Blazing New Trails - Connexions

Creating Shared Meaning in High Performing, Low Socioeconomic Urban Elementary Schools 139
from the field and draws on an inductive process in which themes and categories emerge
through analysis of data collected by techniques such as interviews, observations, videotapes
or audiotapes. Samples are usually small and are often purposively selected. From direct
observations of human behavior in everyday life, qualitative researchers use detailed
descriptions from the perspective of the research participants themselves as a means of
examining specific issues and problems under study.
Bogdan and Biklen (2007) stated that some qualitative researchers do not think of
generalizability in the conventional way; they are concerned not with the question of whether
the findings of their study are generalizable, but rather with the question of to which other
settings and subjects they are generalizable. Additionally, as with our study, qualitative
researchers are more interested in “deriving universal statements of general social processes
than statements of commonality between similar settings” (Bogdan & Biklen, p. 36). Our
study was descriptive in nature, primarily using one of the three methodological approaches
noted by Yin (1994): exploratory, explanatory, and descriptive. Secondarily, from a
quantitative perspective, we used simple, descriptive statistics to describe and compare survey
findings, test data, and other pertinent information.
Participants
The volunteer participant principals and schools were from two North Texas
elementary schools and were chosen because they met four criteria. First, the principals had
led their schools for at least three years. Second, according to data from the state, they
improved their schools’ reading and math state assessment test scores after they assumed the
position of principal and continued to maintain the high performance levels for at least two
years. Third, they improved their schools’ performance by at least 5 percent (School A) or
maintained and improved their state assessment test passing rates to above 90% (School B) in
the last three years in reading and math. Finally, they allowed access to their schools and staff.
The schools were named A and B, and the principals were named Alpha and Beta
respectively. Five participating teachers from School A were coded A1 through A5; similarly,
the five teachers from School B were coded B1, B2, and so on.
Both principals are females. In her first assignment as principal, Alpha was in her fifth
year as principal of School A. She was an assistant principal for six years before assuming her
current position, and, shortly before this study began, her area superintendent appointed Alpha
to lead coordination efforts to help six underperforming elementary schools in her learning
area. Principal Beta was in her seventh year as principal of School B. Prior to her stint as
principal of School B, she was principal for two years in another elementary school, and
before that, she was a crisis specialist on the district’s crisis team. During the course of this
research, Principal Beta’s school was designated an Exemplary school (the state’s highest
academic ranking) for the first time and was in the top 20% of all schools in the school
district. Recommended by her faculty and staff, Beta was one of the district’s top three
finalists for the district-wide Principal of the Year competition in the school year of 2008.
Both participating principals indicated they did not enter the educator profession desiring to
be school principals; they were offered the opportunity to pursue a school administrator
career.
Both principals enthusiastically and fully agreed to participate in this study. In fact,
they gave permission to interview any staff and faculty member, and they encouraged
community conversations as part of this research study. (It is important to note that one author
teaches in School A, thus, working with Principal Alpha, while the principal from School B is