This article reports findings from a study of the experiences of 11 school principals who are leading the conversion of a large, comprehensive, urban high school into six thematic small schools. Specifically, this study addresses the question, What do high school principals identify as the leadership challenges and opportunities embedded in the process of conversion of a large, comprehensive, urban high school into several thematic small schools?
Ancess, J. (2003). Beating the odds: High schools as communities of commitment. New York: Teachers College Press.
2.
Calhoun, E., & Joyce, B. (2005). "Inside-out" and "outside-in": Learning from past and present school improvement paradigms. In D. Hopkins (Ed.), Practice and theory of school improvement: International handbook of educational change (pp. 252-264). Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer.
3.
Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory: A practical guide through qualitative analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
4.
Cotton, K. (2001). New small learning communities: Findings from recent literature. Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 459 539)
5.
Cuban, L. (2001). How can I fix it? Finding solutions and managing dilemmas. New York: Teachers College Press.
6.
Darling-Hammond, L., Ross, P., & Milliken, M. (2007). High school size, organization, and content: What matters for student success? In T. Loveless & F. Hess (Eds.), Brookings papers on education policy: 2006-2007 (pp. 163-203). Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.
7.
DiMartino, J., Clarke, J., & Wolk, D. (2002). Personalized learning: Preparing high school students to create their futures. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Education.
8.
Elementary and Secondary Education Act: No Child Left Behind. (2001). Smaller learning communities (Part D: Fund for the Improvement of Education; Subpart 4; Section 5441).
9.
Evans, R. (1996). The human side of school reform. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
10.
Feldman, J., Lopez, L., & Simon, K. (2005). Choosing small: The essential guide to successful high school conversion. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
11.
Fullan, M. (2007). The new meaning of educational change (4th ed.). New York: Teachers College Press.
12.
Gates Educational Policy Paper. (2003). Closing the graduation gap: Toward high schools that prepare all students for college, work, and citizenship. Seattle, WA: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
13.
Grace, L., Buser, R., & Stuck, D. (1987). What works and what doesn't: Characteristics of outstanding administrators. NAASP Bulletin, 71, 72-76.
14.
Greene, J.P., & Winters, M.A. (2005). Public high school graduation and college-readiness rates: 1991-2002. Retrieved February 18, 2008, from http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/ewp_08.htm
15.
Hargreaves, A., & Fink, D. (2006). Sustainable leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
16.
Leithwood, K., Seashore-Louis, K., Anderson, S., & Wahlstrom, K. (2004). How leadership influences student learning. New York: The Wallace Foundation.
17.
Maykut, P., & Morehouse, R. (1994). Beginning qualitative research: A philosophic and practical guide. Washington, DC: Falmer.
18.
McDonald, J.P. (2007). The power of protocols: An educator's guide to better practice (2nd ed.). New York: Teachers College Press.
19.
Powell, A.G., Farrar, E., & Cohen, D.K. (1986). The shopping mall high school: Winners and losers in the educational marketplace. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin.
20.
Reyes, P., Scribner, J. D., & Paredes-Scribner, A. (Eds.). (1999). Lessons from high-performing Hispanic schools: Creating learning communities. New York: Teachers College Press.
21.
Russell, J.S., White, T.E., & Maurer, S.D. (1984). Linking the behaviors and activities of secondary school principals to school effectiveness. Eugene, OR: Center for Educational Policy and Management.
22.
Shaw, L. (2006, November 5). Foundation's small schools experiment has yet to yield big results. Seattle Times. Retrieved July 19, 2007, from http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/2003348701_gates05m.html
23.
Sizer, T.R. (1984). Horace's compromise: The dilemma of the American high school. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin .
24.
Tung, R., & Ouimette, M. (2007). Strong results, high demand: A four-year study of Boston's pilot high schools. Boston: Center for Collaborative Education. Available from www.ccebos.org
25.
U.S. Department of Education. (2007). Smaller Learning Communities Program. Retrieved July 19, 2007 , from http://www.ed.gov/programs/slcp/funding.html
26.
Wagner, T. (2001). Making the grade: Reinventing America's schools . New York: Routledge Falmer.
27.
Wagner, T., Kegan, R., Lahey, L., Lemons, R., Garnier, J., Helsing, D., et al. (2006). Change leadership: A practical guide to transforming our schools. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
28.
Wallach, C., & Lear, R. (2005). A foot in two worlds: The second report on comprehensive high school conversions. Seattle, WA: Small Schools Project.
29.
Wasley, P.A., & Lear, R.J. (2001). Small schools, real gains. Educational Leadership, 58(6), 22-27.
30.
Waters, T., Marzano, R.J., & McNulty, B. (2003). Balanced leadership: What 30 years of research tells us about the effects of leadership on student achievement. Aurora, CO: Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning.