The Every Student Succeeds Act: Strengthening the Focus on Educational Leadership
Abstract
Purpose: This article offers (a) an overview of the attention federal policy has invested in educational leadership with a primary focus on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), (b) a summary of the critical role school leaders play in achieving the goals set forth within federal educational policy, and (c) examples of how states are using the opportunity afforded by the focus on leadership in ESSA. Findings: Through the examination of federal policy and existing research in this arena, we review the level of attention paid to educational leadership within Elementary and Secondary Education Act, its reauthorizations, and other federal education legislation. ESSA provides an enhanced focus on educational leadership and acknowledges the importance of leaders in achieving federal goals for education. Furthermore, ESSA acknowledges the importance of developing a strong leadership pipeline and, thus, allows states and districts to use federal funds to support leadership development. In this article, we delineate this focus on leadership within ESSA and offer examples of how states are planning to support leadership development. Implications and Conclusion: The important role that school leadership plays in supporting student, teacher, and school-wide outcomes warrants its inclusion within federal education policy. However, the opportunity to realize ESSA’s intended goals around leadership development could be undermined by forces at both the state and federal levels.
Get full access to this article
View all access and purchase options for this article.
References
Auerbach S. (2009). Walking the walk: Portraits in leadership for family engagement in urban schools. School Community Journal, 19, 9-32.
Bondy E., Ross D. D., Gallingane C., Hambacher E. (2007). Creating environments of success and resilience: Culturally responsive classroom management and more. Urban Education, 42, 326-348.
Brooks J., Jean-Marie G., Normore A. H., Hodgins D. W. (2007). Distributed leadership for social justice: Exploring how influence and equity are stretched over an urban high school. Journal of School Leadership, 17, 378-408. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/recordDetail?accno=EJ807383
Brooks K., Adams S. R., Morita-Mullaney T. (2010). Creating inclusive learning communities for ELL students: Transforming school principals’ perspectives. Theory Into Practice, 49, 145-151.
Castagna J., Young K., Gordon D., Little B., Palmer S. (2016, August). Education counsel: Summary analysis of ED’s proposed ESSA regulations for consolidated plans, accountability, school improvement, and data reporting & ED’s proposed ESSA regulations assessments and innovative assessment pilots. Retrieved from http://educationcounsel.com/?publication=educationcounsel-summary-analysis-eds-proposed-essa-regulations-consolidated-plans-accountability-school-improvement-data-reporting-eds-proposed-essa-regulations-assessments-inn
Castagno A. E., Brayboy B. M. J. (2008). Culturally responsive schooling for Indigenous youth: A review of the literature. Review of Educational Research, 78, 941-993.
Coelli M., Green D. A. (2012). Leadership effects: School principals and student outcomes. Economics of Education Review, 31, 92-109.
Council of Chief State School Officers. (2016). Its time to take a big bet on school leadership. Elevating School Leadership in ESSA Plans: A guide for states. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.ccssoessaguide.org
Daly A. J. (2009). Rigid response in an age of accountability: The potential of leadership and trust. Educational Administration Quarterly, 45, 168-216.
Darling-Hammond L., Meyerson D., La Pointe M. M., Orr M. T. (2009). Preparing principals for a changing world. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
DiPaola M. F., Hoy W. K. (2012). Principals improving instruction: Supervision, evaluation, and professional development. Charlotte, NC: Information Age.
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, H.R. 2362, 89th Cong., Pub. L. No. 89-10 (1965).
Every Student Succeeds Act, Pub. L. No. 114-95 (2015).
Ferguson M. (2016). ESSA is more than the latest acronym on education’s block. Phi Delta Kappan, 97, 72-73.
Gay G. (2002). Culturally responsive teaching in special education for ethnically diverse students: Setting the stage. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 6, 613-629.
Grissom J. A., Loeb S. (2011). Triangulating principal effectiveness: How perspectives of parents, teachers, and assistant principals identify the central importance of managerial skills. American Educational Research Journal, 48, 1091-1123.
Hallinger P., Murphy J. (1985). Assessing the instructional management behavior of principals. Elementary School Journal, 86, 217-247.
Herman R., Gates S., Arifkhanova A., Bega A., Chavez-Herrerias E. R., Han E.,. . .Wrabel S. (2016). School leadership interventions under the Every Student Succeeds Act: Evidence review. Washington, DC: RAND Corporation.
Higher Education Act. 1988 Amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965. Public Law 105-244. (1988).
Hitt D. H., Tucker P. D. (2016). Systematic review of key leader practices found to influence student achievement: A unified framework. Review of Educational Research, 86, 531-569.
Horng B. Y. E., Loeb S. (2010). New thinking about instructional leadership. Phi Delta Kappan, 92, 66-70.
Jackson B. L., Kelley C. (2002). Exceptional and innovative programs in educational leadership. Educational Administration Quarterly, 38, 192-212.
Khalifa M. (2010). Validating social and cultural capital of hyperghettoized at-risk students. Education and Urban Society, 42, 620-646.
Kirst M., Jung R. (1980). The utility of a longitudinal approach in assessing implementation: A thirteen-year view of Title I, ESEA. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 2, 17-34. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1164086
LaPointe Terosky A. (2014). From a managerial imperative to a learning imperative: Experiences of urban, public school principals. Educational Administration Quarterly, 50, 3-33.
Leithwood K. (2012). Ontario Leadership Framework with a discussion of the leadership foundations. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Institute for Educational Leadership, OISE. Retrieved from https://www.education-leadership-ontario.ca/application/files/2514/9452/5287/The_Ontario_Leadership_Framework_2012_-_with_a_Discussion_of_the_Research_Foundations.pdf
Leithwood K., Harris A., Hopkins D. (2008). Seven strong claims about successful school leadership. School Leadership & Management, 28, 27-42.
Leithwood K., Jantzi D. (1990). Transformational leadership: How principals can help reform school cultures. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 1, 249-280.
Leithwood K., Jantzi D., Coffin G., Wilson P. (1996). Preparing school leaders: What works? Journal of School Leadership, 6, 316-342.
Leithwood K., Louis K. S., Wahlstrom K., Anderson S., Mascall B., Gordon M. (2009). How successful leadership influences student learning: The second installment of a longer story. In Hargreaves A., Lieberman A., Fullan M., Hopkins D. (Eds.), Second international handbook of educational change (Vol. 23, pp. 611-629). Anderson and Sacks Springer International Handbooks. New York, NY: Springer.
Leithwood K., Seashore K., Anderson S., Wahlstrom K. (2004). Executive summary: Review of research: How leadership influences student learning. Retrieved from https://conservancy.umn.edu/bitstream/handle/11299/2102/CAREI%20ExecutiveSummary%20How%20Leadership%20Influences.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Leithwood K. A., Riehl C. (2005). What do we already know about educational leadership? In Firestone W. A., Riehl C. (Eds.), A new agenda for research in educational leadership (pp. 12-27). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Marks H. M., Printy S. M. (2003). Principal leadership and school performance: An integration of transformational and instructional leadership. Educational Administration Quarterly, 39, 370-397.
May H., Supovitz J. A. (2011). The scope of principal efforts to improve instruction. Educational Administration Quarterly, 47, 332-352.
McCarthy M. M. (1999). The evolution of educational leadership preparation programs. In Murphy J., Louis K. S. (Eds.), Handbook of research on educational administration: A project of the American Educational Research Association (pp. 119-139). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
McKenzie K. B., Christman D. E., Hernandez F., Fierro E., Capper C. A., Dantley M., Scheurich J. J. (2008). From the field: A proposal for educating leaders for social justice. Educational Administration Quarterly, 44, 111-138.
Murphy J., Elliot S. N., Goldring E., Porter A. C. (2006). Learning-centered leadership: A conceptual foundation. New York, NY: Wallace Foundation. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED505798.pdf
Murphy J., Hallinger P. (1988). Characteristics of instructionally effective school districts. Journal of Educational Research, 81, 175-181.
National Policy Board for Educational Administration. (2015). Professional standards for educational leaders. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.npbea.org
National Policy Board for Educational Administration. (2017). NELP. Retrieved from http://www.npbea.org/nelp/
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Pub. L. No. 107-110 (2001).
Orr M. T., Barber M. E. (2007). Collaborative leadership preparation: A comparative study of innovative programs and practices. Journal of School Leadership, 16, 709-739.
Pounder D. G. (1995). Theory to practice in administrator preparation: An evaluation study. Journal of School Leadership, 5, 151-162.
Robinson V. M. J., Lloyd C. A., Rowe K. J. (2008). The impact of leadership on student outcomes: An analysis of the differential effects of leadership types. Educational Administration Quarterly, 44, 635-674.
Sanzo K. L., Sherman W. H., Clayton J. (2011). Leadership practices of successful middle school principals. Journal of Educational Administration, 49, 31-45.
Scanlan M., Lopez F. (2012). Vamos! How school leaders promote equity and excellence for bilingual students. Educational Administration Quarterly, 48, 583-625.
Sebastian J., Allensworth E. (2012). The influence of principal leadership on classroom instruction and student learning. Educational Administration Quarterly, 48, 626-663.
Sebring P. B., Allensworth E., Bryk A. S., Easton J. Q., Luppescu S. (2006). The essential supports for school improvement. Chicago, IL: Consortium on Chicago School Research.
Silins H. C., Mulford W. R., Zarins S. (2002). Organizational learning and school change. Educational Administration Quarterly, 38, 613-642.
Supovitz J., Sirinides P., May H. (2010). How principals and peers influence teaching and learning. Educational Administration Quarterly, 46, 31-56.
Theoharis G., O’Toole J. (2011). Leading inclusive ELL: Social justice leadership for English language learners. Educational Administration Quarterly, 47, 646-688.
Tschannen-Moran M. (2009). Fostering teacher professionalism in schools. Journal of Educational Administration, 45, 217-247.
Turnbull B. J., Smith M. S., Ginsburg A. L. (1981). Issues for a new administration: The federal role in education. American Journal of Education, 89, 396-427. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1085122
U.S. Department of Education. (2016). Non-Regulatory Guidance Title II, Part A: Building systems of support for excellent teaching and learning (Non-Regulatory Guidance Title II, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as Amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015). Washington, DC: Author.
Ware F. (2006). Warm demander pedagogy: Culturally responsive teaching that supports a culture of achievement for African American students. Urban Education, 41, 427-456.
Young M. D., Crow G. (2016). The handbook of research on leadership preparation (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Young M. D., Crow G., Ogawa R., Murphy J. (2009). The handbook of research on leadership preparation. New York, NY: Routledge.
Young M. D., O’Doherty A., Gooden M., Goodnow E. (2011). Measuring change in leadership identity and problem framing. Journal of School Leadership, 21, 705-734.
Youngs P., King M. B. (2002). Principal leadership for professional development to build school capacity. Educational Administration Quarterly, 38, 643-670.
Biographies
Michelle D. Young, PhD, is the executive director of the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) and a professor in educational leadership at the University of Virginia. UCEA is an international consortium of research institutions with graduate programs in educational leadership and policy. She works with universities, practitioners, professional organizations, and state and national leaders to improve the preparation and practice of school and school system leaders and to develop a dynamic base of knowledge on excellence in educational leadership. She has been instrumental in both increasing the focus of research in the field of educational leadership on leadership preparation and development as well as strengthening research translation, dissemination, and utilization processes. she is the primary editor of the first and second editions of the Handbook of Research on the Education of School Leaders and is currently chairing the revision of National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) standards.
Kathleen M. Winn, PhD, is a postdoctoral research associate for the University Council for Educational Administration housed in the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia. Her research interests are primarily situated in leadership preparation, the intersection of leadership and science education, and program evaluation.
Marcy A. Reedy, MA, is a project director with the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA). She specializes in educational policy and coordinates UCEA’s policy and advocacy work. She is currently coordinating a comprehensive review of state ESSA plans, with a specific focus on the use of Title II funds for educational leadership development initiatives. She is recognized for producing easily accessible policy briefs and profiles. Prior to joining UCEA, she led the government relations campaign for the Center for Excellence in Education.
Cite article
Cite article
Cite article
OR
Download to reference manager
If you have citation software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice
Information, rights and permissions
Information
Published In
Article first published online: October 13, 2017
Issue published: December 2017
Keywords
Authors
Metrics and citations
Metrics
Journals metrics
This article was published in Educational Administration Quarterly.
VIEW ALL JOURNAL METRICSArticle usage*
Total views and downloads: 10049
*Article usage tracking started in December 2016
Altmetric
See the impact this article is making through the number of times it’s been read, and the Altmetric Score.
Learn more about the Altmetric Scores
Articles citing this one
Receive email alerts when this article is cited
Web of Science: 16 view articles Opens in new tab
Crossref: 22
-
A Comparison of the Internship Experiences of Aspiring School Leaders ...
-
School administrators’ experiences implementing a college and career r...
-
Educational Leadership Preparation and Professional Roles: Are We Serv...
-
Towards an Educational Leadership: Functions and Failures Perceived by...
-
The Challenges in the Selection and Recruitment to School Headteachers...
-
Impacting Student Achievement: Principals’ Instructional Leadership Pr...
-
Successful leadership in high needs schools
-
The Deep Roots of Inequity: Coloniality, Racial Capitalism, Educationa...
-
Leadership for Family and Community Engagement: A Qualitative Policy A...
-
Do school resources reduce socioeconomic achievement gap? Evidence fro...
-
The Professional Learning Needs of School Principals
-
Beyond Preparation: State Approaches to Early Career Principal Inducti...
-
Who Should Get “Ineffective”? A Principal’s Ethical Dilemmas on Teache...
-
How Principals Use a New Accountability System to Promote Change in Te...
-
Getting Off the List: Leadership, Learning, and Context in Two Rural, ...
-
Principal and School Counselor Collaboration Toward More Socially Just...
-
How Do States Implement College- and Career-Readiness Standards? A Dis...
-
Bridging, Brokering, Bricolage: Building Exemplary Leadership Programs...
-
Principal and School Counselor Collaboration Toward More Socially Just...
-
Principal and School Counselor Collaboration Toward More Socially Just...
-
Learning Outside the Classroom: How Principals Define and Prepare to B...
-
Establishing Parity in Middle and Secondary Co-taught Classrooms
Figures and tables
Figures & Media
Tables
View Options
Get access
Access options
If you have access to journal content via a personal subscription, university, library, employer or society, select from the options below:
loading institutional access options
UCEA members can access this journal content using society membership credentials.
UCEA members can access this journal content using society membership credentials.
Alternatively, view purchase options below:
Purchase 24 hour online access to view and download content.
Access journal content via a DeepDyve subscription or find out more about this option.
