Developing Leaders Through Transformative Leadership Coaching: Assessing the Impact of a Rural, Multidistrict Research-Practice Partnership

• In Event: 15.042 - Supporting School and Teacher Leaders for Improved Practice and Increased Self-Efficacy

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of a three-year research-practice partnership on school leaders and leadership coaches who participated in it. The initiative, called the Leadership Learning Community (LLC), was created by a consortium of 12 predominantly rural, high-poverty school districts and two universities to meet the districts’ leadership development needs. The findings illustrate the extent to which the leadership coaching practices of experienced principals and the leadership practices of school leaders can be developed to affect change in rural, high-poverty schools. Coaches learned to critically examine their own beliefs about coaching and to engage leaders in dialogue that facilitated their abilities to lead school improvement efforts. The paper concludes with implications for research and practice.

Authors

• Hans W. Klar, Clemson University

• Kristin Shawn Huggins, Washington State University

• Parker Morse Andreoli, Clemson University

• Frederick Chaim Buskey, Clemson University