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220
Despite these efforts to personalize the experience and extend the responsibility at
Cumulus HS, a more troubling fact was revealed in the 2009 WASC accreditation
process. The survey results of students, parents and staff revealed a major disconnect in
response to this statement: “CHS teachers demonstrate a high level of professionalism.”
While 87% of teachers agreed or strongly agreed with this statement, only 49% of
students and 44% of parents had the same sentiment. Undoubtedly, there are many
interpretations of these survey results, but the perception data confirms what the principal
believes is a lack of collective responsibility. The Instructional Leadership Team has
expanded over the past three years, but there is still little evidence that the staff functions
well as a team.
Use of research-based best practices and external expertise. The ILT
continues to design opportunities for teachers to work together toward the creation of
pacing guides, common assessments and department resource binders that pool together
lesson plans and course materials. This project is still in the works, but marks a turning
point in the school culture where teachers are getting a better understanding of what it is
like to share their professional experience in a safe setting among other teachers. As part
of the Focus on Results framework, the ILT has conducted schoolwide and districtwide
instructional walkthroughs. One faculty meeting this year was replaced by a walkthrough
for all teachers, allowing them an opportunity to observe the level of implementation of
the schoolwide focus and best practices.
Teachers originally identified a lack of student engagement as a major concern,
but walkthroughs conducted by teachers from the other high schools in the district
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 232 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Full text | 220 Despite these efforts to personalize the experience and extend the responsibility at Cumulus HS, a more troubling fact was revealed in the 2009 WASC accreditation process. The survey results of students, parents and staff revealed a major disconnect in response to this statement: “CHS teachers demonstrate a high level of professionalism.” While 87% of teachers agreed or strongly agreed with this statement, only 49% of students and 44% of parents had the same sentiment. Undoubtedly, there are many interpretations of these survey results, but the perception data confirms what the principal believes is a lack of collective responsibility. The Instructional Leadership Team has expanded over the past three years, but there is still little evidence that the staff functions well as a team. Use of research-based best practices and external expertise. The ILT continues to design opportunities for teachers to work together toward the creation of pacing guides, common assessments and department resource binders that pool together lesson plans and course materials. This project is still in the works, but marks a turning point in the school culture where teachers are getting a better understanding of what it is like to share their professional experience in a safe setting among other teachers. As part of the Focus on Results framework, the ILT has conducted schoolwide and districtwide instructional walkthroughs. One faculty meeting this year was replaced by a walkthrough for all teachers, allowing them an opportunity to observe the level of implementation of the schoolwide focus and best practices. Teachers originally identified a lack of student engagement as a major concern, but walkthroughs conducted by teachers from the other high schools in the district |
