A metacognitive analysis of leadership frames used by principals to increase student achievement in Chicago public schools on academic probation (Illinois)

This dissertation examines three principals' metacognitive uses of leadership lenses as they framed the process of improving student achievement within each of their schools. The three Chicago Public Schools' principals were members of a group whose elementary schools had been placed on academic probation and subsequently removed within a one-year period. The research utilized Bolman and Deal's four leadership frames as a conceptual framework to organize and analyze the data collected.; The purpose of this study was twofold. The first was to reveal the thinking patterns of Chicago Public Schools' principals who raised student achievement in response to externally imposed, norm-based accountability standards. Next, the study was to determine if the participating principals could articulate their thinking and the options considered as they made choices and decisions.; Since a depth of understanding was sought, qualitative research methods were utilized. Each principal participated in two, ninety-minute, semi-structured interviews. During the interviews, the participating principals articulated how they framed school based leadership decisions. Data were collected in three forms: (1) verbatim transcripts, (2) field notes, and (3) a reflective journal. These three sources were triangulated to reveal the metacognitive process that is typically interpreted by others through independent analyses of one's observed behavioral practices.; There were two major findings of this study. The first was that each of the participating principals showed a preference for the use of Bolman and Deal's structural and human resource frames. Each articulated clear recollections of how they conceptually initiated their leadership practices from these two frames. Secondly, the analysis provided an understanding of the metacognitive process. While, the findings indicate that the participants use the political and symbolic frames, they are not consistently able to articulate how they use them or what informs their use of them. Opportunities for reflection appear to contribute to the conscious use of knowledge. The findings suggest that if principals consciously develop knowledge about their own metacognitive processes, they may be better able to inform their decisions by expanding their options for consideration.