| The purpose of this case study is to investigate how a low performing urban vocational technical high school transformed to become a national model for vocational technical education. Distributive Leadership and Organizational Change Theory are the two theories that informed the design and analysis of the case study. In addition, a literature review of vocational education and school change is also provided to inform the study. The research questions are as follows: (1) How did Worcester Technical High School become a high performing school?; (2) How did leadership in the school contribute to this school becoming a high performing school?; and (3) What strategies and use of resources were particularly valuable in the improvement of the school? A case study approach was used to identify and describe, as perceived by the principal, faculty, and school partners, key factors that led and contributed to the transformation of Worcester Technical High School. It is evident that the move into a new state-of-the-art learning facility in tandem with a new leader has led to a new vision and culture of the school. Through a collaborative leadership approach with staff, business, and higher education partners, students are in a personalized learning environment graduating college and career ready. The identification and analysis of these themes are presented to potentially inform other low-performing schools regarding strategies, practices, and the identification and use of resources to improve student outcomes.;Keywords: vocational technical education, school improvement, leadership, transformation, business expectations, career readiness. |
