A case study of experienced instructional leaders' impact on charter school student performance

Instructional leadership in public charter schools can positively affect student performance. Early formulations of instructional leadership assumed the principal alone was the instructional leader. However, researchers have noted that instructional leadership in schools includes the principal, teachers, and teacher leaders. This study investigated the attributes of experienced instructional leaders in a particular public charter school that has impacted student performance. A qualitative case study design was used. Teachers, teacher leaders, and a principal, each with 10 or more years of experience, were participants in the study. Instructional leadership theory was the theoretical context of this case study. Instructional leadership theory has its origin in studies conducted during the late 1970s and early 1980s. These studies examined strong instructional leadership in high-performing low-socioeconomic public schools where students succeed despite the odds. Data collection in the qualitative case study included observations of the following: P-8 classrooms, leadership team meetings, and professional development meetings. Data collection also included interviews and school performance archival data. An analysis of the triangulated data was used to identify the attributes of these experienced instructional leaders. The data suggested the attributes that experienced instructional leaders possess are similar to those that instructional leaders possess in other effective public schools.