| Throughout this study, the researcher sought to find the key strategies needed to improve school culture and working conditions. These findings were measured by the 2010 and 2012 North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey (NC TWCS) data, as well as staff focus-group dialogue at three selected schools. The participant groups consisted of an elementary, middle, and high school/secondary school in a school system in the foothills of North Carolina.;Throughout the study, efforts that have been made by the three leaders at these schools to increase the perspectives and perceptions of teachers in the areas of teacher leadership, school leadership, professional development, instructional practices and support, and overall culture and climate were noted (Hirsch, Sioberg, Robertson, & Church, 2010). As Sawchuk (2009) explained, "Working conditions, like professional collaboration, can be addressed at the district and school levels. The teachers and the principals have a lot of these conditions under their control to fix if they work together collaboratively to create a strong, coherent culture" (p. 2). The researcher used a mixed methods approach to review quantitative data from the 2010 and 2012 NC TWCS, as well as to collect qualitative perceptions, strategies, and best practices from three school staffs in their educational settings.;The survey comparison data and the informal focus-group dialogue with staff members were utilized, analyzed, and summarized in order to obtain insight as to the skill sets and strategies these leaders used to create positive working and learning conditions for their teachers and students. |
