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72
The data collection instrumentation and practices were standardized among the twelve
researchers in a data collection codebook (Appendix G), which allowed for comparisons
to be made across the studies. Once the data collection process was complete, additional
conversations with school leaders tracked down missing and unclear data.
Qualitative data collection. To supplement the insight gleaned from the initial
document review, an interview with the school principal and related decision-makers at
the school was conducted. The researcher utilized a semi-structured, open-ended
interview. An interview guide was prepared to standardize the questions asked of each
principal. There was a predetermined sequence of themes and questions seeking specific
data regarding each school site’s strategies for improving student performance, but was
flexible enough to meet the unique circumstances of each school. The open-ended
interview questions that were developed as part of the interview protocol (Appendices D-E)
were aligned with the research questions and were used to generate descriptive
understandings of the schools. Nuances of the school’s resource allocation strategies
were clarified in the interview stage by answering these six overarching questions:
1. What were the curriculum and instruction pieces of the strategy
2. What were the resource pieces of the strategy? How long have the resources
been in place?
3. Was the improvement effort centrist (central office orchestrated) or bottom
up?
4. What type of instructional leadership was present?
5. Was there accountability built into this improvement plan?
Object Description
| Title | Navigating troubled waters: case studies of three California high schools' resource allocation strategies in 2010-2011 |
| Author | Landisi, Brian Anthony |
| Author email | landisi@usc.edu; blandisi@charter.net |
| Degree | Doctor of Education |
| Document type | Dissertation |
| Degree program | Education (Leadership) |
| School | Rossier School of Education |
| Date defended/completed | 2011-03-28 |
| Date submitted | 2011 |
| Restricted until | Unrestricted |
| Date published | 2011-04-28 |
| Advisor (committee chair) | Picus, Lawrence O. |
| Advisor (committee member) |
Hentschke, Guilbert C. Nelson, John L. |
| Abstract | This study was conducted to examine instructional strategies and resource allocation in successful schools. The study was based on the analysis of three comprehensive high schools in one school district in Southern California. Each of the study schools increased students’ academic achievement over time as measured by sustained growth on California’s Academic Performance Index. The efforts of these study schools also contributed to narrowing the achievement gap.; Successful schools in this study were analyzed primarily through the lens of Odden’s (2009) 10 Strategies for Doubling Student Performance. In addition to effective organizational and instructional strategies, this study also analyzed human and fiscal resource allocation at the sample schools. The study used the Evidence-Based Model (Odden & Picus, 2008) to analyze how the schools allocated resources during 2010-2011, navigating a catastrophic economic crisis facing California and the rest of the nation. Interview data, student achievement data and information on school-level resource use were included in case studies on each of these successful schools.; The findings indicate that although the resource use patterns of the study schools were significantly fewer than what the Evidence-Based Model suggests, the improvement strategies showed many commonalities to those suggested in the body of literature on school improvement. Strong leadership from the district office supported the reform efforts at each of the school sites. This leadership came in the form of a single district focus combined with continuity of leadership, development and retention of talent within the district and a common school improvement framework.; A heavy investment of time and fiscal resources into professional development created a collaborative culture within and between the high schools in the study. The schools that were most successful in raising student achievement demonstrated a commitment to collaboration and embraced the role of teacher leaders. The most effective schools in the study had in place internal accountability structures to support the implementation of the school and district focus. It is the effective implementation of research-based strategies, not simply resource allocation that makes schools successful and contributes to further growth in student achievement. Implications for policy and practice are discussed. |
| Keyword | education finance; secondary education; educational leadership; budget crisis; instructional leadership; Odden and Picus; resource allocation; school finance; school reform |
| Geographic subject (county) | Los Angeles |
| Geographic subject (state) | California |
| Geographic subject (country) | USA |
| Coverage date | 2010/2011 |
| Language | English |
| Part of collection | University of Southern California dissertations and theses |
| Publisher (of the original version) | University of Southern California |
| Place of publication (of the original version) | Los Angeles, California |
| Publisher (of the digital version) | University of Southern California. Libraries |
| Provenance | Electronically uploaded by the author |
| Type | texts |
| Legacy record ID | usctheses-m3797 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Rights | Landisi, Brian Anthony |
| Repository name | Libraries, University of Southern California |
| Repository address | Los Angeles, California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Filename | etd-Landisi-4355 |
| Archival file | uscthesesreloadpub_Volume14/etd-Landisi-4355.pdf |
Description
| Title | Page 84 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Full text | 72 The data collection instrumentation and practices were standardized among the twelve researchers in a data collection codebook (Appendix G), which allowed for comparisons to be made across the studies. Once the data collection process was complete, additional conversations with school leaders tracked down missing and unclear data. Qualitative data collection. To supplement the insight gleaned from the initial document review, an interview with the school principal and related decision-makers at the school was conducted. The researcher utilized a semi-structured, open-ended interview. An interview guide was prepared to standardize the questions asked of each principal. There was a predetermined sequence of themes and questions seeking specific data regarding each school site’s strategies for improving student performance, but was flexible enough to meet the unique circumstances of each school. The open-ended interview questions that were developed as part of the interview protocol (Appendices D-E) were aligned with the research questions and were used to generate descriptive understandings of the schools. Nuances of the school’s resource allocation strategies were clarified in the interview stage by answering these six overarching questions: 1. What were the curriculum and instruction pieces of the strategy 2. What were the resource pieces of the strategy? How long have the resources been in place? 3. Was the improvement effort centrist (central office orchestrated) or bottom up? 4. What type of instructional leadership was present? 5. Was there accountability built into this improvement plan? |
