Opening the Gate for All: Practices of Equity Focused Principals that Lead to Academic Success for Diverse Populations of Students

Abstract

School leaders are constantly challenged to be everything for everyone as student populations become more diverse and the needs of students become more complex. The classroom environments and instructional practices that have been utilized in public school settings are no longer rendering growth for all students. Principals are challenged with figuring out how to be leaders in these continuously changing school environments that are struggling to provide an equal education to all. A case study was utilized to understand the beliefs, actions, and practices of school principals that support inclusive learning environments that contribute to academic achievement in Title I schools with larger populations of diverse students. The study found that equity-focused principals invest heavily in establishing inclusive school cultures and in building teacher capacity to assist with providing equitable learning opportunities that impact the academic achievement of all students. The results of this study also determined that more research is needed to understand and support equity-focused leadership within schools to aid in the efforts to decrease the achievement gap of underrepresented populations of students.