Graduation Year
2013
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree
Ed.D.
Degree Granting Department
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Major Professor
Leonard Burello
Keywords
Social Justice, School Related Interventions
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this portraiture study is to describe four African-American principals'
experiences, in the context of their principal's role, with the interventions they championed in
meeting the needs of their struggling students. This research attempts to answer questions
concerning: What role did the four principals play in the targeted school reform? What
interventions did each principal introduce and what evidence of effects do they identify for each
one? How did each principal's values and beliefs affect what they chose to do? Framed within
Social Justice Theory (SJT), the study provides insight into how these respondents increased
student achievement and social behavior through the interventions that they championed. Data
collection included school observations, interviews of principal participants, and the collection of
principal generated artifacts such as awards, memos, and newspaper articles. Portraiture was the
method used in this study. Several themes emerged from the narratives of the two men and two
women. First, all four leaders were able to bring students, parents, and school staff members
together. Second, there is a clear focus on how dedicated these men and women were to their
work. The results and impact of their leadership, however, appear contextually unique,
serendipitous, and distinctive.
Scholar Commons Citation
Curtwright, Lewis, "A Descriptive Study of Four Principals' Experiences in Leading" (2013). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/4879
