CHANGING SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT TEAM BEHAVIORS: THE INFLUENCE AND IMPACT OF ENGAGING SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT TEAMS IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING CYCLES AS A MEASURE TO ACHIEVE SCHOOLWIDE ACADEMIC GROWTH

Abstract

The North Carolina General Assembly, in 2013, mandated that the state use test scores, academic growth measures, and other outcome-based measures to create an A-to-F performance grading system for all public schools in North Carolina. The annual results are published via the North Carolina School Report Card, which indicates specific school, performance grade, letter grade, and growth designation. Coastal Carolina High School (CCHS) earned a "67" performance grade resulting in a "C" letter grade while meeting academic growth for the 2018-2019 school year but has never exceeded academic growth (Retrieved from www.dpi.nc.gov). The North Carolina General Statue 115C-105.27 (n.d.) focuses on the School Improvement Team (SIT) as the influential body that focuses on improving student performance and takes into consideration the annual performance goals as set by the State Board of Education under General Statue 115C-105.35 (Retrieved from www.ncleg.gov). The SIT is tasked with the development and implementation of a school improvement plan that includes "clear, unambiguous targets, explicit indicators and actual measures, and expeditious time frames for meeting the measurement standards" to improve student performance (Retrieved from www.ncleg.gov). This action research study will focus on changing the SIT's professional behaviors to improve instructional practices that influence student outcomes. The purpose of this action research study at CCHS is to implement specific models of transformative actions, such as research-based professional learning cycles that are tied directly to intentional systemic professional development. The SIT will engage in a nine-week Professional Learning Cycle embedded within the Framework for Powerful Results (Nelson & Cudeiro, 2009). During the nine weeks, the SIT will focus on specific research-based instructional practices that are aligned to student needs as identified through the analysis of student-generated data. The CCHS faculty will engage in the Comprehensive Assessment of Leadership for Learning (CALL) to measure school leadership effectiveness and growth. Recognizing the totality of expectations from the North Carolina General Assembly, the State Board of Education, and the Public School Unit (PSU), the SIT will be supported by a Deliverology Unit that is designed to set instructional targets, professional development trajectories, and establish protocols and routines (Barber et al., 2020).