University, May 2025) Lund, AlyssaStudents with disabilities and their families have a right to informed consent in a supportive and caring IEP process. To do so, understanding the conditions that impact special educator professional capacity and effective collaboration between special educators and the general education teachers and administrators is necessary. In a participatory activist and action research (PAAR) study at an urban charter high school in Oakland, California, I facilitated a project and study as a practitioner-researcher and worked closely with a co-practitioner researcher (CPR) team of site-based special educators. Using Community Learning Exchange (CLE) axioms and practices (Guajardo et al., 2016) to examine current practices, I determined two finding related to the underlying conditions that are necessary for effective IEP processes: (1) To cultivate the necessary emotional resilience that special educators need for their work, the special educators need structured time for personal and professional reflection, and (2) special educators and general education teachers must engage in conversations about shared values and the school processes necessary for effective collaboration before they can co-plan inclusive practices and co-develop supportive IEP processes for students and families. To address the underlying conditions necessary for effective IEP design and implementation, schools must mitigate the impact of burnout and compassion fatigue by tending to the emotional resilience of special educators and providing space and time for individual and collective reflection and self-care. In addition, school leaders must design systemic structures that provide time and space for collaborating, building relational trust, and centering decisions on a shared values system that encourage collaborative practices to address the needs of students with disabilities. Broader implications include improving the preparation of administrators and special educators for the responsibilities related to serving students with disabilities, providing coaching and mentoring to administrators and special educators early in their careers, and expanding opportunities for building relational trust and deeper understanding of the hopes and dreams of our students and families.Item Embargo NECESSARY PRECONDITIONS FOR RE-IMAGINING CASE MANAGEMENT: CULTIVATING A SECURE MINDSET IN HIGH SCHOOL CASE MANAGERS(East Carolina University, May 2025) Thomas, SuniquaTo combat the disproportionate outcomes of Black and Brown students who transfer to continuation schools, students need a case management system to support them to stay on track for graduation at a comprehensive high school. In this participatory action research (PAR) study, a group of co-practitioner researchers (CPR) and I examined how to address a change in the case management system. As a result, we learned that the staff who support our most vulnerable students need parallel support to be case managers and to re-imagine case management. Using CLE protocols for discussion and engagement and qualitative research methods to analyze iterative data from three cycles of inquiry over 14 months, we cultivated relational trust and participated in open discussions about student and staff needs. Two findings pointed us to the need to fully engage adults in dialogue and self-care before they can effectively change the case management system for the students in our school. First, adults who engage with students as case managers need supportive parallel spaces in which to build trust, reflect, and sustain their resilience and agency. Secondly, to re-imagine a case management system, staff need support to develop secure mindsets and fully commit to caring for students. The team identified compassion fatigue as a primary factor in staff inability to take on full responsibility or re-imaging a more effective case management system. This study brings attention to the compassion fatigue that staff experience and their need for supportive structures before they can make systemic changes. The findings have implications for educational leaders trying to guide teachers and staff in reform efforts; adult caregivers in schools need concurrent emotional support so they can support students. To collaborate, leaders must work to ensure the preconditions for effective change efforts -- secure mindsets and practice using tools and protocols that support them to engage in productive change processes.Item Embargo IMPROVING INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES IN LITERACY: SUPPORTING THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF INTERVENTION TEACHERS(East Carolina University, May 2025) Guzman, Monica MarieThe goal of the participatory action research study was to examine how intervention teachers contribute to the improvement of literacy instructional practices in elementary schools. A team of nine elementary intervention teachers volunteered to participate and engage in three cycles of inquiry throughout the 14-month study. Collaborating more frequently with a smaller group of intervention teachers as three co-practitioner researchers, we identified experiences and practices to support the growth and development of the team of intervention teachers in their work to increase literacy in schools. To develop relational trust and identify the supports they needed to be effective in their work, the team engaged in Community Learning Exchanges to share effective instructional practices and strategies as they collaboratively addressed literacy needs at their schools. The study describes how participants navigated fragmented centralized reform efforts and the impact made on literacy intervention instruction and outcomes. The findings of the study reveal the need for established systems of support for the team of intervention teachers. In addition, by clarifying their complex roles and providing relevant professional learning, the challenges the intervention teachers faced were minimized. These findings support and add to the research literature in the areas of supporting the development of the capacities and practices of teachers in specialized roles.Item Embargo BECOMING CHEECHAKOS: DEVELOPING CAPACITY FOR IMPLEMENTING AN INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB) PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME (PYP) AT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.(East Carolina University, May 2025) Sosa, Arthur LeeCheechako originally was a term used to describe a person who newly arrived in the mining districts of Alaska. Currently, cheechako is used describe newly arrived individuals to the state of Alaska. For this dissertation, I used the term to describe the new arrival of the IB PYP program to the state and how I, as the principal, was a cheechako new to the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP). This participatory action research (PAR) study aimed to understand how one elementary school understood and planned for implementation of an IB program. PAR is used as a qualitative data collection and analysis processes (Herr & Anderson, 2014; Saldaña, 2016). Specifically, this research uses iterative cycles of inquiry to increase the collective understanding of the with particular focus on the IB Learner Profile (LP) attributes. In the project and study, we utilized the Community Learning Exchange (CLE) protocols to engages the IB PYP learning community to examine elements of the IB PYP implementation. This study underscores the importance of shared leadership among administrators, teachers, and parents in enhancing the implementation of IB PYP initiatives. Additionally, co-developing a common understanding of innovations among practitioners ensures success. These elements foster a system that promotes adaptability and continuous improvement. The research also presents potential policy changes for the school district and state, using evidence from the Harbor Bay International Elementary School learning community to inform curriculum decisions aligned with IB principles. This insight can guide the district in determining the viability of alternative and IB school models, ultimately influencing best practices that could improve outcomes across schools.Item Embargo DEEP ROOTS: EMPOWERING TEACHERS OF ELEMENTARY GIFTED STUDENTS IN INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS(East Carolina University, May 2025) Lindner, Matthew D.Elementary students bring many assets with them to school each day. Throughout their formative years, elementary students show leadership, collaboratively solve problems, and persevere through challenges. However, structural and policy issues, including traditional methods of instruction, pose challenges for educators attempting to identify and build upon student strengths. Leaders and teachers often gloss over the need to focus on giftedness as supporting students with learning difficulties often takes priority. Yet, gifted students need our support and attention. The purpose of the participatory action research (PAR) project and study was to engage a team of co-practitioner researcher (CPR) team members in three iterative cycles of inquiry to understand how elementary teachers analyzed equitable and inclusive giftedness and how they planned for equitable and inclusive teaching strategies to support gifted students. The primary methodology was participatory action research (Herr & Anderson, 2014) using qualitative analysis processes in the three cycles of inquiry to determine emergent themes and findings (Saldaña, 2016). I relied on the Community Learning Exchange (CLE) axioms to engage eight educators in authentic dialogue to examine their conceptions of giftedness and how they address the learning needs of gifted learners within general education classrooms. We engaged in root cause analysis to refine a definition of giftedness, explore multiple processes for identifying giftedness, re-examine teacher responses to gifted instruction, and investigate instructional practices to support gifted students in inclusive classrooms. The findings are: (1) intentionally cultivating relational trust by co-generating a space of inclusion and attending to educator preferences is a necessary condition for professional learning; and (2) to address the needs of gifted students in public elementary classrooms, educators shifted their definition, mindsets, and giftedness-related instructional practices. As a result, the processes we used in the study to create holding spaces for adults (Drago-Severson, 2012) are replicable and useful for adult professional learning. Teachers and district leaders can collaborate to identify equitable and inclusive practices that support gifted students in elementary classrooms, depending on the identified needs of learners in the local context.Item Embargo ELEVATING THE VOICES AND ROLES OF PARAPROFESSIONALS IN INCLUSIVE MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSROOMS(East Carolina University, May 2025) Sweeney, Lena HeatherThe purpose of the participatory action and activist research (PAAR) project was to engage in iterative cycles of inquiry to understand how a school-based team could shift the role of instructional assistants (IAs) to provide students with disabilities support for independence within inclusive classroom environments. The primary methodology for the study was participatory action and activist research (PAAR) (hunter et al., 2013) using qualitative analysis processes in three cycles of inquiry (Saldaña, 2016). We relied on Community Learning Exchange (CLE) axioms and processes to engage two teams – a co-practitioner researcher (CPR) team and an instructional assistant professional learning group (PLG) -- in authentic dialogue to examine practices related to instructional assistants shifting from a 1:1 role to a classroom assistant (CA) role. In sharing personal stories and fostering relationships, we cultivated a dedication to equity and inclusion for IAs. In consultation and collaboration with instructional assistants, we analyzed and supported their experiences, skills, and needs as primary factors in changing our approach to inclusion and changing how paraprofessionals fully engage with teachers and leaders to support students in inclusive classrooms. Actively listening to instructional assistants enhanced their sense of belonging within the adult school community as evidenced by their participation in the professional learning. Secondly, the people who became anchors of the work and acted as bridges accelerated the change effort. As a result, the instructional assistant role shifted from isolated to integral and included collaboration time, resources, and access to information to facilitate inclusion and empowerment. Key individuals emerged as pivotal leaders in this change process, bridging the initiatives of the IA PLG and CPR group and advancing a systemic approach to integrating instructional assistants in the school community and in classrooms to better provide support for students. The findings of the study offer a roadmap for other schools and districts to rethink the roles of paraprofessionals. The power of the collaborative work and the processes are replicable in other contexts.Item Embargo ACCEPTING AND UNDERSTANDING OUR OWN DISCIPLINE DATA: PROFESSIONAL LEARNING WITH TEACHERS TO REIMAGINE KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND DISPOSITIONS TO ENHANCE CLASSROOM DISCIPLINE PRACTICES AND FOSTER STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS(East Carolina University, May 2025) Lavallee, Susan ChristineThis inquiry involved seven professional learning sessions with four middle school teachers focused on exploring and understanding their biases and the impact these biases have on classroom management practices. Participants examined and acknowledged the disproportionality in discipline data and explored how Implicit Biases, Culturally Responsive Teaching, and Restorative Practices contribute to equitable discipline strategies. Two key findings emerged from coding participants’ written responses and conversations during the sessions: the significance of data ownership and the mindset shifts necessary to become effective change agents. By taking ownership of their discipline data, participants experienced mindset shifts, leading to adopting restorative practices. They reported improved student relationship and overall engagement due to these changes in mindset and practice. Effective leadership requires a dynamic skill set. A leader must understand the environment (structure, goals, mission, etc.), the people involved, and themselves. Trusting the process proved challenging, as it required letting go of control. Completing this study shifted my perspective on what constitutes meaningful and engaging professional learning.Item Embargo EXPLORING THE LEADERSHIP ROUTES, BARRIERS, PRACTICES, AND LIVED EXPERIENCES OF NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCES BLACK ALUMNI LIBRARY LEADERS(East Carolina University, December 2024) Scott-Branch, JamillahThis study examined the leadership development pathways of Black library leaders who graduated from North Carolina Central University's School of Library and Information Sciences. Employing a narrative inquiry qualitative research approach, this research aimed to uncover the dynamics influencing these leaders' success and persistence in the predominantly White domain of library and information science. By integrating Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) and Critical Race Theory (CRT), the study explored individual career development and examined the structural and societal factors impacting these leaders. Key findings revealed the pivotal roles of mentoring, professional development, and professional involvement in navigating library leadership. This work contributes to a deeper understanding of the challenges and triumphs of Black library leaders, offering valuable insights for librarians aspiring to leadership positions in libraries.Item Embargo CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PRACTICES: INFLUENCING TEACHERS’ DISCIPLINARY AND INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES(East Carolina University, December 2024) Brown, Rashida VABSTRACT Rashida V. Brown, CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PRACTICES: INFLUENCING TEACHERS’ DISCIPLINARY AND INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES (Under the direction of Dr. Matthew Militello). Department of Educational Leadership, December, 2024. All school students deserve an equitable, rigorous, and meaningful education experience. Too often, in classrooms, traditionally underachieving students do not have that experience. In the qualitative participatory action research project and study, I examined the degree to which culturally responsive practices (CRP) using equity-driven strategies influenced teachers’ disciplinary and pedagogical practices. The theory of action (ToA) posited: if teachers can identify culturally responsive practices and take intentional steps to analyze their current practices, then they can effectively implement CRP in their classrooms. In the participatory action research (PAR) project and study, based upon action research and equity-based protocols, the data sources included observations, post-observation conversations, field notes from meetings, community learning exchange (CLE) artifacts, and reflective memos. After analyzing data from two cycles of inquiry, the finding is: Connections between teachers and students through use of proximity, nonverbals, and effective discipline moves were uneven and largely ineffective; as a result, disciplinary practices dominated the classroom experience. The finding contributes to our knowledge and skill in shifting narratives and practices related to culturally responsive pedagogy. Teachers need to attend to students with a culturally responsive discipline stance (Hollie, 2018) that supports instructional outcomes. If teachers cannot engage students in content due being inundated with behavior issues, they cannot focus on student learning, a key determinant in the trajectory of students’ lives and well-being.Item Open Access UNDERAPPRECIATED AND OVERWHELMED: ADDRESSING TEACHER BURNOUT AND SELF-EFFICACY THROUGH THE USE OF A SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FRAMEWORK.(East Carolina University, December 2024) Etchison, Christin A.Recognizing that feelings of being overworked, undervalued, and isolated contribute significantly to teacher burnout—leading to increased absenteeism and attrition—this inquiry explored the implementation of a teacher-focused SEL professional learning framework to help mitigate these negative effects. By fostering social-emotional competence through consistent training and support, teachers can create a more positive classroom climate that enhances student outcomes. Utilizing an explanatory sequential mixed methods research design grounded in improvement science, this inquiry measured teacher absences and self-efficacy following the professional learning program’s implementation. Additionally, qualitative insights were gathered from teachers’ experiences regarding job satisfaction and retention. The findings reveal that while the SEL framework positively impacted teachers' sense of belonging and support, contributing to a slight reduction in burnout levels and absenteeism, deeper structural issues persist. Teachers reported ongoing challenges related to work-life balance and low self-efficacy in critical areas, such as classroom management and parent engagement. The findings also underscore the complexity of addressing teacher burnout and highlight the need for a multifaceted approach that combines social-emotional interventions with targeted professional development. Educational leaders are urged to develop strategies that specifically enhance teachers’ confidence and competencies, ultimately fostering a more supportive and effective learning environment. This inquiry provides critical insights into the dynamics of teacher well-being and offers a foundation for future research and practice aimed at improving teacher retention and student outcomes. Lastly, the findings highlight the interplay between teacher well-being and student outcomes, emphasizing that addressing teacher burnout through SEL not only enhances teachers' emotional health but also fosters a positive classroom environment conducive to student learning. For practitioners, implications of this inquiry include the need for implementing comprehensive support systems and targeted professional development to sustain teacher efficacy and retention, ultimately leading to improved educational experiences for both teachers and students.Item Open Access OF PASSING AND FAILING: THE INTERPLAY OF CLASSROOM TEACHING AND TUTORING IN HIGH SCHOOL(East Carolina University, December 2024) Custy, Cameron KinseyAs asserted by Bowers and Sprott (2012) and confirmed by Hart (2019) and Vatterott (2019), academic success can be achieved by students when given proper assistance and guidance during the learning process. Students at Carolina High School (CHS) were given the opportunity to attend tutoring activities during the school day, called PowerHour, to eliminate barriers students can face with attending after-school tutoring. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Power Hour on improving student academic achievement. The results of this study were used to further refine the PowerHour program to provide the greatest benefit to the students attending CHS. This research focus motivated three research questions: (1) How have teachers’ perceptions of tutoring changed? (2) How have students’ perceptions of tutoring changed? (3) How have students’ academic outcomes changed? To address the research questions, I gathered student engagement data both before and after my intervention to discern if there were any changes in the level of student engagement in the courses the students were studying. I also collected data on teacher and student perceptions using open-ended surveys followed by focus group discussions with the participants. I used student achievement data to gauge any change in students’ academic outcomes. I analyzed and theorized the data I collected to help improve the overall PowerHour program so that it would provide students with a high-quality tutoring program that has the potential to positively impact their learning outcomes and ultimately set them on a path to future success.Item Open Access REIMAGINING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN DISTRICT DECISIONS: WITH STUDENT VOICE(East Carolina University, 2023-04-25) Silversmith, Marla Lynn CrowderStudent voice is often missing when decisions are made in school districts. Culturally responsive researchers indicate that when students have voice in their daily schooling, they are more connected (Gay, 2018; Hammond, 2014; Ladson-Billings, 1994). Using Community Learning Exchange (CLE) methodology and Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR), a district administrator and alumnus worked with students and staff to fortify student voice to influence decisions in a K-8 school district. Through the power of shared stories, the students became teachers, and the teachers became students. Three major findings resulted: (1) More I Had To Know You, which meant that adults had a great deal to learn about what youth really thought and experienced; (2) Leave Your Power at the Door, meaning that adults should leave their power at the door when interacting with youth but use it after meetings to support youth; and More Than a Checked Box, meaning that youth wanted to be fully engaged; instead of answering surveys, they wanted more authentic input. The CLE format provided space for shared stories and experiences that resulted in the findings and an expanded framework for supporting student voice in district level decision-making. The new framework has implications to ensure that students and their voices are supported as authentic educational partners. In terms of wider application of the process for incorporating student voice, student demographics should be considered when district decisions are made and when districts seek educational partner input for consideration. Student voice, student stories, and the richness of their identities have the power to inform staff professional learning on the role of student voice in decisions.Item Open Access THE EFFECTS OF SECONDARY MATHEMATICS COURSES ON RURAL STUDENT COLLEGE CHOICE(East Carolina University, 2023-04-27) Howard, Susan HopeParticipation in a rigorous high school mathematics curriculum plays a key role in both college choice and college completion. Rural students have lower access to advanced mathematics courses and enroll in college at lower rates despite having a higher rate of high school completion than their non-rural peers. This dissertation utilizes the Hossler and Gallagher (1987) model of college choice and the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) to further examine the relationship between rural high school mathematics and college choice. It was found that high school mathematics course work increased the probability of overall enrollment in college and of enrollment at a four-year institution. These results are important to higher educational leadership studies as they indicate the necessity for continued partnerships across the pipeline such as Math Pathways, The Launch Years, GEARUP, and Career and College Promise, which work to increase access to college for rural students.Item Open Access VOICES OF RESISTANCE: HOW WOMEN ANTIRACIST EDUCATIONAL LEADERS ADDRESS THE TENSIONS OF LEADING FOR RACIAL EQUITY(East Carolina University, 2023-04-26) Pierce-Davis, Nicole AThe doctoral participatory action research study explored what we can learn from women who combine their female ontologies and epistemologies with the lived experiences of themselves and others toward improving racial equity outcomes in their educational communities. Women in leadership share stereotypically socialized characteristics with antiracist pedagogies as they focus on transformative, collectivist, and collaborative approaches. In this study, five American women school district leaders who identify as being or becoming antiracist leaders engaged in modified cycles of participatory action research and critical feminist ethnography. The study was designed to protect and amplify women's voice in the conversation about how to transform schools and districts for racial equity. The four findings are: Collective processes require power sharing; critical conditions for engagement and learning are ever-changing; women lead through gendered marginalization, and dynamic interplay is a necessary condition for equity. The findings better inform how we can support, validate, and learn from women educational antiracist leaders who draw on their lived experiences with equity to promote positive, antiracist social change.Item Open Access TEACHER LEADERSHIP IN PRACTICE: A PROGRAM EVALUATION OF OPPORTUNITY CULTURE IN A SMALL, RURAL NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL DISTRICT(East Carolina University, 2023-05-01) Pittman, CharleneProviding students access to effective teachers is a challenge that school districts all over the nation face. Students from high poverty environments and rural settings have less access than their counterparts to effective teachers at disproportionate rates. This disproportionality may present as an insurmountable barrier for some youth in receiving a high quality education. However, consistent access to excellent teachers is beneficial in closing the equity gap and increasing long-term achievement among students from rural, high-poverty environments, as well as students of color. This study examined the challenges of a disproportionality in access to quality teachers for one of the most economically-distressed counties in North Carolina. Such challenges are of particular interest to the small, rural North Carolina school district upon which this study focused, as teachers are an important and necessary factor when striving for student achievement. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of Opportunity Culture on teacher instructional practices that may result in improved student academic achievement. Opportunity Culture is a coaching and support model that aims to extend the reach of its more effective teachers to more students and more colleagues within the school's normal operating budget. The teacher leaders referenced in this study are those who served in the role of a Multi-Classroom Leader (MCL). Using a mixed-methods approach, the researcher conducted a program evaluation of Opportunity Culture and its effects on teacher performance in two essential standards found within the NC Teacher Evaluation Instrument: Standard III - Teachers Know the Content That They Teach, and Standard IV - Teachers Facilitate Learning for Their Students. While the findings indicate that MCLs impact teacher instructional practices within Standard III and Standard IV, there is evidence that several prominent barriers pose a challenge in the continued effectiveness of MCLs. These barriers to the implementation Opportunity Culture and MCLs, along with recommendations for addressing each, are discussed.Item Open Access BUTTS, BOOKS, BUSES, AND BETTER INSTRUCTION: HOW A PRINCIPAL CAN DEVELOP ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS INTO EQUITY-CENTERED INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERS BY JUGGLING TASKS TOGETHER(East Carolina University, 2023-04-21) Mudd, Timothy WThe study aimed to build the capacity of assistant principals to identify and support teachers in using equitable classroom practices. The Participatory Action Research (PAR) study in a rural North Carolina school district included a team of the principal and two assistant principals as co-practitioner researchers (CPR) to study how the principal could develop the knowledge and skills of the assistant principals to become equity-centered instructional leaders. Findings from the study reveal that principals can develop the knowledge and skills of assistant principals to become equity-centered instructional leaders by creating specific conditions and spaces, making the development of the assistant principal a priority, and juggling tasks with the assistant principal. Additionally, this study provides insight into how principals can intentionally work with assistant principals to simultaneously become better at conducting classroom observations, engaging teachers in post-observation coaching conversations, and ultimately becoming better equity-centered leaders. Throughout three inquiry cycles, the CPR group utilized the plan, do, study, act cycle of inquiry and pushed against the current practice of assistant principals' focus on "butts, books, and buses." In addition, we utilized Community Learning Exchange axioms and pedagogies (Guajardo et al., 2016), created Assistant Principal-Networked Improvement Communities (Bryk et al., 2015), engaged in classroom observations using the Calling-On Observation Tool, and engaged teachers in post-observation coaching conversations as we studied how a principal can help assistant principals become equity-centered instructional leaders.Item Open Access THE MISSING PIECE TO TEACHER INDUCTION: A FRAMEWORK FOR ADDING EQUITY-FOCUSED SUPPORT TO INDUCTION(East Carolina University, 2023-04-21) Lassiter, John RussellTeacher turnover rates in the nation are incredibly high, and college of education programs are experiencing declining enrollment. Combined, these two factors have led to staffing concerns in most states. A lack of highly qualified teachers threatens the quality of education historically hard-to-staff schools can provide their students. The first few years of teaching are vitally important to an educator's long-term success. Reimagining teacher induction is needed to help new teachers find success and overcome the pressures of teaching early in their career. A site-based induction process layered on top of traditional district induction can help new staff uncover their beliefs about teaching and learning while supporting the development of culturally responsive teaching methods. This layered support is a higher level of support beyond what the district can provide on its own. This qualitative research study uses participatory action research (PAR) informed by the principles of improvement science and Community Learning Exchange (CLE) axioms to engage a Co-Practitioner Researcher (CPR) team in building a site-based, equity-focused induction process that combines site-based support with the state-required district induction program. The findings of (1) communal learning space and (2) evolve to involve can help hard-to-staff schools in similar contexts support new teachers in reexamining long-held beliefs about teaching and learning while developing an understanding of the importance of culturally responsive teaching practices in schools. The study outlines practices used to establish a communal learning space where a Teacher Alliance Group (TAG) aids new teachers in improving their professional practices as all teachers gain knowledge of what it means to be a culturally responsive educator.Item Open Access USING CREATIVE PRACTICES TO FOSTER ARTS INTEGRATION: SUPPORTING EXPERIENTIAL PEDAGOGY FOR TEACHERS(East Carolina University, 2023-04-27) Ledo-Lane, Ann MargaretFew educators receive experiential professional development and coaching that support them in articulating and nurturing their creative voices and mindsets. The purpose of the participatory action research (P AR) study was to examine how supporting the pedagogical experiences of three teachers in an arts integrated school influenced their professional identities as they transferred arts integrated practices to classrooms. The theory of action for the study was: If teachers engage in arts-based, creative practices, they can co-create and implement arts integrated instructional experiences for students. I used participatory action research methodology informed by activist research methodology to investigate how teachers' artistic experiences influenced their teaching. As a result of engaging in creative practices as adult learners, they expanded their capacities to design and implement arts integrated curricula that promoted equitable access and rigor. Two findings are: (1) Teachers who articulated their creative practices strengthened their teaching through self-power and being art forward in their thinking and practices; and (2) teachers who engaged in experiential learning re-imagined themselves as teachers who nurtured their creative mindsets, found joy in teaching, and transferred the creative practices to classrooms. The findings have implications for schools and teachers in expanding and deepening their capacities to change curricular and pedagogical practices to promote equity.