The Principal's Role in Creating a Culturally Responsive Learning Environment

Many educators believe the implementation of culturally responsive strategies may help to increase the engagement and academic success of students of color. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not culturally responsive leadership (CRL) strategies were consistently being implemented in schools with large percentages of minority students. The research for this study was based on the CRL Framework developed by The Leadership Academy in 2022. This mixed methods study explored the practices of current school administrators and compared them to the perceptions of staff members. Staff members from three high schools completed a 23-question survey with a 4-point Likert scale to rate their perceptions of the leadership practices in the school for the quantitative portion of the research. To collect quantitative data, three administrators from two of the high schools participated in a focus group discussion. The questions for the survey and the focus group were created by me and were based on the eight actions outlined in the CRL Framework. The qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed separately and then compared to determine overall themes. Finally, the results were compared to the literature. There was not enough evidence to prove there is consistent implementation of CRL strategies. Based on the research findings, I was unable to conclude that there is a significant presence of CRL strategies being consistently used in these high schools in Alpha County in every area of the framework. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]