Date of Submission

7-15-2024

Document Type

DiP

Degree

Doctor of Education

Department

Education

Keywords

equitable outcomes, equity-centred school leadership, superintendent-led principal learning, critical dialogue, transformative leadership, authentic leadership

Abstract

Persistent inequities affecting students from non-dominant groups are pervasive in education. To ensure outcomes and opportunities are equitable, educational leadership that centres equity is critical. This Dissertation-in-Practice (DiP) lies at the intersection of superintendent-led principal learning and equity-centred school leadership. The problem of practice explores how superintendents can foster equity-centred school leadership to address educational disparities. It focuses on supporting superintendents in the Great Northern District School Board (GNDSB) yet acknowledges broader potential due to the widespread nature of educational inequities. Situated within a critical orientation amidst a structural-functional and interpretivist organizational context, the DiP delineates historical, political, economic, social, and legal factors shaping the current state, contrasting it with an envisioned future state that emphasizes three key equitable leadership priorities: fostering a culture of belonging and inclusivity, maintaining high academic expectations, and implementing restoration-focused practices. Transformative and authentic leadership approaches pervade the DiP. They are applied to a three-stage change theory, which serves as a guiding framework for employing the selected strategies of critical dialogue and professional development to address the problem of practice. With a bias toward action, the change implementation plan articulates how superintendents will foster the growth of principals along a continuum of equitable leadership practice, employing key communication and evaluation tools and leveraging professional learning networks for knowledge mobilization. The DiP concludes by emphasizing ongoing learning and collaborative efforts among GNDSB leaders to address leader learning needs and amplify student voice, urging sustained momentum and intensified efforts for underserved students to ensure lasting impact.

Download

Share

COinS