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Preparing the next generation of global leaders: how principals in international studies high schools promote global competence

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Preparing the next generation of global leaders: how principals in international studies high schools promote global competence

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Content Running head: PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 1
PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF GLOBAL LEADERS: HOW PRINCIPALS IN
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES HIGH SCHOOLS PROMOTE GLOBAL COMPETENCE

by

Collin Felch

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

December 2016

Copyright 2016 Collin Felch

PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 2
Dedication
I have been extremely fortunate to have a strong support system through the process of
writing this dissertation. Much has changed in my life since I began this process, including
getting married to my beautiful wife, Beatrice. Beatrice has supported me and has become my
backbone throughout this process. She loved me through the late night classes and busy
weekends, and she has reminded me of the importance of the work that I do on a daily basis.
This whole process would not have been possible without her support and love. My new dog,
Clutch, has always been a calming influence on me. He would love me and show genuine
excitement for my presence. Despite the late nights and long hours of working on this
dissertation, Clutch was always by my side without a stress in the world. I continue to strive to
be as curious and as thoughtful as Clutch.
My parents have also played an enormous role in getting me to this point. They have
gone above and beyond to ensure that I receive a top-notch education and that I pursue my
dreams. My mother has always been by my side, just a phone call away, through the peaks and
valleys. She always knew how to respond to my questions and shoulder my concerns. I leaned
greatly on my parents for advice as I followed their lead in pursuing my doctorate. I was truly
blessed to have a family that loved and guided me every step of the way. Finally, I must
recognize my esteemed colleagues whom I learned from and engaged in deep, thoughtful
academic discussions with. Those in my cohort began as classmates and have now become life-
long friends.

PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 3
Acknowledgements
Writing a dissertation is a complex process. I have been fortunate to have insightful and
accomplished educational leaders guide and inspire me through this process. I want to sincerely
thank Dr. Rudy Castruita, Dr. Pedro Garcia, and Dr. Laurie Love for their respective advice and
leadership as my dissertation committee members. As my dissertation chair, Dr. Castruita’s
wisdom and experience have been invaluable to my work. As an emerging educational leader, I
have learned an immense amount from his guidance. Dr. Pedro Garcia has taught me the
importance of the “little things” of being a successful leader. Dr. Garcia has a calm influence
that exudes a strong confidence. His ability to remember names after meeting someone just once
and his knack for organization have had strong positive affects on me. Dr. Laurie Love’s
knowledge and passion for instructional leadership has resonated with my core educational
values. She has also been a champion for my work, which has motivated me through this
program. I would be remiss if I did not recognize Dr. Artineh Samkian and Dr. Mark Johnson. I
had Dr. Samkian for two methods classes, and she taught me how to correctly and effectively
conduct scholarly research, but she also was one of the most engaging professors that I had ever
had. Dr. Johnson was an insightful professor, successful educational leader, and has become a
great friend. Through his classes and late night phone calls, step-by-step he has mentored me to
become a transformational leader in my own right.

PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 4
Table of Contents
Dedication 2
Acknowledgements 3
List of Tables 6
Abstract 7
Chapter One: Overview of the Study 8
Background of the Problem 9
Statement of the Problem 16
Purpose of the Study 17
Research Questions 18
Significance of the Study 18
Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations 19
Definition of Terms 20
Overview of Study 21
Chapter Two: Literature Review 23
History of International Studies and Global Competency in High Schools 24
What is Global Competence? 26
Importance of Global Competence in Schools 29
Global Competence in Schools – An International Perspective 31
Educational Networks that Promote Global Competence 34
High School Programs that Promote Global Competence 36
The History of and Rationale for International Baccalaureate Programs 39
Study Abroad Programs in High School 42
Professional Development on Teaching Global Competence in High Schools 44
Achieving Global Competency Through Technology 47
College and Career Readiness Through Global Competence 50
Conclusion 52
Chapter Three: Methodology 54
Purpose of Study and Research Questions 54
Design Summary 55
Figure 1. Design Process 57
Participants and Setting 57
Data Collection Procedures 59
Quantitative Data Collection 59
Qualitative Data Collection 60
Data Analysis 61
Qualitative Data Analysis 61
Quantitative Data Analysis 62
Summary 63
Chapter Four: Research Findings 64
Participant Characteristics 65
Survey Respondents 65
Interview Participants 67
Research Question 1 69
Findings: Survey Responses 70
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 5
Findings: Interviews 73
Summary of Research Question 1 80
Research Question 2: 81
Findings: Survey Responses 81
Findings: Interviews 83
Summary of Research Question 2 87
Research Question 3: 88
Findings: Survey Responses 89
Findings: Interviews 92
Research Question 4 97
Findings: Survey Responses 97
Findings: Interview 98
Summary of Research Question 4 103
Auxiliary Findings 103
Barriers to Promoting Global Competence 104
Network Affiliation 107
Additional Demographic Findings 110
Discussion 117
Reflection on Findings 118
Relation of Findings to Literature 122
Meaning of Findings 129
Summary 133
Chapter Five: Conclusions and Implications 135
Statement of the Problem 135
Purpose of the Study 136
Research Questions 136
Review of Current Literature 136
Methodology 137
Quantitative Data Collection 138
Qualitative Data Collection 138
Quantitative Data Analysis 139
Qualitative Data Analysis 139
Summary of Findings for Research Question 1 140
Summary of Findings for Research Question 2 140
Summary of Findings for Research Question 3: 141
Summary of Findings for Research Question 4 142
Auxiliary Findings 143
Implications for Future Practice 145
Recommendations for Future Research 147
Limitations 147
Conclusion 148
References 150
Appendix A: Survey Questions 160
Appendix B: Dissertation Interview Questions 164
Appendix C: Dissertation Information Sheet 166
Appendix D: Recruitment Letter 168
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 6
List of Tables
Table 1: Geographic Region of Survey Respondents 65
Table 2: Total Students Enrolled at Each School Site 66
Table 3: Biographical, Geographic, and Demographic Data for the Qualitative Study
Participants 68
Table 4: Principal Priority in Promoting Global Competence Amongst Students 70
Table 5: Staff Commitment to Facilitating Extra-Curricular Activities that Promote Global
Competence 72
Table 6: Student Expectations to Participate in Globally-Based Activities 82
Table 7: Student Understanding of the Importance of Global Competence 83
Table 8: Adequate Principal Preparation to Effectively Lead a School that Promotes Global
Competence 90
Table 9: School Reception of External Coaching to Help Teachers Promote Global
Competence 91
Table 10: School-Wide Professional Development on Global Competence Facilitated by
External Experts 91
Table 11: Regular Reflection by Principals on Effectiveness of Global Competency Programs 98
Table 12: Effect of Principal Tenure on Student Global Competence 111
Table 13: Effect of School Size on Student Global Competence 112
Table 14: Effect of Community Context on Student Global Competence 113
Table 15: Effect of Geographic Location on Student Global Competence 114
Table 16: Effect of Geographic Location on Student Interactions with Individuals from
Foreign Countries 115
Table 17: Effect of School Type on Student Global Competence 116
Table 18: Effect of School Choice on Student Global Competence 117

PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 7
Abstract
Technological, social, and economic advances to society have outpaced the rate of
change in the education sector over the past few decades. Schools are attempting to prepare
youth to become the leaders of tomorrow to think through and solve complex problems with jobs
that may not have been invented yet. However, many educators are relying on and utilizing
theories and practices from the 20
th
century that have become obsolete. The purpose of this
study was to expand upon the pre-existing literature to uncover common, effective practices that
international studies high schools use to build culturally aware and globally competent students.
A secondary purpose of this study was to serve as a resource for international studies high school
principals who seek strategies and practices to increase global competence among their students.
The research questions used to guide this study were: (1) what structures do high school
principals put in place that facilitate global learning; (2) what expectations do high school
principals set for students in order to achieve global competence; (3) what professional
development is provided to staff to support the development of globally competent students; and
(4) how do high school principals assess the effectiveness of global competency programs? The
study used a mixed methods approach in which 28 international studies high school principals
participated in a quantitative survey and 5 of the principals each participated in a follow-up hour-
long qualitative interview. The study’s findings surfaced common strategies and programs that
international studies high school principals have used to promote global competence at their
schools. The study also determined factors that helped students become globally competent and
variables that had no significance effect on students becoming globally competent. The study
concluded by sharing practical implications for principals and exploring the need for additional
research to be done on the topic of global competence.
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 8
CHAPTER ONE: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
College admission and careers in the United States, and around the world, in the 21
st

century require skills and competencies unaligned with schools’ current curriculum and
instruction practices. In fact, most teaching in classrooms around the world still prepares
students for life in the 20
th
century (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011). However, students in the 21
st

century need more than just conceptual fluency; it is imperative that students apply skills and
concepts learned in school to a multitude of real-world scenarios, especially across cultures, as
nations are increasingly interconnected and interdependent (Karnyshev & Kostin, 2010; Mansilla
& Jackson, 2011). In addition, population trends change rapidly. In 1990, the whites made up
84% of the United States’ population and were projected to decline in proportion to 71% by 2050
(Day, 1993). This study focuses on how schools and principals effectively promote global
competence in order to prepare students to become savvy citizens of the world.
In the 21
st
century, the U.S. labor force is diverse and global. In 2010, 81% of the labor
force was white, and that percentage was projected to decrease to 75% by 2050 (Toossi, 2012).
In addition, in 1950, women made up 30% of the labor force (Toossi, 2012). This proportion
increased to 47% in 2000 and, by 2050, the labor force is projected consist of an equal number of
males and females (Toossi, 2012). However, the 21
st
century labor market will offer more than
just gender and ethnic diversity. Assistive technology and voice recognition software will
increase the number of jobs for workers with disabilities (United States Department of Labor,
1999), and wages will also be much more equitable, though there remains a gender and ethnicity
wage gap (United States Department of Labor, 1999). For example, African American males, on
average, made 40% of the wages of white males in 1940. At the turn of the century, they made
76% of the wages of white males, narrowing, but not closing, the wage gap (United States
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 9
Department of Labor, 1999). There is also still a gender wage gap, albeit smaller than in the past.
At the turn of the century, Hispanic women made only 55%, African-American made 65%, and
white women made 75% of the average wages of white men (United States Department of Labor,
1999). Nonetheless, education is the leading factor in terms of closing these wage gaps, as the
proportions of women, people of color, and disabled populations in higher education increase.
The types of jobs offered are changing as well. Throughout the 20
th
century, farmers,
traditional laborers, and craftsmen saw the largest decreases in employment (Wyatt & Hecker,
2006). In the 21
st
century, according to the United States Department of Labor (1999), many of
the fastest growing jobs will be in the technology industry, including computer engineering,
computer support, database administration, data processing equipment repair, and system
analysis. In addition, many of the types of jobs and technologies that will be used in the 21
st

century have not yet been invented. Thus, the labor force will need an influx of innovative
entrepreneurs who invent new technologies and job sectors to stimulate the next generation of
jobs in America and the world (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; United States Department of Labor,
1999). In order to completely understand how to effectively prepare students to be globally
competent in the future, it is important to understand efforts previously undertaken and their
results.
Background of the Problem
In schools, international studies are not a new concept. The International Studies
Association (2015) was founded in 1959 as one of the earliest documented programs to promote
international studies education in the United States and around the world. The purpose of the
association was to provide collaborative opportunities for educational researchers and
practitioners on understanding how to navigate and respond to globalization (International
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 10
Studies Association, 2015). As the association became a formal organization and intellectually
engaged more scholars, the topic of international studies became increasingly relevant in the
higher education realm. Thus, international studies education aimed to promote 21
st
century
skills, such as collaboration and communication, well before the advent of advanced technology.
The Vietnam War also played a role in the emergence of international studies through
research and practice. This international conflict brought to light the importance of teaching
foreign languages and international studies (Perkins, 1979; Starr, 1979). On September 15,
1978, President Carter formed a commission to provide recommendations on foreign languages
and international studies in schools (Perkins, 1979). This commission found that only 15% of
American high school students at the time were studying a foreign language, and less than 5% of
high school graduates in America had studied a foreign language for three or more years
(Perkins, 1979; Starr, 1979). Furthermore, only 8% of American universities had a foreign
language admission requirement at the time of the study (Perkins, 1979). Another troubling
finding was that other countries were more prepared, from a global perspective, than was the
United States. Perkins (1979) found there were approximately 10,000 business representatives
from Japan who worked in the United States and were fluent in English. Meanwhile, there were
only 900 American businessmen located in Japan, and very few of them could communicate in
Japanese (Perkins, 1979).
Around the same time, Ernest Boyer, Commissioner of Education in the United States,
“designated world languages instruction as a high priority issue” (Starr, 1979, p. 743). Starr’s
(1979) study also called on the United States to increase its focus on internationalizing
education. The United States Department of Education set up an incentive funding structure for
schools to receive additional funding per student enrolled in foreign language courses (Perkins,
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 11
1979). It also became imperative for states, districts, and schools to hire additional foreign
language teachers and increase professional development regarding foreign languages and
international studies to meet this demand. The department of education, funded by the National
Institute of Education, was called to develop a foreign language literacy exam to monitor
progress and ensure quality and rigor in foreign language instruction (Perkins, 1979).
The education sector had already created theme-related schools, such as the Bronx High
School of Science, the High School of the Performing Arts in New York, the High School for the
Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati, and the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in
Washington DC (Starr, 1979). Magnet schools were also starting to gain popularity. These
schools were diverse and accepting of students of all ethnicities and financial capabilities.
According to Starr (1979), this was the perfect time to open international studies schools within
urban school systems. These schools could emphasize the importance of mastering a foreign
language and becoming bilingual as well as of understanding that students are not just citizens of
the US, but also of the world. Starr (1979) added that these schools could serve as models for
other schools and programs in the future.
In the 1980s, there was a greater focus on the need for global education and multicultural
studies. There was a heavy emphasis on preparing culturally sensitive and aware citizens of the
world (Pellicano, 1982). In doing so, the focus of international studies and global education
began to shift from solely foreign languages to include social studies. The 1979 Social Studies
Curriculum Guidelines set forth a vision to use historical perspectives to develop an
understanding of global issues and an awareness of global systems (Kniep, 1989). Ultimately,
the goal of these curriculum guidelines was to teach students to make informed decisions and
judgments as well as to identify possible causes, effects, and solutions to global problems.
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 12
Redesigning social studies curriculum was a much discussed topic during the 1980s. For
example, the San Francisco Unified School District created a new curriculum with a distinct
focus on global education (Magid, 1980). In addition, the content of textbooks reflected the
changes in states’ and districts’ curricula (Cortes & Fleming, 1986). These textbooks needed to
both reflect the standards and use real-world applications and historical scenarios to allow
students to investigate prior issues in order to become more globally and culturally aware.
According to Kniep (1989), there should be five conceptual themes in social studies, each
revolving around the idea of global knowledge: Interdependence, Change, Culture, Scarcity, and
Conflict. These five themes help prepare students develop a global perspective and multicultural
awareness. Furthermore, Kniep (1989) created four categories of global problems within social
studies curricula to which students learned to develop solutions: Peace and Security,
National/International Development, Environmental Problems, and Human Rights. Most global
problems at the time fell into one of these four categories. In essence, global education became
the new school reform to prepare productive, engaged, and aware citizens in a global society in
the 21
st
century (Kniep, 1989).
Kniep (1986) also mentioned the importance of including global education in teacher
training programs in order for new teachers to enter the profession as globally aware individuals
able to effectively promote and teach using global approaches. Torney-Purta (1982) found that
college students, in general, lacked a global perspective. Thus, individuals entering the teaching
profession were unprepared to teach for global competence, since they lacked this competence
themselves (Torney-Purta, 1982). To address teacher shortcomings in this area, Florida
International University promoted global perspectives through its teacher education program
(Tucker, 1982). The school offered specific courses, and content within each course, meant to
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 13
stimulate multicultural and global awareness. Overall, teachers indicated they had positive
attitudes about global education and were willing to learn in order to effectively integrate global
approaches into their schools and classrooms (Tucker, 1983). Fortunately, Florida International
University was not the only higher education institution to overtly promote and integrate global
education into teacher preparation programs. Through its Graduate School of International
Studies and School of Education, the University of Denver trained teachers and school
administrators to be competent in understanding and promoting a global approach to education
(Lamy, 1982). Despite multiple universities’ creating teacher preparation programs that promote
global education, these were not widespread. Kenneke (1986) called for more programs to
utilize global approaches and perspectives as well as to increase the use of technology in their
pedagogy. Thus, the global trend in education continued to blossom.
The focus on improving teacher education programs through the integration of global
education approaches remained popular throughout the 1990s and into the 21
st
century (Bruce,
1991; Gilliom & Farley, 1990; Schukar, 1993; Young, 1998). Nonetheless, these programs were
not the only ones to develop an environment to support more globally aware students. Gilliom
and Farley (1990) note that administrators are responsible for not only shaping an environment
conducive to global education, but also for monitoring teacher instruction that facilitates this
change in perspective. Even if teacher pre-service and in-service programs effectively prepared
teachers to incorporate global approaches consistently in their instruction, ultimately, it is up to
the administrators to support ongoing global education development (Gilliom & Farley, 1990).
Global education became readily available to all school stakeholders in the 1990s as the
growing popularity of the Internet brought a new dimension to global education. While the use
of the Internet and technology was primitive by today’s standards, the Internet was a valuable
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 14
resource for information about international affairs and issues from governments and
organizations around the world (Risinger, 1996). Teachers also started to use websites for lesson
planning, research, and classroom instruction. The Internet became a powerful tool for students
to conduct research, explore, and learn about global issues (Pohan & Mathison, 1998). There
were numerous advantages to using technology and the Internet to aid globally-based instruction,
but there were also some important concerns. The exponential growth of the Internet matched
that of the number of websites, authors, and points of view. As a result, it became increasingly
important for teachers and students to be aware of the authenticity and validity of the content
they consumed (Taylor, Bowers & Morrow, 1998). Part of the process of becoming a globally
competent individual was to understand different perspectives as well as to use technology to
consume material critically.
Technology and the Internet facilitated numerous opportunities for global education. In
addition to students’ and teachers’ learning about the world, there were also innovative
approaches to education itself. Along with an increase in collaboration came the popularity of
student and teacher exchanges (Friesen, 1995). Near the turn of the century, developing a global
perspective meant more than just reading about global issues; for some, it included experiential
global learning. Although travel and exchange programs such as the Fulbright U.S. Student
Program (2015) had been in existence since the 1940s, many travel and exchange programs
specifically focusing on global education were still in the early stages. Educational travel
programs were a response to the fact that many individuals, especially well-educated individuals,
still lacked adequate global awareness (Scott, 1998). In addition, reports from international
student exchange participants brought up new themes. Students found they had a very
ethnocentric approach and bias when traveling to foreign countries (Scott, 1998). However,
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 15
these new experiences allowed them to see the world and other cultures in a new light, and they
became more globally aware and understanding (Friesen, 1995; Scott, 1998).
In the 21
st
century, globalization continues to grow around the world as well as within
education. Organizations, partnerships, funding opportunities, and new positions were created as
a result of the focus on preparing globally competent students. In 2003, Asia Society created a
network of globally focused schools to help close the achievement gap by providing additional
opportunities and access to underserved populations (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011). Leaders at
some of these schools hired international studies coaches and global studies coordinators to act
as consultants and work with teachers to make global education a daily routine. This network
extended the way school leaders view global education. Instead of approaching global education
as a research lens, Asia Society views students as active participants in the world and works to
design opportunities for them to take action and make change in the world through real-world
hands-on projects that produce actionable results (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011).
While growth in global education was steady throughout the 20
th
century and into the 21
st

century, some opponents view global education as secondary and unnecessary (Manzo, 2005).
For example, In North Carolina, under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, there was a strong
need to improve achievement in mathematics and reading. Thus, instruction had to focus on
these concepts because teachers found they did not have enough time in the school year to cover
all standards necessary to prepare students for high-stakes assessments (Manzo, 2005). Despite
this opposition, the North Carolina Advisory Board integrated international concepts and features
into the existing curriculum.
The scores on high-stakes tests often drive the instructional and curricular foci in the
United States. In order to become college- and career-ready, as well as to be globally competent,
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 16
students measure up to their international competitors (Flynn, 1995; Mansilla & Jackson, 2011).
Even though, according to the United States Department of Education (2013), enrollment in
degree-granting post-secondary institutions in the United States increased 46% between 1996
and 2010, international benchmark assessment results fell behind those of many other countries.
In the most recent Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study assessment in 2011,
US 4
th
and 8
th
graders, respectively, ranked 11
th
and 9
th
in mathematics and 7
th
and 10
th
in science
(Mullis, Martin, Foy & Arora, 2012; Wang, 2011). Secondly, Scores on the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Programme for International Student
Assessment (PISA) were also below average and well behind the United States’ international
competitors (OECD, 2012).
Global education has come a long way over several decades, but many questions remain.
Can global education co-exist with a focus on mathematics and reading instruction in order to
increase standardized test scores? How will the increase of technology continue to create new
opportunities for global collaboration and exploration? How will teacher education programs
consistently infuse global approaches to their pedagogy? How will administrators pave
pathways for teachers to innovate and create environments that prepare students for the rigors of
the 21
st
century workforce? Finally, what types of innovative programs will be created to assist
students in achievement academically while also becoming globally competent citizens of the
world? This paper touches on each of these broad questions about the future of global education
and how each helps to answer the study’s four research questions.
Statement of the Problem
Over the past few decades, social, political, and technological advances created a more
globally interconnected society (Schröttner, 2010). However, the education world has not
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 17
changed at the same pace. The lack of educational innovation and change is problematic
because, when U.S. schools focus primarily on grades, high-stakes tests, and standards that fail
to promote globally applicable skills and awareness, students graduate without the skills required
to compete in the rapidly changing global economy. Many teachers and school leaders do not
have prior training in infusing global competence into their curricula. Furthermore, most teacher
education and administrative preparation programs fail to incorporate or emphasize global
awareness or global competence (Cushner & Brennan, 2007). Thus, even schools that focus on
international studies have employees without extensive training on global competence.
Global competence is also associated with global competitiveness. Students in the
United States need to be globally competent in order to be globally competitive (Education for
Global Competence, 1988; Karnyshev & Kostin, 2010). Recently, students in the United States
lacked the necessary global competitiveness. In 2012, out of 34 countries in the OECD, the
United States ranked 27
th
in mathematics, 17
th
in reading, and 20
th
in science, all below the
OECD average on the PISA (2012). The low scores on international assessments, such as the
PISA, show that students in the United States struggle with problem solving in terms of real-
world applications and reasoning strategies (Fleischman, Hopstock, Pelczar, & Shelley, 2010;
Neidorf, Binkley, Gattis, & Nohara, 2006; Mullis et al., 2012; PISA, 2012). These strategies are
necessary for global competence and preparedness.
Purpose of the Study
The primary purpose of this study was to expand upon the pre-existing literature to
uncover common, effective practices that international studies high schools use to build
culturally aware and globally competent students. The study will identify the specific skills and
practices of international studies high school principals. The principals surveyed and
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 18
interviewed will share strategies to create authentic global learning opportunities as well as the
issues they face when leading an international studies high schools. A secondary purpose of this
study was to serve as a resource for international studies high school principals who seek
strategies and practices to increase global competence among their students.
Research Questions
The following research questions will guide this study:
• What structures do high school principals put in place that facilitate global learning?
• What expectations do high school principals set for students in order to achieve global
competence?
• What professional development is provided to staff to support the development of
globally competent students?
• How do high school principals assess the effectiveness of global competency programs?
Significance of the Study
The findings from this study are significant to the growing body of research on global
competence and preparing students for an interconnected and interdependent society. The
findings demonstrate the importance of promoting global competence in schools and of how
global competence is correlated with the use of 21
st
century skills. Furthermore, this study
specifically provides strategies principals and other school leaders may incorporate to
successfully create a culture, systems, and programs that promote global competence. This study
offers a four-part theoretical framework to promote global competence in high schools:
“Investigate the World, Recognize Different Perspectives, Communicate Ideas, and Take
Action” (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011, p. 4). This theoretical framework offers a model for school
leaders, district officials, and school board members as well as charter and private school leaders
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 19
who either want to create a new international studies high school or want to reform school or
district practices. Finally, the findings from this study may demonstrate effective strategies
regardless of school or community demographics, school size, school or district structure, and
geographic location.
Given the shift to the Common Core State Standards in many states and an increased
focus on rigorous and relevant teaching and learning, information from this study can be used as
a foundation for curriculum, instruction, and assessment at international studies high schools
(Mansilla & Jackson, 2011). This study provides examples of effective practices and programs
identified in the schools studied and illustrates characteristics and assessment criteria of
successful international studies high schools. In addition, the implications and recommendations
provide pathways for future research on this issue. Thus, both practitioners and researchers may
benefit from this study’s findings.
Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations
Assumptions are factors within the study which the researcher does not control; however,
they are necessary in order for the study to be valid, authentic, and relevant (Simon, 2011).
There are five major assumptions associated with this study. First, it is assumed that principals
of international studies high schools who have been recommended by their peers to participate in
this study are considered exemplary. Thus, they were selected for qualitative in-depth interviews.
Second, it is assumed that each can accurately identify practices that have been effective and
contributed greatly to student learning and global competence. Third, it is assumed that all
surveyed and interviewed participants have a common, working knowledge of global
competence. Fourth, it is assumed that all principals in this study shared truthful and accurate
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 20
information. Finally, it is assumed that the methods used to collect and analyze data are
appropriate and lead to valid conclusions.
Limitations are outside of the researcher’s control and may weaken the study (Simon,
2011). The limitations of this study include time, researcher bias, and survey responses. First,
the data were collected within a time period of two months. The interviews were completed over
the span of one week and principals surveyed had one month to complete and return the survey.
Second, there is potential, as in any study that includes qualitative data collection and
interpretation, that the researcher may present a level of subjectivity to the study due to prior
experiences. Finally, the principal survey responses may contain self-reporting errors and
discrepancies.
While limitations are out of the researcher’s control, delimitations are within the
researcher’s control. Delimitations outline the boundaries of the study set by the researcher
(Simon, 2011). The delimitations of this study are generalization, sample size, and principal
status. There are delimitations with generalization due to the scope and relatively small sample
size, particularly with the qualitative in-depth interviews. Finally, the researcher did not seek to
examine any principal evaluation documents that would verify the effectiveness of the principal
at his/her school.
Definition of Terms
The following terms are used throughout the study:
• Achievement Gap: The differences in student performance between subgroups based on
socioeconomic status, race, gender, geographic location. The achievement gap is often
measured through standardized test scores, graduation rates, dropout rates, college
acceptance rates, and grade point averages (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011).
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 21
• Global Competence: The knowledge and skills necessary to adapt, communicate, and
participate across disciplines and cultural boundaries. Globally competent students are
prepared to succeed in the global economy (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011).
• Global Performance Outcomes: Four outcomes that encompass a globally competent high
school graduate: Investigate the World; Recognize Different Perspectives; Communicate
Ideas; and Take Action (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011).
• Graduate Performance Systems: A set of tools set forth by Asia Society to assist students
in developing global competence upon graduation (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011).
• International Studies High School: A school with grades 9-12 that have either
“International Studies,” “Global Studies,” or “Global Competence” in their school name
and/or mission/vision. The school could also be a member of a network of schools that
meets the above criteria.
• Network: A group of schools or individuals brought together, through collaboration, for a
common purpose (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011).
Overview of Study
This study is organized into five chapters. Chapter One provides an introduction of the
problem and background information on how education is the United States compares to that of
other countries and why global competency strategies and learning opportunities are important to
prepare students for a globally interdependent society. Chapter Two is a review of current
literature related to globalization trends, international benchmark assessment implications, and
how schools around the world prepare students for careers in the 21
st
century. The methodology
for surveying and interviewing principals of international studies high schools is outlined in
Chapter Three, which also presents the sample selection criteria, survey instruments, data
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 22
collection procedures, and data analysis tools. Chapter Four provides the findings and
interpretations of these. The fifth chapter of this study provides a discussion of the findings
along with implications and recommendations for further research on preparing globally
competent high school graduates.

PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 23
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Chapter One provided an introduction of the topic of global competence and set the stage
for the study. Chapter One provided a brief background of the literature on international studies
and global competence that will be expanded upon in Chapter Two. Chapter Two consists of a
review of the literature associated with promoting global competence in schools and is organized
according to the following sections:
• History of International Studies and Global Competency in High Schools
• What is Global Competence?
• Importance of Global Competence in Schools
• Global Competence in American Schools – An International Perspective
• Educational Networks that Promote Global Competence
• High School Programs that Promote Global Competence
• The History of and Rationale for International Baccalaureate Programs
• Study Abroad Programs in High School
• Professional Development around Teaching Global Competency in High Schools
• Achieving Global Competency through Technology
• College and Career Readiness through Global Competence
The review and analysis in each section focuses on peer-reviewed scholarly literature and
primary source documents published between 2000 and 2015, with the exception of the
subsection titled “History of International Studies and Global Competency in High Schools.”
The literature reviewed in this chapter serves as the foundation for this study, and gaps in the
literature illustrate the significance of this study.

PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 24
History of International Studies and Global Competency in High Schools
For decades, the U.S. education system focused on the concept of international studies,
mainly in higher education, foreign languages, and certain aspects of history (Kniep, 1989;
Perkins, 1979; Starr, 1979; Tucker, 1982). Kniep (1989) identified a need to better prepare
students for a globalized and interdependent world and sought to create a social studies
curriculum to prepare students for this reality. A decade after the 1979 Social Studies
Curriculum Guidelines called “to provide a historical perspective, to help a person perceive
patterns and systems, and to provide the foundation for social participation” (p. 399), Kniep
(1989) envisioned five conceptual themes of social studies that would serve as the big ideas
across each level: Interdependence, Change, Culture, Scarcity, and Conflict. These themes
would be re-introduced multiple times throughout a child’s education.
In the 20
th
century, international studies were also commonly found in foreign languages
(Starr, 1979). Starr (1979) and Perkins (1979) both noted it was very important to increase
foreign language programs in high schools in the United States. At the time, there were
approximately 70,000 high school foreign language teachers in the United States, and many of
them were not used effectively (Starr, 1979). Foreign languages were not required in most high
schools at the time, which led to a population of bilingual Americans inadequately prepared to
serve the growing demand of business and relations in foreign markets (Starr, 1979).
Furthermore, Perkins (1979) found that American students were less likely to study a foreign
language in high school than they had been in previous years. In fact, in 1979, 15% of American
high school students were enrolled in a foreign language course, while, in 1965, 24% of studied a
foreign language (Perkins, 1979). This trend prompted schools and districts to offer foreign
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 25
languages to more high school students and a place greater emphasis on international studies
within these courses (Perkins, 1979; Starr, 1979).
Global education saw a spike in popularity in the 1980s and 1990s, initially due to the
increased focus on reforming and re-imagining social studies and foreign language programs.
With the nearing of the 21
st
century and the inception of new technological tools, including the
Internet, it became essential that students be future-ready upon high school graduation (Risinger,
1996). Risinger (1996) noted it was imperative that students be internationally competitive and
that high school curriculum and instruction in the United States be geared toward this goal.
Anderson, Nicklas, and Crawford (1994) took global education a step further by providing a
global education framework, including a rationale for global education and activities outlining
how global education can be implemented into curricula. This global framework also focused on
the fact that class assessments should be performance-based to give students an authentic global
education experience and allow for opportunities such as portfolios, exhibitions, and role play
activities (Anderson, Nicklas, & Crawford, 1994).
The turn of the century brought an increased emphasis on a school-wide focus on global
education. The events of September 11, 2001, brought a somber reminder that the world is a
complex, interconnected environment and that it is imperative for young, educated Americans to
be globally aware and culturally sensitive (Kagan & Stewart, 2004). Kagan and Stewart (2004)
called for schools to focus both on using a global education approach and on helping nurture a
future generation of global leaders. High schools lagged behind higher education in
“internationalizing” education mainly due to the highly bureaucratic nature of most public school
systems in the United States (Kagan & Stewart, 2004). As a result, Kagan and Stewart (2004)
called for a decentralization of education to promote global education. Darling-Hammond
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 26
(2002) agrees with this sentiment that school reform needs to be decentralized away from
bureaucracies and corporate models in order for school leaders to receive the autonomy and
decision-making power to best suit their student population. Jackson (2004) followed the lead
regarding a decentralized global education environment by partnering with the Gates Foundation
to open globally-themed high schools. These schools would promote global education and
prepare globally aware students in urban settings where achievement levels and cultural
awareness present the greatest challenge (Jackson, 2004).
While the term, “global competence” has many connections to the ideas presented in the
20
th
century regarding international studies and global education, it was scarcely used prior to
2011. Asia Society coined the term “global competence” as part of the inception of its
International Studies Schools Network (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011). Mansilla and Jackson
(2011) introduce and elaborate on the term and present the rationale for integration of global
competence strategies into high school curricula. Finally, the authors present concrete inter-
disciplinary examples of how global competence can be taught in classrooms (Mansilla &
Jackson, 2011). Mansilla and Jackson’s work serves as the seminal document for global
competence research since its publication. The next section defines global competence and how
it is utilized in high schools.
What is Global Competence?
Propelled by decades of research, combined with the increasing need for students to be
prepared to interact with others across, cultural, ethnic, geographic, and societal boundaries, the
Asia Society Partnership for Global Learning and the Council for Chief State School Officers
partnered with a new focus on the global education movement: an emphasis on global
competence (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011). The two organizations collaborated for over a year to
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 27
explore categorizing and judging certain skills that proved difficult to evaluate. During this
exploration period, the two organizations created and commissioned a task force comprised of
individuals and representatives from a multitude of backgrounds brought together for a common
purpose: to explore the meaning of global competence. After multiple attempts to define this
concept, the task force decided on the following definition: “Global competence is the capacity
and disposition to understand and act on issues of global significance” (Mansilla & Jackson,
2011, p. xiii). In essence, globally competent individuals will be aware of and interested in
exploring how the world works and identifying the role they play in it.
Mansilla and Jackson (2011) also identify four cornerstones of global competence:
investigating the world, recognizing different perspectives, communicating ideas, and taking
action. Students must be able to investigate the world in order to create a sense of awareness and
understanding of how the world works and to build upon pre-existing knowledge of global
issues. Students must also recognize perspectives other than their own in order to see all points
of view and become understanding and empathetic global consumers (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011;
Wiley, 2013). Third, students must be able to communicate their ideas through a wide variety of
methods, including multiple technological methods. The ability to articulate one’s ideas is
integral in order to become an active member of our global society (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011;
Wiley, 2013). Finally, it is essential for students to envision themselves as change agents for the
world (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; Wiley, 2013). Therefore, in the words of Mahatma Gandhi
(n.d.), students must be confident and competent enough to “be the change that you wish to see
in the world.”
The Asia Society’s education sector, called the International Studies Schools Network
seeks to ensure students graduate college- and career-ready as well as globally competent
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 28
(Jackson, 2004; Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; Wiley, 2013). College and career readiness shows
that students are adequately prepared to take on the challenges and rigors of freshman-level
college courses or entry-level jobs (Conley, 2010). The network’s members emphasize college
and career readiness as necessary to compete within both higher education and the workforce.
However, the network’s literature indicates that, at the same time, simply focusing on college
and career readiness in not enough to prepare students to become future leaders and change
agents (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011). Thus, global competence was included as part of network
members’ vision. College- and career-ready individuals who are also globally competent will
have the skills, the understanding, and empathy needed to lead in this global era.
Providing students these global competence skills and abilities requires multiple
curriculum changes (Suarez-Orozco & Sattin, 2007). Classrooms in the 21
st
century must move
away from discipline-specific content that does not involve real-world connections and move
toward curriculum that focuses on big ideas, relevant issues, and on enhancing real-world skills
(Suarez-Orozco & Sattin, 2007). Suarez-Orozco and Sattin (2007) identify five necessary skills
that all global competent individuals should have: critical thinking skills, communication skills,
language skills, collaborative skills, and technology skills. Thus, the global classroom
environment should shift away from introversive textbook-based learning to extroversive,
collaborative environments where students learn from their peers, are critical consumers of
knowledge, and are able to synthesize knowledge from multiple sources and disciplines
(Gardner, 2004; OECD, 2005; Suarez-Orozco & Sattin, 2007). The next section describes how
the literature emphasizes the importance of global competence.

PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 29
Importance of Global Competence in Schools
While the literature on global competence is emerging, the literature on the importance of
a global approach to education, including aspects of global competence, is strong and consistent.
Barron and Darling-Hammond (2008) note that the world evolves at an extraordinarily rapid
pace, and, in order to adequately prepare our students for the new workforce, it is necessary to
change the education system. They add that students must be prepared to be innovators and
entrepreneurs, instead of traditional workers in the labor market (Barron & Darling-Hammond,
2008). These new desired results require more inquiry-based and cooperative learning
techniques so students can perform complex tasks and critically think through problems and
issues that they have not encountered before. These skills are necessary because these are the
same applicable skills that students will need to be competitive in the global workforce (Barron
& Darling-Hammond, 2008).
Project-based learning is a tool that helps students become globally competent through
rich and relevant learning experiences (Barron & Darling-Hammond, 2008). Multiple studies
show that classrooms that utilize project-based learning out-perform classrooms with traditional
approaches to learning. Gallagher, Stepien, and Rosenthal (1992) found that project-based
learning increased students’ abilities to define problems. Stepien, Gallagher, and Workman
(1993) reported that project-based classrooms led to an increase in students’ abilities to reason
and construct viable arguments. Students in project-based settings also become more advanced
problem solvers by being able to identify what they need to learn and apply successful strategies
to find a solution (Barrows, 1996). Each of these qualities enhanced through project-based
learning are directly correlated with students’ becoming globally competent (Mansilla &
Jackson, 2011).
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 30
The literature also states that, when students collaborate with each other through group
work, they practice skills that will ultimately prepare them to be globally competent (Barron &
Darling-Hammond, 2008; Mansilla & Jackson, 2011). These skills include sharing their own
ideas and critiquing those of others (Bos, 1937). This concept is directly associated with one of
Asia Society’s outcomes of global competence: communicating ideas (Mansilla & Jackson,
2011; Wiley, 2013). In groups, students also benefit from different perspectives and from
resolving differences in a productive manner (Amigues, 1988). According to Mansilla and
Jackson (2011), as well as Wiley (2013), recognizing different perspectives is another key
element in global competence. All in all, collaborative group work gives students social
experiences in an intellectual setting that help them become more self-aware and socially
responsible (Barron & Darling-Hammond, 2008).
Assessment is another major factor that must change so that students are assessed on 21
st

century skills, using criteria that involve actionable, constructive, specific, and immediate
feedback (Barron & Darling-Hammond, 2008). According to Barron and Darling-Hammond
(2008), some of these assessment methods include rubrics, performance assessments, portfolios,
and self-assessments. These assessment methods help evaluate skills that are typically hard to
define, such as collaboration, critical thinking, and synthesis. In addition, effective performance
assessments can help enhance the quality of teaching (Barron & Darling-Hammond, 2008).
Portfolios are an increasingly popular and valuable form of assessment. The creation of
portfolios often requires authentic learning experiences and activities, and, thus, forces teachers
to rethink their course curricula (Murphy, Bergamini, & Rooney, 1997). Portfolios also naturally
create learning goals and benchmarks for students because portfolios are long-term works and,
thus, are more process-oriented than product-oriented (Murphy et al., 1997). Portfolios also
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 31
allow for individuality, as students inherently have unique learning needs and learn at difference
paces. Therefore, portfolios create classrooms where each student’s individual learning needs
are much more likely to be met through personalized learning activities that become a part of
his/her own portfolio (Zemelman, Daniels, & Hyde, 1993). Finally, portfolios are authentic
documents; they display artifacts that showcase an individual’s learning process (Murphy et al.,
1997). Traditional standardized multiple-choice tests to assess students’ intellectual capabilities
need to be replaced with performance-based assessments that evaluate the whole child through
the use of sophisticated criteria and real-world applications (Barron & Darling-Hammond, 2008;
Wiggins, 1989; Zemelman et al., 1993). These non-traditional forms of assessment, including
portfolios, can be used to evaluate and provide feedback to students in terms of becoming
globally competent (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011). The next section looks at the literature on
global competence from an international perspective to see how other countries view this
concept.
Global Competence in Schools – An International Perspective
Students need to be globally competent in order to have the skills and knowledge
necessary to compete on the global stage (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011). Therefore, it is necessary
to understand countries with greater achievement on international benchmarks assessments than
that of the United States educate their youth. On the Programme for International Student
Assessment (2012), the United States performed below average for countries in the OECD. Out
of 34 countries, in mathematics, reading, and science, the United States ranked 27
th
, 17
th
, and
20
th
, respectively (Programme for International Student Assessment, 2012). Furthermore, the
United States witnessed a decrease in reading, mathematics, and science achievement on this
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 32
assessment over several years (Darling-Hammond, 2009). This prompted Darling-Hammond
(2009) to explore how other countries achieve at a rate higher than that of the United States.
Darling-Hammond (2009) noted that high-achieving countries, such as Finland, do not
have the same type of standards as the United States does. The United States requires so many
standards be taught in each course that teachers do not spend an adequate amount of time on any
one topic. Thus, students do not gain a deep understanding of the material (Darling-Hammond,
2009). The other countries studied had a much lower number of standards and focused beyond
these to create a high quality system of teaching and learning (Darling-Hammond, 2009). The
focus on fewer standards allows teachers and students to delve deeper into a topic in order to
gain mastery-level understanding through a variety of learning experiences. Furthermore, some
schools in these countries spend as much as a quarter of the school year on one topic (Darling-
Hammond, 2009).
Another primary reason for this international achievement gap is the types of learning
experiences students are exposed to in high-performing countries as compared to those in the
United States. The PISA is an assessment that addresses higher-order thinking skills (Darling-
Hammond, 2009; Programme for International Student Assessment, 2012). Countries such as
Finland and Singapore have their students consistently research, analyze, and explain their points
of view in classes and on assessments (Darling-Hammond, 2009). In these countries, Darling-
Hammond (2009) observed project-based learning, student investigation, student inquiry, and
student reflection. For example, students in Singapore were observed in a science classroom
creating a natural skin product to repel mosquitos. These students designed their own
experiment, gathered their own materials, tested their own hypotheses, and ultimately created
five possible products (Darling-Hammond, 2009). These types of authentic learning
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 33
opportunities are extremely rare in the United States, where science is most often taught through
memorization of facts and the most common type of assessment is the multiple-choice exam
(Darling-Hammond, 2009).
There are multiple differences between school systems and the culture of education
between the United States and its international competitors. However, none is more prevalent
than teacher quality and the culture and status of the teaching profession (Barber & Mourshed,
2007; Darling-Hammond, 2009). Barber and Mourshed (2007) call teachers the single most
important part of the education system. Darling-Hammond (2009) states there is a strong
correlation between teacher quality and educational achievement, noting that teachers in Finland
must complete three years of intensive and selective graduate school before entering the
profession. This selectivity and the increased barriers to entry into the teaching profession have
implications for the status and regard of the teaching profession because teachers in Finland are
paid as highly and are respected as admirably as are doctors, lawyers, and engineers (Darling-
Hammond, 2009). In addition, teachers are paid higher wages in countries such as Finland,
Singapore, and South Korea as compared to relative wages in the United States. However,
according to Darling-Hammond (2009), higher wages are not the primary reason for the high
quality of teachers; it is the morale of the profession as a whole.
Prior to the turn of the century, Finland embarked on the PISA 2000 project. This project
focused on pedagogy and strengthening teacher education, which, in turn, improved student
achievement rates on the PISA. These rates meant Finland lead the rest of the world in reading
literacy in 2000 and mathematics literacy and science literacy in 2003 (Simola, 2005). The
increased focus on teacher education also led to an 86% teacher satisfaction rate, according to
Finnish researchers Raty, Snellman, Mantysaari-Hetekorpi, and Vornanen (1995). These are
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 34
some of the reasons countries such as Finland have high quality teachers and, thus, high levels of
student achievement (Darling-Hammond, 2009). These high-achieving students are whom
American students will work with and compete against in the future (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011).
The next section focuses on the ways in which some educational networks promote global
competence in the United States.
Educational Networks that Promote Global Competence
The emergence of global competence resulted in the creation of multiple global
educational networks that bring together like-minded individuals and organizations for a
common purpose (Gray, 2015). Networks such as the International Studies Schools Network,
Deeper Learning Network, Global Cities Education Network, and the Internationals Network for
Public Schools created and maintained a distinct focus on educating youth toward global
competence. In addition, numerous global education networks were born abroad, including the
Global Education Network Europe and the Global Education Network of Young Europeans.
Finally, in 2010, participants in these and other global networks convened virtually for the
inaugural Global Education Conference (Gray, 2015).
The aforementioned International Studies Schools Network was created in 2003 by Asia
Society through a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to partner with public
schools around the United States to help nurture globally competent high school graduates
(International Studies Schools Network, 2015; Jackson, 2004). This network works
collaboratively with 34 primary and secondary schools across the United States to support
teachers and school leaders through on-site professional development, school-to-school
collaboration throughout the network, and through the Graduate Performance System, a model
that streamlines globally focused curriculum and instruction that leads to performance-based
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 35
assessment (International Studies Schools Network, 2015; Mansilla & Jackson, 2011). These
assessments are then compiled into each student’s graduate portfolio as a means to demonstrate
college and career readiness and global competence upon high school completion (International
Studies Schools Network, 2015; Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; Wiley, 2013).
The Global Cities Education Network is another global education learning community
created by Asia Society. This network was designed to bring together education experts from
around the world to identify and prioritize common, research-based problems that schools and
organizations can delve into to learn from and create solutions for (Global Cities Education
Network, 2015). The cities involved in this network are Denver, Hong Kong, Melbourne,
Seattle, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Houston, Lexington, and Toronto. Schools within this
network embody the concept of a global learning community, because the Global Cities
Education Network (2015) is intended to bring cities from North America and Asia together to
learn from one another through best practices and collaborative problem solving of the world’s
biggest issues.
The Internationals Network for Public Schools (2013) began in 1985 with the creation of
its first high school in New York and with the mission to provide new immigrants to the United
States a quality globally focused education. This network grew to support 18 international high
schools in New York, California, and Virginia (Internationals Network for Public Schools,
2013). Through ongoing support and inter-school collaboration, the Internationals Network for
Public Schools (2013) has five core principles: Heterogeneity and Collaboration, Experiential
Learning, Language and Content Integration, Localized Autonomy and Responsibility, and One
Learning Model for All. These core principles are meant to help new immigrant students feel
comfortable and become accustomed both to the United States and to new cultures while also
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 36
celebrating each student’s unique cultural and linguistic backgrounds (Internationals Network for
Public Schools, 2013).
The Deeper Learning Network is a unique network, compared to the other educational
networks highlighted in this literature review, because it is a macro-network. In other words, this
network brings together each of the previously mentioned educational networks, among others
(Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013). Ten educational networks including comprise The Deeper
Learning Network: Asia Society, Big Picture Learning, ConnectEd or Linked Learning,
EdVision Schools, Envision Education, Expeditionary Learning, High Tech High, Internationals
Network for Public Schools, New Tech Network, and New Visions for Public Schools (Vander
Ark & Schneider, 2013). While not every program in the Deeper Learning Network is directly
driven toward global competence the overarching goal of every school and organization in this
network is to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to compete and succeed in
the 21
st
century (Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013). In addition, six competencies were set forth
by the deeper learning network: Master Core Academic Content, Think Critically and Solve
Complex Problems, Work Collaboratively, Communicate Effectively, Learn How to Learn, and
Develop Academic Mindsets. These competencies have direct linkages to the four outcomes of
global competence: investigate the world, recognize different perspectives, communicate ideas,
and take action (Mansilla & Jackson 2011). The next section presents a closer look at some of
the high schools in these educational networks to identify programs that promote global
competence.
High School Programs that Promote Global Competence
This section focuses on literature regarding schools in the previously highlighted
educational networks to identify how these schools prepare their students to become globally
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 37
competent. First, the Denver Center for International Studies was one of the founding schools in
the International Studies School Network (2015) and is a member of the Hewlett Foundation’s
Deeper Learning network (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013). This
school offers both a high school diploma to and a diploma of international studies, signifying the
achievement of global competence (Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013). In order to become
globally competent and receive this additional diploma, students must complete three semester-
long research-based projects called “Passages” (Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013). These
Passages are relevant, globally-themed projects based on issues the world currently faces.
During these projects, students must take ownership and initiative to introduce a research topic,
successfully propose it to a faculty advisor, conduct research, collect data, and recommend
possible solutions action before presenting the work to an audience of faculty, alumni,
community members, and business partners (Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013). These Passages
help students critically think about and analyze the world to become globally competent and to
mimic a semester-long process of a doctoral dissertation.
The second school example the International School of the Americas (ISA) in San
Antonio, Texas. This magnet high school is also a part of the International Studies Schools
Network (2015) and the Deeper Learning network (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; Vander Ark &
Schneider, 2013). While espousing the common ideal of preparing students to become globally
competent, ISA leaders developed different programs. In addition to offering the Model United
Nations as a course, they host an annual national competition to discuss and collaborate on
relevant global issues and possible solutions wherein each participating group acts as a specific
country’s representatives (Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013). ISA staff members also seek to
create a strong sense of global competence at all levels. They regularly hold simulated town hall
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 38
meetings as part of course curriculum to discuss issues that directly affect the community.
According to Kathy Bieser, Director of ISA, these experiences prepare students to actively
participate and communicate their ideas in a public forum to make real change (Vander Ark &
Schneider, 2013).
ISA leaders also believe that global competence must be learned in multiple forms
(Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013). Thus, each course’s curriculum incorporates globally
applicable and thematic units. For example, every ninth grader researches a script from an
international folktale and performs that story in a creative manner in front of an elementary
school class (Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013). All eleventh graders travel to Alabama as a class
after studying the American Civil Rights for a first-hand visit of the exact locations and artifacts
of the historical movement. Afterwards, all students create presentations and propose solutions
based on modern injustices (Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013). Then, as twelfth graders, students
lead all operations of the annual Model United Nations conference, with a real $30,000 operating
budget. In preparation for this event, students must collaborate with their peers to find hotel
accommodations for all guests, reserve caterers, and interact with the local media in order for
this 1,000 student conference to run smoothly (Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013).
The third high school highlighted for its global competence programs is the International
High School at LaGuardia Community College. This school is the founding school in the
Internationals Network for Public Schools (2013) and is also a member of the Deeper Learning
Network (Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013). School leaders promote global competence through
two avenues: internships and community service projects. Students who work at internships
relate their classes’ globally focused curriculum to real-world issues at government agencies,
businesses, and hospitals (International High School, 2010). Students are, then, required to
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 39
individually design and follow through on a community service project. In this project, students
must research global and local issues that may include poverty, disease, and/or violence. Then,
they serve their community to help mitigate this issue on a local scale and present an audience
with research on solving the issue at the macro level (International High School, 2010). Once
these projects, along with other academic and linguistic tasks are completed, each student
presents and defends his/her portfolio of work in a fashion similar to that of students at Denver
Center for International Studies (International High School, 2010; Vander Ark & Schneider,
2013). All in all, these examples present successful globally focused which may serve as
models for like-minded school leaders who hope to promote global competence. The next
section presents at a historical perspective of International Baccalaureate programs, provides a
rationale for these programs’ success, and the manner in which these help students become
globally competent.
The History of and Rationale for International Baccalaureate Programs
The International Baccalaureate Organization originated in Geneva, Switzerland in 1968
(Hill, 2012; Wells, 2011). In 2007, the name of the organization changed to International
Baccalaureate (IB). Within the IB system, there are four programs: The Primary Years
Programme, The Middle Years Programme, The Diploma Programme, and The Career-Related
Programme (Hill, 2012; Wells, 2011). For the purposes of this study, the literature reviewed
herein relates primarily to the Diplomas Programme, since this program is geared toward high
school students. The mission of IB is to develop young minds who are knowledgeable, and
caring to help create a world with greater respect and understanding for one another (Lineham,
2013; Wells, 2011). Thus, supporters of the IB model believe it is no longer enough to prepare
students to be good mathematicians or scientists; educators must prepare students to be leaders
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 40
and decision-makers who can adapt to the rapidly changing world (Wells, 2011). Within the IB
model lies the IB Learner Profile, which consists of ten attributes all IB learners strive for:
Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Risk-
takers, Balanced, and Reflective (Wells, 2011). The Diploma Programme is a rigorous two-year
program that infuses college preparatory curriculum with features of global education (Hallinger,
Moosung, & Walker, 2011).
The international mindedness of IB is one of its main strengths, and it is one of the major
reasons the program experienced significant growth in popularity in schools around the world
(Hallinger et al., 2011; Hill, 2012; Lineham, 2013; Wells, 2011). In fact, the Diploma
Programme saw 55.67% growth within schools between 2007 and 2012, but this increase was the
smallest among the four IB programs (Lineham, 2013). Of note is the fact that some schools in
the deeper learning networks also adopted the IB model. For example, Sussex Academy in
Georgetown, Delaware is a member of the Expeditionary Learning and Deeper Learning
Networks as well as an IB school (Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013). Sussex Academy maintains
a strong focus on students’ accountability for their own learning through portfolio development
and its vision of “cultivating students of distinction by providing them with the knowledge,
skills, and values to become successful, productive citizens” (Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013, p.
70). Another example of a school in a globally focused education network and IB is Ignatius
International School, a member of the International Studies Schools Network, the Deeper
Learning Network and IB (Wiley, 2013). Due to its multiple internationally-minded programs,
the school’s Diploma Programme Coordinator also serves as the International Studies Schools
Network Consultant for the school. The Diploma Programme allows school staff to streamline
and infuse the curriculum, assessment, and structure of IB with the professional development
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 41
support and global project-based learning approach of the International Studies Schools Network
(Wiley, 2013).
Another strength IB presents is its focus on developing the whole student through
progressive curriculum and pedagogy (Hallinger et al., 2011). IB has also been redesigned from
a program solely for international schools and students, traditionally, with the socioeconomic
means for such an education. As of 2012, 57% of IB schools do not require tuition and 21% of
IB schools were Title 1 eligible, meaning they received federal funds due to enrolling high
numbers of children from low-income families (Hill, 2012). For example, the IB Diploma
Programme at Binghamton High School gave students who come from some of the poorest
neighborhoods in New York City the opportunity to have the same academic experiences with
the same curriculum, assessments, and expectations as any elite school in any part of the world
(Hill, 2012). Due to the fact that IB is widely utilized and highly regarded by educators and
organizations around the world, it sets an unofficial common standard of international
competitiveness for rigor and relevance in education (Hill, 2012).
While IB is a well-respected and widely celebrated program that promotes global
competence, there have been multiple criticisms about some of its aspects. First, Hallinger,
Moosung, and Walker (2011) found transition problems among the Primary Years Programme,
Middle Years Programme, and Diploma Programme, although each was designed exclusively
from the others another (Hallinger et al., 2011). Second, Wells (2011) noted that, while the IB
Learner Profile is consistent and comprehensive, it lacks clarity within its nomenclature. It is
also unclear how the IB Organization and the schools which utilize the program monitor the
teaching of the attributes in the IB Learner Profile (Wells, 2011). Finally, according to results
from Lineham’s (2013) case study, IB students were not aware of the IB mission statement and
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 42
could not identify it in their everyday lessons. These issues raise questions as to the overall
effectiveness of the IB structure. However, all of the literature indicated that the IB Diploma
Programme is internationally oriented and prepares students to become globally competent
citizens of the world (Hallinger et al., 2011; Hill, 2012; Lineham, 2013; Wells, 2011). The next
section explores different programs that allow high school students to become globally
competent through studying abroad.
Study Abroad Programs in High School
The literature on studying abroad and student travel at the high school level is thin. In
fact, the lack of literature as a whole on the topic speaks to the irregularity of high school student
travel programs. Much of the research on studying abroad and educational travel focuses on the
college level and teacher preparation in the area of global competence. However, McLellan
(2011) makes a strong argument that educators must make greater attempts to promote
international travel prior to college in order to prepare students for a global education.
Furthermore, urban students and especially students of color need more opportunities to study
abroad and experience the world first hand (McLellan, 2011). These travel programs also
provide students increased global knowledge and awareness (McLellan, 2011). Global travel
programs are an important aspect of studying foreign languages in order to practice the language
through immersion while also learning about its speakers’ culture and customs (McLellan, 2011).
Some of the reasons there are few study abroad programs in high school are due to
financial burdens, staff encouragement, the effect of missed classes on academic requirements,
lack of family support, and fears of traveling abroad (Lincoln Fellowships Advisory Council,
2004; Jarvis & Jenkins, 2003; McLellan, 2011; Norflores, 2003). These are also the main
reasons it is even less likely that students of color and students from low socioeconomic
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 43
backgrounds will have the opportunity to travel and study abroad (Jarvis & Jenkins, 2003;
Norflores, 2003). There are multiple organizations across the United States that promote travel,
though at a high cost. In addition, there are few student travel grants available to high school
students, and these can only serve a miniscule portion of students from disadvantaged
backgrounds (Lincoln Fellowships Advisory Council, 2004).
The literature suggests that educational travel programs offer students knowledge, skills,
and experiences that last well beyond the term of the travel program. According to Hayward and
Siaya (2001), 64% of survey respondents from a national sample reported they follow
international news events and are interested in international affairs, which was far less than the
proportion of respondents who had previously traveled abroad. In addition, foreign languages
are a leading indicator of studying abroad. The study found that students who speak multiple
languages were more likely to travel and study abroad than those who do not (Hayward & Siaya,
2001). Still, the vast majority of study abroad programs focus on the college level and leave
behind high school students, many of whom graduate and enter college without adequate global
awareness (Bellamy & Weinberg, 2006; Lincoln Fellowships Advisory Council, 2004;
McLellan, 2011). While there are multiple barriers to student travel, especially among those
from disadvantaged backgrounds, the long-term benefits for those who do travel abroad are
significant. Bellamy and Weinberg (2006) sum up the importance and effects of student travel
on global competence by noting, “Study abroad programs teach important intercultural and
language skills, but the true success of a program occurs within a student, when she realizes that
she can see the world from a different cultural viewpoint” (p. 20).
There are examples of successful study abroad programs in the previously-mentioned
international studies-focused schools, including the Denver Center for International Studies, the
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 44
International School of the Americas, and Ignatius High School. The Denver Center for
International Studies allows students to travel domestically and abroad through multiple student
exchange partnerships. In the past, students traveled to France, Italy, Argentina, Peru,
Switzerland, Ecuador, Spain, and Finland (Denver Center for International Studies, 2015;
Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013). In addition, students, staff, and families hosted numerous
students from other states and countries. The campus also has a travel center that promotes
student travel both domestically and abroad, and the travel center even helps students in need
receive scholarships for some travel programs (Denver Center for International Studies, 2015).
The International School of the Americas actively promotes study abroad programs on a broad
scale. As mentioned earlier, all juniors travel to Alabama as a part of a curricular trip after
studying the American Civil Rights Movement (Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013). In addition,
school leaders partnered with sister schools in China, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, and Mexico
to create travel opportunities for students and promote global competence (Vander Ark &
Schneider, 2013). Finally, Ignatius High School leaders created a strong partnership with the
Sister Cities Council to allow for domestic and international student travel programs, which has
become a staple at the school and an expectation for many parents upon enrolling their children
(Wiley, 2013). Thus, some schools promote global competence through student travel and study
abroad programs; however, these types of programs are rare (McLellan, 2011). The next section
describes research on the role of professional development programs in helping school staff
promote global competence.
Professional Development on Teaching Global Competence in High Schools
While the literature stated the importance of promoting global competence through
external programs, such as study abroad or IB, the literature also emphasizes the significance of
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 45
quality pedagogy through effective professional development (Coleman, 2014; King &
Newmann, 2000; Moore, 2000). Furthermore, with increasing globalization, teaching and
learning must adapt to these changes (Banks et al., 2001). In order for teaching and learning to
adapt to these changes, teacher education and educator professional development must lead the
way (Banks et al., 2001). Thus, professional development and support must be geared toward
facilitating global and intercultural awareness amongst teachers and other educators to ultimately
promote global competence for students (Banks et al., 2001).
One issue that raised in the literature is that many educators may not be globally or
culturally competent themselves, as global awareness and intercultural competence was not a
focus in teacher preparation programs until recently (Coleman, 2014). Therefore, before
learning how to facilitate and promote global competence among students, teachers must have
sufficient global awareness and understanding. Teacher professional development needs to be
designed to both promote global competence as well as skills, knowledge, and information that
help implement and facilitate global competency programs in classrooms (Coleman, 2014). For
example, Coleman (2014) states that it is vital that teachers are adequately prepared to facilitate
classroom discussions based around relevant world issues, which often can include topics that
are either contentious or difficult to discuss. Teachers also need professional development in
order to effectively facilitate the use of technology in classrooms to promote global competence,
which is specifically elaborated on within the next section of this chapter (Coleman, 2014;
Wiley, 2013).
Teachers at schools that participate in global education-related networks, such as the
International Studies Schools Network and the Internationals Network for Public School, already
receive professional development from instructional coaches and consultants who work for the
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 46
networks (Internationals Network for Public Schools, 2013; International Studies Schools
Network, 2015; Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013; Wiley, 2013). This
type of professional development varies from school-to-school, but the support is mainly
external (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; Wiley, 2013). Nonetheless, a focus of many of these
network training events is building internal expertise through globally-based professional
development (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011).
A question the literature raises is how schools prioritize professional development
regarding global competence when districts and schools have numerous mandates and initiatives
to implement each year, such as technology programs, teacher evaluation initiatives, and
preparing for and reviewing test data (Coleman, 2014). Coleman (2014) urges schools and
districts to minimize the number of extra initiatives each year so schools can focus on consistent
professional development that can delve deep into issues that have a direct impact on student
learning and achievement. In addition, effective professional development needs to be
consistent; the one-time professional development approach proved to be less effective than
ongoing professional development (Castillo, 2011; Coleman, 2014). Finally, professional
development must also be directly applicable to classroom practices, such as promoting global
competence in order for teachers to maximize the usefulness of the training (Castillo, 2011;
Coleman, 2014).
Educator professional development is not the only teacher training system that needs to
be globally focused; new teacher induction programs also need to emphasize global competence
in their courses, so the new generation of teachers enter the profession with the knowledge,
skills, and awareness to teach in a global education environment (Merryfield, 1997). Merryfield
(1997) created a conceptual framework focused on exploring global perspectives through teacher
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 47
education programs. One popular idea amongst the literature on preparing teachers to be global
educators is student-teaching abroad (Cwick & Benton, 2009; Merryfield, 1997). Cwick and
Benton (2009) point out that millennials who enter the teaching profession are often accustomed
to learning through the “CNN approach,” where they gather information based on images and
sound bites to create their own understanding of how things work. Cwick and Benton (2009)
mention various student-teacher study abroad program ideas, including short-term and long-term
programs. However, only long-term study abroad programs, approximately eight to sixteen
weeks in length, offer enough time for student-teachers to completely understand and experience
cultural differences enough to significantly affect their global education outlook. In conclusion,
according to the literature, effective professional development and teacher education on global
competence must be consistent and provide applicable pedagogical approaches to teaching and
learning in a global education environment (Banks et al., 2001; Coleman, 2014; Cwick &
Benton, 2009; Merryfield, 1997; Wiley, 2013). The following section presents a review of
literature focused on how technology is used to develop 21
st
century skills and global
competence.
Achieving Global Competency Through Technology
Researchers are in consensus that technology plays an increasingly important role in
education today and will only continue to grow in the future (Bragaw, 2001; O’Kane, 2010;
Moldenhauer, 2010). According to O’Kane (2010), technology in education has important
implications for educators in terms of preparing students to be ready for a future that will likely
involve jobs, skills, and technologies that do not yet exist. The importance of educational
technology is more apparent in urban schools and communities where technology is not as
readily accessible as it is in most suburban, affluent neighborhoods (O’Kane, 2010). Therefore,
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 48
it presents an even greater need for schools in urban communities to infuse technology into the
curriculum and for students to learn through technology exploration (O’Kane, 2010).
While technology brings extraordinary potential for learning and bringing global
awareness, Bragaw (2001) cautions that technology is not and can not be treated as the be-all-
end-all, but it can be a powerful tool if it is used to support learning through collaborative
projects and other authentic learning experiences. This is why multiple educational technology
organizations work to find the most effective ways to harness the potential of technology into a
comprehensible, yet powerful, tool for students. Organizations such as the International Society
for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the International Education and Resource Network
(iEARN), among others, place a heavy emphasis on preparing students to be technologically
literate and savvy (Bragaw, 2001).
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is a non-profit
organization with a goal to empower and connect students and educators around the world
through technology to enhance teaching and learning (ISTE, 2015). One of the most prominent
features of ISTE (2015) is its technology standards. The organization presents specific standards
for students, teachers, administrators, instructional coaches, and computer science teachers that
serve as a guide for each stakeholder group to prepare students for the future (ISTE, 2015). The
ISTE network also serves as a collaboration hub for schools, districts, and educational
organizations through webinars, conferences, and other digital discussion-based platforms (ISTE,
2015).
Another organization that brings together a global community network around creating
opportunities for students to learn through technology-based collaborative problem solving is
iEARN (Bragaw, 2001). This network began in 1988 and grew to serve approximately 100
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 49
countries and 400,000 educators to become the largest K-12 network in the world (Bragaw,
2001). This network focuses primarily on using technology to enhance global project-based
learning. Bragaw (2001) notes that projects within the iEARN network are often inter-
disciplinary and include global collaboration among students and schools from different regions
of the world through the Internet, email, or videoconferencing. In fact, according to
Moldenhauer (2010), digital collaborative opportunities, such as synchronous and asynchronous
videoconferencing are essential aspects to a global education. For example, a high school
classroom in Los Angeles can use videoconferencing to connect with a classroom in Senegal to
collaboratively work on a globally-based project around water scarcity and the importance of
clean water (Bragaw, 2001; Moldenhauer, 2010).
Technology-based collaboration, such as videoconferencing not only promotes global
competency amongst students, but also enhances and improves efficiency of educator
professional development. The annual Global Education Conference is held completely virtually
(Gray, 2015). The purpose of this conference is to bring together educators from around the
world to collaborate and learn from each other on ways to promote global competence through
innovative curricular and pedagogical approaches (Gray, 2015). Digital professional
development is an increasingly popular tool for global educators because it is more efficient with
respect to time, is financially conservative, and also models how technology can be used to
promote global collaboration (Gray, 2015; McGowin, 2012). The next section presents literature
that describes how preparing students to be college- and career-ready simultaneously promotes
global competence.

PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 50
College and Career Readiness Through Global Competence
According to Conley (2010), American high schools promote college and career
readiness to prepare students to succeed in college-level courses and in entry-level jobs and to be
able to grow professionally in the long run. College and career readiness, along with the overall
global competitiveness of American high school graduates, is not up to par with achievement in
comparable foreign countries, according to the PISA (2012) and Brunner (2013). This is one of
the main reasons many states adopted the Common Core State Standards and new assessments
(Brunner, 2013; Coleman, Pimentel, & Zimba, 2012; Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013). The
Common Core States Standards, and their focus on increased critical thinking, communication,
and collaboration skills, were introduced to ensure U.S. students are competitive internationally
(Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013). The Common Core is also meant to expose students to more
rigorous curriculum, instruction, and assessment rich with relevant and real-world applicable
material (Brunner, 2013; Coleman et al., 2012). The increased rigor and relevance helps ensure
students are adequately prepared for college and careers in the 21
st
century (Brunner, 2013;
Coleman et al., 2012; Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013).
While the primary focus of the Common Core is to promote college and career readiness,
an emerging focal area is international competitiveness (ACT, Inc., 2011; Coleman et al., 2012).
In fact, one study reviewed whether the Common Core actually prepares students to be
internationally competitive (ACT, Inc., 2011). Results showed that, indeed, the Common Core
State Standards are as rigorous and competitive as are those of the highest-performing countries
(ACT, 2011). Therefore, a focus on college and career readiness in the United States also
prepares students for a future in a globalized world (ACT, Inc., 2011).
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 51
There is no doubt amongst the literature that it is important for high school graduates to
have the skills, knowledge, and confidence to make them competitive in the global marketplace
(ACT, Inc., 2011; Brunner, 2013; Coleman et al., 2012; Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; Vander Ark
& Schneider, 2013; Wiley, 2013). However, some research suggests that in order to become
globally competitive, one must be globally competent (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; Wiley, 2013).
According to Mansilla and Jackson (2011) and Wiley (2013), globally competent high school
graduates have the skills and knowledge necessary for college and careers. In fact, part of the
high school graduate profile in the International Studies Schools Network states that graduates
will be ready for college and career as well as global competence (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011;
Wiley, 2013). The process of becoming a globally competent graduate occurs when students
make sense of the world through solving complex problems and communicate their ideas about
possible solutions to global problems by using scientific, historical, language and mathematical
conventions (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; Wiley, 2013).
College and career readiness and, thus, global competence require learning at a level
deeper than previously accessed (Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013). With fewer standards and
greater cross-standard and inter-disciplinary connections, the Common Core State Standards are
meant to allow educators and students to delve deeper into each topic (Coleman et al., 2012).
Therefore, educators will be able to spend more time on topics, planning and facilitating
authentic learning experiences and activities that promote mastery-level understanding (Coleman
et al., 2012; Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013). In conclusion, according to the literature, when
districts, schools, principals, and teachers promote global competence, they also prepare students
to be college- and career-ready and internationally competitive in the 21
st
century global
community (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; Wiley, 2013).
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 52
Conclusion
International studies and global education have been studied for decades, though
primarily in higher education and in foreign language and geography course contexts. Global
competence, however, is a relatively new term coined by Asia Society’s Partnership for Global
Learning and the International Studies Schools Network (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011). While the
literature had not previously utilized the phrase “global competence,” there are multiple indirect
references emphasizing the importance of students’ awareness of global issues and preparation to
lead and compete internationally. Overall, much of the literature speaks to the importance of
global education from various points of view; however, research on practical programs that
promote global competence remains narrow.
Several themes emerged from the review of the literature pertaining to promoting global
competence in high schools. The first theme the importance of educational networks in
providing schools with support and direction as well as networking and collaboration
opportunities (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013; Wiley, 2013).
Second, the literature suggests there is a pressing need to promote global competence in order to
prepare high school graduates who are aware of global issues and how they can make a
difference through their own skills, knowledge, and attitude. This heavy emphasis is mainly due
to the fact that, in the PISA (2012), the United States performed poorly as compared to high-
performing countries whose curriculum, instruction, and assessments involve more project-based
learning and globally-relevant issues and competencies (Darling-Hammond, 2009). The third is
that, while the literature on promoting global competence in high schools is still emerging, there
are examples of high schools in the United States that promote global competence through
innovative pedagogical methods as well as collaborative extracurricular programs like portfolios
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 53
as an assessment tool, student travel, and IB (Hill, 2012; Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; Vander Ark
& Schneider, 2013; Wiley, 2013; Zemelman et al., 1993).

PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 54
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
Due to the significant increase of globalization, it is important for students to graduate
from high school as globally competent individuals armed with the skills, experiences, and
understanding necessary to compete in the 21
st
century workforce (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011).
As noted in Chapter One, the primary purpose of this study was to add to pre-existing research
by identifying common, effective strategies that international studies high school principals use
to promote global competence. Chapter Three restates this study’s purpose and research
questions. Then, the participants, sampling techniques, criteria for selection, and setting are
identified to create context for the study. Next, the protocols for collecting qualitative and
quantitative data are identified and discussed. Afterwards, the data analysis tools and methods
are presented. Finally, Chapter Three concludes with a description of the ethical considerations,
a summary of the chapter, and a preview of Chapters Four and Five.
Purpose of Study and Research Questions
This study identified globally focused programs and opportunities used by high school
principals of international studies schools. These international studies high schools were
identified through their affiliated international studies-based educational networks. One of the
primary networks of focus, the International Studies Schools Network (2015), identified four
domains of global competence: investigate the world, recognize different perspectives,
communicate ideas, and take action. Although not all international studies high schools follow
these same domains, each of the participating schools promotes very similar goals (Vander Ark
& Schneider, 2013).
Much of the prior research on international studies and global education either focused on
the collegiate level or was limited to foreign language and geography classes. Research with a
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 55
more holistic point of view on how to prepare students to be globally competent and prepared to
succeed in an interdependent global community is emerging. Therefore, the purpose of this
study is two-fold. First, the primary purpose of this study was to expand upon the current
research to identify what high school principals can specifically do to promote global
competence. The secondary purpose of this study was to serve as a research-based resource for
current and prospective high school principals on how to effectively promote and facilitate
programs that assist students to become globally competent. Four questions guide this study:
1. What structures do high school principals put in place that facilitate global learning?
2. What expectations do high school principals set for students in order to achieve global
competence?
3. What professional development is provided to staff to support the development of
globally competent students?
4. How do high school principals assess the effectiveness of global competency programs?
In order to achieve these goals, the research questions were utilized to focus and guide this
study.
Design Summary
The methodology used in this study is explanatory sequential mixed methods, meaning it,
first, utilized quantitative data collection methods prior to qualitative methods (Creswell, 2014).
Mixed methods were chosen for this study because the researcher felt qualitative data collection
is imperative to answering the research questions about how principals effectively promote
global competence at their schools. The qualitative portion of this study is focused on the five
in-depth interviews of international studies high school principals. According to Creswell
(2014), qualitative research often incorporates multiple sources of data, including interviews,
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 56
observations, and document analysis to create a rich description of the research topic. This study
incorporates data collected through both interviews and documents. The design of this study is
also qualitative, given its emergent design and that the direction of the qualitative portion is not
pre-determined and is achieved as a result of answers of the research participants (Creswell,
2014).
Meanwhile, quantitative data is also necessary to identify trends and outliers within the
sample. The quantitative portion of this study includes a survey instrument distributed to 50
international studies high school principals. Forty of these surveys were distributed to
international studies high school principals within the International Studies Schools Network and
the Deeper Learning Network whose schools fit within the criteria of the study. Then, snowball
sampling led to ten additional principals. The ultimate goal of the researcher was to receive
responses from at least 30 respondents, which is crucial to ensuring representative and accurate
data (Patton, 2002).
Three sampling procedures were utilized: purposeful, snowball, and convenient.
Purposeful sampling was used to identify participants who could give information-rich
descriptions of the topic. These participants lead high schools that are a part of an international
studies network or include “international studies,” “global studies,” or “global competence” in
the school’s name, mission statement, or vision statement (Johnson & Christensen, 2014; Patton,
2002). One of the forms of purposeful sampling used to identify interview and survey
participants was snowball sampling. According to Johnson and Christensen (2014), in snowball
sampling, research participants help identify additional people who are willing and able to
participate in the study. In this study, snowball sampling served to find international studies high
school principals through various educational networks to which the researcher did not initially
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 57
have access. Finally, convenient sampling techniques were utilized in selecting individuals for
who are easily accessible to the researcher (Johnson & Christensen, 2014). As identified in
Chapter One, time and geographic location were two of the limitations of this study. As a result,
convenience sampling was used to identify five international studies high school principals.
Figure 1 illustrates the design and sampling techniques for this study. In the first step, all
high school principals in the International Studies Schools Network received the survey. Then,
using snowball sampling, additional international studies high school principals were identified
as participants. Next, those newly identified principals received. Relationships were built
through networking connections to increase the response rate prior to administering the survey.
Finally, using the survey data, five of the principals were selected to participate in multiple in-
depth interviews to elaborate on initial survey data results. Follow-up interviews were also
scheduled with specific interviewees based on the data collected.

Figure 1. Design Process
Participants and Setting
While there has not previously been a study focusing on how principals specifically
promote global competence, this study builds off of prior research on global competence. For
example, Wiley (2013) conducted a case study of three schools, focusing on how their school
design model promoted global competence. The unit of analysis of this study is high school
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 58
international studies principals. In order to address the research questions, the focus is on
principals and how their decisions, programs, professional development, and day-to-day
strategies permeate throughout the school to promote global competent students.
The study focuses on high school principals for two reasons. There are more international
studies-focused high schools than there are middle schools or elementary schools, and high
schools have a direct link to post-secondary education and a closer link to job and career
preparedness than do the other levels of schooling. It was also necessary, for the purposes of
clarity and consistency, to identify what constitutes an “international studies high school.” For
this study, an “international studies high school” is a grade 9th- through 12th-grade school that
includes one or more of the terms “international studies,” “global studies,” or “global
competence” in the school’s name, mission statement, or vision statement. High schools that
were members of an educational network that includes any of the above criteria also met the
selection criteria.
The survey participation requests were distributed in April 2016 to the high school
principals in the International Studies Schools Network as well as to those accessed through
snowball sampling. The researcher distributed a total of 57 survey requests with the goal of
ensuring a relatively high response rate and a representative population of international studies
high school principals (Creswell, 2014; Patton, 2002). In all, 28 high school principals
completed the survey, and their responses make up the primary quantitative portion of this study.
The next layer of sampling included in-depth, interviews and document analysis, which
made up qualitative aspect of the study. Based on the survey responses, on geographic location,
and on a willingness to participate in an interview, as indicated at the end of the initial survey,
five of the 28 participants chose to participate in an hour-long interview. These interviews were
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 59
conducted between May 2016 and June 2016. One of the interviews was completed in person,
while the other four interviews were completed by phone, due to geographical and participant
convenience. The researcher chose to conduct interviews after the surveys were completed in
order to gain a more in-depth understanding of the phenomena to better answer the research
questions (Patton, 2002). Prior to the interviews, the researcher asked for and received
permission from each of the interviewees, verbally and in writing, to audio record the interview.
These participants were also contacted to provide additional documents and clarification to
support their interview responses and to illustrate the programs they offer to promote global
competence.
The settings in which each of the participants of the study worked were essential to the
study. The settings included in this study use multiple research-based strategies, and privacy is
of the utmost importance to both participants and the researcher. Thus, all individual names and
school organizations were identified with pseudonyms. There was significant diversity among
the participants, the settings in which they worked, and the student populations they serve.
Data Collection Procedures
All data collection procedures were consistently aligned to the research questions. In
order to achieve this alignment, all survey and interview questions were reviewed prior to
dissemination to the participants. The following sections outline the qualitative and quantitative
data collection procedures.
Quantitative Data Collection
Quantitative data were collected through online surveys. Fifty-seven international studies
high school principals were invited to complete the surveys, and 28 of them ultimately
completed it. The 30-question online survey was administered through Google Forms and was
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 60
designed to take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Prior to administration, the survey was
field tested by graduate students at the University of Southern California who either currently are
or have been principals. In order to achieve a high response rate, multiple emails were sent to
each participant prior to the email with the survey link. In addition, rapport was built with each
of the participants through establishing personal and networking connections to motivate them to
complete the survey. According to Creswell (2014), it is essential to receive a high response rate
in order to collect the most accurate data possible. Finally, each participant received a follow-up
e-mail after completing the survey to thank him/ her for participating.
The purpose of the survey was to collect a comprehensive data sample about the
attitudes, beliefs, strategies, and programs to help student become globally competent in high
school. The data collected was used to find commonalities amongst the surveyed principals as
well as outliers who might be doing something effective and unique at their schools. The survey
included multiple four-point Likert scale prompts, ranging from strongly disagree to strongly
agree. Furthermore, the survey included some multiple choice, “select all that apply” and scale-
based questions (Appendix A).
Qualitative Data Collection
The primary qualitative data collection tool was in-depth, hour-long interviews with
international studies high school principals. In addition, the researcher followed up with the five
interview participants through informal phone interviews and document analysis from artifacts
the participants shared and referred to in their interviews. The primary purpose of collecting
qualitative data through interviews was to gather a rich, descriptive perspective of the
participant’s point of view on unobservable topics (Patton, 2002). The data were captured
through audio recording with the researcher’s iPhone, as each participant agreed to prior to
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 61
scheduling the interview. Collecting data through audio recording provides for accurate data
collection, which cannot be achieved through taking detailed notes during the observation
(Creswell, 2014). After each interview, the audio file was sent to a transcriber. Each interview
was semi-structured, meaning specific interview questions and protocol were followed to
maintain consistency. However, based on the participants’ responses to survey and interview
questions, the researcher had flexibility to ask probing or follow-up questions to gain more
insight on responses that were most significantly aligned to the research questions (Patton,
2002). The interviews were also structured to build rapport from beginning through the
introduction (Appendix B).
Data Analysis
The data collected in this study were analyzed using multiple methods. In order to
organize and clarify the specific data analysis procedures, this section is divided into two
subsections: qualitative data analysis and quantitative data analysis. The qualitative data analysis
subsection describes how the interview data and supporting documents were analyzed. The
quantitative data analysis subsection identifies how the survey data were analyzed.
Qualitative Data Analysis
Creswell’s (2014) six-step framework was used to analyze the interviews and supporting
documentation. First, once the researcher conducted the five one-hour-long interviews, the audio
files were sent out for transcription services. The researcher used the audio recordings and the
completed transcripts of the interviews to gain initial impressions and to identify follow-up or
clarification questions for the interview participants through the informal phone interviews.
Once all data were collected, the researcher used the four research questions to organize the data
into major themes. Next, the researcher coded the data according to each of the research
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 62
questions. The codes unveiled patterns and trends within that were sorted, again, to answer each
of the four research questions. The findings were organized and interpreted using the
researcher’s perspective. All qualitative, quantitative, and literature review findings were
triangulated and presented in Chapter Four (Patton, 2002). Finally, there were multiple strategies
used to ensure validity of the findings. The researcher used member checking, triangulation of
data, and presented discrepant information that counters the themes in order to check for
accuracy and validity (Creswell, 2014; Patton, 2002).
Quantitative Data Analysis
In order to analyze the quantitative data gathered through the survey, the researcher used
Creswell’s (2014) six-step framework. First, it was important to analyze and explore how the
survey response rate could have factored into the results. Next, response bias was discussed to
determine the possible effect on the results if non-respondents had responded. Third, the
researcher provided a descriptive analysis of the independent and dependent variables as well as
the mean, mode, range, and standard deviations of the survey results. Fourth, factor analysis was
used as a scale to determine variables with similar response patterns. Finally, the analyzed data
were presented using tables and figures to visually display the interpretations and conclusions the
researcher drew from the results, according to the research questions.
Ethical Considerations
The researcher completed the online Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI)
training prior to submitting an application for Institutional Review Board approval. Then, the
proposal was submitted to and approved by the board at the University of Southern California.
Written and verbal consent to be interviewed and audio recorded was obtained from all
interviewees. Participation in the survey and interviews was completely voluntary. All names of
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 63
schools and principals involved in the study were assigned pseudonyms. All data were preserved
in secure locations. The electronic data, such as interview transcripts, were stored on the
researcher’s computer behind a password-protected firewall. Other data, such as documents
provided to the researcher by participants, were kept in a storage cabinet under lock and key and
were accessible only to the researcher, dissertation chairperson, and the aforementioned review
board. Finally, all data will be destroyed a year after this publication to ensure security and
privacy.
Summary
This study utilized an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach, which first
incorporated quantitative data through 30-question online surveys administered to international
studies high school principals (Creswell, 2014). The qualitative data incorporated hour-long
interviews with five principals who volunteered, on the survey, to participate. The researcher
used purposeful, convenient, and snowball sampling techniques to identify participants. Data
collection and analysis techniques were also outlined in this section. The results are presented in
Chapter Four and conclusions, implications, and recommendations for further research are
included in Chapter Five.

PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 64
CHAPTER FOUR: RESEARCH FINDINGS
This chapter provides an analysis of the data collected on how principals of international
studies high schools promote global competence. The primary purpose of this study was to
unveil effective practices that international studies high schools use to build and nurture globally
competent students by adding to the pre-existing research on this topic. A secondary purpose of
this study was to serve as a resource for international studies high school principals who seek
strategies and practices to increase global competence among their students.
This study used an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach to collect quantitative
prior to collecting qualitative data (Creswell, 2014). The quantitative data in this study was
collected through a 30-question survey that was administered through Google forms to 57
international studies high school principals. Twenty-eight of those principals responded to the
survey, and 29 principals did not respond to the survey, resulting in a 49.1% response rate. The
survey gathered demographic data about the responding principals and their school sites, as well
as structural and interpretive data about the global competence programs at their respective
school sites. The demographic information from the respondents is described in the next section.
The qualitative data portion of the study included five of the principals who initially
completed the survey and volunteered to participate in the follow-up, in-depth interviews. The
semi-structured interviews allowed the researcher to gather detailed, descriptive data about each
of the participants’ global competence programs at their respective school sites revolving around
the four research questions. The research findings are reported in order according to the research
questions that guided this study:
1. What structures do high school principals put in place that facilitate global learning?
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 65
2. What expectations do high school principals set for students in order to achieve global
competence?
3. What professional development is provided to staff to support the development of
globally competent students?
4. How do high school principals assess the effectiveness of global competency programs?
Participant Characteristics
There was diversity in terms of survey respondents’ geographic location, representing
multiple areas of the United States.
Survey Respondents
Of the 28 principals who responded to the survey, 32.1% reported being from the western
region of the United States, representing the largest geographical proportion of survey
respondents (Table 1). The southeastern region of the United States was the least represented
population amongst survey respondents (7.1%). The following table displays the proportion of
survey respondents from each geographic region of the United States.
Table 1
Geographic Region of Survey Respondents
Geographic Region Proportion of Survey Respondents
Midwest 25%
Northeast 14.3%
South 21.4%
Southeast 7.1%
West 32.1%

Geographic region was not the only demographic information that diversified the surveyed
respondents. Exactly half of the respondents report their school community context was
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 66
considered suburban, while 39.3% reported working in an urban setting. The remaining 10.7%
reported working in a rural community context.
High school size was another demographic description where diversity was found.
Slightly less than half of the principals reported that their schools have more than 1000 students
(46.4%). Of those schools with populations greater than 1000 students, 10.7% had more than
2000 students enrolled (Table 2). At the other end of the spectrum, of the 15 principals who
reported leading schools with fewer than 1000 students, 6 had fewer than 500 students and one
was reported to have fewer than 100 students (Table 2). While student-to-teacher ratios
somewhat varied, overall student enrollment was more or less correlated to the number of
teachers employed at school sites in the survey. Each of the schools with greater than 1000
students also employed at least 60 teachers, except for one school that was involved in the
survey. Meanwhile, of the 6 schools that had fewer than 500 students, 4 were schools in which
the principal reported employing fewer than 20 teachers. The table below displays the student
enrollment breakdown, according to the principals’ responses.
Table 2
Total Students Enrolled at Each School Site
Number of Students Enrolled Proportion of Survey Respondents
< 100 3.6%
100-500 17.9%
501-1000 32.1%
1001-2000 35.7%
> 2000 10.7%

Not all demographic data was as varied as were geographic, community context, and
school size. The majority of the principals reported working at a traditional public school when
asked about the type of school where they work (67.9%). The remaining portion of respondents
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 67
reported working at charter schools. Of the principals who worked at charter schools, 10.7%
worked at district-affiliated charter schools while 21.4% worked at independent charter schools.
Finally, there were no principals or school leaders of private schools who responded to the
survey.
The final demographic data collected through the survey was on principal longevity at
their current school site. While only one principal reported being at his or her current school site
for over ten years, 42.9% of the principals had served in that position at their school site between
five and ten years. Meanwhile, 25% of the principals had been the principal at their site for three
to four years, 21.4% had between one to two years of experience at their site, and 7.1% were new
and began their post at their school site less than a year before the administration of this survey.
The following section describes the characteristics of the interview participants.
Interview Participants
Five international studies high school principals were selected to participate in follow-up
interviews after the survey was administered. These participants were chosen based on their
survey responses and their willingness to participate in the in-depth interview. Each of the five
interview participants has varying principal experience overall and at their school site. The
participant with the most experience in his or her current position was Principal 1 with 10 years
in that position and 11 total years at that school site. The principal with the least amount of
experience at his or her current school site was Principal 2 with two years at his or her site and
four years of total principal experience. While Principal 4 had been at his or her school site for
15 years, he or she had only recently been promoted to his or her current position. Table 3
summarizes the biographic, geographic, and demographic data for each of the five interview
participants and their schools.
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 68
Table 3
Biographical, Geographic, and Demographic Data for the Qualitative Study Participants
Pseudonym Biographical Data Geographic
Data (Urban,
Suburban, etc.)
School Demographic Data
Principal 1 Ø 11
th
year at the
school site
Ø 1st year was
hired as
counselor; next
year became
Director
Ø Latino
Suburban Ø 644 students
Ø Independent charter school
Ø 98% Latino student
population
Ø 30% English Learners
Ø 100% free or reduced-price
lunch
Ø 91.5% graduation rate
Ø Recognized as a top 2,000
school in the nation
Principal 2 Ø 2
nd
year at the
school site
Ø 4 years as a
principal
Ø African-
American
Urban Ø 600 students
Ø Traditional Public School
Ø 75% Latino, 13% Asian
student population
Ø 25% English Learners
Ø 100% free or reduced-price
lunch
Ø 68% graduation rate
Principal 3 Ø 9th year at
school site
Ø One of 5
original
founders of the
school
Ø Caucasian
Suburban Ø 415 students
Ø District-affiliated charter
school
Ø 50% Caucasian, 30%
Latino, 20% African-
American student
population
Ø 1% English Learners
Ø 40% free or reduced-price
lunch
Ø 70% graduation rate

PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 69
Table 3, continued
Pseudonym Biographical Data Geographic
Data (Urban,
Suburban, etc.)
School Demographic Data
Principal 4 Ø 15th year at
school site
Ø Began at the
school site as a
teacher before
moving into
leadership
Ø Latino
Urban Ø 950 students
Ø Traditional Public School
Ø 58% Caucasian, 24%
African-American, 9%
Asian, 6% Latino student
population
Ø 63% free or reduced-price
lunch
Ø 40% English Learners
Ø 80% graduation rate
Ø School has been in
existence for over 100 years
Principal 5 Ø 5th year at
school site
Ø 3rd year as
principal
Ø Was
Curriculum
Director for 2
years prior to
becoming
principal at that
school
Ø Caucasian
Suburban Ø 2,600 students
Ø Traditional Public School
Ø 94% Caucasian, 3%
African-American, 3%
Other student population
Ø 0% free or reduced-price
lunch
Ø 95% graduation rate
Ø School was founded in 1959

Research Question 1
The first research question asked, “What structures do high school principals put in place
that facilitate global learning?” The survey questions were framed to determine beliefs and
priorities that international studies high school principals have. Then, the interview questions
were posed to gather an understanding of how those beliefs and priorities turned into structured
programs promoting global competence. The following section describes the survey response
data regarding research question 1.

PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 70
Findings: Survey Responses
In order to answer research question 1, the survey contained a series of questions to
which answers were to be percentage-based and utilize a four-point Likert scale with options
ranging from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree.” When asked what percentage of their
students graduate globally competent, 27 responses indicated that, on average, 92.2% of students
at the schools involved in this study graduate globally competent, with a standard deviation of
9.84. In order to understand how students got to this level of global competence, the survey
posed multiple questions about the types of priorities that principals held to create these
structures. Table 4 describes the level of priority each principal held in promoting global
competence amongst students. To summarize, approximately 93% of survey respondents believe
promoting global competence amongst their students is either a high or very high priority.
Meanwhile, there were no survey respondents who believed promoting global competence was a
low or very low priority.
Table 4
Principal Priority in Promoting Global Competence Amongst Students
Level of Priority Proportion of Survey Respondents
Very High 60.7%
High 32.1%
Moderate 7.1%
Low 0%
Very Low 0%

Principal-created structures. In order to understand where most of the programs and
structures that promote global competence at each school are created, the respondents were
presented a four-point Likert scale prompt about whether they create most of the school
programs that promote global competence. Approximately 68% of respondents agreed or
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 71
strongly agreed with that prompt while the remaining 32% disagreed, noting that, as the
principal, they do not create most of the programs that promote global competence.
Interaction with the outside world. According to Mansilla and Jackson (2011), one of
the outcomes of global competence is investigating the world. They note that students must
develop a global perspective and cross-cultural understanding in order to become globally
competent. This calls on schools to give students opportunities to interact with individuals from
around the world and work on authentic projects that may be able to influence change in the
world. In the survey, respondents were asked a four-point Likert scale prompt about whether the
students at their school have the opportunity to regularly interact with individuals or
organizations in foreign countries. The majority of the respondents (71.4%) agreed or strongly
agreed with that statement, while 28.6% of the principals reported that their students do not
regularly interact with individuals or organizations from foreign countries. Principals were also
asked whether students at their schools often worked on projects that can influence change in the
world. A vast majority (92.9%) of principals agreed or strongly agreed with that statement
while 7.1% disagreed. This data shows that, at most international studies high schools, students
have the opportunity to take action, whether it is local or global to make positive change in the
world, which is a key competent in becoming globally competent (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011;
Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013; Wiley, 2013).
Extra-curricular activities that promote global competence. Opportunities that help
students become globally competent vary greatly and do not necessarily have to occur inside the
four walls of the classroom; students are learning all the time (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; Vander
Ark & Schneider, 2013). In order to investigate the types of structures that promote global
competence outside of the classroom within schools, principals were asked whether their
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 72
teachers or staff members are committed to facilitating these types of programs through
extracurricular activities. Table 5 displays these responses to this four-point Likert scale prompt.
Table 5
Staff Commitment to Facilitating Extra-Curricular Activities that Promote Global Competence
Level of Agreement Proportion of Survey Respondents
Strongly Agree 32.1%
Agree 39.3%
Disagree 28.6%
Strongly Disagree 0%

Student travel opportunities. Student travel and study abroad programs are an essential
aspect of learning about the world, developing a critical understanding of different perspectives
and, ultimately, becoming globally competent (Bellamy & Weinberg, 2006; Denver Center for
International Studies, 2015; Lincoln Fellowships Advisory Council, 2004; Vander Ark &
Schneider, 2013). The principals surveyed were asked to estimate a percentage regarding how
many students at their school travel domestically through school-based programs. Based on the
results, on average, 28.6% of all students at international studies high schools participate in
domestic travel through school-based programs, which included a wide standard deviation of
33.9. Three principals reported that 100% of their students participate in domestic travel through
school-based program. On the other hand, two of the principals noted that they do not have any
school-based domestic travel, and, thus, 0% of their students travel domestically through school-
based programs.
The survey respondents were also asked to estimate what percentage of their students
traveled internationally through school-based programs. The results were significantly lower
than those for domestic travel. According to the results, only 9.5% of students at international
studies high schools travel internationally through school-based programs. Eight of the 27
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 73
(29.6%) international studies high school principals who responded to this question reported that
their schools do not have any programs that allow students to travel internationally. Therefore,
0% of the students at those schools travel internationally through school-based programs.
International travel was not necessarily limited to school-based programs. Students had
the opportunity to travel to foreign countries whether with family, through an outside
organization, or a visit to their native country. Survey respondents were asked to estimate the
percentage of their student population who had traveled outside of the United States at some
point in their life. According the data, 30% of students at international studies high schools have
traveled outside of the United States at some point in their lives. This data also has a standard
deviation of 20.8 because there was wide variety in responses. Two of the principals reported
that at least 70% of their students had traveled abroad while two reported that only 5% of their
students had ever traveled to a foreign country. The following section addresses the qualitative
findings through the in-depth interviews according to research question 1.
Findings: Interviews
Through the interviews, it was evident that principals play a crucial role in building and
maintaining structures at their school sitea that facilitate global competence. This section is
organized into two subsections: extra-curricular structures and classroom structures.
Extra-curricular structures. Principal 1 mentioned multiple structures that promote
global competence and a culture of understanding different perspectives at the school site.
However, Principal 1 focused on one structure that had been very effective:
We have Pride GSA which is Gay Straight Alliance. This group has also become very,
very powerful in that, being Gay Straight Alliance, the majority are straight kids that are
there to support students in the community. The more important is that their focus is
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 74
just being [accessible to] all cultures [and] just being accepted. We’ve created, they’ve
created, all of us have created a really safe environment at our campus to the point that
we had two boys, openly gay boys, into the proposal and they have my permission.
They don’t have to ask my permission. They can do some extravagant things.
Principal 1 found that this one structure and community had a direct effect on changing the
overall culture of the school, adding that
What blew me away was the reaction of the student body. It was happy, it was
applauding, it was joy. We’ve been able to transform our school culture to be accepting
in an incident that they get in a very Latino community which is very, very traditionally
very conservative.
The notion of creating a culture of acceptance helps students understand that it is
important to celebrate the uniqueness and differences between individuals and cultures (Mansilla
& Jackson, 2011). Principal 2 noted that “we have a Model UN program, and we invite the
different ambassadors on their staff to come and speak to our students.” Also, in the Model
United Nations program, students participate against students from other schools in “debates
where they are defending different points of view, representing different countries.” Principal 2
added that they have other extracurricular programs, such as a Rotary Club, Cyber Patriot
Program, and Eco Voices Club. The Rotary Club allows students to partner with local
philanthropists to take action and give back to the community. The Cyber Patriot Program gives
students the opportunity to “work on their technological skills, they’re abilities to secure a
computer network for people” to avoid viruses and cyber attacks. Finally, in the Eco Voices
Club, Principal 2 stated,
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 75
Our students did internship programs with them over the summer and throughout the
school year where our students became the teachers where they’re talking to students
about, you know, the ecology and maintaining the water tables and about the habitat and
what they can do to promote that.
Principal 4’s school has a focus on giving back to the local and global community by
creating and facilitating the following program:
We tried to do some school wide awareness building and taking action projects, so, this
past spring, we are able to get all our students and some community members to address
food and security by participating in the Millions Meals Maine. So, we packed meal to
send to food and secure country in Africa. So, we took action there.
Principal 4 added by describing an additional structure that provided the students an opportunity
to interact with an outside organization and build consciousness around a global issue:
We were able to partner with the local law school, and, this year, we’ve been able to
host the international justice for women lecture; it comes to our city in our state for a
week and raises awareness around various issues.
Principal 4 also noted that the school hosted an international expert on human trafficking that
Inspired our Drama Club to write, produce and put on a play about human trafficking,
and raise awareness about it, and take it around our community, and spark conversation,
and bringing experts to have a follow up discussion with audience members and cast
members.
Principal 5’s school had multiple extracurricular activities that promoted global
competence. In addition to Model United Nations, a Red Cross club which promotes taking
action to help others around the world, and Mock Trial which debates global issues, Principal 5
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 76
also mentioned, “we have a Global Issues Club that meets monthly.” The Global Issues Club
convenes to discuss real issues the world faces and the implications those issues have on
particular countries, cultures, religions, and politics.
Each of the five schools represented in the interviews has a student travel program
structure that allows students to investigate the world first-hand. Principal 4 shared that they
have had a student “exchange program with the school in Santiago, Chile, for the last 10 years.
Each year, four to six students come stay with us for a month and live with one of our students’
families.” Principal 4 continued to note, “we have a sister city in Russia, and we’ve hosted some
students and teachers for the day and for a week.” Additionally, Principal 4 shared, “for the last
two years, we’ve had up to 15 students have been accepted by CIEE [Center for International
Educational Exchange] to study in 10 to 12 different countries.” However, according to
Principal 4, the school is still trying to expand the student travel program to allow more of their
students to travel domestically and internationally.
Principal 2 mentioned that, although there were multiple domestic student travel
programs in previous years, “This year, the domestic travel has not been that much. You know,
non-existent as a matter of fact.” Though Principal 2 created and maintained structures to
provide students at that school the opportunity to travel to Italy, Vietnam, and Korea. When the
students return from traveling abroad, Principal 2 added,
They report that it’s life changing for them. It allows them to really see the growth and
the change and perspectives that we talk about. The exposure, the culture, it’s one thing
to read about it and to see it on the Internet, but to actually be there and the sights and
sound and to meet the people: it’s life-changing for them.
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 77
Principal 2 also shared that they “had visitors from China.” However, the issue arose that the
families of the students at the school could not offer an extra room or bed to stay in their home
during their visit due to economic and physical space restrictions around the urban area
surrounding the school.
Principal 1 shared, “since the inception of the school, we take a group of students to
China, and they’re getting to leave taking 17 students.” Principal 1 followed up by adding, “We
do this every year. We don’t take seniors. We want to take freshmen, sophomores and some
juniors because we want [them] to come back, we want [them] to apply some of what they do,
they’re learning abroad.” They have also facilitated student travel programs to Costa Rica,
Brazil, England (where “they went to visit the stomping ground of some of the great English
writers”), New York for a drama class trip, Denver and Washington DC.
Principal 5 noted three major student travel programs that occur annually. They have a
strong partnership with a school in France, and, according to Principal 5, “we send students to
France during our school spring break.” Principal 5 also mentioned they have similar travel
opportunities to Germany and Guatemala each year where between 20 and 25 students
participate in multi-week cultural exchanges.
Principal 3 spoke about the multiple travel programs they built into to their annual
calendar. As they enter ninth grade, students at the school embark in a “rite of passage trip,
which is a domestic trip.” There are also international travel programs to China through a sister
school partnership; to Panama, where the students were “immersed in a Spanish language
experience;” and, as Principal 3 mentioned, “our seniors and juniors just got back from Ecuador.
It’s both a language emersion and like a service project.”
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Classroom structures. Principal 3 mentioned that globally competent students must
realize that the world is inter-connected in many ways, noting that
It’s a much smaller world, right? We have access to the real-time information from all
over the world. A lot of our decisions, we are finding, even though they appear to be
local, have ripple effects that go further than we might even imagine.
Principal 3 followed up by connecting a successful structure of inter-disciplinary projects that at
that school that reflects the notion of inter-connectivity and interdependence of the global society
we live in:
I can tell you, in our hard science classrooms and so on, you have seen evidence as well.
So, I have brought out this as an example of how local energy use here has a ripple
effect that affects natural resources in Chile, for example.
Later, Principal 3, in this example of an interdisciplinary unit, noted the corresponding English
class in which the teacher focuses on the “literature where kids are taking a deep dive into the
context in which the authors wrote the book.” Meanwhile, “in math classrooms you see the
application of skills in trying to solve and identify the crisis or concern.” Finally, in the Spanish
class, the teacher would “go beyond the language to really incorporating, like using, language as
an opportunity to understand the perspectives and to understand cultures.”
Principal 4 communicated the Spanish phrase, “el mundo es un pañuelo,” which
translates into “the world is a handkerchief.” Later Principal 4 added, “It’s a small world, and
we’re all on the same piece of cloth, so what affects one…affects the other.” Principal 4 noted
there is a structure in place where the school integrates global components into the curriculum,
noting, “our teachers and students are researching and taking action on various global issues and
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 79
exhibiting and presenting their work to others.” Principal 4 added an example of a globally
focused unit in their forensic science class:
Although our forensic class is more like the CSI kind of class, but, when they look at
infectious diseases, they start to research, for example, some leading diseases around
the world like cholera and then start looking into what, where cholera is prevalent and
what contributes to high levels or high infection rate, low infection rate? How can even
the slightest contribution in preventative measures save communities and countries, you
know, exponentially in treating the disease?
Principal 1 spoke about a structure of project-based learning in every classroom. One
example of project-based learning at that school occurred in the English department. Principal 1
mentioned,
English teachers…did a civil rights project, a cool project and they went down to the
mayor. They first…a walk in Los Angeles to address police brutality. Our teachers
create projects for our students that are engaging, but, then, make them real life, take
them, actually, that just develop a civil rights project, but really be able to live it, to
walk it.
Principal 1 also noted that the teachers at that school often collaborate with their curriculum
coordinator to plan and reflect upon globally-themed units. Principal 1 summarized the school’s
focus on globally-focused project-based learning by stating, “Real life applications. That’s one
of the things that we want all of our projects to be genuine, to be authentic, to be real so that they
could take ownership of it.”
Principal 5 highlighted an example of a globally-based water project. This water project
is completed in conjunction with their sister school in France. First, their science classes test the
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water in the Ohio River while the partner school in France tests their water in the nearby Seine
River. Next, according to Principal 5,
Our English classes then come up with a presentation, which they take to our French
classes who translate, and then communicate back to the French schools. Then, they do
the opposite with their French classes and English classes, communicating back to us.
Finally, that led to Principal 5’s school working in partnership with the sister school in France to
facilitate fundraisers to raise money for increased clean water access for villages in Africa.
Summary of Research Question 1
After collecting and coding the survey and interview data, multiple themes emerged
related to research question 1 pertaining to how principals build structures at their schools to
facilitate global learning amongst their students. First, regardless of school size, type,
community demographic, or geographic location, it is important for principals to prioritize and
publicly emphasize the importance of becoming globally competent with school stakeholders.
Second, the findings suggest that, in order to effectively facilitate global learning, there need to
be structures in place that promote authentic learning, whether it is through globally-focused
projects or interdisciplinary units. Third, extra-curricular activities, including school-based
clubs, internships, and partnerships with outside organizations, build important external
structures that support global learning in an authentic context. Fourth, students need to be
exposed to other cultures, languages, and customs through traveling first-hand in order to gain a
true sense of global awareness and competence. According to the data collected, it is often
difficult to find realistic avenues to provide such travel opportunities for students. Though when
the students return from their travel excursions, Principals 2 and 4 respectively noted, “it’s life-
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 81
changing for them” and they “come back just really transformed.” The next section presents the
findings relevant to research question 2.
Research Question 2:
The second research question asked, “What expectations do high school principals set for
students in order to achieve global competence?” The survey questions that reflect research
question 2 were framed to determine what expectations international studies high school
principals set forth for students and how they communicate them. Then the interview questions
were posed to gain a deeper understanding of the strategies these principals used to communicate
the importance of being globally competent and the expectations to get to that point. The
following section describes the survey response data regarding research question 2.
Findings: Survey Responses
In the survey, two of the prompts addressed research question 2 about how expectations
around becoming globally competent are communicated to students. The first survey prompt
specifically addressed how many of the survey respondents regularly communicate the
importance of global competence at their school. The second prompt focused on how well the
students understand and comprehend the expectations set forth by the school around global
competency. Both of the survey prompts surrounding research question 2 were four-point Likert
scale items, ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree.
Global competence expectations. In order for students to understand the importance of
global competence, schools and principals at international studies high schools must consistently
communicate expectations for global learning. The survey asked principals how much they
believe that all students at their school are expected to participate in globally-based activities
while enrolled at that school. These activities could include classroom-based activities, lessons,
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 82
or projects as well as extra-curricular activities that are affiliated with the school and global in
nature. Table 6 shows the survey responses to this prompt.
Table 6
Student Expectations to Participate in Globally-Based Activities
Level of Agreement Proportion of Survey Respondents
Strongly Agree 50%
Agree 46.4%
Disagree 3.6%
Strongly Disagree 0%

Table 6 shows that an overwhelming number of the principals surveyed agreed or “strongly
agreed that there is an expectation at their school that all students participate in globally-based
activities.
Student understanding of global competence importance. While principals can set
expectations for all students around becoming globally competent, students need to hold that
same belief and take ownership of the importance of becoming globally competent in order for
the expectations to become reality. In order to quantitatively measure the level of student
understanding of the importance of global competence, a prompt associated with this concept
was included in the survey. In addition, this prompt measured how well the school consistently
communicated and followed up with these global competence student expectations. This survey
prompt was a four-point Likert scale item with answer options ranging from strongly disagree to
strongly agree, asking if all students at their school understand the importance of becoming
globally competent. Table 7 displays a summary of the responses to this prompt.

PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 83
Table 7
Student Understanding of the Importance of Global Competence
Level of Agreement Proportion of Survey Respondents
Strongly Agree 35.7%
Agree 57.1%
Disagree 7.1%
Strongly Disagree 0%

Similar to the survey responses the previous prompt, the vast majority (92.9%) of
international studies high school principals agreed or strongly agreed that all students at their
school understand the importance of becoming globally competent. This data indicates that most
principals and their staff communicate and follow up with their students regarding an emphasis
on the importance of global competence. However, 7.1% of the surveyed principals disagreed
on that survey prompt, indicating that not all students at their schools understood the importance
of global competence. The research indicates that there could be room for improvement around
communicating global competence expectations at some schools. The following section
addresses the qualitative findings, through the interview data, with regard to research question 2.
Findings: Interviews
The five in-depth interviews surfaced a diverse array of qualitative findings around how
students are expected to become globally competent. This section is split into the same two
subsections as the previous section: global competence expectations and student understanding
of global competence importance.
Global competence expectations. While the survey data showed that the majority of
international studies high school principals expect all students to participate in globally-based
activities while enrolled at their school, the interview data gives a deeper understanding of the
types of expectations principals and schools set for their students around becoming globally
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 84
competent. Principal 2 noted that, while it is a fairly new program at the school, every student
participates and ultimately presents a “global portfolio defense” prior to graduating. According
to Principal 2,
The students present a digital portfolio of their work throughout the four years of high
school. They present this information from the standpoint of the GPOs. So, they
introduce themselves. They talk about who they are. They talk about their growth over
the years. And, then, as they present that, then they go down the list of investigate the
world. And, then, they have to have artifacts from the different content areas.
Principal 2 added that, although “we’re looking at what milestone can we put in place for each
year so that students don’t fall from the crack,” all students and teachers are aware of the
culminating digital portfolio expectations.
Principal 3 mentioned that “the focus has been on our personalized mastery learning
model.” This model has “5 key elements to it and that is the idea of establishing relevance is the
first one, identifying learning expectations and outcomes, defining learning paths, determining
mastery and then reflecting and defending learning.” Therefore, students must take ownership of
their own learning and receive staff support in their unique pursuit of mastering their identified
learning expectations. While Principal 3 did not explicitly mention “global competence” while
describing the personal mastery learning approach, earlier in the interview, Principal 3 noted it is
important that “our students master global competency outcomes.” In essence, this school has a
set of global competency expectations for all students that drive the global theme of their school.
Meanwhile, the main focus of their day-to-day operations is their personalized mastery learning
approach.
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Principal 1 took more of a social justice route to the concept of student expectations
regarding global competence. In the interview, Principal 1 communicated that the expectation at
the school is that “they [students] have a voice…the work is taken seriously.” They help “create
the culture,” and, finally, noted “it’s their world.” These ideas were aligned with the global
performance outcomes of communicate ideas and take action (International Studies Schools
Network, 2015; Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; Wiley, 2013). Principal 1 added the notion that they
also have
a requirement they [students] have to present their portfolio, and they have to write their
reflection. They select projects from the four years or they select experiences, events,
that demonstrate have they become a globally competent person.
Principal 4 and 5 both mentioned that students at their respective schools also have
portfolios along with a capstone project in 12th grade. Principal 4 added,
Our 9th and 10th graders have the four domains [investigate the world, recognize
perspectives, communicate ideas, and take action] and they have to periodically, once a
semester, host some work that demonstrates growth in their ability to investigate the
world or in their ability to rate that perspective and they reflect on it.
In addition to the portfolio work that students participate in each grade level, Principal 4 shared,
“we have senior capstone projects that our seniors are focusing on global issues such as partners
in world health and helping collect medical supplies to send to other countries.” It is an
expectation at that school that each student participates in the portfolios and senior capstone
project. Principal 5 also mentioned that they have an emerging capstone program that is in place,
but has work that needs to be done in order to ensure all students have the opportunity to
demonstrate their level of global competence when graduating.
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Student understanding of global competence importance. While the previous
subsection focused on the school-wide globally-based expectations for students, this subsection
takes a look at how students receive, interpret, and understand these expectations. This
qualitative data was from the perspective of the principals through the in-depth interviews. At
Principal 4’s school, the communication and global expectations falls on the shoulder of “each
teacher directly in the classroom” and through their “weekly advisory period.” The expectation
to be globally competent is also written in the school’s mission statement. Two other avenues
this school uses to communicate the expectation and importance of becoming globally
competence are “through various social media campaigns” and school literature. Principal 4 was
also honest, noting that there is still work to be done on this front, and that teachers
Who, maybe, aren’t necessarily clear on what the end goal is or, maybe, haven’t
necessarily bought into it completely are, perhaps, giving a different message, so we’re
working in our messaging and our understanding.
Principal 5 also communicated that the majority of the student expectations regarding
global competence occur through their advisory period. Principal 5 mentioned that, since global
competence is directly aligned with their mission, “any time we talk about the mission to the
students, they see that global competence is a part of that.”
Principal 1 noted that he “leads from the rear” and lets the students message the
importance of global competence through “displaying student work.” Whether it is a project or
mural, Principal 1 emphasized the significance of students learning from and becoming
motivated by the models their peers create. According to Principal 1, “that’s going to empower
the students. That’s going to let them know that this is coming from them.”
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Principal 3 mentioned that the global competency outcomes are communicated to
students through every course syllabus. Each syllabus at that school includes not only the global
competency outcomes, but also how those outcomes are addressed in that specific course. In
addition, Principal 3 noted that the school uses Google Apps, and the syllabi are posted on
Google Docs, so “it actually is a place where you link your evidence that you mastered the
outcome.” Principal 3 shared that students display their understanding of the expectations
through the presentation and defense of their work, stating, “my [student’s] job is to use evidence
for my own writing to defend why I believe I am proficient in that outcome.”
Principal 2 noted that global competency expectations are communicated both in the
classrooms and at school-wide assemblies. Principal 2 communicated the confidence that
Without exception, every student can recite the GPOs. It is in front of them. It is there
when the teachers present a lesson. They have the standards and then they also have the
GPOs the lesson relates to.
Principal 2 added that the school has monthly assemblies where the global competency
expectations and the importance of becoming globally competent individuals is articulated.
Ultimately, students display their understanding and level of global competence “when they are
presenting their lessons or they are presenting their projects, like in the end of the year defense.”
To summarize student expectations regarding global competence at Principal 2’s school, “it is,
an every day, every class thing. It is always present. It is always in front of them. It’s like
breathing for us.”
Summary of Research Question 2
The survey and interview responses regarding the expectations set for students in order to
achieve global competence resulted in three major themes. First, each of the interviewed
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 88
principals mentioned having a culminating portfolio process that set overall expectations on how
their respective schools measure global competence prior to students’ graduation. While there
were portfolio programs intact at each of these schools, the confidence and interpreted success of
these programs varied from principal to principal. Second, it was apparent that there must be a
school-wide collaborative effort to communicate, promote, and maintain global competence
expectations with all students. Some schools rely more heavily on their teachers to communicate
these expectations while other schools and principals facilitate an approach to setting and
communicating these expectations through multiple avenues, utilizing all school stakeholders.
The third theme that emerged through the survey and interview findings regarding research
question 2 was that, in order to effectively communicate expectations to students in the 21st
century, school must use modern, innovative approaches to articulate this message. Two of the
principals interviewed reported using technology-based communication platforms to
communicate their expectations around becoming globally competent. Principal 3’s school uses
Google Apps and Google Docs to not only serve as a platform to communicate and share these
expectations, but also to allow students to defend and reflect upon their progress toward meeting
these expectations based on the work they complete. Meanwhile, Principal 4 reported using
multiple social media campaigns that reach out to students and communicate their global
competence expectations. The following section describes the findings that relate to research
question 3.
Research Question 3:
Research question 3 asked, “What professional development is provided to staff to
support the development of globally competent students?” This professional development
includes new teacher support to those entering the profession and those hired by an international
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 89
studies high school for the first time in their career. This research question also encompasses
principal professional development the principal must have in order to lead an international
studies high school and plan how to effectively promote global competence. The survey
questions addressing research question 3 were framed to gain insight into principal preparation to
lead an international studies high school and the frequency that these schools receive external
support through instructional coaching and professional development. The interview responses
addressed specific manners in which teachers receive support to effectively promote global
competence in their classrooms along with school-wide support structures to create and maintain
global programs and the approach to promote global competence. The following section
describes the survey response data regarding research question 3.
Findings: Survey Responses
In the survey, three prompts addressed research question 3. One of the survey prompts
addressed how confident principals felt regarding their preparation to lead a school that promotes
global competence, and two other survey prompts addressed which schools receive external
support in promoting global competence in classrooms. Therefore, this section addresses two
topics: principal preparation to lead a school that promotes global competence and external
support to promote global competence. Each of the survey questions that addressed research
question 3 had four-point Likert scale answer options ranging from strongly disagree to strongly
agree.
Principal preparation to lead a school that promotes global competence. Principals
must have a vision to know where they want the school to go and what they need the school to
focus on improving through professional development. At an international studies high school,
that vision often includes preparing students to become globally competent. Therefore, in order
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 90
to lead an international studies high school, principals must have a strong understanding and a
concrete plan of how they promote global competence in their school and support their staff
through professional development to ensure that vision becomes reality. One survey prompt
asked principals the degree to which they would agree that they had received adequate
preparation to effectively lead a school that promotes global competence. Table 8 displays a
visual representation of the responses.
Table 8
Adequate Principal Preparation to Effectively Lead a School that Promotes Global Competence
Level of Agreement Proportion of Survey Respondents
Strongly Agree 42.9%
Agree 39.3%
Disagree 17.9%
Strongly Disagree 0%

The data from this survey response suggests that the majority of principals received adequate
preparation to effectively lead an international studies high school.
External support to promote global competence. Teachers may receive instructional
support through multiple pathways. Some teachers receive support directly from their
administrators. Other teachers have strong relationships with peers whom they trust and receive
support from them. Then, there are teachers and schools who depend on external experts,
coaches, or consultants to support them towards professional growth. Two of the survey prompts
addressed the frequency with which schools invite and receive external support that assists their
staff in becoming more adept at promoting global competence. The first survey prompt
specifically asked principals if their school receives external globally-based instructional
coaching to help teachers with strategies to promote global competence in their classrooms.
Table 9 describes the results from this prompt.
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 91
Table 9
School Reception of External Coaching to Help Teachers Promote Global Competence
Level of Agreement Proportion of Survey Respondents
Strongly Agree 32.1%
Agree 53.6%
Disagree 10.7%
Strongly Disagree 3.6%

The survey results indicated that most international studies high school principals (85.7%) either
agreed or strongly agreed that their teachers receive external instructional coaching.
The second survey prompt that addressed how international studies high schools receive
external support to promote global competence focused on whether principals had external
experts facilitate school-based professional development around promoting global competence.
This second prompt differed slightly from the previous survey prompt because one focused on
individual instructional coaching and feedback while the other focused on staff-wide
professional development meetings. Table 10 describes the degree to which the surveyed
principals agree with the notion that their schools bring in external experts to facilitate
professional development around promoting global competence either as an entire staff or in
professional learning communities.
Table 10
School-Wide Professional Development on Global Competence Facilitated by External Experts
Level of Agreement Proportion of Survey Respondents
Strongly Agree 35.7%
Agree 46.4%
Disagree 14.3%
Strongly Disagree 3.6%

The data from this survey prompt showed that 82.1% of respondents agreed or strongly
agreed by indicating their schools bring in external experts to facilitate school-wide professional
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development around promoting global competence. The next section presents the qualitative
interview findings that relate to research question 3.
Findings: Interviews
The data from the interviews surfaced multiple findings regarding how staff has had the
opportunity to develop professionally to promote global competence. This section addresses
same two topics as the previous survey findings to align the quantitative and qualitative for
research question 3: principal preparation to lead a school that promotes global competence and
external support to promote global competence.
Principal preparation to lead a school that promotes global competence. As
previously presented in Table 3, the principals interviewed had varying levels of experience at
their respective schools. Three of the five principals had worked at their current school for at
least nine years, even if some of those years were not in their current role as principal, such as
Principal 1 and Principal 4. Furthermore, Principal 1 and Principal 3 were with their respective
schools when they opened. Principal 5 served as the curriculum director at the school for two
years before promoting to principal, which gave Principal 5 addition insight into what it would
take to effectively lead a school that promotes global competence. The longevity of these
principals, along with the data shared in the interviews, indicated that these principals were
confident and well-prepared to lead an international studies high school that promotes global
competence. Meanwhile, although Principal 2 had only two years’ experience as the principal at
that school site, Principal 2 noted, “the model of the school that I was at before, there’s some
similarities in the educational focus.” Principal 2 also stated that there have been multiple
principal professional development opportunities available through school-based network
conferences and coaching. In summary, each of the principals interviewed described feeling
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adequately prepared to model global competence and lead their school to promote global
competence amongst all staff and students.
External support to promote global competence. While the principals interviewed
share a common bond in their self-confidence to promote global competence at their school, each
took a different approach and focus to their school’s professional development. Principal 1
shared their foci in professional development have been a study about “how to look at students’
work and what kind of questions…we should be asking our students,” the use of Kagan
strategies in the classroom, and project-based learning. Principal 1 continued to note that “we
always have a global link to our professional development here,” and it is embedded in each of
the professional development strategies they focus on. Finally, Principal 1 mentioned they have
an actual global studies coach who provides school-wide and department-based professional
development along with individual coaching where they “will get together and look at
developing projects with the focus of global things and project based.”
Principal 3 shared that their main goal in professional development has been to promote
the instructional focus of the school, which is personalized mastery learning. Principal 3
continued to note that they
Put a lot of professional development resources behind it to actually create classrooms
that kind of have a balance of integrity of, like, an algebra class and making sure that
the core contents of what should be learned in an algebra class are untouched, but, then,
there is room for students to kind of have their interests and passion strived and,
basically, they get to round out their algebra class.
Principal 3’s school also has a full time global competency coordinator on staff:
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 94
[That person’s] number one priority is to bring resources that help teachers and kids get
out of their classrooms. Like, literally, get out of their classroom and go places and also
to think beyond the four walls and beyond the curriculum that is right in front of us that
help make connections to relevant global connections to what it is that they are learning.
According to Principal 3, this global competency coordinator’s role is also to work with new
teachers in order to support them to gain comfort in promoting global competence and make
conscious instructional and pedagogical decisions that will allow students the “opportunity to
understand perspectives and to understand cultures.”
Principal 2 takes a slightly different approach to promoting global competence amongst
staff through professional development. Through the interview, Principal 2 shared, “one of my
concerns as the principal of the school, I don’t want people to feel that it’s an additional burden
to plan their lessons using a storyboard or a global template.” Therefore,
Part of our perfective development has been on developing those global lessons and the
themes and how what we call cross-walking the Common Core standards to the global
mindset that GPOs, and, then, making sure that we can come up with a project that our
students can work on.
Principal 2 also shared that their school has a part-time educational consultant who works with
teachers individually and in departments once or twice per month to help them create lessons and
projects that promote global competence and reflect the GPOs. According to Principal 2, there
are also other professional development opportunities teachers have that are not necessarily
school-based. Teachers all have access to the NING, which “is the online encyclopedia of
resources for everyone that is working in our network” where shared lessons and best practices
can be found. Principal 2 added the notion that teachers have opportunities to attend regional
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Saturday professional development that brings together teachers from different international
studies high schools from that geographic region as well as the annual network-based
conference. One of the main concerns that Principal 2 had on this topic was new teacher
support, because, even though there are multiple structures in place, the amount of information
available could become overwhelming to new teachers.
Principal 5 shared a similar sentiment to Principal 2 in that they want to remove as many
barriers as possible for teachers in order for them to be able to promote global competence in
their classrooms. Principal 5 added that they have an international studies lead teacher coach on
staff who provided individualized professional development and support. Finally, Principal 5
stated that, “then myself, our teacher coach, and our teacher leadership team roll out PD to the
staff. That PD is aimed at either implementing, assessing, or providing feedback on the aspects
of the global lessons.”
Principal 4 shared that they split their professional development time into four quarters,
where “one quarter of our time has been working with the other high schools on state mandated
proficiency based diploma.” Another quarter provides time for teachers to work and collaborate
in professional learning communities pertaining to their five school-wide identified areas of
improvement. A quarter of their time allows teachers to discuss and plan in departments around
their curriculum and instruction. The final quarter is based on promoting a positive school
climate. Principal 4’s school also has two full-time instructional coaches, titled “Expanded
Learning Opportunities Coordinator” and “Pathways Coordinator.” The expanded learning
opportunities coordinator meets individually with teachers and based on their curriculum, helps
them “find community resources to come into the classroom or places for our students to go into
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 96
the community to learn first-hand or to present the experts or to investigate the world and do
some research with these folks.” The pathways coordinator is a
teacher leader who helps develop professional development works with an outside
coach and supports teachers during their prep-period and even in classes to try and
develop more globally focused unit and curriculum.
Finally, Principal 4 shared that there are online tools that the school uses for teacher support, and
“over half of our teachers have attended various conferences or attended school visits.”
Summary of Research Question 3
The quantitative and qualitative findings regarding research question 3 show, first, that,
regardless of the number of years’ experience principals had in their current position or at their
current school, the majority of them are confident they are adequately prepared to lead a school
that promotes global competence. Principals stated that they have had multiple professional
development opportunities themselves through global leadership coaching and network-based
conferences. Second, as international studies high schools, most of these schools are a part of a
larger educational network that invites teachers to national and regional conferences, which
allows these teachers to learn best practices from teachers across the country who also work to
promote global competence. Principals also noted that these networks also give teachers access
to online resources that offer shared lessons and other ideas to promote global competency in
their classrooms. Third, it was apparent that, although each school in the study has a focus on
promoting global competence, each also often has multiple other school foci that require
professional development time. Therefore, these schools would schedule these priorities in their
professional development while also embedding global competence concepts into these foci.
Fourth, many of these schools maintain their global focus through a global competence coach.
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 97
While there are varying names that schools use for these coaches or consultants, the common
factor is that they have someone on staff whose sole purpose is to ensure that teachers and
departments receive support in creating lessons or coming up with ideas that promote global
competence and that their respective schools never waver from their global focus despite district,
state, and federal mandates that arise. The next section presents the findings for research
question 4.
Research Question 4
Research question 4 sought to understand how high school principals assess the
effectiveness of global competency programs at their schools. The quantitative survey data
pertaining to this research question focused on how many international studies high school
principals regularly reflect and assess the effectiveness of their global competency programs.
The qualitative interview data affiliated with this research question focused specifically on
strategies and data principals use to assess the effectiveness of their programs that promote
global competency. The next section describes that survey response data for research question 4,
“How do high school principals assess the effectiveness of global competency programs?”
Findings: Survey Responses
Creating and maintaining a school that effectively promotes global competence requires
consistent monitoring and evaluation of its programs. This evaluation or assessment may be
seen in multiple forms. However, this section hones in on how many of the principals surveyed
regularly take the time to assess their global competency programs and monitor their
effectiveness. The main survey prompt that related to this research question was an item that had
four possible Likert-scale responses, ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. The
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survey prompt read, “As the Principal, I regularly reflect on the effectiveness of the global
competence programs at my school.” The results are outlined below in Table 11.
Table 11
Regular Reflection by Principals on Effectiveness of Global Competency Programs
Level of Agreement Proportion of Survey Respondents
Strongly Agree 57.1%
Agree 42.9%
Disagree 0%
Strongly Disagree 0%

The data show that all 28 respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they regularly reflect
on the effectiveness of the global competency programs at their schools. However, level of
agreement varied. Just over half of the respondents strongly agreed, and slightly less than half of
the respondents agreed with this prompt. This variation in the data was explored and dissected to
make meaning in the qualitative in-depth interview findings as well as in the discussion section
of this chapter. The following section presents the qualitative in-depth interview findings
relating to this research question on principals’ assessing the effectiveness of global competency
programs.
Findings: Interview
There were multiple findings from the interview data related to research question 4. The
qualitative findings in this section are divided into three subsections: perceived roles of
principals, monitoring stakeholders, and data used to evaluate effectiveness of global
competency programs.
Perceived roles of principals. In order to gather the specific point of view of each
principal, it was necessary to understand what role they saw as theirs in their school with regards
to promoting global competence. Principal 3 stated, “I think it is multi-faceted mostly. It’s not
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of complacency, right? We can’t just rinse and repeat that project that we did last year.”
Principal 3 continued to note that the position boils down to “pushing teachers and even kids to
go a step further” and “not allowing complacency.” Essentially, Principal 3’s perceived role was
part source of knowledge, part modeler, part supervisor, part supporter, and part cheerleader.
Principal 4 shared a similar point of view in stating, “I see my role is keeping global
competence in on the front burner in all conversations and all nooks and crannies of the school.”
There have been multiple activities occurring at Principal 4’s school, and, given its large size,
they need to “inject global competence” into activities, such as athletics and other extra-
curricular activities. Ultimately, Principal 4’s perceived role was summarized as, “I see my job
is helping people see the connection with global competence to everything that they are trying to
do.”
As mentioned in the previous section, Principal 5 identified with the role of lowering the
burden and removing obstacles for teachers. Principal 5 continued to state,
I’m usually behind the scenes clearing the path, so that the path can be taken. I think it’s
my job to either move hurdles out of the way, or lower those hurdles as low as possible
so that as many people as possible can get over them.
Principal 5 emphasized that the teachers have shown greater capabilities in creating effective
globally-themes projects and units when they do not have to worry about other unrelated
curricular mandates.
Principal 2 took a slightly different approach to this question:
I see myself as a marketer of our model. I see myself as a person that needs to bring in
resources to support our teachers and students. I see myself as one that needs to network
with different agencies to provide the support that we need, such as talking to city hall
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and the neighborhood council, to make sure that our message is our model and the good
work of our model is seen… because we are in competition.
Principal 2 continued down the same road of the marketing and networking role by mentioning,
“We have to market our school, our model to parents, to students. We have to put the word out
there about the good work that we’re doing. We have to toot our own horn.” Principal 2’s role
was envisioned as one who needed to “bring resources in. Bring partners in. Build the capacity
of our staff to do the same thing.” Then, use that initial scaffolding by “letting them go to
blossom and use their ideas to bring people in.”
Principal 1’s perceived role was “setting the tone, taking every opportunity to make those
connections to students and to staff.” Principal 1 shared a story about how it was uncovered that
one teacher at the school made a few homophobic remarks to students. “Rather than go and talk
to the teacher and say you cannot do that, I took the opportunity to celebrate” equality and
identity and “to share with our faculty as a way of celebrating it.” According to Principal 1, the
celebration sent a strong message to that teacher that this is an inclusive and welcoming
environment for everyone. Finally, Principal 1 stated,
We really do try to empower our teachers by giving them a strong voice and just really
looking at leadership within our teachers and then giving them tasks to take up and they
take off with it because you’re being trusted, you’re being acknowledged, you’re being
told, we see potential in you, you’re able to do this and they take along with it.
Monitoring stakeholders. Whether it is with students, teachers, or other school
stakeholders, a collaborative effort is required in order to promote global competence effectively
to all students at a school (Wiley, 2013). The principals who were interviewed had similar
approaches to ensure all stakeholders participated in promoting global competence at their
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school. Principal 3 admitted that some content areas lend themselves better to global
competence than do others. However, Principal 3 did not see that as a reason to let those
teachers and the students in those classes “off the hook.” Principal 3 continued to note that,
“global competence is more skill-based than content-based” and, therefore, can be applied to any
class. According to Principal 3, it is up to the school leadership to build capacity and for all staff
to be transparent about how global competence skills fit into the work students do inside and
outside of the classroom.
Principals 1, 2, 4, and 5 all agreed that, in order to monitor stakeholder effectiveness in
promoting global competence, it was important to flatten the hierarchy within the school.
Principal 1 shared that they have “a peer system for review” for all teachers with a consistent
rubric and regular class visits that monitors each teacher’s effectiveness in promoting global
competence. Principal 4 noted, “I think we rely on peer pressure a bit.” While they have teacher
evaluations and a stringent hiring process for that stakeholder group, they have found collegial
conversation and collaboration to have the most significant effect on staff in effectively
promoting global competence and students becoming globally competent. Also, when
referencing the flat hierarchy structure, Principal 5 reiterated that “it’s almost like a peer pressure
type thing” that they use, and, then, tied it back to the hiring practices and the mission of the
school. Meanwhile, Principal 2 mentioned, “I want to avoid is a top-down mindset. I want it to
be something from their hearts where they believe.” Then, Principal 2 also referred to the
importance of hiring the right staff members to promote the global vision of the school through
classroom instruction and other school-based programs. Finally, Principal 2 emphasized the
importance of stakeholders being intrinsically motivated and that “giving them the free reins to
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work on a project that they’ve invested in…because you can’t make people do this…they have to
want to do it.”
Data used to evaluate effectiveness of global competency programs. There was a
strong correlation amongst the qualitative findings. The five principals interviewed shared that
this specific area required growth at their respective schools. Principal 3 shared, “this is a part of
where we think it’s not as robust as it could be.” Principal 4 noted, “That’s something we’re
working on. That’s been an area that we have traditionally not been very effective…in.”
Principal 2 stated, “data is sometimes seen as a bad word. Sometimes, individuals are scared of
looking at data. They’re scared of that.” Finally, Principal 1 only had anecdotal and informal
data collected through student portfolios specifically related to global competence. However,
Principal 1 added the notion that they use data to assess student achievement and growth overall
by stating, “we use NWA, a data to look at our students’ growth, and we have a very, very strong
SRC program that tracks students’ growth and grading.” In addition, all students at Principal 1’s
school complete three benchmark essays each year to collect data to track student growth.
Digital portfolios were the most common response when the principals were asked about
data collected to assess global competency programs. Principal 4 shared, “we’re several years
away from fully implementing them, but we believe that [digital portfolios] could be a place
where an evidence of global competence and growth can live.” Principal 2 also mentioned using
student portfolios as a data collection tool to assess their global competency programs. In
addition to the portfolios, Principal 2 added that they conduct peer observations and instructional
rounds to collect data around the use of global competence among other instructional foci.
Principal 5 collected data in the form of teacher progression and completion of identified global
curriculum modules, which are resources created by their global education network. Principal 5
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emphasized the positive impact of the curriculum modules on the data by stating, “what we’ve
found is that the students have performed a little bit better when they’ve used the curriculum
module.” Finally, Principal 3 shared that, “we have looked at the number of students who meet
our global competency outcomes” and admitting that global competence-based data was an area
of growth for the school.
Summary of Research Question 4
Through the examination and coding of the survey and interview findings related to
research question 4, three major themes emerged. First, it was evident that international studies
high school principals regularly reflect upon the effectiveness of their global competency
programs. In fact, 100% of the principals surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that they regularly
evaluate the effectiveness of their school programs that promote global competence. Second, a
collaborative, collegial approach to maintaining stakeholder accountability around promoting
global competence was preferred and effectively used more often that was a top-down approach.
Third, there was a lack of formal data that specifically addressed the effectiveness of global
competency programs, even though each of the principals used various data to assess the
effectiveness of classroom instructional and other school-based programs.
Auxiliary Findings
While answering each of the four research questions in this study through analysis of
surveys and interview data, the researcher identified auxiliary findings that did not directly
correlate to any of the research questions. These findings were significant, and, thus, are
described and discussed with regard to how they relate to international studies high school
principals promoting global competence. Three main auxiliary findings are discussed in this
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section: barriers to promoting global competence, network affiliation, and additional
demographic findings.
Barriers to Promoting Global Competence
While each of the principals interviewed shared successful programs and anecdotes about
promoting global competence, all also mentioned there have been barriers that their school has
had to overcome to get to that point. Four main themes surfaced from the findings related to
barriers international studies high school principals experienced when attempting to promote
global competence: district initiatives, protocol, and human resources; curricular autonomy,
overcoming the another thing mindset; and financial barriers. This section of the auxiliary
findings is organized into four subsections according to these main themes.
District initiatives, protocol, and human resources. Principal 2 worked in a traditional
public school, and that school has had to balance district mandates and initiatives with a focus on
promoting global competence. There are few schools within the district that overtly promote
global competence, which, therefore, makes it a relatively low priority from the district’s point of
view. Principal 2 noted that it is essential to find a balance or a compromise between global
competence and district initiatives and attempt to find ways to integrate the two whenever
possible. In addition, Principal 2 shared that, due to district policies and the teacher’s union
bargaining agreement, it is occasionally a struggle to get certain teachers to buy into the concept
of promoting global competence, especially if they were unilaterally placed at the school site by
the district. Principal 2 also stated that “you always have the concept of 20% of the people doing
80% of the work.” When leading globally-based extracurricular activities, teachers who are the
most intrinsically motivated to work beyond their contract often do more than their share of the
work. Finally, human resources and staffing are a barrier that Principal 2 communicated. The
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school puts in a large amount of effort in building capacity amongst the staff to promote global
competence, and “that’s always a setback when…someone who has been a champion for the
global lesson leaves or gets promoted or transfers.”
Curricular autonomy. Some schools have more curricular autonomy than others.
Principal 3 noted, while there are many positive facets about their school having curricular
autonomy, it also has resulted in nontraditional curricular foci and pacing. Principal 3 stated,
When we have got pushback is when time is being devoted, too much time may be
devoted, to fewer concepts, and people are asking, like, “so what are we going to cover,
you know, the rest of this content?” You know? So, if you take world history, for
example, or civilizations, you know, we might get push back because we didn’t teach
ancient Egypt because a group of students took a deep dive into the African Empire,
right? So, spent more time in that and making relevant connections to modern day, to our
modern day times and, as a result, you know, content had to get cut, you know? They
didn’t spend time with Ancient Egypt because they were spending that time elsewhere, so
when we get pushback on that like the fact that we don’t end up covering as much
content as what you might see in a different school.
Principal 3 mentioned that their school has a unique curricular model where students learn and
progress at their own pace through their personalized mastery learning model. While their
school championed the concept of personalized mastery learning, students and parents may not
be accustomed to that concept and thus may result in initial hesitancy.
Some principals looked at increased curricular autonomy with a positive light. Curricular
autonomy has benefitted Principal 5’s school. Principal 5 noted that the curriculum modules that
their global education partnership provided had a significant impact on their teaching and
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learning, and their ability to effectively promote global competence. According to Principal 5,
this would not be possible if the school did not have curricular autonomy.
Overcoming the another thing mindset. According to Principal 5, teachers and
educators have a lot on their plate, and one of Principal 5’s goals was to remove obstacles or
lower hurdles for teachers. There have also been multiple new educational initiatives introduced
over the past few years, including the Common Core State Standards Initiative (Coleman et al.,
2012). According to Principal 4, teachers have become a bit wary about whatever might be the
new fad in education. Another common saying amongst veteran educators who have witnessed
multiple educational initiatives come and go is “this too shall pass.” Principal 4 mentioned that
overcoming this mindset with regard to promoting global competence has been the largest barrier
for that school, stating that
Teachers seeing it as an add-on to an already full plate and not necessarily seeing global
competence as a vehicle to deliver standards and information and knowledge and to
engage students and to… have student have more ownership over their learning. All
those things. So, people see that as an add-on. That’s a barrier.
Principal 2 also eluded to this concept, noting that they spend a great amount of energy showing
teachers how global competence can be seamlessly integrated into their course curriculum and
should not be viewed as another thing.
Financial barriers. Effectively promoting global competence at a school site can not
only be very rewarding and beneficial to the students, but it can also become very expensive to
the school. Principal 1 mentioned that “usually, because of financial pushback or anything in
terms of being able to do what we want to do, some of the projects, we tell teachers that they
cannot ask students to pay for the materials.” Principal 1 added that finances have become the
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main barrier in limiting students to travel domestically and internationally, stating that, “there is
some opportunity [to travel], but I don’t think it’s like when you hear they take the entire school
on a trip. We don’t have those types of resources.” Principal 2 added the notion that student
travel has required students and teacher chaperones to pay out of pocket due to school budget
regulations and depended on students to raise hundreds and even thousands of dollars, which has
proven difficult to complete, especially when there are strict fundraising regulations set by the
district. In summary, there are opportunities and partnerships that allow students to travel and
investigate the world first-hand; however, financial barriers exclude many students, particularly
socioeconomically disadvantaged students, from participating and experiencing in these travel
opportunities. The next section discusses the findings regarding the benefits of a school or
individual participating in an educational network that focuses on promoting global competence.
Network Affiliation
Each of the international studies high school principals who participated in the survey or
interview were a participant in some type of globally-based educational network. Each of the
five schools where the principals who were interviewed worked were affiliated with a global
education network of schools, and some of the principals also had their own professional
learning network of global school leaders. The findings related to network affiliation in this
section address two topics: school-based networks and professional learning networks.
School-based networks. Educational networks, such as the International Studies
Schools Network (2015), cultivated a community of schools with a focus on promoting global
competence. Networks have provided resources to teachers and school leaders, including
instructional and leadership coaching, local, national, and global conferences and networking
opportunities, access to other networks technology platforms for collaboration and sharing of
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best practices, school program assessment tools, and globally-based instructional materials that
teachers can use in their classrooms to promote global competence (International Studies Schools
Network, 2015; Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; Wiley, 2013). Principal 1 stated that they have a
global instructional coach who assists with professional development and individual instructional
coaching of teachers to create global projects for their classes. Principal 1 added that, “our
teachers really are wonderful with the guidance of [the instructional coach].” Meanwhile,
Principal 4 also mentioned that, three years prior to this study, their school received a grant to
join a global educational network because “it was the best fit for our community–our school
community, our student population, and our staff.” Within that grant, Principal 4’s school
received instructional coaching among other resources and benefits.
Principal 5 shared that their global education network partnership has transformed the
school. Principal 5’s school was not always an international studies high school. In 2011, their
school applied for a Race to the Top grant and one of the grant’s choices was a particular global
education network partnership and membership. When they chose that partnership and were
awarded the grant, the mission and vision of the school changed to focus heavily on promoting
global competence. Since the inception of this partnership, Principal 5’s school has utilized
many of the network’s resources. As mentioned previously, the network provided teachers
resources including curricular modules used frequently at Principal 5’s school. In addition, they
were also able to hire a global lead teacher coach through their network partnership to facilitate
global professional development and work individually with teachers on creating globally-
themed lessons and projects.
Principal 2 shared that their affiliation with a global education network created many
opportunities and helped maintain their global focus as a school. Similar to Principal 1 and
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Principal 4’s schools, Principal 2’s school has an instructional coach who has works directly with
teachers on creating global projects, with departments in aligning resources to the curriculum,
and on school-wide professional development. Principal 2 also mentioned that teachers have
access to an online-based social network specifically for educators called the NING. According
to Principal 2,
The NING is the online encyclopedia of resources for everyone that is working in our
network. It is similar to, let’s call it similar to, the Wikipedia of information where
people can go to those resources. It’s similar to like a Dataquest. It’s similar to a place
where shared lessons can be found. It’s similar to a Facebook network where you can
collaborate with other people in the network from around the country so you can share
best practices. So, it is a one-shot place for resources for our teachers.
Principal 2 and Principal 3 mentioned that their educational network has provided
resources for their schools in order to create global performance outcomes. Principal 2’s
teachers often “use those GPOs in developing lessons” while Principal 3’s school and teachers
use the global performance outcomes to “inform our practices and programs that we offer our
students.”
Professional learning networks. Educators often receive valuable resources and ideas
through cultivating and expanding their professional learning network with like-minded
educators (Gray, 2015). One of the main benefits of global education networks is their access to
like-minded educators to expand one’s professional learning network (Mansilla & Jackson,
2011). Principal 4 shared that, due to the resources of the network they have been affiliated with,
“over half of our teachers have attended various conferences [and] attended school visits.”
Principal 2’s staff also had the opportunity to build their professional learning network through
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conferences. However, at Principal 2’s school, there is a strong emphasis on building teacher
leadership capacity through expanding professional learning networks. Principal 2 stated,
We had a training coming up. A conference in Cleveland, so we had a seat available for
that. So, we said to the people, “Okay, who wants to go? But be mindful, if you go, then
you’ll be one of the major point people for global training for the staff.” So, people
would know that. So, it’s not just, I want to go on the trip. It’s like, you go in, you’ll
receive the training, but you have to come back, and, then, you’re responsible for sharing
that training with everyone. So, building capacity and building depth amongst our staff
and then making sure that it’s not just one or two champions, but everyone is shared.
Principal 4 and Principal 2’s schools do not just rely on the instructional coach or school
leadership to lead and maintain their global focus; they also build capacity from within by
empowering teachers to attend these conferences and school visits and learn best practices from
others through expanding their professional learning network. Principal 2 modeled the use of
building and expanding a professional learning network through cultivating school partnerships
to bring in additional resources to the school and ultimately marketing the school to others.
Additional Demographic Findings
The research showed multiple additional demographic findings that surfaced through the
quantitative data analysis of the surveys. These findings were not directly correlated to any of
this study’s four research questions; however, these additional demographic findings could have
direct implications on how school structures and programs effectively promote global
competence. The additional demographic findings pertained to the effects of principal tenure,
school size, community context, geographic location, school type, and school choice on student
global competence.
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How principal tenure affects student global competence. Tenure at their current
school site was one of the survey prompts that principals responded to. The goal of this
additional finding was to determine if principal tenure had an effect on students at their students
becoming globally competent prior to graduation. Table 12 describes the findings related to how
principal tenure may affect students becoming globally competent as well as students believing
they can make a positive impact in the world.
Table 12
Effect of Principal Tenure on Student Global Competence
Principal Tenure Percent of Students Who
Graduate Globally
Competent
Percent of Students Who
Believe They Can Make a
Positive Difference in the World
0-4 Years 93% 85%
5 or More Years 91.5% 88.7%

The data in Table 12 show no significant effect of principal tenure on students becoming
globally competent upon graduation. There was a slightly greater proportion of students
graduating as globally competent citizens from schools with less experienced principals than
with principals who had worked at their school for at least five years. This data oriented from
the principals’ perception and estimation of the percentage of students at their school who
graduate globally competent. There was no significant effect of principal tenure on students
believing they can make a positive difference in the world. There was a significant difference
between principal tenure and whether their students had opportunities to regularly interact with
individuals from foreign countries. The findings showed, in 60% of international studies high
schools where principal tenure was less than five years, students had the opportunity to regularly
interact with individuals from foreign countries. Moreover, 84.6% of international studies high
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schools where principal tenure was at least five years, students regularly interacted with
individuals from countries outside of the United States.
How school size effects student global competence. An additional demographic
finding concerned the effect the size of an international studies high school had on students
becoming globally competent. Table 13 displays the results of the effects of school size on
students graduating globally competent as well as students believing they can make a difference
in the world. This data were initially extracted from the principal survey.
Table 13
Effect of School Size on Student Global Competence
School Size Percent of Students who
Graduate Globally
Competent
Percent of Students who Believe
They Can Make a Positive
Difference in the World
0-1000 Students 91.3% 87.3%
> 1000 Students 93.4% 84.1%

Similar to the previous findings, the findings showed no significant impact of school size on
students graduating globally competent or students believing they can make a positive difference
in the world. There was a significant effect on school size with regard to students having the
opportunity to regularly interact with individuals from foreign countries. In addition, at 80% of
international studies high schools with 1000 student or fewer, students regularly interact with
individuals from foreign countries while only 61.5% of students at international studies high
schools with populations greater than 1000 interact with individuals from foreign countries.
The interview data also demonstrated that school size had no significant impact on a
student’s ability to become globally competent. Principal 3’s school only had 415 students and,
therefore, was able to integrate a personalized mastery learning approach. This instructional
focus allowed students to become globally competent through unique passion projects that the
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students chose. On the other hand, Principal 5’s school had 2,600 students. While they did not
necessarily utilize the same personalized mastery learning approach, they integrated global
competency skills and concepts into every class, built capacity to facilitate the promotion of
global competence with every teacher, and focused on ensuring every student becomes globally
competent prior to graduation. In conclusion, while school size may result in varying school
structures, the data showed that it did not have a significant impact on the school’s ability to
promote global competence.
How community context affects student global competence. The third demographic
finding focused on the effect of community context on students becoming globally competent.
The three possible community context categories that principals could report their school was
situated in were urban, suburban, and rural. Table 14 shows the results of how community
context affected students graduating globally competent and students believing they can make a
difference in the world, according to the principal-reported survey data.
Table 14
Effect of Community Context on Student Global Competence
Community Context Percent of Students who
Graduate Globally
Competent
Percent of Students who Believe
They Can Make a Positive
Difference in the World
Urban 90.5% 88.2%
Suburban 92.1% 80.9%
Rural 100% 100%

While 100% of students at rural international studies high schools graduate globally competent
and believe they can make a positive difference in the world, there were not enough data to
validate those findings, since only three of the survey respondents reported working at schools in
rural areas. There was no significant difference between students who attended urban and
suburban schools with regard to graduating globally competent. Meanwhile, there were
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significantly greater students from urban international studies high schools who believed they
could make a positive difference in the world as compared to students from suburban schools,
according to the survey data. Community context was compared with data from whether
students regularly interact with individuals from foreign countries. According to these data,
81.8% of students from urban international studies high schools, 64.3% of students from
suburban international studies high schools, and 66.7% of students from rural international
studies high schools regularly interact with individuals from countries outside of the United
States.
How geographic location effects student global competence. The fourth demographic
finding explored how the different geographic regions around the United States affected student
global competence. In the survey administered to international studies high school principals,
there were five geographic categories available: West, Midwest, South, Southeast, and Northeast.
Table 15 displays the results of how geographic location affected students graduating globally
competent and students believing that can make a difference in the world.
Table 15
Effect of Geographic Location on Student Global Competence
Geographic Location Percent of Students who
Graduate Globally
Competent
Percent of Students who Believe
They Can Make a Positive
Difference in the World
West 89.4% 77.8%
Midwest 92.1% 90%
South 94.9% 94%
Southeast 91.7% 80%
Northeast 97.5% 87.5%

The Northeast and Southeast regions did not have enough representatives to be deemed
statistically significant in this data set. While the West region had the lowest percentage of
students graduating globally competent, the results were not statistically significant. On the
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other hand, there were significantly fewer students in international studies high schools in the
West who believe they can make a positive difference in the world, according to the principal-
reported survey data.
Geographic location was also compared to the reported opportunities students have to
interact with individuals in foreign countries in Table 16.
Table 16
Effect of Geographic Location on Student Interactions with Individuals from Foreign Countries
Geographic Location Percent of Schools in which Students
Regularly Interact with Individuals from
Foreign Countries
West 66.7%
Midwest 57.1%
South 85.7%
Southeast 66.7%
Northeast 100%

These results indicated that the Midwest region had the least proportion of schools that provided
opportunities for regular interaction with individuals from foreign countries. The South region
was the geographic region with the greatest statistically significant proportion of schools where
students were reported to have regular interactions with individuals from foreign countries.
How school type affects student global competence. The fifth demographic finding
focused on how global competence was affected by type of school. The types of schools in
which principals surveyed chose from were traditional public school, district-affiliated charter
school, independent charter school, private school. There were no survey responses from
principals of private schools, so that category was omitted from the findings. Table 17 shows
how the type of school had an effect in students graduating globally competent and students
believing they can make a difference in the world.
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Table 17
Effect of School Type on Student Global Competence
School Type Percent of Students who
Graduate Globally
Competent
Percent of Students who Believe
They Can Make a Positive
Difference in the World
Traditional Public 92.6% 85.9%
District-Affiliated Charter 90% 80%
Independent Charter 92.5% 88.3%

There have been debates around the United States regarding the effectiveness of charter
schools as compared to traditional public schools in many categories (Hinojosa, 2009). In this
study, there was no significant difference in the effect school type on students graduating
globally competent or students believing they can make a positive difference in the world. In
fact, traditional public schools and independent charter schools almost had an identical
proportion of students who were reported to graduate globally competent. There was also no
significant difference between traditional public schools and independent charter schools on
students having opportunities to interact with individuals from foreign countries on a regular
basis. Also, 68.4% of traditional public schools and 66.7% of independent charter schools
reported having opportunities for students to regularly interact with individuals from foreign
countries. The data did also indicate 100% of district-affiliated charter schools provide their
students with opportunities to interact with individuals from foreign countries, but the results
were not statistically significant since there were only three survey responses from principals at
district-affiliated charter schools.
How school choice effects student global competence. The sixth demographic finding
explored how school choice affected students becoming globally competent. In the survey,
principals were asked if students chose to attend that school upon enrolling. Table 18
summarizes the findings.
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Table 18
Effect of School Choice on Student Global Competence
Students Chose to Attend
School Upon Enrolling
Percent of Students
who Graduate
Globally Competent
Percent of Students who Believe
They Can Make a Positive
Difference in the World
Agreed or Strongly Agreed 92.2% 87.9%
Disagreed or Strongly Disagreed 92.3% 84%

The findings indicated no significant effect of school choice on students graduating globally
competent or students believing they can make a positive difference in the world. The difference
between the results of students who chose to attend their school versus students who did not was
almost identical to the proportion of students who were reported to graduate globally competent.
While there was no a significant effect of school choice on students graduating globally
competent or students believing they can make a difference in the world, there was a significant
effect regarding school choice and whether students were provided opportunities to interact with
individuals from foreign countries. The survey results indicated that 84.6% of students who
chose to attend their school also had the opportunity to interact with individuals from foreign
countries. Meanwhile, only 60% of students who did not choose to attend their school had the
opportunity to regularly do so. The following section provides a discussion of the findings in
relation to the four research questions.
Discussion
The discussion section provides insight and reflection related to the findings associated
with the four research questions as well as how the findings validated or invalidated previous
research. The discussion section is organized into four subsections: reflection on findings,
relation of findings to literature, and meaning of findings.

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Reflection on Findings
The findings from the surveys and interviews provided a vast amount of information
from international studies high school principals of how they promote global competence in their
schools. This reflection on the findings focuses on three categories: diversity of the sample,
consistency of the principals’ priorities, and major themes that emerged from the data analysis.
Diversity of sample. As Table 1 displayed, the survey population was geographically
diverse with 25% of the survey respondents from the Midwest region of the United States, 14.3%
from the Northeast, 21.4% from the South, 7.1% from the Southeast, and 32.1% from the West.
While the western region of the United States represented the greatest population among survey
participants, the Southern, Midwestern, and Northeastern regions also had significant
representation in the survey. Furthermore, Table 3 indicated that the five interview participants
had a very diverse set of background experiences. Each participant brought a unique perspective
to the study that enhanced the scope of programs and strategies that are used effectively in a
diverse set of circumstances. The interviewees differed by school type, school size, geographic
location, community context, and tenure as a principal at the site.
Achieving a diverse sample was one of the main goals of the study. The purpose of this
study was to uncover common effective strategies and programs utilized by principals of
international studies high schools. It was imperative not to be restrained by geographic,
demographic, or any other boundaries. Therefore, the findings are relevant for all types of
international studies high schools around the United States, throughout all demographics and
almost every other major factor that makes schools unique.
While the sample was geographically, demographically, and experientially diverse, there
were still many commonalities amongst the survey and interview participants. The findings
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showed how multiple international studies high school principals lead their schools regardless of
their size, location, school type, or principal tenure. These commonalities are discussed further
in the following two sections: consistency of priorities and major themes.
Consistency of priorities. The second reflection on the findings revolved around the
consistency of priorities. As mentioned in the previous section, the sample of this study was
very diverse in almost every applicable category. The one similarity that every principal in this
study had was that they each led a school focused on promoting global competence. It should
not be surprising that the quantitative data consistently found that, in the vast majority of
international studies high schools, all students are expected to participate in globally-based
activities while enrolled, students often work on projects that can influence change in the world,
and students regularly interact with individuals and organizations from foreign countries. In the
survey, each of the four-point Likert scale items specifically asked about global competence
programs and priorities. Each of the items had at least 69% of the surveyed participants agree or
strongly agree, and, in half of those items, at least 90% of the participants agreed or strongly
agreed. This consistency in the quantitative data showed that principals of international studies
high schools maintain promoting global competence as a high priority throughout the school
year.
The qualitative findings produced consistent findings as well. Each of the five principals
interviewed articulated the clear focus on promoting global competence and its importance on
multiple occasions, even when they were not directly prompted by a question. There was also a
strong sense of pride amongst the five interviewees when they talked about their students
becoming globally competent. When asked about their biggest success in terms of global
competence, each emphasized the process of nurturing their students throughout their four years
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of high school and seeing what they become when they graduate. There were also a number of
other consistencies and trends in the data that became major themes. These major themes are
discussed in the next section.
Major themes. The researcher identified major themes that emerged from the findings
that were directly associated with each of the stated four research questions. Research question 1
focused on the structures that principals put into place that promote global competence at their
schools. First, it was found that principals must prioritize and publicly emphasize the importance
of global competence to all stakeholder groups. This would show stakeholders that the school
has an unwavering focus on students becoming globally competent upon graduation. Second,
the principals articulated the need for teachers to focus on facilitating authentic global projects
that allowed students to investigate the world, recognize different perspectives, communicate
their ideas to an authentic audience, and, ultimately, take action to make real change in the
world. There was also an emphasis on interdisciplinary projects because, according to a few of
the principals, a globally competent student must go beyond simply mastering specific content in
isolation. Third, there was a major theme around building extracurricular programs and
structures. These extracurricular activities included globally-focused clubs, such as Model
United Nations, partnerships with businesses and community-based organizations, global
education networks, and domestic and international student travel opportunities. Fourth,
principals articulated the importance of students being exposed to languages and cultures other
than their own to gain an understanding and appreciation for the diversity of different parts of the
world.
Research question 2 asked what expectations high school principals set and how those
expectations are communicated to students around becoming globally competent. Three main
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themes emerged according to this research question. First, there was an established student
portfolio program at the interviewed principals’ schools. This portfolio process provided clear
and consistent communication about what was expected of the students throughout their high
school career in every class and through extracurricular programs. Second, there was heavy
emphasis on an all hands on deck mentality with regards to communicating expectations to
students. The principals shared that all staff were responsible for communicating the necessary
messages, which made it imperative that communication between adults modeled that clarity and
consistency. Third, the principals noted that students in the 21st century receive information in a
variety of ways, and, thus, the school must adapt to those ways and utilize up-to-date technology
and social media platforms to ensure effective communication to students.
Research question 3 focused on how staff is supported through professional development
to support and promote global competence. The first major finding associated with this research
question had to do with principal preparation. The principals, in both survey and interviews,
expressed a great amount of confidence in being adequately prepared not just to lead any school,
but, specifically, a school that focused on promoting global competence. Second, the
interviewees shared they leverage their global education partnerships and networks to allow
teachers to attend conferences and regional professional development specifically around global
competence with like-minded global educators. The principals also emphasized the importance
of having a global education instructional coach to facilitate professional development and work
individually or collectively with teachers to create global lessons, activities, and projects. Third,
there are multiple needs and directions that schools are forced to address through professional
development. This was apparent in the interviews, but the principals stated that it was important
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to find a balance in maintaining other priorities and mandates with promoting global
competence.
Research question 4 asked how international studies high school principals assess the
effectiveness of their global competency programs. The first major theme was that every
principal in the survey reported by agreeing or strongly agreeing that they regularly evaluate the
effectiveness of programs at their school that promote global competence. The research found
that international studies high school principals build time into their schedules to specifically
assess and reflect upon their global programs and maintain that as a high priority. In terms of
keeping stakeholders accountable for maintaining a focus on promoting global competence and
facilitating programs that promote global competence, principals preferred using a collegial
approach. Principals 2, 4, and 5 noted that a collaborative and collegial approach of peer-to-peer
and group accountability increased morale and intrinsic motivation while a top-down approach
would have increased anxiety and placed a cloud over the culture of the staff and the school.
There was a major theme around the lack of formal data that principals used the assess their
global competence programs. It was noted by the researcher that most of the data used by
principals was informal and anecdotal. Principals 3 and 4 stated that they would be interested in
learning how they could access more formal data related to global competence.
Relation of Findings to Literature
Part of the process of validating the findings includes locating consistencies and
connections with the pre-existing literature. As mentioned in Chapter Two, the literature on the
topic of specifically promoting global competence in schools was emerging and somewhat
limited. However, there were a few seminal documents that prompted this study. The following
section identifies and highlights the major connections between the findings and the literature on
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promoting global competence. The five major related findings are importance of global
competence, authentic assessments, student travel, educational networks, and global professional
development.
Importance of global competence. As noted in Chapter Two, Barron and Darling-
Hammond (2008) articulated the world is evolving rapidly, which forces the educational system
in the United States to make the necessary changes and adaptations to keep up and continue to
adequately prepare students to become college and career ready and globally competent as they
become productive citizens of the world. This sentiment was shared universally with the
principals who were surveyed and interviewed in this study. First, 93.1% of the surveyed
principals communicated that promoting global competence amongst students at their respective
schools was a high or very high priority. Data showed that, despite the fact that modern-day
principals have extraordinary pressure and a number of differing responsibilities and mandates,
they still hold the value of promoting global competence at or near the top of their priorities.
Interviewees specifically articulated why they believe promoting global competence is of utmost
importance. Principal 4 noted, “global competence is essentially the way of the future…el
mundo es un pañuelo–the world is a handkerchief. It’s a small world, and we’re all on the same
piece of cloth, so what affects one…affects the other.” Principal 2 related to the literature by
noting the jobs that students will be competing for and the skills required to be successful in
those jobs require the tenets of global competence. Principal 5 added,
The more (students) are able to work with different cultures, communicate with different
cultures, the more successful they’re going to be. Everyone needs skills, but it’s those
competencies and those cultural components that are going to set kids above the rest, and
their ability to work with all types of people, and even experiences in doing that.
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Authentic assessments. Authentic assessments, including the use of portfolios to
maintain and evaluate student progress and skill development was another major commonality
between the literature and the findings in this study. Murphy, Bergamini, and Rooney (1997)
emphasized the importance of authentic assessments, specifically including portfolios, because
the artifacts within the portfolios paint a clear picture of the individual student’s learning
process. In addition, portfolios and performance-based assessments focus much more on
educating and evaluating the whole-child in preparing students for the rigors of the real world
than more traditional forms of assessments, such as multiple choice quizzes and tests (Barron &
Darling-Hammond, 2008; Wiggins, 1989; Zemelman et al., 1993). Mansilla and Jackson (2011)
found that these more authentic forms of assessments are better indicators of global competence
and better prepare students to compete in our global society.
The findings in this study shared a strong correlation with the literature on the importance
of authentic assessment and portfolios in promoting global competence. Principals 1, 2, 4, and 5
specifically mentioned the portfolio process at their respective schools and how those portfolios
are direct representations of each individual student’s road to becoming globally competent.
Principal 2 noted that their digital portfolios also act as an informal accountability measure for
all stakeholders to maintain the focus on promoting global competence, because everything
revolves around the students’ portfolios and ensuring each student and can articulate each of the
domains of global competence citing sufficient evidence in their portfolio defenses. Finally,
authentic assessments are one of the main objectives for Principal 3’s school with their focus on
personalized mastery learning.
Student travel. Student travel or study abroad programs were a third major consistency
between the literature and the findings, noting its importance in giving students valuable first-
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hand experiences and allowing them to investigate the world, which is one of the outcomes of
global competence (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011). McLellan (2011) noted that students who travel
globally become more aware and understanding of how the world works through experiencing
different cultures, customs, and languages. Bellamy and Weinberg (2006) added that, when
students can see the world from a different point of view, it can be a strong indicator of future
success. The literature also cited multiple student travel programs that have successfully
facilitated opportunities to bring high school students in international studies schools to countries
such as France, Italy, Argentina, Peru, Switzerland, Ecuador, Spain, and Finland (Denver Center
for International Studies, 2015; Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013).
The findings in this study point to similar sentiments about the importance of student
travel in helping students become globally competent as those within the literature. Principal 3
shared that they have multiple student travel opportunities to Panama, Ecuador, and China, and
the students who experienced those trips grew immensely in realizing that they take many things
for granted in the United States. Principal 4 stated that the students are “transformed” and one
student even “came back wanting to raise awareness about what’s going on in this area of the
world.” Principal 4 also mentioned that the students wanted to use their platform to share their
experiences with the rest of their peers at school after returning from their trips. When
describing the impact of travel opportunities on students, Principal 5 mentioned, “I haven’t seen
any student regret the experience. I’ve seen many students shy, unsure, go on the trips and come
back completely different people.” Furthermore, Principal 5 shared a story about a student who
initially was shy and generally uninvolved in school activities. Principal 5 continued to note,
He went on the Guatemalan exchange, didn’t really want to go, wasn’t really excited
about it, grudgingly went because his parents were pushing him, liked it so much that he
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arranged himself two other trips to go back to Guatemala. He studied international
business, and has worked Habitat for Humanity in two or three different countries now
and is constantly traveling.
Principal 2 noted that these travel opportunities were “life-changing” and “they are so full of
life” upon returning. In addition, travel allows the students to experience the four outcomes of
global competence on another level, according the Principal 2. In conclusion, while the literature
and findings note that student travel is logistically and financially difficult and still not
widespread enough, the positive impact on the students in terms of becoming globally competent
are significant (Bellamy & Weinberg, 2006; Lincoln Fellowships Advisory Council, 2004;
McLellan, 2011).
Educational networks. The fourth relation between the literature and findings was
around schools participating in educational networks. There are multiple educational networks
that focus on promoting global competence (Global Cities Education Network, 2015; Gray,
2015; Internationals Network for Public Schools, 2013; International Studies Schools Network,
2015; Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013). While these networks have
slightly different terminology to articulate their global focus, their overarching objectives are to
assist and facilitate school-to-school collaboration around promoting global competence. The
main facets of these networks include virtual and in-person collaboration and sharing of best
practices through formal conferences, regional meetings, and online educational social
networking platforms (Gray, 2015; Internationals Network for Public Schools, 2013;
International Studies Schools Network, 2015; Mansilla & Jackson, 2011). In addition, these
networks also provide schools with targeted training for teachers and school leaders on how to
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effectively promote global competence through projects, lessons, and school-wide programs
(International Studies Schools Network, 2015; Mansilla & Jackson, 2011).
The findings produced a significant relation with the literature in how schools value their
partnerships with educational networks to foster professional growth and collaboration around
promoting global competence. The majority (86.3%) of surveyed principals agreed or strongly
agreed that they receive external coaching that helps teachers promote global competence in their
classrooms. Furthermore, Principals 1, 2, 4, and 5 shared they use and value their instructional
coaches or global competence coaches and each of these principals receive these coaching
services through their partnerships with global educational networks. This indicates that most
international studies high schools utilize their educational network’s resources to get extra
instructional coaching and global professional development facilitation assistance. Principals 2
and 4 noted that their teachers have also greatly benefitted from collaborating with global
educators from other international studies high schools at various conferences and regional
meetings. Finally, Principal 2 mentioned the importance of virtual collaboration through the
NING, which is essentially an “online encyclopedia of resources for everyone that is working in
our network.” Each of these opportunities ultimately enrich student learning and foster global
competence, and they are made available to these schools through their partnerships with global
education networks.
Global professional development. The fifth major relation between the literature and
the findings revolved around the importance of staff professional development with a global
focus. Due to societal and technological advances, not only does curriculum and instruction
need to change, but also educator professional development must also adapt (Banks et al., 2001).
Furthermore, skills such as global competence have not been relevant professional development
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topics until recently (Coleman, 2014). Coleman (2014) also states that it is crucial that teachers
are adequately prepared to teach and facilitate lessons and projects that incorporate real world
issues and skills to address and understand those issues. One other relevant issue that Coleman
(2014) communicated was that schools often encounter dilemmas when maintaining a global
focus in professional development with all of the other instructional foci and district, state, and
federal mandates that arise. In conclusion, globally-based professional development should be
facilitated with the assistance of experts in the form of global consultants or coaches as well as
through building internal expertise (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; Wiley, 2013).
Each of the five principals interviewed mentioned the importance of building teacher
capacity around promoting global competence those relevant lessons and projects. Also noted in
the previous section, Principals 1, 2, 4, and 5 shared that they have specific global instructional
coaches who facilitate professional development and individually coach teachers to create
authentically global tasks for their students. Each of the interviewees emphasized the importance
of supporting new teachers, both to the school and to the profession, to help bring them up to
speed so they feel confident and can effectively promote global competence in their classroom.
Principal 4 shared sentiments that directly related to the literature in stating that it has been
difficult to maintain global competence as the main professional development priority when they
also have to spend professional development time on integrating a state-mandated proficiency-
based diploma program, addressing department issues, and engaging in professional learning
community work. Thus, explicitly scheduling time devoted to building teacher capacity around
how to promote global competency and develop global lessons and projects is essential in order
to ensure students are being prepared to become globally competent.

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Meaning of Findings
This final subsection of the discussion provides the researcher’s original insights on
making meaning of the findings. Making meaning of the findings makes it possible to provide
practical implications for principals who want to promote global competence in their schools and
pave the way for future research. The categories in this subsection are organized according to
the four research questions that guided this study.
Structures that have been most effective in promoting global competence. Research
question 1 asked what structures high school principals put in place that facilitate global
learning. The findings focused more on programs introduced to promote global competence
rather than specific structures that facilitate the use of global competence. While the structures
may not have been explicitly references, there are definitely solid structures present at each
school site in order for the aforementioned programs to be run successfully.
Programs that were most relevant and consistently found through the findings were
portfolios that highlight student work and progress in meeting the global performance outcomes
and becoming globally competent; student travel programs that facilitate opportunities for
students to travel, experience, and learn about cultures around the world; and relevant globally-
based projects that teachers create and use to promote global competence in the classrooms. In
reality, each of these three programs are linked to one another. Portfolios were the vehicle that
carried the best and most relevant work from each student and forced teachers to provide
opportunities for students to create quality and authentic work that could be used to show their
growth in global competence through their portfolio. The student travel programs, while not
widespread, proved to be the single-most impactful program for those who participated. The
student travel programs also had a direct link to the portfolios because the experiences that the
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students were involved in during their trips were major parts and evidence of becoming globally
competent. According to the principals who participated in this study, their teachers created
meaningful, authentic globally-based projects, which included taking action and working with
the mayor’s office through a civil rights project, exploring how energy consumption in Chile can
have a ripple effect on the rest of the world, examining and comparing water quality with classes
in France, or engaging in Model United Nations debates in class about political issues around the
world. These projects have allowed students to touch each of the global performance outcomes
as identified by the International Studies Schools Network (2015): investigate the world,
recognize different perspectives, communicate ideas, and take action. In addition, these
examples of projects have been quality evidence for students to use in their portfolios to use as
proof that they are becoming globally competent.
Communication is crucial. The researcher’s findings highlighted the importance of
communicating with all school stakeholders on various levels. Research question 2 asked what
expectations high school principals set for students in order to achieve global competence.
However, the findings showed that there are multiple communication structures that must be
strong between the adults at the school site in order for the message to be clear and consistent
when the students receive it. The portfolio processes that were described in the previous section
also helped maintain that consistent focus and communication from the staff to the students.
A major theme that was found in the findings presented a shift in thinking from the
principal’s perspective with regards to communication and accountability. The findings showed
that international studies high school principals preferred to communicate expectations for staff
and students through a flat organizational structure rather than a top-down hierarchy. In other
words, principals leaned on staff members to own the work and communicate with their
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colleagues. This did not necessarily mean the principal would be hands-off in terms of
communication. In fact, the principal would participate in communicating to staff and students
as much as other teachers; the difference was the perception that the message was coming from
multiple stakeholders with a unified voice, creating more buy-in. Principals pointed to the
results of greater intrinsic motivation amongst the staff, greater clarity amongst the students
around what was expected of them, and, ultimately, a more positive, cohesive school culture for
everyone.
Importance of professional networking and collaboration. Research question 3 asked
what professional development is provided to staff to support the development of globally
competent students. Each of the principals who participated in the survey or interviews worked
at a school that partnered with an educational network that focuses on promoting global
competence. It was found that schools receive targeted support in the form of instructional
coaching and consulting, professional networking opportunities through conferences, regional
meetings, and virtual collaboration and educational social networking platforms. The findings
displayed the importance of principals providing these opportunities to their staff in order to
build capacity and create a culture in which global competence is a common goal and focus for
every educator at the school.
One of the main themes that became an undercurrent of the findings was follow-through
after these networking and collaborative opportunities. Principals noted that allowing staff to
attend conferences or spending time, energy, and financial resources to conduct professional
development around promoting global competence is effective only if the ideas are put into
action and followed through upon. Principal 4 shared that teachers often have opportunities to
attend conferences or other professional networking events. However, if the teachers do not
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bring something concrete back to their classrooms, then was it a missed opportunity. Principal 2
mentioned that an educational online platform, such as the NING, has been valuable for teachers
to capture best practices from like-minded teachers around the country. Principal 2 added that
this platform is available to every teacher at the school and within the educational network,
though there are still teachers who resist turning these available opportunities into action in their
classrooms.
While it was found that there is not complete buy-in or follow-up from all educators at
international studies high school to take advantage of learning, networking, and collaborative
opportunities, there is still a significant effect on teaching and learning resulting from these
professional learning opportunities. In a similar vein to how Principal 2 and 4 mentioned that
student travel opportunities were “life-changing” or students were “transformed” after learning
through first-hand experience, it was reported that teachers often become transformed in a sense
after attending a conference or a powerful collaborative opportunity. It is these opportunities
that challenge and stretch the thinking of these educators to ultimately provide better, more
authentic learning opportunities for students to become globally competent.
Maintaining and improving global competency programs through assessment.
Research question 4 asked how principals assess the effectiveness the programs at their school
site that promote global competence. This research question focused on how principals ensure
they constantly strive to improve the programs at their school and seek the best global education
opportunities for their students. The study showed mixed results related to this research
question. The quantitative survey responses showed that 100% of international studies high
school principals regularly reflect on the effectiveness of their global competency programs. All
principals interviewed shared that they did not have specific formal data that they used to assess
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their global competency programs. Even though the findings failed to surface formal data
measures to assess global competency programs, the literature stated that schools in certain
global education networks created and provide principals with global competence matrices that
can serve as a guide for assessment (International Studies Schools Network, 2015; Mansilla &
Jackson, 2011; Wiley, 2013). In addition, these networks provide principals the opportunity to
formally assess the global competence programs at their school through a 3-day site visit where a
team of unbiased global educators collect quantitative and qualitative data while observing
school programs and meeting with school stakeholders to ultimately deliver a comprehensive
report to the school on the status of their global competence programs (International Studies
Schools Network, 2015; Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; Wiley, 2013). In conclusion, creating and
communicating more formal ways to assess global competency programs is necessary for
principals to show what areas of improvement are needed and what programs are effective.
Summary
Chapter Four presented the quantitative findings from international studies high school
principal survey as well as the qualitative in-depth interviews of five principals. The data was
presented according to the four research questions:
1. What structures do high school principals put in place that facilitate global learning?
2. What expectations do high school principals set for students in order to achieve global
competence?
3. What professional development is provided to staff to support the development of
globally competent students?
4. How do high school principals assess the effectiveness of global competency programs?
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For the quantitative survey data, statistical analysis methods, including mean, mode, range, and
standard deviation calculations were completed to make meaning and determine the significance
of the findings. For the qualitative findings, the interview data was analyzed and coded into
themes and organized according to each research question. Also, direct quotations from the
interviews were included in the findings to support and deepen the understanding about how
international studies high school principals effectively promote global competence at their
schools.
Chapter Five presents the purpose of the study, the research questions, and summarizes
the methodology of this study. After that, an overview of the findings to address the research
questions, along with implications and conclusions of those findings are described. Chapter Five
culminates with suggestions for further research and final recommendations for international
studies high school principals striving to promote global competence.

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CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS
Chapter Five provides a summary of the study’s overview and purpose, review of
relevant literature, methodology, and research findings. This chapter reviews the four research
questions that guided this study and were investigated through the findings. Implications for
future practice for international studies high school principals are also presented in this chapter.
Finally, recommendations for future research and the limitations of this study are discussed.
Statement of the Problem
The education sector has been outpaced by the rate of change and innovation to
technological and social structures around the world (Schröttner, 2010). These global advances
have created increased the interconnectedness and interdependence of countries and cultures
around the world (Schröttner, 2010). However, in education, students are still learning in similar
ways to which their teachers were taught in the 20th century (Darling-Hammond, 2002).
Education in the United States is also heavily based upon high-stakes test scores, which fails to
prepare students become globally competent and, thus, authentically assess the skills students
will need to succeed in the 21st century global society (Karnyshev & Kostin, 2010). Despite the
heavy emphasis on high stakes testing, the United States has ranked 27th in mathematics, 17th in
reading, and 20th in science, all below the OECD average out of 34 countries on the PISA
(2012). The PISA assessment also assesses real-world skills, such as problem-solving, critical
thinking, and reasoning, on which the United States has also consistently performed below
average (Fleischman et al., 2010; Neidorf et al., 2006; Mullis et al., 2012; PISA, 2012). This
data necessitates an increased focus on promoting global competence amongst students in
schools around the United States and also prompted this study.

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Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study was to add to the literature by determining common and
effective strategies and programs that international studies high school principals incorporate in
their schools to promote global competence amongst students. A secondary purpose of this
study was to serve as a resource for research-based best practices for international studies high
school principals in order to promote global competence at their school sites. While this study
focused primarily on strategies and perspectives of principals, specifically, the practices
identified in this study can also be used to inform other school and district leaders and leadership
teams to build effective global competence programs.
Research Questions
The following research questions were examined throughout the study:
1. What structures do high school principals put in place that facilitate global learning?
2. What expectations do high school principals set for students in order to achieve global
competence?
3. What professional development is provided to staff to support the development of
globally competent students?
4. How do high school principals assess the effectiveness of global competency programs?
Review of Current Literature
As discussed in Chapter Two, the literature related to promoting global competence at the
K-12 level is sparse, yet emerging. Most of the research related to issues surrounding global
competence pertain to higher education. These studies focus primarily on international studies,
study abroad, and teacher education programs in higher education (Kniep, 1989; Perkins, 1979;
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Starr, 1979; Tucker, 1982). At the K-12 level, multiple studies referenced aspects of global
competence in foreign language programs (Perkins, 1979; Starr, 1979).
Jackson and Mansilla (2011) first coined the phrase global competence in their study,
which also introduced their four outcomes of global competence: investigate the world,
recognize different perspectives, communicate ideas, and take action. While Darling-Hammond
(2009) did not explicitly refer to the phrase global competence, she found that countries that
focused more on curriculum, instruction, and assessments involving project-based learning and
globally-relevant issues and competencies outperformed the United States in the PISA (2012).
Recent literature also highlighted specific educational networks and examples of school
programs that have successfully promoted global competence (Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013;
Wiley, 2013). Finally, programs and initiatives that promoted global competence, including
portfolios that authentically assess student global competence readiness and domestic and
international student travel opportunities were described and studied (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011;
Vander Ark & Schneider, 2013; Wiley, 2013; Zemelman et al., 1993).
Methodology
The methodology used in this study was explanatory sequential mixed methods; first,
quantitative data collection methods were used prior to qualitative methods (Creswell, 2014).
The researcher chose mixed methods for this study because qualitative data was essential to
gathering detailed descriptive data to answer the research questions about how principals
effectively promote global competence at their schools. The quantitative data was also necessary
to identify trends amongst international studies high school principals to answer the research
questions.

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Quantitative Data Collection
In the quantitative portion of the study, 57 surveys were distributed to international
studies high school principals around the United States. Of the 57 surveys distributed, 28 were
completed, resulting in a 49.1% response rate. Principals were identified, through purposeful
sampling techniques, based on their status as international studies high school principals with the
following criteria: must be the principal, director, or primary school leader, and must lead a high
school with grades 9 through 12 that is a part of an international studies network or includes
“international studies,” “global studies,” or “global competence” in the school’s name, mission
statement, or vision statement (Johnson & Christensen, 2014; Patton, 2002).
The survey consisted of 30 questions, took approximately 15 minutes to complete, and
was delivered and completed by principals digitally through Google Forms. The survey included
demographic questions, multiple choice questions, select all that apply questions, scale-based
questions, and four-point Likert scale prompts, ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree
(Appendix A).
Qualitative Data Collection
Following the administration of the quantitative survey collection, amongst the principals
who volunteered to participate in the follow-up, in-depth interview through the final question in
the survey, five principals were selected by the researcher to be interviewed. The researcher
utilized convenience and purposeful sampling techniques to identify the five interviewees
(Johnson & Christensen, 2014). Convenience sampling was used to select individuals who were
geographically convenient to the researcher while purposeful sampling was used to select
principals that had the potential to share valuable insights about promoting global competence
based on their responses to the survey questions. One interview was completed in person while
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the other four interviews were completed by phone due to geographical and participants’
convenience. Each of the five interviews was audio-recorded and transcribed after receiving
written and verbal consent from each of the interviewees.
Quantitative Data Analysis
Creswell’s (2014) six-step framework was utilized to organize and analyze the
quantitative survey data. First, the researcher analyzed how the survey response rate may have
factored into the results. Second, the researcher explored how response bias may have had an
effect on the results if non-respondents had responded. Third, the researcher provided a
descriptive analysis of the independent and dependent variables as well as the mean, mode,
range, and standard deviations of the survey results. Fourth, factor analysis was used as a scale
to determine variables with similar response patterns. Fifth, the researcher compared and cross-
referenced groups within the sample, such as geographic region, general socioeconomic status,
and tenure in position. Finally, the analyzed data were presented using tables and figures to
visually display the interpretations and conclusions the researcher drew from the results,
according to the research questions.
Qualitative Data Analysis
Creswell’s (2014) six-step framework was used to analyze the qualitative portion of the
study, including the interview and supporting documentation data. First, the researcher sent the
audio files out for transcription services after each of the interviews were completed. Second,
the researcher looked at the data to make sense of it and reflect on its overall meaning. Third,
the researcher coded the data to organize it into patterns, according to each of the research
questions. Fourth, the researcher used the codes to develop major themes in the data to create a
description of the qualitative data findings. Fifth, the findings were organized and presented in
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the narrative of the study. Quotations were identified to illustrate specific programs and points
of view of the interview participants. Finally, the researcher reflected upon the findings to create
an interpretation from the researcher’s perspective.
Summary of Findings for Research Question 1
Multiple themes emerged from the research that related directly to research question 1,
“What structures do high school principals put in place that facilitate global learning?” First, the
researcher found that it was important for international studies high school principals to
explicitly prioritize and publicly state the importance of promoting global competence at their
school sites with all stakeholder groups. The data showed no significant variation in the data
when comparing principals from different school sizes, school types, community demographics,
or geographic locations. Second, the findings consistently suggested that there must be
structures in place that promote authentic learning in order to effectively facilitate global
learning. Such structures that were common in the findings included globally-focused projects
and interdisciplinary units. Third, the researcher found that extra-curricular activities built
important external structures that support global learning in an authentic context. Extracurricular
activities that were commonly referenced in the findings included school-based clubs,
internships, and partnerships with outside organizations. Fourth, the researcher found that
student travel, whether domestic or international, and first-hand exposure to other cultures,
languages, and customs have a significant, lasting impact on student global awareness and
competence.
Summary of Findings for Research Question 2
The findings produced three major themes related to research question 2, “What
expectations do high school principals set for students in order to achieve global competence?”
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First, student portfolios were a common practice amongst each of the five schools led by the
principal interviewees. The interviewees consistently stated that these portfolios were used to
monitor student progress toward global competence while also serving as an avenue to set and
communicate student expectations around global competence. Although the principals reported
different levels of success with the portfolios, and there were slight variations with each of their
portfolio structures, which included digital and hard-copy portfolios as well as multiple forms of
culminating presentations. Second, the findings showed that there must be a school-wide
collaborative effort to effectively communicate expectations of global competence to students.
The principals stated that it was essential to ensure all staff members communicated a consistent
message and included all stakeholders in that message. Third, the data suggested that schools
must utilize modern, 21st century avenues, including social media and other technology-based
forms, to communicate expectations to students around global competence. Such technology-
based communication that principals reported using included Google Apps and other social
media campaigns on Facebook and Twitter.
Summary of Findings for Research Question 3
There were four major themes that emerged from the findings associated with research
question 3, “What professional development is provided to staff to support the development of
globally competent students?” First, principal longevity had no significant impact on a
principal’s self-reported preparedness to model and lead an international studies high school
focused on promoting global competence. As shown in Table 8, 82.1% of surveyed principals
agreed or strongly agreed that they had received their own professional development and were
adequately prepared to lead a school that promotes global competence. Second, it was apparent
that almost every international studies high school involved in this study was a part of a larger
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 142
educational network of like-minded schools that would facilitate school-to-school and teacher-to-
teacher collaboration in the form of conferences, regional professional development meetings,
and online resources to share best practices around promoting global competence. Third, the
researcher found that, despite the fact that each school involved in the study held a common
purpose of promoting global competence, every school also had its own unique set of
circumstances, initiatives, mandates, and other school foci that required professional
development time. Each of the principals interviewed reported doing their best to balance these
foci and embed their global focus into professional development as often as possible. Fourth,
each of the five principals interviewed shared having their own designated global competence
coach or consultant on staff. While the exact titles and job responsibilities of these positions
varied slightly from school-to-school, it was evident that these coaches served as the primary
staff representative who gave consistent support and feedback to teachers when incorporating
global competence skills into their lessons, activities, and projects.
Summary of Findings for Research Question 4
Three major themes emerged from the findings related to research question 4, “How do
high school principals assess the effectiveness of global competency programs?” First, all
surveyed principals agreed or strongly agreed that they regularly evaluate the effectiveness of
their school programs that promote global competence, implying the importance of international
studies high school principals to consistently reflect and assess their school’s work and progress
around global competence. Second, it was apparent that international studies high school
principals preferred a collegial approach with internal accountability measures over a top-down
approach with greater punitive accountability measures. Third, the researcher found a
commonality amongst the interviewed principals that there was a lack of data used to formally
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 143
assess the effectiveness of their global competence programs. Principals primarily reported
using anecdotal data when reflecting upon and evaluating the performance of their global
competency programs.
Auxiliary Findings
In addition to the findings specifically related to the four research questions, the survey
response items and five in-depth interviews surfaced three auxiliary findings: barriers to
promoting global competence, network affiliation, and additional demographic findings. All five
principals interviewed shared obstacles their school has faced when promoting global
competence. First, district initiatives, protocol, and human resources were described as barriers
to promoting global competence. Principal 2 shared that district initiatives, teacher’s union
contracts, and other staffing restrictions create obstacles that make it somewhat difficult to focus
on promoting global competence at all times. Second, curricular autonomy was identified as a
barrier to promoting global competence. Principal 3 mentioned that, while there are benefits to
having curricular autonomy, there were parent concerns about teachers taking too much time
focusing on a few concepts and failing to cover other important skills and concepts. Third,
principals shared teacher concerns that promoting global competence was viewed as another
thing. Principals 4 and 5 shared that teachers already felt overwhelmed by their multiple
responsibilities and accountabilities, and some teachers grew wary that global competence may
be a momentary trend. Fourth, principals shared that their schools were financially limited and
promoting global competence to the extent that they hoped became costly, especially with
student travel efforts and resources to facilitate authentic global projects with new technology.
Network affiliation was another auxiliary finding identified by the researcher. While this
topic has some relation to the research questions, the global education networks and the
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 144
resources and support provided that principals described were significant. All five principals
interviewed shared that their schools were partnered with a global education network at one time,
and four were still members of that network at the time of the interviews. The principals shared
that they received numerous resources, including coaching, school-to-school networking
opportunities, and membership to exclusive online teaching resources and curricula. Principal 5
shared that their global education network partnership has transformed the school after being
awarded with a Race to the Top grant in 2011 and choosing to use those funds to focus on
becoming an international studies high school and partnering with their global education
network. The principals interviewed also shared that their staffs were able to build their
professional learning network through learning from other like-minded educators at conferences
and regional networking meetings. Principals were also able to learn from other international
studies school leaders as well, which led to the majority of principals stating that they felt
adequately prepared to lead a school that promotes global competence.
Additional demographic findings were the third auxiliary finding obtained by cross-
referencing the survey data responses. First, the researcher found no significant effect of
principal tenure on students becoming globally competent upon graduation (Table 12). Second,
there was also no significant impact caused by school size on students graduating globally
competent or students believing they can make a positive difference in the world (Table 13).
Third, while it was reported that 100% of students in the rural schools graduated globally
competent and believed they could make a positive difference in the world, there was not a
significant amount of data to validate those findings. There was also no significant difference
between students who attended urban and suburban schools with regard to them graduating
globally competent. However, the survey data indicated there were significantly more students
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 145
from urban international studies high schools who believed they could make a positive difference
in the world compared to students from suburban schools (Table 14). Fourth, in terms of the
effect of geographic location on global competence, there were no statistically significant results
indicating that any specific geographic region produced a greater proportion of globally
competent graduates or graduates who believed they could make a difference in the world (Table
15). On the other hand, the South region on the United States, as identified in the survey, was
the geographic region with the greatest statistically significant proportion of schools where
students were reported to have regular interactions with individuals from foreign countries
(Table 16). While Hinojosa (2009) noted public debates about the effectiveness of traditional
public schools versus charter schools, the researcher found no significant difference in the effect
school type had on students graduating globally competent or students believing they can make a
positive difference in the world (Table 17). Finally, the survey findings indicated that there was
no significant effect of school choice on students graduating globally competent or students
believing they can make a positive difference in the world (Table 18).
Implications for Future Practice
This study adds to an emerging, pre-existing body of research on promoting global
competence in schools. The findings present significant practical implications for principals and
other educators interested in promoting global competence. The recommendations are as
follows:
1) The literature and findings indicated that teachers need the time, space, and autonomy
to create authentic globally-based projects that allow their students to learn about
cultures and customs around the world, develop an understanding of multiple
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 146
perspectives, utilize collaborative and communication skills, and create a sense of
purpose by taking action to make a difference in their community or in the world.
2) International studies high school principals must prioritize and hire global
instructional coaches to support their teachers in promoting global competence
through professional development and instructional planning.
3) International studies high school principals must cultivate meaningful partners with a
global education network to provide staff members with professional learning
opportunities through conferences and regional meetings, as well as resources to
improve school-based programs and classroom instruction around promoting global
competence.
4) The findings suggested that international studies high school principals should
develop domestic and international school-to-school partnerships to provide students
with travel opportunities to broaden their horizons and experience the world first-
hand.
5) International studies high schools should have programs in which all students develop
their own portfolio of work that displays evidence of learning and progress with
respect to identified global competencies that are presented to an authentic audience
prior to graduation.
6) International studies high school principals must build ownership amongst staff
members by flattening hierarchical accountability structures and develop a staff
culture in which there is collegial accountability to continuously promote global
competence in all classrooms and school programs.

PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 147
Recommendations for Future Research
The concept of global competence is relatively new and limited research has been
conducted around aspects of this concept. There are unanswered questions that remain that
could help educators effectively promote global competence. Therefore, researchers should
continue to identify successful strategies and programs that are used to promote global
competence. Based on the review of the literature and the findings in this study, the researcher
recommends the following for future studies:
1) A study about what formal data is used or is available to principals to determine the
effectiveness of their school programs that promote global competence.
2) A study that goes beyond the scope of high school to include K-12 data on strategies that
promote global competence.
3) A study about how schools around the world, not just schools in the United States,
promote global competence. A possible study could compare how schools in various
countries promote global competence.
4) A longitudinal study that focuses on how specific teachers promote global competence in
their classrooms through explicit pedagogical strategies as well as class lessons,
activities, and projects.
Limitations
The limitations of this study included time, researcher bias, and survey responses. First,
time was a limitation because the data were collected within a time period of two months. The
interviews were completed over the span of one week and principals surveyed had one month to
complete and return the survey. This limited the scope and depth of the study. Second,
researcher bias was a potential limitation because, as in any study that includes qualitative data
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 148
collection and interpretation, the researcher may present a level of subjectivity due to prior
experiences. However, the researcher used member checking, triangulation, and presented
discrepant information that counters the themes in order to check for accuracy and validity
(Creswell, 2014; Patton, 2002). Third, survey response was a limitation because responses may
have contained self-reporting errors and discrepancies.
Conclusion
According to Barron and Darling-Hammond (2008) and the results of the PISA (2012)
assessment, students in the United States are outperformed by their peers in other countries. In a
world where students will be soon competing for jobs and collaborating to solve global issues,
there is a need for schools around the United States to prepare them to be globally competent.
This study sought to identify strategies and programs that international studies high school
principals successfully facilitated to promote global competence. As a result, the following
research questions guided this study:
1. What structures do high school principals put in place that facilitate global learning?
2. What expectations do high school principals set for students in order to achieve global
competence?
3. What professional development is provided to staff to support the development of
globally competent students?
4. How do high school principals assess the effectiveness of global competency programs?
A review of the literature found that global competence is a relatively new term, even though the
concept of international studies has been extensively studied at the collegiate level. Mansilla and
Jackson (2011) first coined the phrse global competence by creating its four outcomes:
investigate the world, recognize different perspectives, communicate ideas, and take action.
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 149
This study used a mixed-methods approach consisting of 28 surveys and five interviews.
The data produced multiple findings associated with the four research questions and suggest that
international studies high school principals can effectively promote global competence by
maintaining a focus and clear expectations centered around Mansilla and Jackson’s (2011) four
outcomes of global competence with all school stakeholders. Principals also shared their
strategies for promoting global competence, which included creating and maintaining global
education network partnerships, professional development to assist teachers in creating authentic
globally-based lessons, activities, and projects, domestic and international student travel
opportunities and portfolios that showcase student work and progress in becoming global
competent. When referring to students, Principal 5 summarized the importance of promoting
global competence:
We live in a global world. Right now, we’re doing business with all parts of the world.
They’re buying from the world. They’re selling to the world. Everything that they’re
doing has a global component. The more they’re able to work with different cultures,
communicate with different cultures, the more successful they’re going to be. Everyone
needs skills, but it’s those competencies and those cultural components that are going to
set kids above the rest, and their ability to work with all types of people, and even
experiences in doing that.
As global educators, the time is now. Students and, ultimately, society will benefit from
increased global awareness and global competence. Thus, schools must provide an arena for
future global leaders to develop their skills, confidence, and competencies.

PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 150
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Appendix A
Survey Questions

I truly appreciate you taking the time to take this short survey. The responses to this survey will
help develop the findings in my dissertation. If you do not want to answer any question, you
may skip it. All responses will be kept completely anonymous. This survey should take you no
longer than 15 minutes to complete. Thank you again for your time!

1. How many years have you been the principal at your school site?
o Less than 1 year
o 1-2 years
o 3-4 years
o 5-10 years
o Greater than 10 years

2. How many total students are enrolled at your school site?
o Less than 100
o 100-500
o 501-1000
o 1001-2000
o Greater than 2000

3. How many total teachers are employed at your school site?
o Less than 20
o 20-40
o 40-60
o 60-80
o Greater than 80

4. How would you best describe the community context of your school?
o Urban
o Suburban
o Rural

5. How would you best describe the geographic location of your school within the United
States?
o West
o Midwest
o Northeast
o Southeast
o South

PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 161
6. How would you best describe the type of school you work at?
o Traditional Public
o District-Affiliated Charter
o Independent Charter
o Private

For the next section, please rate how closely you agree with the following statement about your
school.

7. All teachers at my school promote global competency programs in their classrooms.
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree

8. All teachers at my school believe students should be globally competent upon graduation.
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree

9. All students chose to attend this school upon enrolling.
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree

10. All students at my school understand the importance of becoming globally competent.
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree

11. All students at my school are expected to participate in globally based activities while
they are enrolled at my school.
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree

12. As the Principal, I regularly reflect on the effectiveness of the global competence
programs at my school.
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 162
13. As the Principal, I have received adequate preparation to lead a school that effectively
promotes global competence.
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree

14. As the Principal, I create most of the school programs that promote global competence.
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree

15. My school receives external coaching that helps teachers promote global competence in
their classrooms.
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree

16. My school regularly incorporates global competence into staff professional development.
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree

17. My school brings in external experts to facilitate professional development around global
competence.
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree

18. Students in my school regularly interact with individuals or organizations in foreign
countries.
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree

19. Students in my school often work on projects that can influence change in the World.
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 163
20. Teachers in my school are committed to facilitating programs that promote global
competence through extra-curricular activities.
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree

21. Teachers in my school are committed to facilitating programs that promote global
competence through extra-curricular activities.
o Never
o Rarely
o Sometimes
o Often

22. As the Principal, how high of a priority is promoting global competence amongst your
students to you?
o Very Low
o Low
o Moderate
o High
o Very High

For the next section, please estimate the numerical percentage that best answers the question for
your school site.

23. What percentage of your students graduate “globally competent?”

24. What percentage of your students believe they can make a positive impact in the World?

25. What percentage of your teachers are adequately prepared to promote global competence
in their classrooms?

26. What percentage of your students travel domestically through school-based programs?

27. What percentage of your students have traveled internationally through school-based
programs?

28. What percentage of your students have traveled outside of the United States?

29. Would you be willing to participate in a follow up interview regarding your experiences
with global competency at your school site? (Please include your name in answer if you
answer “yes”)

30. If you happen to know and would be willing to share any names of fellow International
Studies High School Principals who could also contribute to this study, please share their
name and contact information below.
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 164
Appendix B
Dissertation Interview Questions

I. Introduction:
Welcome and thank you for agreeing to participate in my study about how international
studies high school principals promote global competence. I really appreciate you taking the time
to answer my questions. The interview should last between 45 minutes and an hour, does that
work for you?
Before we get started, I want to provide you with an overview of my study and answer
any questions you might have about participating. The primary purpose of this study is to
expand upon the pre-existing literature to uncover common, effective practices that international
studies high schools use to build culturally aware and globally competent students. A goal of the
study is to identify the specific skills and practices of international studies high school principals.
The principals surveyed and interviewed will share strategies to create authentic global learning
opportunities as well as the issues they face when leading an international studies high schools.
A secondary purpose of this study is to serve as a resource for international studies high school
principals who seek strategies and practices to increase global competence among their students.
I want to assure you that I am strictly wearing the hat of researcher today. What this
means is that the nature of my questions and observations are not evaluative. I will not be
making any judgments on how you are performing or how the school is performing. None of the
data I collect will be shared with other school personnel or the district.
What questions might you have about the study before we get started? If you don’t have
anymore questions I would like to ask your permission to begin the interview. I have brought a
recorder with me today so that I can accurately capture what you share with me. May I also have
your permission to record our conversation?

II. Setting the Stage:
I am hoping we could start with you telling me a little bit about your school this year.
What should I know about your teaching staff this year? What should I know about the history
of the school? How many students are enrolled in the school? How many years have you been
at this school? What has been the focus of the school’s professional development so far this
year?

1. How would you describe the general demographics of your school?
2. How did you initially get involved with a school that promotes global competence?
3. How would you define global competence?
4. Why do you believe it is important for students to be globally competent upon
graduation?
5. How do your teachers promote global competence in their classrooms? (Examples)
6. How are teachers supported to promote global competence?
7. What are some examples of extra curricular programs that promote global competence
that your school offers?
8. What data do you use to evaluate the effectiveness of the global competence programs at
your school?
PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 165
9. How do you students demonstrate their level of global competence at your school?
10. How are expectations related to global competence communicated to students?
11. What barriers does your school face when promoting global competence?
12. What opportunities do your students have to travel domestically or internationally?
13. What do you see your role as in terms of promoting global competence at your school?
14. How do you ensure that all of your teachers are pulling their weight in promoting global
competence?
15. What would you say is your/your school’s greatest success related to global competence?

III. Closing Question:
I am wondering if there is anything that you would add to our conversation today that I
might not have covered?

IV. Closing:
Thank you so much for you sharing your thoughts with me today! I really appreciate
your time and willingness to share.

PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 166
Appendix C
Dissertation Information Sheet

University of Southern California
Rossier School of Education
3470 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, CA 90089

Preparing the Next Generation of Global Leaders: How Principals in International Studies
High Schools Promote Global Competence

You are invited to participate in a research study. Research studies include only people who
voluntarily choose to take part. This document explains information about this study. You should
ask questions about anything that is unclear to you.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The primary purpose of this study is to expand upon the pre-existing literature to uncover
common, effective practices that international studies high schools use to build culturally aware
and globally competent students. The study will identify the specific skills and practices of
international studies high school principals. The principals surveyed and interviewed will share
strategies to create authentic global learning opportunities as well as the issues they face when
leading an international studies high schools. A secondary purpose of this study is to serve as a
resource for international studies high school principals who seek strategies and practices to
increase global competence among their students.

PARTICIPANT INVOLVEMENT
If you agree to take part in this study, you will be asked to participate in a face-to-face, audio taped
interviews as part of the study. In the interview, you do not have to answer any questions if you
don’t want to.

CONFIDENTIALITY
There will be no identifiable information obtained in connection with this study. Your name,
address or other identifiable information will not be collected. Your responses will be coded with
a false name (pseudonym) and maintained separately. The audiotapes will be destroyed once they
have been transcribed. The data will be stored on a password-protected computer in the
researcher’s office for a year after the study has been completed and then destroyed.

The members of the research team and the University of Southern California’s Human Subjects
Protection Program (HSPP) may access the data. The HSPP reviews and monitors research studies
to protect the rights and welfare of research subjects.

PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 167
INVESTIGATOR CONTACT INFORMATION
Principal Investigator Collin Felch via email at felch@usc.edu or phone at (650) 888-2030 or
Faculty Advisor Dr. Rudy Castruita at rcastrui@usc.edu or phone at (619) 778-1236.

IRB CONTACT INFORMATION
University Park Institutional Review Board (UPIRB), 3720 South Flower Street #301, Los
Angeles, CA 90089-0702, (213) 821-5272 or upirb@usc.edu

PREPARING GLOBAL LEADERS 168
Appendix D
Recruitment Letter

Dear [Name],

My name is Collin Felch, and I am a doctoral candidate in the Rossier School of Education at
University of Southern California. I am conducting a research study as part of my dissertation,
which examines how international studies high school principals promote global competence.
You are cordially invited to participate in the study. If you agree, you are invited to complete an
online survey that contains multiple choice and short answer questions.
The online survey is anticipated to take no more than 15 minutes to complete. Depending on
your responses to the survey and your availability, you may be asked to be interviewed in-
person. The interview is voluntary, and anticipated to last approximately 1 hour and will be
audiotaped.
Participation in this study is completely voluntary. Your identity as a participant will remain
confidential at all times during and after the study.
If you have questions or would like to participate, please contact me at (650) 888-2030.

Thank you for your participation,

Collin Felch
Doctoral Candidate - Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California

Abstract (if available)

Abstract Technological, social, and economic advances to society have outpaced the rate of change in the education sector over the past few decades. Schools are attempting to prepare youth to become the leaders of tomorrow to think through and solve complex problems with jobs that may not have been invented yet. However, many educators are relying on and utilizing theories and practices from the 20th century that have become obsolete. The purpose of this study was to expand upon the pre-existing literature to uncover common, effective practices that international studies high schools use to build culturally aware and globally competent students. A secondary purpose of this study was to serve as a resource for international studies high school principals who seek strategies and practices to increase global competence among their students. The research questions used to guide this study were: (1) what structures do high school principals put in place that facilitate global learning

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Asset Metadata

Creator Felch, Collin (author)

Core Title Preparing the next generation of global leaders: how principals in international studies high schools promote global competence

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Publication Date 10/11/2016

Defense Date 09/29/2016

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag 21st century skills,cultures,digital portfolio,education,global,global competence,global learning,global project,High School,International,international studies,leadership,multiple perspectives,networking,OAI-PMH Harvest,partnerships,Principal,real-world,student travel,travel abroad

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Castruita, Rudy M. (committee chair), Garcia, Pedro E. (committee member), Love, Laurie C. (committee member)

Creator Email collinfelch@yahoo.com,felch@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c40-314933

Unique identifier UC11214644

Identifier etd-FelchColli-4876.pdf (filename),usctheses-c40-314933 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-FelchColli-4876.pdf

Dmrecord 314933

Document Type Dissertation

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Felch, Collin

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA