Less Prevalence of Distributed Leadership in Poverty Schools Is Detrimental for Student Learning

• In Event: Distributed Leadership: The Process and Impact of Shifting Roles for Administrators and Teachers

Abstract

The particular interests of this study are in whether and to what extent poverty schools have less desired leadership distribution and organizational capacity, and how these aspects are related to student learning. Using the 2015 PISA US data, this study is a school failure analysis examining the multidimensional associations among school socioeconomic status, distributed leadership, school factors that are influential for student learning, and student performance. Using factor analysis and structural equational modeling, this research found poverty schools had decreased distributed leadership in both teacher and governing boards’ engagement in instructional leadership and school management, while these leadership sources were nevertheless associated with desired school functions and student outcomes.

Author

• Yan Liu, University of North Carolina - Wilmington