School leaders’ actions in detracking for student achievement: A convergent mixed-methods approach

Margaret Thornton, Ph.D.

Princeton University

Introduction, Statement of the Problem, & Contribution

Marginalized students continue to be placed in lower level classes at disproportionate rates (Kalogrides & Loeb, 2013). Some schools have turned to detracking as a way to counter this problem. Using Culturally Responsive School Leadership (Khalifa et al. 2016) as a framework, this study identified several meaningful factors of school leadership at work in the context of detracking. This dissertation answered several questions relating to culturally responsive school leadership, supporting minoritized students, and sorting students into courses. The purpose of this study is to identify and understand the meaningful factors of school leadership at work in the context of detracking using survey and student achievement data coupled with teacher and school leader interviews. In the future, this study will serve as the basis for future research and development work, including the development of a de-tracking self-evaluation tool for school leaders and the validation of a survey instrument designed to help school leaders implement research-based detracking practices in their schools. Therefore, this dissertation seeks to answer the following research questions:

Research Question 1: How do school leaders foster detracking in their schools?

Research Question 2a: What student outcomes exist in detracking programs?

Research Question 2b: How do school leaders support successful student outcomes in detracking programs?

Methodology, Data Collection, & Analysis

I used a convergent mixed methods design to first explore these actions qualitatively at each of the case study sites and then to quantitively explore potential associations between school leaders’ actions within the detracking program and student outcomes (QUAL+quan). The outcome measures included graduation rates (Burris & Murphy, 2014), school climate (Staples, 2008), and test data (Nomi & Allensworth, 2013).

Findings

Research Question 1: Several themes emerged when merging the results of the datasets. Three out of four of the case study sites demonstrated near-universal access to pre-IB or pre-AP courses. Leaders supported teachers in differentiating and changing their mindsets about whom constitutes an honors student. Leaders also sought to help the surrounding community articulate and support values for detracking. In terms of student relationships, leaders also communicated high expectations for students.

Research Question 2a: The answer to the second research question intended to determine if there may be a statistical correlation between specific school leader actions and student outcomes in the cases I studied. Because data collection first occurred during the 2019-20 school year and into the 2020-21 school year, I found it impossible to collect year-end or interim data that could be reliably used to establish what correlations might exist. I did, however, come to see some potential findings based on the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights data along with the state report cards regarding each school. Another way to think about potential associations between principals’ actions and student outcomes is to think about the Representation Index (RI) of students within advanced courses. An RI is the ratio of the proportion of students in a given category in advanced courses to the proportion of students from that given category in the school itself (Yoon & Gentry, 2009). Based on the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights data along with the state report cards regarding each school, I calculated RIs for each school and found Black and Latinx students along with English Language learners and students with disabilities continued to be underrepresented in advanced courses.

Research Question 2b: By examining the first two research questions from a variety of qualitative and quantitative sources, I identified five supports school leaders gave that seemed like particularly important foundational steps in terms of student outcomes in detracking programs: 1) School leaders demonstrated a commitment to the promises of equity and heterogeneity. 2) Leaders also created and sustained a culture of honors work. 3) Focusing on student support paid dividends for students, as did 4) leveraging community resources. Finally, 5) supporting teachers in navigating detracking work also supported successful student outcomes in these detracking programs. 

Recommendations for Further Research

            Understanding how some school leaders have accomplished this feat in detracked schools can help other school administrators follow a similar path. This in-depth exploration will, in the future, also result in the development of a conceptual model for detracking. Moreover, it will serve as the basis for future research and development work, including the development of a de-tracking self-evaluation tool for school leaders and the validation of a survey instrument designed to help school leaders implement research-based detracking practices in their schools.

Keywords: detracking, culturally responsive school leadership, mixed methods

References

Burris, C. C. & Murphy, J. (2014). Yes, everyone can be college ready. Educational Leadership, 71(4), 62–66. http://proxy01.its.virginia.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1043733&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Kalogrides, D. & Loeb, S. (2013). Different teachers, different peers: The magnitude of student sorting within schools. Educational Researcher, 42(6), 304–316. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X13495087

Nomi, T. & Allensworth, E. M. (2013). Sorting and supporting: Why double-dose algebra led to better test scores but more course failures. American Educational Research Journal, 50(4), 756–788. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831212469997

Staples, M. E. (2008). Promoting student collaboration in a detracked, heterogeneous secondary mathematics classroom. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 11(5), 349–371. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10857-008-9078-8

Yoon, S. Y. & Gentry, M. (2009). Racial and ethnic representation in gifted programs: Current status of and implications for gifted Asian American students. Gifted Child Quarterly, 53(2), 121–136. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986208330564