Rural Turnaround Leadership Development

Rural Turnaround Leadership Development: The Power of Partnerships focuses on a three- year rural turnaround leadership project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. The project was designed to foster the development of a cohort of aspiring school leaders in rural high poverty/low performing K-12 school districts. The Alabama Project was selected by the U.S. Department of Education, in part, because it was the only submission which emphasized partnership between higher education institutions, school districts and the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE). Facets of the book include a treatment of the structures and processes each university created to develop their unique program, the distinctive turnaround curriculum used at each university, the role of mentoring in developing aspiring rural school leaders and the internship experiences and practices which supported aspiring leader development. One of the most powerful changes witnessed during the project was the development of aspiring leaders by the major and ancillary partners. The cross-connections between K-12 districts, the ALSDE, and the three university educational leadership programs was a multifaceted and multi-layered collaborative approach. The partnerships not only strengthened within each master’s program, but across agencies as a result of this project. The book will describe the value of partnership and leadership development through the eyes of the major contributors. The contributors or authors of the book will include the Alabama State Department of Education, the three educational leadership higher education institutions i.e. Auburn University, University of Alabama and Samford University, partner school district representatives and graduates of the program.

Developing Rural School Leaders combines a focus on rural education and school leadership development to illustrate how the teaching and learning conditions in rural schools can be enhanced through transformative leadership coaching. By unpacking literature related to rural school leadership development and using case studies to authentically illustrate the complexities involved in rural school leadership development, this book explores how leaders can develop their abilities to increase data-informed instructional decision making, create a culture that supports teaching and learning, and develop other leaders. Ultimately, this important book concludes with an exploration of the opportunities and challenges of developing rural school leaders.

We have entitled the fourth book in the series Rural School Turnaround and Reform: It’s Hard Work! Overall, the body of scholarly work and research that examines school turnaround and reform in rural areas is slim; as such, this volume adds to the body of work and contributes to new knowledge in a much-needed area. In this volume, we present chapters that speak to the challenges, successes, and opportunities to improve low-performing rural schools. Chapters range from conceptual arguments to policy analyses or research findings, as well as some combination of these or other ways to consider rural school turnaround and reform.

There is a large body of research that supports the reality that school leaders make a significant contribution to the success of schools and the students in them. Additionally, there is strong agreement among and between researchers and state and national educational leadership associations that educational leadership preparation and development should be created and implemented within university/school partnerships. Although institutions engage in forming university/school partnerships for varied reasons, research on the extent to which these partnerships exist; their organizational structures and processes; their implementation and effectiveness; and elements that foster and hinder their success is limited. Perhaps more importantly, there is not a widely accepted, research-based model of such partnerships that practitioners and researchers can use to guide the development and assessment of these partnership endeavors and upon which they can conduct effective research. This book seeks to fill these gaps. It presents the purposes, processes, practices and outcomes of eleven university/school partnerships focused on school leadership preparation and/or development. Each chapter presents an overview of the partnership, elements that fostered and hindered partnership success, and lessons learned. The book concludes with a chapter that summarizes findings across all chapters and presents a school/university partnership model that can be used by those interested in forming, improving or researching similar partnership endeavors. There are no similar resources available in the field. Thus, this book makes an important contribution to the literature and to the world of practice and research. Praise for Partnerships for Leadership Preparation and Development: Facilitators, Barriers and Models for Change: "Kochan, Reames and Griggs bring together the latest research and eleven case examples of university-practice partnerships for school leadership preparation and development. The volume provides keen insights into practices that can make or break an effective partnership, making it a valuable resource for those seeking to develop new partnerships, to enhance existing ones, and to engage in research on this topic. For those in the throes of redesign or leadership program improvement, it is an essential read." Michelle D. Young, Professor and Dean, Loyola Marymount University UCEA Executive Director Emeritus "Partnerships for Leadership Preparation and Development is destined to become an indispensable “go-to” resource for educators who are contemplating or already engaged in school-university partnerships. Rich details are provided about a variety of partnerships operating for aspiring and practicing schools administrators, with special attention to preparing and developing underserved populations for educational leadership roles. The book not only captures the realities of these collaborative efforts, but also provides a roadmap for anticipating the important relational, organizational, and operational processes required for partnership success." Bruce Barnett, Professor Educational Leadership and Policy Studies University of Texas at San Antonio

Navigating the Ubiquitous, Misunderstood, and Evolving Role of the Educational Leadership Program Coordinator in Higher Education is an edited volume of chapters focused on the role of the program coordinator (PC) in educational leadership. The book is a recent addition to the book series: Dimensions of Leadership and Institutional Success: Exploring Connections and Partnerships, edited by Ellen H. Reames. Noelle A. Paufler and Ellen H. Reames (editors) created this book to examine various aspects of the PC role because it has been largely ignored in the educational leadership preparation literature. The book examines various aspects of the PC role to include responsibilities, navigating the politics and policies of higher education and educational agencies, internal and external problems and barriers related to the role, and recommendations and possibilities for enhancing the PC role. The book is divided into 3 sections: Section 1 centers on the roles of the PC and also includes a model that can be used to structure PC responsibilities within programs. Section 2 focuses the readers’ attention to present misunderstanding of the PC as a quasiadministrative role which appears to be gaining in clarity through present research. Section 3 gives a glimpse to future trends which includes the growing use of clinical faculty as PCs. The primary audience is higher education faculty and administrators. The term program coordinator spans across all disciplines and is used in most higher education institutions across the United States. Higher education institutions are also interested in sustaining partnerships within the university and the communities beyond. This book can assist with nuances of partnership development for any higher education field of study. The audience also includes faculty in higher educational leadership program development and school/university partnership development and enhancement across public and private enterprises who are educating future leaders. Other interested groups are university and school-based professionals who are seeking to improve relationships, partnerships, and collaborations between educational leadership preparation programs and K-12 districts and related agencies. The book would also be of value to those who conduct research in the areas of partnership creation and implementation and to those who conduct research which improves educational leadership preparation and development. The role of the PC in educational leadership is critical to the success of higher education leadership preparation programs and is often very different than PCs in other higher education disciplines.

This handbook begins with a foundational overview of rural education, examining the ways in which definitions, histories, policies, and demographic changes influence rural schools. This foundational approach includes how corporatization, population changes, poverty, and the role of data affect everyday learning in rural schools. In following sections, the contributors consider how school closures, charter schools, and district governance influence decision making in rural schooling, while also examining the influence of these structures on higher education attainment, rural school partnerships, and school leadership. They explore curriculum studies in rural education, including place-based and trauma-informed pedagogies, rural literacies, rural stereotype threat, and achievement. Finally, they engage with issues of identity and equity in rural schools by providing an overview of the literature related to diverse populations in rural places, including Indigenous, Black, and Latinx communities, and exceptional learners. Importantly, this handbook applies theoretical tools to rural classroom experiences, demonstrating the potential of work centered at the intersection of theory, rurality, and classroom practice. Each section concludes with a response by an international scholar, situating the topics covered within the broader global context.

This book is significant in that it offers an in-depth historical analysis of educational leadership and educational policy in the United States and around the globe. The book focuses on how leadership preparation and practices as well as policy and procedures have affected and continues to effect all stakeholders including school leaders, teachers, and students. The aim of the book is to examine both the positive and negative implications (nationally and internationally) of: (1) trends in educational leadership preparation; (2) trends in educational leadership practices; (3) educational policy; and (4) the procedures and the intended/unintended consequences associated with such policies. ENDORSEMENTS: "Equity & Access: An analysis of Educational Leadership Preparation, Policy, & Practice provides an excellent lens into some of the field's most relevant and timely topics. This book provides practical resources on multiple levels. Specifically, it can help educators incorporate various concepts into practice. Additionally, readers will strengthen their knowledge base in leadership preparation. This book is a must-read and should be adopted in Educational Leadership programs across the country." — David Buckman, Augusta University "Centering equity and access at the heart of the educational leadership conversation makes this book volume a standout in the array of educational leadership texts. In a single-source, each author challenges learners to think through their motivations, and the consequences of their actions and decision-making in the real-world, as they also acquire practical skills and concrete knowledge. Never has the time been more appropriate than now, for a focused book like this one – a needed and welcome addition for those invested in the preparation and on-going development of educational leaders." — Stephanie James, Jacksonville University "Equity & Access serves as a stark reminder that, as practicing school leaders in the 21st Century, everything we do and every decision we make should be done so through the lens of what is equitable for all stakeholders including students, staff, parents, community members, and business owners." — James Wrede, Southern California Principal "Connecting theories of effective leadership to practical examples is not an easy task. It demands a rigorous interdisciplinary approach, thoughtful theory of change, and must be grounded to the lives of real people. This new edited volume, On Leadership, is alive with lessons! It provides a roadmap where educational equity is not merely the destination, but the journey." — Vajra M. Watson, Sacramento State

The Art and Science of Mentoring is a collection of chapters and vignettes that honors one of the leading experts of mentoring, Fran Kochan. Her amazing role of being able to blend theory and practice in regards to mentoring is captured in these pages. As one prote ge said, “She practices what she preaches.” The volume is divided into an introduction, Part II, which explores important concepts and ideas in regards to mentoring and then Part III which are essays from individuals whom Fran Kochan mentored throughout her life. In closing, Fran Kochan lives and breathes her words. Even today, she continues to work with scholars, practitioners and others she meets. She offers a guiding hand, she uplifts and she supports all that she meets. Please enjoy this volume of highlights of research from top mentoring experts who are peers of Dr. Kochan, as well as the tributes from a sampling of individuals she has mentored to successful careers. You will be inspired to learn how Dr. Fran Kochan masters both the art and science of mentoring. We honor her in this book as scholar, mentor, and friend.