Graduation Year

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Degree Granting Department

Educational Leadership

Major Professor

Zorka Karanxha, Ed.D

Co-Major Professor

Marie Byrd, Ed.D.

Committee Member

Charles Vanover, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Michael Sherry, Ed.D.

Keywords

Culturally Responsive Leadership, Educational Leader, Equitable Education

Abstract

The academic achievement gap between White students and diverse student populations remains a persistent and prominent disparity in schools across the United States. While this issue affects schools nationwide, it is particularly significant in Title I schools, where many students from diverse, lower-socioeconomic-status backgrounds are served. Although a substantial body of literature examines this gap and highlights the positive impact of culturally responsive leadership, there remains a limited understanding of which specific practices are most effective in improving students’ academic outcomes. This study explores the perceptions of female school leaders in Title I schools regarding the strategies they believe contribute to increased student achievement, including instructional approaches, program implementation, professional development, and culturally responsive practices. The findings from this study show that culturally responsive leaders utilize several strategies to increase the academic achievement of diverse student populations. The strategies include engaging in critical self-reflection, promoting a culturally responsive and inclusive environment, developing culturally responsive teachers, engagement with students, parents and communities. The instructional strategies identified in this study were explicit instruction and modeling, scaffolding and differentiation, student-centered learning, and strategic staffing and scheduling. Additionally, leaders implemented programs such as positive behavior interventions and supports, academic support programs, and mentoring programs. Overall, the culturally responsive leaders serve as an orchestrator for the vision and goals of the school, ensuring that all stakeholders, such as teachers, students, families, and communities are supporting student academic achievement.

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