An investigation of campus-level personnel support cultures and school effectiveness in Texas school districts

Date

2016-08-19

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Abstract

The purpose of this research study was to identify challenges (inhibiting factors, roadblocks, obstacles) that elementary and secondary school principals face and the creative strategies principals and their colleagues utilize to nurture and sustain positive personnel support cultures on their campuses that can support teaching and learning effectiveness. The study attempted to examine elementary and secondary school principals in eight sets of comparison pair and outlier schools regarding their perceptions of the leadership challenges (inhibiting factors, roadblocks, obstacles) associated with nurturing and sustaining positive personnel support cultures on their campuses that effectively produce positive outcomes. A visual inspection of principal survey responses in conjunction with a review of individual school State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) and Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) accountability data were utilized as the basis for identifying comparison pair and outlier schools of particular interest for the qualitative interviews. PSC/NS–SE summary data profiles were created and provided to participating districts as a resource to further inform educators’ personnel support culture nurturance and sustainability efforts. Collective qualitative analyses completed during the study identified three emerging themes providing insights into the nature and focus of positive personnel support culture leadership of school principals participating in the study. The findings and conclusions of the study provide empirical evidence that affirm that administrators’ collective, day-to-day personnel support behaviors and interactions can help achieve positive school outcomes.

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Keywords

Leadership, Personnel

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