AVID demonstration and highly certified school principals and leaders: the critical decisions of those who lead the reform of their schools

Smith, Angela Lashon

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Description

Title

AVID demonstration and highly certified school principals and leaders: the critical decisions of those who lead the reform of their schools

Author(s)

Smith, Angela Lashon

Issue Date

2021-07-16

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Welton, Anjalé

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Welton, Anjalé

Committee Member(s)

• Trent, William T
• Pak, Yoon
• Roegman, Rachel

Department of Study

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ed.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• AVID
• CCR

Abstract

Imagine a classroom where students are leading instruction and teachers are in the background facilitating learning; a spac¬e where race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status take a back seat to true scholarship. Imagine a space where students not only explore relevant concepts but also question and debate topics, adding their own perspectives as they make sense of dated, subjective, or abstract ideas. This type of space has the potential to unlock the strong, hegemonic hold on what some understand to be human intellect. Inside this ideal classroom, students can be found co-constructing knowledge, increasing their understanding of concepts, learning about themselves, and converting everything they learn into wisdom as they grow and reshape the world. The results are the birth of something beautiful… but this is only a dream in many K-12 public schools today. Researcher Shor (1999), inspired by the works of Freire, purported, “Critical teaching is not a one-way development… It is not a paternal campaign of clever teachers against defenseless students. Rather, a critical process that is driven and justified by mutuality” (p. 13). Ironically, many of today’s classrooms are filled with “childhood censorship and everyday forms of silencing” (Shor, 1999, p. 3). Teachers are experts that claim the center of today’s classrooms and students often remain positioned along the fringes. Freire (2000) refers to this as the “banking” concept of education where students are treated like “containers” or “receptacles” to be filled by adults (p. 72). The banking model breeds oppression (Freire, 2000) and yet schools have not changed the way teachers instruct students. It should be no surprise that students often feel marginalized and powerless in schools, particularly along the lines of race. Persistent gaps in achievement are evidence of their suffering. According to research, Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) offers a space known as the AVID elective where students take the center of the classroom as they are exposed to relevant materials and high-yield strategies that “replace Bloom’s taxonomy” (Soumakian et al., 2015, p. 38). The AVID elective class is scheduled during the regular school day allowing students to sharpen their writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading skills (WICOR) ultimately taking the driver’s seat in their own education (Huerta et al., 2013). Students enter the classroom with specific problems or questions they need to solve. They consult with a small group of peers, unpacking their thinking using a small whiteboard to display visual or mental maps that represent their thoughts. Peers prod one another along by asking questions until the student presenting the problem finds clarity (AVID, 2018). The teacher remains in the background as students take the lead. AVID is one of many reform efforts used to address the achievement gap. However, there is little research that explains how principals and leaders use AVID as a vehicle to drive whole school reform. Researchers Solomon (2002) and Theoharis and Haddix (2011) attested, “principals are one of the most influential change agents uniquely positioned to increase student achievement and educational opportunities; especially for students most victimized by inequities” (as cited in Swanson & Welton, 2019, p. 732). Studying principals (as well as leaders) of AVID Demonstration schools and their various methods of leadership could potentially benefit educators, leaders, and policymakers that are currently striving to prepare more diverse learners for college, careers, and life. By employing a qualitative interview study method, I will conduct a fixed-question-open-response interview, with several principals (and other leaders) at three National AVID Demonstration secondary schools located within the U.S. The purpose of the interview study is to examine the ways in which leaders at various AVID sites prepare a diverse group of students for college, careers, and life beyond K-12 public schools. This study will seek to better understand AVID principals and leaders by unveiling the (visible and invisible) decisions they make, the strategies they employ throughout their campuses, the stakeholders they enlist, and the personal and professional background experiences that shape their overall leadership. Interviews will be conducted via telephone and/or videoconferencing to comply with COVID-19 social distancing mandates. Data will be analyzed and shared with a broad group of educational leaders to help grow the profession and increase student support and academic outcomes -particularly for historically underrepresented populations.

Graduation Semester

2021-08

Type of Resource

Thesis

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Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2021 Angela L. Smith

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