Leadership for STEM Schools: Exploring Leadership and Teachers' Commitment in Inclusive STEM High Schools

This study examines the influence of a district-driven, whole-school STEM reform on school leadership and teachers’ organizational commitment. Through a replication case study design (Yin, 2009), interview data (N=21) was gathered from school administrators and teachers across four designated inclusive STEM high schools, as well as from district leaders and external stakeholders associated with the reform. Additionally, relevant data from supporting documents and survey data (N=69) from teachers was also collected. An analysis was conducted using matrices that compared findings from interviews, surveys and documents across sites through an inductive, comparative method. Findings show that organizational leadership practices were minimally aligned with the national and local policy goals of the reform. Leadership was fairly centralized at the district and school level with reform related roles and responsibilities primarily distributed among administrative staff. Teachers expressed feeling committed to the school, while also indicating having little to no involvement in the whole-school STEM model. Recommendations include (1) building commitment and capacity among district and school administrators, (2) considering a robust accountability system at the district and school level to further align leadership practices to the reform model, and (3) engaging teachers in organizational leadership practices to support building motivation and self-efficacy related to the reform.