The Future of Practice

Christine Anne Migliori (McGrath)

William Paterson University

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Abstract

This paper will explore the content knowledge gained during EDLP: The Principalship: The

Person and the Profession. The purpose of this paper is to provide a summary understanding of

educational leadership literature and how this information will be used to inform, cultivate, and

develop my future school leadership practice. This paper will address the ten standards covered

during the semester. The review of the educational leadership literature will guide the author in

her attempt to answer the question: “How will this content knowledge help me in my future role

as a school leader?”

Keywords: Content Knowledge, Educational Leadership Skills, Community

Involvement, Cultivating Relationships, Social Media, Collaboration methods, Communication,

Assessment methods and practices.

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The Future of Practice

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on how I will synthesize the knowledge gained,

from literature reviews, class discussions, activities, and readings to answer the question: “How

will this content knowledge help me in my future role as a school leader?” In this paper I will

use the ten content knowledge statements when attempting to answer this question. The literature

review will be used to support and validate my conclusions. Additionally, the paper will inform

my practice during my first experience as a school leader.

Supporting Learning: In and out of School

The research is irrefutable the more involved parents are in supporting the learning of

their students learning both in and out of school; the more successful their children will be. But

how do you get parents/guardians to understand, embrace and acknowledge the influence they

can have on their children’s academic performance? As a future school leader, I will work with

my staff, community members, and parents to help them understand the valuable input they can

have on their children’s success. Parents do not want to be bombarded with technical jargon or

inundated with research, facts and figures. Who does? What they want to know is how they can

help their children succeed. The first thing parents need to be aware of is the value of the

expectations. Parents who value success and expect higher standards from their children will

attain the desired results. Communication between staff and parents will be a key. According to

Lv, Zhou, Gou, Liu, Liu and Luo, in their paper: “The Relationship between Academic

Achievement and the Emotional Well Being of Elementary School Children in China: The

Moderating tole of Parent-School Communication;” state that “frequent parent- teacher

communication will help children internalize both parents and teacher’s academic expectations.”

(Lv, B., Zhou, H., Guo, X., Liu, C., Liu, Z., & Luo, L. (2016). The Relationship between
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Academic Achievement and the Emotional Well-Being of Elementary School Children in China:

The Moderating Role of Parent-School Communication. Frontiers in Psychology) This

relationship will strengthen a child’s performance when both the school and the parents are on

the same page. Parents need to be made aware that something as simple as monitoring a child’s

homework completion can go a long way in communicating their expectations. When parents

“acquire extensive information about children in school” (Lv, et al., 2016) and are provided a

clear understanding of their children’s academic achievement, “they can adjust their behaviors

based on academic achievement.” (Lv, et al., 2016) So, as a principal I will stress the importance

of communication between my staff and community members. I will model this behavior by

communicating with the community daily. The bar will be set for my staff members to do the

same. “A major form of school based parental involvement is parent- school communication.”

(Lv, et al., 2016)

The research indicates that parents need to be guided in their support of student learning.

They need to be provided with the tools to help their children succeed. Knowing that parents do

not know what to do, as a school leader I will attempt to provide them with the keys that they

need to be successful. The school under my leadership will support the parents in any way

needed to help their students succeed. It would be me hope that an open channel of

communication will exist so that both the school and the parents can articulate these needs and

they can be remediated and addressed.

Student and Family Diversity

It is obvious to any educator that our students are very different than us. The environment, the

culture and personal experiences add to the diversity that they bring to the educational setting.

Understanding this diversity can be informative, influential, and impactful on the teaching
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practice that occurs in the school. The literature clearly states that by understanding the funds of

knowledge that students bring into the classroom, teachers and school leaders, can tailor

instructional practices to ensure the success of their students. The acknowledgement that that the

knowledge gained through personal experiences is the foundation for future knowledge

acquisition is of critical importance. This background knowledge is critical for improving

reading comprehension and content learning. (Bennett, C. ELL Students’ Background

Knowledge as an Academic Fund. (2019)) Students come into an educational setting with

diverse cultural and educational backgrounds. Some students have little or no experience in a

formal educational setting. While, other students learning has been interrupted by extenuating

circumstances beyond our understanding. (Bennett, et. al., 2019) Teachers and school leaders

must be able to establish a link between a student’s personal life experiences and the content

knowledge being taught. By helping the students to find meaning in what they are learning and

helping students establish a link to personal experiences “can provide clarity and promote

retention of learning.” (Bennett, et. al., 2019)

As teachers and administrators, we must access these “funds of knowledge” that the students

bring into the classroom. By understanding these funds of knowledge, we are attempting to

understand how our students learn. Understanding these funds of knowledge will help us to

enhance the learning environment for our students; fostering an environment that is respective of

the diversity they bring to the classroom. We need to acknowledge the “knowledge assets that

they have” and recognize “that these assets have been gained thought authentic personal

experiences.” (Bennett, et. al., 2019) Tapping into these funds of knowledge is impactful; as

experiences are a “powerful form of learning when compared to learning through telling”

(Bennett, et. al., 2019) which is the traditional learning style in American classrooms. In my
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school, learning will focus on creating experiences that are meaningful for students. There will

be rules. There will be facts that need to be learned. But I will encourage that the knowledge the

students bring with them be the groundwork and the foundation for additional learning.

As a future school leader, I will strive to recognize the diversity that is brought into the school by

the students. To understand the funds of knowledge they come to me with, I will strive to learn

about the experiences, personal and educational, that the students bring into the building. Taking

the knowledge gained from my understanding I will assist my teachers in designing the learning

experiences in the classroom to show teachers that they should “help students find meaning in

activities, rather than learn rules and facts.” (Bennett, et. al., 2019) As an administrator, I will use

my personal funds of knowledge to create authentic learning experiences for my students. A firm

believer in leading by example, I will learn as much as I can about my students, staff and

community and use this knowledge to design learning experiences that are useful, informative,

and valued by students, staff and community members.

The easiest way to demonstrate this will be in the professional development of the staff. By

tapping into the knowledge funds, they bring to me, I will create meaningful and authentic

learning experiences for them; they will in turn take this knowledge and do the same for their

students. The respect of student and family diversity will be of paramount importance in my

school. This importance will be illustrated through various cultural events held throughout the

year designed to enhance the knowledge of the staff, the community, and the students to learn

from each other in an environment that is respectful, nurturing and diverse.

Once again, a critical factor in my success will be communication. The lines of communication

will be kept open. To enhance my students’ learning I will attempt to understand as much as I can

about them and encourage my teachers to do the same. The knowledge of this diversity than can
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used to create authentic learning experiences for students and teachers. (Moll, L.C., Amanti, C.,

Neff, D., Gonzalez, N. Funds of Knowledge for Teaching: Using a Qualitative Approach to

Connect Homes and Classrooms. (2001) Theory into Practice.)

Cultivating Community Engagement Relationships

In the reviewing the literature pertaining to school cultivating school/community relationships,

engaging families in their children’s education, and establishing organizational cultures that

promote community engagement the determination is that a school is only as strong as the

community that it is engaged with. A symbiotic relationship that is strengthened when all its parts

are actively interacting with each other. “When schools work together with families to support

learning, children tend to succeed not just in school, but throughout life.” (Ankrum, R.J.

Socioeconomic Status and Its Effect on Teacher/Parental Communication in Schools. (2016)

Journal of Education and Learning: Volume 5.) The literature further shows that “student’s

achievement is enhanced by parents through parent-school interaction, which includes

communication, volunteer activity involvement, and participation in school management.” (Lv,

et. al, 2016) By encouraging parental involvement administrators can help parents to relay the

importance of education to their children. This parental involvement also helps children see and

understand the importance of academic achievements. (Lv, et. al, 2016)

The more involved the parents are involved in their children’s schools the more likely their

children are to be successful. Seeing that their parents are actively involved in the school,

experiencing firsthand a parent’s desire, through action and example, that a school is successful

is a powerful example of the importance of achievement for students. When students see that

their parent’s efforts are successful, they have a powerful influence to be successful. According

to Mutch and Collins “when teachers are parents collaborate for the good of the school and the
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ultimate benefit of the student” the schools are more successful in all activities including

fundraising and academic achievement. (Mutch, C., Collins, S. Partners in Learning: Schools’

Engagement with Parents, Families, and Communities in New Zealand. (2012) School

Community Journal) the research has shown that the greater the level of parent and school

involvement the more successful a school will be.

The roles for parents wanting to be involved are not limited to field trip chaperones, PTO/PTA

Members, or fundraising chairs; but can include, and should include, personal aides in the

classroom, lunch room monitors, committee chair people, and parent/teacher liaisons. The

purpose of this varied involvement is to ensure that “there is a shared understanding and

collaboration between all members of the school community for the ultimate benefit of all

students.” (Mutch, et. al, 2012)

As a future school leader, I will use the knowledge gained from this research to establish,

maintain, and foster relationships within the community that ultimately enhance the academic

success of the students. I hope to establish committees steered by strong parent/ community

members to bring onto the school all the bounty the community can offer a school. As a leader, I

hope to use my knowledge of community engagement and organizational cultures to enhance the

school culture. The organizational culture of my school will be one that values input from the

community. The organization will include ample opportunities for parents to be involved. If at ay

point parents/community members do not feel welcomed in the school, or do not feel like a

valued asset; the organizational culture of the school will need to be reevaluated and adjusted so

that all members feel welcomed and valued.

The research clearly demonstrates that collaboration methods need to go beyond the traditional

parent/teacher conference nights and include events that address the diverse needs of the
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community. By varying the events at the school, unique relationships can be built with more

diverse community partners. By reaching out to religious, cultural and ethnic groups in the

community collaborative relationships can be developed that enhance the school community.

Every group in the community has something valuable that it can offer to the school. It is the

school leader’s job to recognize the value in these diverse relationships and use it to its fullest

potential. As a school leader, I hope to tap into the diversity of my community establishing

atypical relationships that will make everyone feel important to the school. An important facet of

my school community will be the value it places on the diversity within the building.

The easiest way to integrate external resources into a school is by allowing these external

resources to chair or be committee members in the school. Catherine M. Hands states that by

allowing these external resources to form “connections between schools and individuals,

organizations, and business to promote students’ social, emotional, physical and intellectual

development” we are providing greater opportunity for the community to financially,

emotionally, and physically support the school. The key to the successful involvement of these

external resources are excellent two-way communication, a welcoming environment, and “the

principals support of school-community interaction.” (Hands, et. al. 2014) Hands also states that

the uncontrollable factors such as time, funding, leadership, guidance need to be taken into

consideration when involving and integrating external resources into the school. (Hands, et.al,

2014) An action team is an important tool when attempting to “initiate collaborative activities

that are important for developing partnership programs” (Hands, et.al, 2014) that are designed to

serve the unique academic, social and emotional needs of the students in our charge. As an

administrator it will be my responsibility to ensure that any task performed by an external

organization, group, or individual is in the best interests of the students in my building. When
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forming these committees, I must be sure to stress that the primary purpose is that all initiatives,

instructional plans, and incentives benefit and encourage student success. “Education is the

collective responsibility of the extended community” (Hands, et.al, 2014) and as a future school

leader it will be my sole responsibility to guarantee that all members of the school and acting in

good faith and with this goal in mind.

Economic, Legal, and Political Contexts

As an administrator I would be remiss if I ignored the research on the economic, legal, and

political contexts that impact the everyday functions of a school. the reality is that there is never

enough money to go around, and the economic stability of a school community greatly effects

the school. Difficult decisions need to be made regarding the finances of the school. It goes

beyond the context of physical materials. A school leader often needs to make difficult decisions

regarding staff member employment, overcrowded classrooms, and dilapidated facilities. As an

administrator I will have to make do with what I have and ensure that the resources are being

used in the best interest of the students. If something does not benefit the students directly, the

school will have to do without. This will be one of the more difficult aspects of the job deciding

what budgetary concerns are more important than others. It will probably be the aspect that

causes the most sleepless nights.

There will also be the need to ensure that the school, community, and staff members are acting

within the purview of the law. Administrators need to be aware of the legal restraints that apply

to a school. Legally there will be things that can not be done and an administrator needs to be

familiar with all the legal aspects of running a school. There will be times when an administrator

may need to inform community members, staff members, and even students that there are legal

ramifications to their actions. An administrator may also need to inform staff members that
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matters can not be discussed outside of school due to privacy concerns. As an administrator, the

legal aspects of the job will be the most difficult to deal with it. I will need be very familiar with

the educational laws of the state and ensure that my school in not in violation of any law.

Politics seem to weave its way into all aspects of life. Especially education. The current political

environment has politicians telling school districts what standards should be taught, how they

should be taught, and what materials should be used to teach them. The focus is now on test

scores and failing schools will be penalized by the loss of federal funds, school reorganization, or

closure in extreme cases. As an administrator you must address these concerns while advocating

for your school. You must adhere to the educational policy established by people outside of your

community, while being your school’s champion. I imagine that this is a difficult balancing act.

How does one fulfill the legal requirements, while satisfying the political agenda set by someone

who knows nothing about your school or community? It will not be easy being both and

advocate and an enforcer of educational policy, I hope it is something that gets easier with

practice.

Communication Concerns

According to Philip Brown and Lisa Vaughn in their paper: Communication: The Unspoken key

to School Culture; the foundation to a strong school culture is formulated on two concepts:

communication and relationships. (Brown, P., Vaughn, L. Communication- The Unspoken Key to

School Culture. (2015) Principal Leadership.) Without one you cannot have the other. In order to

build a good relationship with your community, you must have an excellent foundation on which

your communication is built. The more effective the communication is between school and

community is; the more trust you will have. The more a community trust you, the more likely
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they are to be relationships with you. Communication is the most important tool in an

administrators toolbelt.

The communication between an administrator and their community can never be one sided.

Communication must always be open to communicating with all stakeholders with fidelity. In

schools with morale problems with the community; “communication must be ongoing and

informative to constantly improve school morale.” (Brown, et. al., 2015) In communicating with

the community school leaders only need to communicate the information that is needed. There is

no to reveal more information than is needed. As a school leader, we must strive to find the

balance between what our community members need to know and when we have said too much.

When it comes to communicating information to the public less is more. We also need to

remember that “when problems exist in school-community relations, they exist because of a

breakdown in communication.” (Fiore, D.J. (2016) School- Community Relations. New York,

NY. Routledge Publishing. Pg. 82) As leaders we need to make sure that the avenues of

communication never break down.

To further ensure that the avenues of communication stay open, the research suggests the school

leaders need to embrace new electronic forms of communication. Technology is a powerful tool,

that when used correctly, can help to guarantee effect communication. While, electronic

communication- via a school website, is one sided it is still very effective. Using the school

website information regarding emergency school closings, upcoming school events, deadlines,

and policies and procedures can be relayed. This is the type of information that does not require a

response, and can reach more people faster electronically, School leaders must learn to “leverage

technology as a tool for efficient and effective communication.: (Brown, et. al., 2015)
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The research clearly states that communication must be efficient, effective, and elemental. We

must remember that by “increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of communication between

the school and parents improves the overall perception of the school.” (Brown, et. al., 2015) by

keeping the members of the community informed of the day to day happenings at the school we

are less likely to be faced with probing questions. When the members know they can rely on

reliable communication they are more confident in the school communication. It takes to build

this trust, but it can happen, open and honest communication is the key to any strong

relationship.

Leaders must also remember that communication can not only be limited to digital forms. There

are times when you will need to make a phone call, or send a memo, or communicate face to face

with a parent or community member. These face to face communications are often the most

difficult with- but they must be done. Sometimes you need to meet with a person to effectively

communicate your concerns and reach an amicable solution.

Communication is also necessary with the students of the school. The expectations, procedures,

and policies must be clearly conveyed to the student body for them to know what is required of

them. ‘Communication is key in helping students understand policies and procedures.” (Brown,

et. al., 2015) Communication helps to ensure that your students will be successful. “Schools must

be responsible for providing opportunities for students to participate in their own education.”

(Brown, et. al., 2015) but perhaps more importantly communication with our students helps to

build “quality relationships and models appropriate communication.” (Brown, et. al., 2015) As a

school leader it is one of our responsibilities to ensure that our students know how to effectively

communicate with other people.

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The research on communication will be useful as a future school leader, because it will help me

to articulate what it is, I need to communicate, be concise in my communication, and will help

me be consistent in my communication. As a leader I need to lead by example in communicating

with everyone in my community. If I am successful, there will be no accidents on my

communication highway and the message will always be clear with no roadblocks or detours.
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References

Ankrum, R.J. Socioeconomic Status and Its Effect on Teacher/Parental Communication in

Schools. (2016) Journal of Education and Learning: Volume 5. Pages 167-175.

Bennett, C. ELL Students’ Background Knowledge as an Academic Fund. (2019) Thought Co.

pages 1-5.

Brown, P., Vaughn, L. Communication- The Unspoken Key to School Culture. (2015) Principal

Leadership. Pages 32- 37.

Camacho-Thompson, D.E., Gonzales, N.A., Fuligni, A.J. Adolescent Academic Socialization:

A Within-Group Comparative Analysis Among Mexican-Origin Families. (2018) Journal

of Adolescent Research. Pages 1-27.

Chadwick, K.G. (2004) Improving Schools through Community Engagement: A Practical Guide

for Educators. New York, NY. First Skyhorse Publishing.

Currie, B. (2015) All Hands-on Deck: Tools for Connecting Educators, Parents, and

Communities. Thousand Oaks, CA. Corwin Publishing.

Fiore, D.J. (2016) School- Community Relations. New York, NY. Routledge Publishing.

Grogan, B. (2013) The Jossey-Bass Reader on Educational Leadership. San Francisco, CA. Joh

Wiley & Sons.

Hands, C.M. Connecting to the World Beyond the School: Social Contexts that Influence School

Leaders’ School- Community Collaboration. (2014) Hands. Pages 41- 56.

Hill, N.E. Craft, S.A. Parent-School Involvement and School Performance: Mediated Pathways

Among Socioeconomically Comparable African American and Euro-American Families.

(2003) Journal of Educational Psychology. Pages: 74-83.

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Kuo, N.C. Promoting Family Literacy Through the Five Pillars of Family and

Community Engagement (FACE). (2016) School Community Journal. Pages 199-218

Leithwood, K., Patrician, P., Changing the Educations Culture of the Home to Increase Student

Success at School. (2015) Societies: pages: 664-685

Lv, B., Zhou, H., Guo, X., Liu, C., Liu, Z., Luo, L. The relationship between Academic

Achievement and the Emotional Well-Being of Elementary School Children in China: The

Moderating Role of Parent-School Communication. (2016) Frontiers in Psychology.

Pages: 1-9.

Moll, L.C., Amanti, C., Neff, D., Gonzalez, N. Funds of Knowledge for Teaching: Using a

Qualitative Approach to Connect Homes and Classrooms. (2001) Theory into Practice.

Pages: 132-141.

Mutch, C., Collins, S. Partners in Learning: Schools’ Engagement with Parents, Families, and

Communities in New Zealand. (2012) School Community Journal, pages 167- 187

O'Connor, K.W., Schmidt, G.B. "Facebook Fired": Legal Standards for Social-Media-Based

Terminations of K-12 Public School Teachers. (2015) Sage Open, pages 1-11

Stamatis, P., Nikolaou, E.N. Communicating and Collaboration between School and Family for

Addressing Bullying. (2016) Internal Journal of Criminology and Sociology.

pages: 99-104
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