When the Mighty Fall: Schools Going From Great to Good

• In Event: Park Central Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: A Focus on School Improvement

Abstract

In 2001, Jim Collins published his seminal book on businesses that transitioned from “good to great.” We see similar aspirations in education. Continuous school improvement models suggest that effective schools require a process of constant stakeholder engagement in cycles of needs analysis and responses to continually get better organizationally—and principals are often charged with leading these efforts. In this study, we complement Texas school student achievement outcomes with data from the NCES Schools and Staffing Survey to examine the frequency at which schools go from “great to good” and if principal leadership influences those frequencies. Results suggest a positive association between school performance and principal leadership. Implications for policy and practice are also discussed.

Authors

• Coby Meyers, University of Virginia

• Meredith Wronowski, University of Oklahoma

• Bryan A. VanGronigen, University of Virginia