5 / 9
96
Table 4
Demographics of participants from interview phase
Participant
Position
Gender
Years of
experience
Middle or
High School
Diverse or Non-
Diverse campus
Mr. Victor
Principal
Male
11+
High School Diverse
Mr. Schultz
Principal
Male
6-10
High School Diverse
Ms. Wall
Teacher
Female
1-5
High School Diverse
Ms. Smith
Teacher
Female
11+
High School Diverse
Mr. Potts
Principal
Male
6-10
Middle
School
Non-Diverse
Mr. Griffin
Principal
Male
11+
Middle
School
Non-Diverse
Ms. West
Teacher
Female
6-10
High School Non-Diverse
Mr. Jordan
Teacher
Male
11+
High School Non-Diverse
Findings of Secondary School Leadership Practice
Through interpretation and analysis of qualitative data, five themes emerged to continue
filling in the gaps of knowledge among transformational leadership practice of secondary school
leaders: 1) Culture of secondary schools; 2) Factors influencing leadership styles; 3) Perceptions
of Diverse and Non-Diverse school leadership; 4) School wide interventions; and 5
)
Recommendations for leading twenty-first secondary schools. The amalgamation of thick, rich
descriptive data from secondary principals and teachers from both diverse and non-diverse
secondary campuses provided multicontextual experiences and realities of transformational
leadership practice. This is a paradigm shift, one of opportunity and development for twenty-first
century secondary schools to continue improving culture and through school wide interventions.
Diversity & Staff Development—
The LBI data disclosed the need for educators to
increase awareness and understand student engagement, especially with diverse students through
professional learning and staff development. Secondary leaders must create and promote a
school culture that embraces diversity as an opportunity for personal and professional growth
rather than the deficit--a constant challenge. This becomes imperative for the successful
implementation and practice of culturally relevant embedded instructional strategies for student
engagement.
Unchanged Roles and Practice
s—
The belief that secondary principals can lead schools
alone the same way they did 10 years ago is a leadership fallacy. The demographics of
secondary schools have changed nationally, but the practices of many teachers and leaders have
not. This was a consensus across all eight participants. Their voices cemented the belief that