Exploring the preliminary development of the Community Equity Literacy Leadership Assessment (CELLA) for school leaders
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-05-2017-0058 |
| Published date | 11 February 2019 |
| Date | 11 February 2019 |
| Pages | 36-49 |
| Author | Terrance Green,Melissa Rodgers |
| Subject Matter | Education,Administration & policy in education,School administration/policy,Educational administration,Leadership in education |
Exploring the preliminary
development of the Community
Equity Literacy Leadership
Assessment (CELLA) for
school leaders
Terrance Green and Melissa Rodgers
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to describe the ongoing, iterative and empirical work to develop, test
and revise the Community Equity Literacy Leadership Assessment (CELLA) for principals through several
studies: a sorting study and expert panel survey review.
Design/methodology/approach –This study employs several survey development methods, including a
sorting study and expert panel survey review.
Findings –The findings suggest that each study improved the CELLA’s items and provided useful learning
for future testing cycles of inquiry.
Originality/value –Research suggests that principal leadership is a significant aspect of equitable and
authentic school–family–community engagement. However, there is a paucity of theoretically grounded
and psychometrically sound instruments to assess principals’knowledge and skills in this area. To address
this gap, the authors developed the CELLA for school leaders and their leadership teams.
Keywords Leadership development, Leadership, Measurement, Community relations
Paper type Research paper
School leaders[1] play an important role in establishing equitable and authentic[2]
partnerships with families and local communities, especially among those of color
(Cooper et al., 2011; DeMatthews et al., 2016; Khalifa, 2012; Scanlan and Johnson, 2015;
Watson and Bogotch, 2015). Such partnerships between schools and communities can
improve student and neighborhood outcomes (Epstein and Sanders, 2006; Green, 2015).
However, research suggests that many current and aspiring school leaders are neither
prepared to establish equitable and authentic partnerships with families and communities of
color nor counter the neighborhood-based inequities that shape students’in-school
experiences (Green, 2015; Ishimaru, 2013). Therefore, building school leaders’capacity and
improving their practice in this area, as well as developing instruments to assess their
progress in doing this work over time is essential.
Assessing school leaders’practice has been an integral part of reforming schools for
over two decades, but more recently, “there has also been a renewed interest in
assessments and evaluation as [a] lever to influence the quality of school leadership”
(Cravens et al., 2013, p. 125). Scholars are revisiting school leadership assessments because
research suggests that they help build principals’capacity and inform school
improvement efforts. In addition, they align with policy initiatives, which call for states
to use assessments to identify effective school leaders who can improve student outcomes
(Cravens et al., 2013; Portin et al., 2006; US Department of Education, 2010). Taking heed
from the literature and this renewed interest in the field, we turn to theoretically grounded
and psychometrically sound school leader assessments as one mechanism to prepare
and develop the capacity of school leaders who can lead equitably and effectively for
school–family–community engagement.
Journal of Educational
Administration
Vol. 57 No. 1, 2019
pp. 36-49
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0957-8234
DOI 10.1108/JEA-05-2017-0058
Received 21 May 2017
Revised 26 September 2017
14 March 2018
24 June 2018
30 August 2018
31 August 2018
1 September 2018
3 September 2018
Accepted 3 September 2018
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0957-8234.htm
36
JEA
57,1
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