Date of Submission
8-30-2022
Document Type
DiP
Degree
Doctor of Education
Department
Education
Keywords
Indigenous, meso level leadership, education, adaptive leadership, decolonize, collaborative inquiry, professional learning community
Abstract
Abstract
Annual reports to the B.C. Ministry of Education on Indigenous student progress in 2019/2020 indicated notable gaps in academic achievement, sense of belonging, and post-secondary transitions between non-Indigenous and Indigenous students. Meso level leaders are responsible for developing new programs and resources to support Indigenous student success. They do not yet have the skills and knowledge to address the gap that exists between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) presents a collaborative inquiry approach to decolonize the K-12 system that promotes interwoven perspectives of Western and Indigenous epistemologies, pedagogies, and methodologies. A collaborative professional learning community (PLC) of meso level leaders provides the space for building relationships and defining common ground to bridge gaps between Indigenous knowledge and tenets of Western education. Adaptive and Indigenous leadership methodologies are identified that support meso level leaders in promoting Indigenous student success. The change implementation plan includes Stroh’s four stages (2015) connected to the First Peoples Principles of Learning (FNESC, 2008) to ensure that all partners are mindful of local traditions, protocols, ceremony, and stories to inspire change. The plan-do-study-act (PDSA) approach provides a monitoring and evaluation process and incorporates four phases of communication (Deszca et al., 2020) including ongoing consultation with local Knowledge Keepers and Elders. This OIP aligns with the organization’s mission to focus on strategies and resources to improve success for Indigenous students, and develop programs to support Indigenous culture, languages, and history (B.C. Ministry of Education, 2021).
Keywords: Indigenous, meso level leadership, education, adaptive leadership, decolonize, collaborative inquiry, professional learning community
Recommended Citation
Tomlinson, L. (2022). Developing Comprehensive Indigenous Education Programs through Meso Level Leadership to Promote Indigenous Student Success. The Dissertation in Practice at Western University, 302. Retrieved from https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/oip/302