Four organizational supports mediating leadership effects on instruction and learning¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · 3 claims (3 for) · 4 studies (2 associational, 1 causal, 1 design), q2 · 0 of 4 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The article organizes school leadership effects through the Bryk et al. (2010) conceptual model, in which leadership works primarily to develop four organizational supports that mediate effects on classroom instruction and student outcomes. As the article states, school processes were "classified school processes into four broad areas—instructional guidance, the professional capacity of staff members, family and community involvement, and the learning climate of the school." Principal leadership operates by focusing mission and goals, actively supporting instruction, and supporting trust and collaboration; teacher leadership contributes influence in decision-making. The model also includes school context as an input.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• The framework assumes leadership effects on students are indirect, operating through organizational processes rather than directly on achievement

Constraints¶

• The study examined leadership only in the context of the principal; the role of teacher leadership remains to be examined

Target Learners¶

• high school students in urban districts

Target Learning Objectives¶

• student achievement through improved classroom instruction and school organization

Claims¶

• Elementary schools strong in three or more of the five essential supports were ten times more likely to substantially improve student math and reading scores (attributed to Bryk et al., 2010) [+W]
• Fewer than 10 percent of elementary schools with a sustained weakness in one essential support showed improvements in student outcomes (attributed to Bryk et al., 2010) [+W]
• Schools weak in most essential supports were four to five times more likely to stagnate than schools with strong overall organizational capacity [+W]

Related Theories¶

• Five essentials framework of organizational supports for school improvement
• The five essential supports framework: five mutually reinforcing organizational dimensions that enable or inhibit improvement in classroom practices
• School organizational processes mediating principal influence: a five-process framework
• School social-organizational structure mediates community influences on school safety

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Sebastian, J., & Allensworth, E. (2013). How Do Secondary Principals Influence Teaching and Learning? Principal's Research Review, 8(4). https://www.nassp.org/prr