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Dissertation
School-community engagement for school resource acquisition: a phenomenological study of private school leaders
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Drexel University
May 2014
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/etd-6048
Abstract
Tuition alone cannot meet the budgetary and financial needs of private, tuition-based schools, thereby increasing pressure on private school leaders to engage in their communities to acquire resources for their schools, such as educational programming support, tuition aid and scholarships, and funding for operational costs. This phenomenological study sought to provide insights into the perceptions of leaders of private, tuition-based K-8 schools as they engage in their communities to acquire needed resources beyond what is provided by tuition. It examined participants' views on creating effective community partnerships, leadership practices that are beneficial for the advancement of their schools, and their use of social capital to acquire resources from the greater community. Ten leaders of private, non-profit, K-8 schools located in Northern California participated in individual semi-structured interviews. Through in-depth qualitative analysis, the phenomenon of community engagement through the lived experience of private school leaders emerged in four themes: mission, relationship, challenges, and shared leadership. The four major findings of this study are: (1) the school mission inspires and motivates school engagement, (2) private school leaders face unique challenges in running their schools, (3) developing relationships is essential for gaining school support, and (4) shared leadership provides opportunities for increased school support. These findings and their sub-findings were explored in relationship to three critical areas of private school leadership as presented in the literature: the leader as entrepreneur, the leader as strategist, and the leader as community partner. Four results of this study emerged and were presented with interpretations by the researcher: (1) an engaging purpose and meaning inspire support, (2) bonding and belonging create supportive networks, (3) private school leaders set the tone and capacities for their schools, and (4) schools with community support are run with business skill sets. The study concludes offering a synthesis of the shared perceptions of the participants with recommendations for private school leaders who seek supportive community partnerships as well as areas for further research.
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Details
- Title
- School-community engagement for school resource acquisition
- Creators
- Linda M. S. Norman - DU
- Contributors
- Kathy Dee Geller (Advisor) - Drexel University (1970-)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Education (1997-2026); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 6048; 991014632845104721