A Comparison of Male and Female Texas Elementary Principals' Priorities in Increasing Student Achievement in Title I Schools

Abstract

ABSTRACT Bailey, Cicely Hawkins., A Comparison of Male and Female Texas Elementary Principals’ Priorities in Increasing Student Achievement in Title I Schools. Doctor of Education (Executive Educational Leadership), May 2021. Houston Baptist University, Houston, Texas. The researcher examined male and female principals serving at a Title I elementary school that has been reported by TEA as a “met standards” campus. To guide this study, the researcher examined male and female elementary school principals' predominant priorities in increasing student achievement at low socioeconomic Title I schools. Male and female Title I school principals engaged in the study ranked the five themes found in the Advancing Educational Leadership (AEL) conceptual framework to identify their priorities that guide their leadership toward meeting state standards based on the TEA Accountability System. The qualified participants were male and female Title I elementary principals serving in a southeastern region school district in Texas. Thirty-nine percent (39%) of the survey participants were male principals, and 61% of the survey participants were female principals serving in a Title I school. Qualitative data was collected for the study and found 54.5% of the male and 52.9% of the female participants referred to the establishing and sustaining vision, mission, and goals are valuable to student achievement and the organization's success. The least predominant priorities were 63.6% of the male participants, and 47% of the female participants referred to managing data and processes as the least priority. Participants addressed their leadership style in the research; the study found that the participants' dominant leadership style was shared leadership. The participants’ responses referenced the importance of establishing and sustaining the organization's vision, mission, and goals, which could directly impact student achievement. The study captured managing data and processes may have limited contribution towards increasing student achievement. Based on the principals’ leadership styles, the study showed a need for male and female leaders to incorporate shared leadership practices within their leadership style. The study connected male and female leaders will benefit from understanding that shared leadership empowers members of the organization to utilize their talents and professional skills, which helps sustain the organization's success. This study's findings indicate a need to research further the predominant priorities of elementary teachers, superintendents, secondary principals in reference to student achievement using the Advancing Educational Leadership conceptual framework. Keywords: critical success factors, turnaround principal, improvement required, leadership, low poverty schools, high poverty schools, met standards, school improvement, student achievement, vision, mission, goals, data, shared leadership, transformational leadership