Cultivating Innovation Through Responsive Leadership: Considering the Perspectives of Classified Staff

• In Event: School Leadership for Innovation

Abstract

Purpose
In fostering innovative educational cultures and climates, the focus is rarely the myriad of classified staff in supportive roles (e.g., janitors, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, office staff) who interact with students and teachers, adding to the fabric of the culture and climate. Leadership should consider the perspectives of these employees when leading complex organizational initiatives that intertwine and become embedded in the practices of day-to-day work.

Perspective
The quality of the interactions within a school determine the learning and work experiences of the staff (Bryk & Schneider, 2003; Author, 2012), however research on leading learning cultures rarely focuses on the perspectives of classified staff (Arellano, 2020; Barakos-Cartwright, 2012; Brown & Stanton-Chapman, 2017; Roberts, 2020). Available research shows that classified employees experience marginalization and lack professional development opportunities (Fisher & Pleasant, 2012; Giangreco, Edelman, & Broer, 2003; Stewart, 2018). Whether that is related to differences in the perceived learning culture between certificated and classified staff has not been investigated, nor have leadership perspectives on possible differences (Arellano, 2020; Roberts, 2020).
To examine the experiences of classified staff directly as well as through leaders’ perspectives, this study addresses these questions:
1) How do self-reports on the learning culture differ between certificated and classified staff?
H1: Communication climate positively predicts the quality of peer cooperation.
H2: Principal trust positively predicts the quality of peer cooperation and communication climate.
H3: Certificated staff report a higher level of collaboration, communication climate and principal trust compared to classified staff.
2) How are potentially differing perceptions understood by leaders?

Methods
This mixed-methods case study is part of a larger research-practice partnership with a midsized urban fringe district known for their innovative practices.
Survey data (Spring, 2023) from all certificated and classified staff (N = 250) contained validated theory-based multiple-item scales: communication climate, peer collaboration, and principal trust.
Interviewees included a subsample of leaders of employees (N = 11) and school principals (N = 11).

Findings
A path model tested the H1-H3. Figure 1 presents the significant (p< 0.05) standardized relationships between components in the structural equation model. Results provide support for H1 and H2, although there was only an indirect effect of principal trust on peer collaboration. H3 was partly confirmed. Although classified staff reported lower levels of principal trust, they reported equal levels of peer collaboration and there was no total effect on communication climate.
Qualitative data indicate that classified staff identify different supportive conditions for innovative climates than do certificated staff. District and school leaders focus on relational trust as the most important condition for the success of the educational innovation process towards student-centered instruction. Differences in experiences of the learning culture are not collectively addressed by district and school leaders.

Implications
Given that classified staff were able to identify supportive conditions for innovation that certificated staff were blind to, their perspectives are vital for sustaining professional learning communities. However, lower levels of trust in leaders and the logistical difficulties of collaborating with and also researching often part-time employees hinders progress toward this end.

Authors

• Nicolette van Halem, Universiteit van Amsterdam

• Mimi Lockton, University of California - San Diego

• David Albert Rodes Trautman, University of California - San Diego

• Yi-Hwa Liou, National Taipei University of Education

• Alan J. Daly, University of California - San Diego