Date of Submission

6-28-2019

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Degree

Doctor of Education

Department

Education

Keywords

transformational leadership, learning sprints, reading comprehension, organizational improvment, rural school division

Abstract

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) will examine the system and school leadership, required to support all students in improving their reading comprehension skills. This examination is necessary because students from historically marginalized populations continue to lag behind their peers in reading comprehension which directly impacts their success in school and life. Using Divisional reading comprehension data, Provincial Literacy data, Divisional goals and Provincial aspirational targets will provide baseline evidence as well as targets to reach in implementing this plan. Divisional leadership and school leadership skills are considered and connected to teacher efficacy and deliberate pedagogical choices which lead to students’ improved achievement. From the perspective of transformational leadership and using a social justice lens, systems, school and teacher leadership can align to support organizational improvement related to students’ reading comprehension skills. As a system, Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model is used to manage change in Koinonia School Division (KSD) – as pseudonym. Using a Learning Sprints approach in the classroom will focus school teams on the gap specific to students’ reading comprehension levels and on the next best teaching strategies for the teacher to take so students’ growth and achievement can increase. This OIP will be of interest to those examining leadership for change, improvement of student achievement in a rural context.

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