Blazing New Trails - Connexions

CRITICAL ISSUES IN PROMOTING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
Distinguishing Practices for Administrators: A Case Study of a
University’s Lab Settings’ Journey to Academic Excellence
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Gloria Gresham
Determining effective or distinguishing practices implemented by academically
successful educational institutions that lead to student academic success is crucial for school
administrators today. In our high accountability environment fueled by the 2002 No Child
Left Behind Act, educational leaders scramble to meet high standards, such as, testing
requirements, reading and math expectations, and higher qualifications for teachers (Jennings
& Renter, 2006; Odland, 2006). School leaders may turn to canned instructional programs
with claims of scientifically proven practices, and oftentimes, require teachers to follow these
programs in hopes that higher student achievement will follow.
Even though, effective schools research emerged over thirty years ago which
identified common characteristics of effective schools, numerous educational institutions
struggle to meet national and state expectations (Effective Schools, 2008). For example, in the
state of Texas, there are 1,235 school campuses including charter campuses. In 2009, only
117 or approximately 10% of these campuses achieved the state’s top accountability rating of
exemplary, and 73 or six percent were rated unacceptable. Furthermore, results from the 2009
National Assessment of Educational Progress indicated no significant change in fourth grade
reading scores, and eighth grade scores were only one point higher compared to 2007.
Mathematics scores were higher when compared to 2007 scores at grade eight but unchanged
at grade four. Academic gaps between ethnic minorities and whites are not narrowing
(National Center for Educational Statistics, 2010). However, some schools have promoted
student achievement. The intent of this study was to discover the organizational and
instructional practices of one university’s educational lab settings that led to documented
student academic success over time. Recent literature supports this effort of unearthing
distinguishing or successful practices.
LITERATURE REVIEW
The Effective Schools movement began in the late seventies and early eighties in
response to the Coleman report (The Equal Educational Opportunity Survey) published in
July 1966 that stated schools did not make a difference (Lezotte, n.d.). Spurred by this report,
a group led by Ronald Edmonds including educators, policy makers, and concerned citizens
assembled to initiate school reform (Lake Forest College, 1995). A product of the Effective
Schools' research was a list of correlates or characteristics exhibited by successful schools.
The correlates were critical aspects of an effective school because they “represent the leading
organizational and contextual indicators that have been shown to influence student learning”
(Lezotte, n.d., p. 7). Over time, these correlates evolved to include the following elements of
safe and orderly environment, climate of high expectations for success, instructional leadership,
Gloria Gresham, Stephen F. Austin State University