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Jacqueline Segel

EDLP 6030

Module 6 Research Paper

16 October 2022

Module 6 Research Paper

Throughout this course, I have learned how to interpret statistics and apply this to the

educational leadership literature. According to Holcomb & Cox, “statistics is the branch of math

that deals with how groups of numbers behave.” (Holcomb & Cox 2018). Research in today’s

world often involves statistics, it is ever prevalent in the academic journal world. Data can be

grouped into two sub-groups: quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative data are about numeric

valuables while qualitative data are about categorical variables. This course has also covered

inferential statistics. Inferential statistics are used when drawing inferences or predictions about

samples or comparing groups within the study. Inferential statistics includes terms like sample

size, power, t-tests, and more. When a school leader understands the basic tenets of statistics,

they are more likely to apply current research trends and data to their schools. This will greatly

help me in my future educational leadership practice.

After learning the basic principles of statistics, I was able to apply this knowledge to the

educational literature read throughout this course. I read countless peer-reviewed studies and

journals and have learned the best practices to take with me in my future educational leadership.

For example, there are many qualitative studies in the educational research world. Qualitative

research focuses more on factors that affect individuals and grouping into categories. According

to Kalman, using the perceptions and experiences from administrators and teachers will help

school improvement. Kalman examined written answers of administrators and teachers to gain a
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closer look into the factors that both enable or hinder school improvement. This research is

important because the qualitative side of school improvement often comes second to the real,

hard, numerical data. Kalman deduced that “both issues related to the human side of school

improvement such as the behaviors, practices, and attitudes of school staff, students, and parents

and the structural side like physical characteristics, budget, education system, and socioeconomic

status of school environment have impacts on school improvement.” (Kalman 2020). The

findings then revealed that organizational features revolving leadership such as communication,

management, and school culture, were the most mentioned indicators. This is important because

had the study only used the numerical data regarding test scores or budgets, they would have

missed crucial information given to them by the school staff. This is important to keep in mind

when discussing school improvement in my own future positions. I would conduct my own

survey with my staff to gather what they consider the most important factors in school

improvement. This would be a great opportunity for staff to share their ideas and feel heard

while also giving me a sense of what staff hopes for each year. Based on the most important

indicators in the study, I would aim to be effective in my communication and management and to

create a thriving school community.

Another important qualitative study read throughout this course measured the

relationships among collective efficacy factors for high schools in Illinois. The researchers found

that student achievement was most impacted by family involvement and supportive learning

environments. (Haug & Wasonga 2021)This is also an important study in the qualitative realm

because while it uses the numerical data of student achievement, it categorizes the students based

on family involvement, school culture, supportive learning environments, etc. This is extremely

pertinent information for discussing school improvement. Many administrators immediately turn
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to the numerical data, however, had this study not categorized the numerical data even further,

we would not have as close of a look into what truly drives student achievement. This can only

be done using qualitative research methods. I can use this in my future educational leadership

practice because I will always aim to create a supportive learning environment for both students

and a supportive environment for the community. The community should be used as an

important asset and family engagement helps drive student achievement. I would suggest a

parent-teacher town hall where parents can discuss matters with teachers and administration.

Another case study that would prove beneficial and important in the educational

leadership world is the case study in Malang, using community-based input for school

improvement. Data was collected via interviews and questionnaires with various school staff

members. The researchers provided indicators like meeting with parents, communication

between school and family, organizing grades or report cards, teachers’ visiting parents’ homes

or parents visiting teachers, school parties, exhibitions of student work, and creating a parent-

teacher committee. (Syafrudie 2019) After analyzing the data, the researchers determined that

schools should implement an open classroom, where the community can and should participate

in school activities. The researchers found that parent involvement can improve the quality of

education and therefore lead to school improvement. I would use this data in my own practice

when deciding how parents and the community fit into our school. I would aim to use a similar,

community-based model where parents are often invited and included in school activities. This

would help drive student achievement, positive community relationships, and overall power the

improvement of schools.

Qualitative research is important in the educational world because it determines what

factors either in a school or a leader led to school improvement. One particular example of this
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would be a synthesis of research surrounding cases from high-needs schools. The researchers

examined data from high-needs schools around the world in order to find common factors in

leadership that may have led to school improvement. One of the principals in New Zealand

focused on the development of teachers and parents. One principal in Belize connected the

school’s curriculum with STEM education with the understanding that local industries were most

likely going to become students’ employment. (Gurr & Drysdale 2018) Additionally, one

principal in Australia focused their intervention plan towards a more student-focused learning

environment. Although these principals served different communities around the world, the

researchers found common ground. Many of the principals observed shared common views of

best leadership practices. They all focused on the ideas of developing people, redesigning the

school’s organization, improving teaching and learning. Researchers found these key factors to

be evident of successful school leadership which will in turn lead to school improvement. I

believe this is an important piece of research because it demonstrates that regardless of the

difference in communities around the world, school leadership needs to focus on the

development of students and teachers and become more human. I can use this in my future

educational leadership practice because I would aim to create an environment where I am

consistently trying to develop teachers, create strong connections with the community, and tweak

curriculum where it best fits the needs of our community.

Qualitative data helps us understand the more human side of statistics. One example of

this would be the study done regarding the possible solution to the ongoing national literacy

crisis with peer tutoring. Researchers aimed to see if there was a link between increased literacy

or academic achievement and peer tutoring. They created a poll, completed by 190 middle school

students, to share their views on tutoring at their school. The researchers then discussed the
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findings of the poll and found that 71% of students reported that they would rather ask a peer for

help on a difficult subject than a teacher. Many students (53%) revealed they feel embarrassed

when they needed tutoring. Researchers then compiled a meta-analysis of other studies done and

found that students recommend schools to shift their “adult-centric” pattern to become more

student-centric. (Gonzalez et, al. 2017) Based on the meta-analysis and the results of the poll, the

researchers suggest that tutoring can help reach academic goals. I believe this is a great program

to implement in my future school. Peer-tutoring can benefit both the tutor and the student

receiving the tutoring. The student who is tutoring can become an expert at this subject and the

person receiving the tutoring can receive help in a subject they struggle with.

Qualitative data can help leaders make informed decisions for school improvement plans.

One example of this would be Meyers and VanGronigen’s research where they created a rubric

of school improvement plan quality to assess what principals identify as root causes for 216

priorities across 111 school improvement plans (Meyers & VanGronigen 2020). The researchers

asked principals to focus on 2-5 priorities they believed would increase school improvement.

After analyzing the data, the researchers found that 95% of the root causes identified by

principals focused on adult behaviors and only 38% of those were specific to leadership roles in

schools. Many of the principals in this study identified teachers as the root cause. Throughout the

analysis of the school improvement plans, the researchers found that many of the principals did

not tie their steps for improvement with the reasons for failure. The researchers suggest many

principals need to reframe their improvement plans and make the leaders the drivers of change.

This can be useful in my own educational leadership practice because as a successful leader, I

would understand change has to come from the school leadership first to create an environment
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where teachers can practice and flourish. I would remember that often a school is not failing due

to teachers, but rather the lack of change from the top.

Throughout my research for this course, I found that qualitative studies are often used

when discussing school improvement plans. Another example of this type of study is an article

which discusses quality indicators of school planning and their effectiveness. Past research

indicates that schools’ improvement plans are not always knowledge or evidence based. (Cheng,

2011; Fernandez, 2011; Schildkamp, 2019; Strunk et al., 2016; Wanjala & Rarieya, 2014)

Researchers in this study believe that schools need to shift from the “crisis-driven” planning to a

broader strategic process. Researchers then implemented a qualitative analysis with 9 quality

indicators. After reviewing their data, researchers found that the schools’ strategic action plans

were successful in identifying the problem, goals, and solutions but rarely included data-based

solutions. (Carvalho et. al, 2022) I believe this is an important piece of qualitative data. I can use

this in my future educational leadership practice if I need to create school improvement plans.

When discussing these plans with district or state administrations, I would aim to use more data

and evidence-based decisions rather than creating a list of actions instead of useful tools or

strategies.

Lastly, an article focused on how aspiring principals developed school improvement

plans. The researchers observed what aspiring principals were taught in their field experience

during their master’s programs. Researchers believe that aspiring principals should be engaged in

“essential and genuine school-based field experiences” (Darling-Hammond et al., 2007). After

the aspiring principals created their school improvement plans and put together a team to analyze

schoolwide data, the researchers analyzed their results. They found that the aspiring principals
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were able to identify problems to help recognize specific problems in their school and then were

able to create plans to address these problems. (Bickmore, Roberts, & Gonzales 2020) This can

be used in my future practice when discussing SIPs. I will always use schoolwide data to help

identify targeted students, methods for identifying students, student outcomes, and strategies

used to achieve those outcomes.

While many qualitative studies in the school improvement realm focus on what teachers

and administration are doing, some also focus on students. One study that relied heavily on

student participation was the effects of implementing an 8-week virtual mindfulness intervention

program in an urban high school setting. So often researchers focus on numbers and data to make

school improvement decisions, when many times schools can improve by looking at the

socioemotional wellbeing of students. This study used a pre and post-program survey to measure

the changes in students’ stress levels. After introducing the program, the researcher found that

50% of the post-intervention scores all showed an average lowering of perceived stress among

students. (Galan 2021) These results are important when discussing how to improve the overall

environment of a school. When implementing a mindfulness program, students’ stress may

decrease. I believe this is an important and different version of qualitative data that may be used

in my future educational leadership practice. I currently work in one of the top NJ school

districts where stress is at an all-time high for high-school students. If I continued to work in this

district and became part of administration, I would opt to implement a mindfulness program and

weave it in throughout the day to bring down stress levels. This would help improve the overall

environment for students which in turn would increase academic achievement.

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Overall, qualitative studies regarding school improvement are just as important as

quantitative studies. Qualitative studies allow researchers to under the human side of data. There

are so many personal characteristics of leaders, administration, and teachers which can affect the

improvement of a school. It is also imperative to understand the role of parents and the

community in a school’s improvement. This can only be done through qualitative research

studies.

Quantitative research studies involve numerical data. These studies allow researchers to

analyze and group data sets and draw inferences from those sets. One example of this in the

school improvement realm would be using data from students. In Huisman et, al. the researchers

synthesized the results of 24 reports on students’ academic writing performance looking for a

relationship between increased academic achievement and peer feedback. After their synthesis,

the researchers found a large effect size. They concluded that when students engage in peer

feedback, this can result in larger writing improvements compared to receiving none. This is an

important piece of data because it provides a tool to use to increase academic writing. If a school

had consistently low ELA scores, this may be a tool they would consider implementing to

improve their school. In this specific study, researchers used an analysis of other literature in the

academic journal realm and drew their own inferences as a result. I would consider using this

data in my own educational leadership practice when discussing writer’s workshop and the best

methods. I would encourage my teachers to use this tool, however, would caution them not to

center the entire workshop around it.

Another example of a quantitative study regarding school improvement would be the

study that focused on finding the relationship between computer use and elementary test scores.

The researchers used data from 900,000 fourth grade students. After reviewing the TIMSS data,
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researchers found little evidence that there is a positive association between computer use in

schools and students’ learning (Karlsson 2020). After reviewing their data and investigating the

possible link, the researchers suggested that the implementation of computers in school settings

will not directly lead to increased academic achievement. The results demonstrate that there is a

negative association with daily computer use and test scores. The researchers also suggest to

only implement computers when necessary, to see a positive impact on students’ academic

achievement. This is a very important quantitative study because it shows the relationship

between computer use and academic achievement. This is extremely pertinent to today’s society

as we live in a digital world. Post-COVID schools implement computers in almost every subject

because students were trained to do so in 2020. This is important to keep in mind when

discussing school policy on computers. As a future educational leader, I would tell my staff to

use technology where it best fits. There is no need to use technology for the entire class period

with a subject like mathematics. Students need to be engaged in hands-on learning or else we

may see this negative effect on test scores.

Many studies use both qualitative and quantitative data. One example of this comes from

an article analyzing the relationship between school quality factors and school improvement in

Kentucky. Kentucky had implemented a new accountability system and labeling system for

school performance. The researchers used data from the Kentucky Department of Education to

identify teacher-centric school quality factors. Factors included: “the number of National Board-

Certified Teachers, the number of first year teachers, the percentage of teachers holding various

degrees, the teacher turnover rate, the percentage of teachers holding provisional or emergency

certifications, and the average years of teaching experience among the faculty.” (Courtney 2019)

After identifying these factors, the researchers analyzed the low-performing schools identified by
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the state. The results show that low-performing schools have higher teacher turnover rates,

increased percentages of new teachers, and lower percentages of credentials among teachers.

This is an important piece of information because it shows the direct relationship between a low-

performing school and high teacher turnover rates, new teachers, and less teacher credentials.

This study included both qualitative and quantitative data. The factors would be considered the

qualitative piece of data while the statistical analysis and reports on the schools would be

considered the quantitative piece of data. Both come together to provide more of the whole

picture when discussing the factors in a low-performing school. I think this article is important

because it shows how widespread the issue of teacher turnover rates and that for schools to

improve, educational leaders need to start there. One way I might aim to decrease teacher

turnover rates is to create a staff environment with increased communication and trust. When

teachers are in an environment where they and students can both thrive, they are more likely to

stay and in turn decrease the teacher turnover rates.

Another example of how researchers can blend both qualitative and quantitative data to

achieve a result would be the article discussing how some schools in Mississippi exceeded

academic achievements. The researchers first grouped the 639 schools by demographic and

socioeconomic characteristics. This would be considered the qualitative piece. After analyzing

the schools’ socioeconomic characteristics and demographics, the researchers totaled the number

of schools that were beating the odds. 44 out of the 639 schools analyzed managed to exceed

academic expectations. These schools that beat the odds had a high percentage of Black students

and economically disadvantaged students. (Partridge & Koon 2017). This is an interesting

analysis because it helps provide evidence against the stereotypes we so often see in education.

These statistics prove that just because a student is a part of one particular income bracket or
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demographic, they should not automatically be a part of the lower-performing group. This can be

used in my future educational leadership practice when discussing stereotypes and biases. This

would help demonstrate raw data that disproves the theory that those in a lower socioeconomic

group or a certain demographic are not going to perform well on tests.

Overall, this course has taught me how to successfully interpret data regarding school

improvement. I am more well-versed in interpretive statistics which will help me in my future

educational leadership practice. I will be able to provide data from previous educational

literature, analyze schoolwide data, and create well-informed school improvement plans.
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References

Bickmore, D. L., Roberts, M. M., & Gonzales, M. M. (2020). How aspiring principals applied

course-based learning to develop school improvement plans. Journal of Educational

Administration, 59(2), 199–214. https://doi.org/10.1108/jea-06-2020-0139

Carvalho, M., Cabral, I., Verdasca, J., & Alves, J. M. (2022). Strategic action plans for school

improvement: An exploratory study about quality indicators for schools’ plan

evaluation. Journal of Social Studies Education Research, 13(1), 143–163.

https://jsser.org/index.php/jsser/article/view/3910

Courtney, M. (2019). Recruiting for school improvement: the relationship between teacher-

centric school quality factors and school improvement designations in Kentucky.

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Galan Jr., T. (2021). The Effects of an 8-Week Virtual Mindfulness Intervention in High School

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