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116
or other transitions, teachers have been promoted to administrative positions within the
District to save other teacher positions. The previous Superintendent was particularly
motivated to recruit candidates with excellent credentials. Over 30 administrators and
teachers in the CUSD earned the Doctor of Education degree from the University of
Southern California. The shared values of personal and collective mission, vision and
leadership have provided a strong sense of organizational management throughout the
District. It has also served as an excellent recruitment tool for educators looking to enter
the CUSD. When the Superintendent retired last spring, the board of education selected
the Deputy Superintendent as his successor. In an effort to stay the course and provide
continuity in leadership, this move also allowed for promotions to take place within the
District and save jobs through a trickle-down effect all the way to the classroom.
Of particular interest in this study is the fact that the principals at each of the
sample high schools are fairly new to the position. The principal at Stratus HS took the
job in July 2010, after serving as principal at the feeder middle school for two years and
at other schools in the CUSD for nearly 15 years. The principal at Cirrus HS is also new
to the position as of July 2010, but previously served at the school for four years as
Associate Principal. The principal at Cumulus is in her third year as principal there, but
was hired from outside the district. This principal, however, is also an alumna of
Cumulus, which she believes increases her motivation to move the school forward.
While it is likely too early to link their leadership with the effectiveness of their school
improvement efforts, it can be said that each principal possesses the confidence needed
for the role of principal and instructional leader. Support systems are also in place for
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 128 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Full text | 116 or other transitions, teachers have been promoted to administrative positions within the District to save other teacher positions. The previous Superintendent was particularly motivated to recruit candidates with excellent credentials. Over 30 administrators and teachers in the CUSD earned the Doctor of Education degree from the University of Southern California. The shared values of personal and collective mission, vision and leadership have provided a strong sense of organizational management throughout the District. It has also served as an excellent recruitment tool for educators looking to enter the CUSD. When the Superintendent retired last spring, the board of education selected the Deputy Superintendent as his successor. In an effort to stay the course and provide continuity in leadership, this move also allowed for promotions to take place within the District and save jobs through a trickle-down effect all the way to the classroom. Of particular interest in this study is the fact that the principals at each of the sample high schools are fairly new to the position. The principal at Stratus HS took the job in July 2010, after serving as principal at the feeder middle school for two years and at other schools in the CUSD for nearly 15 years. The principal at Cirrus HS is also new to the position as of July 2010, but previously served at the school for four years as Associate Principal. The principal at Cumulus is in her third year as principal there, but was hired from outside the district. This principal, however, is also an alumna of Cumulus, which she believes increases her motivation to move the school forward. While it is likely too early to link their leadership with the effectiveness of their school improvement efforts, it can be said that each principal possesses the confidence needed for the role of principal and instructional leader. Support systems are also in place for |
