| The focus of this exploratory research study is the investigation of leadership practices and beliefs associated with a learning organization or professional learning community school culture. The study uses the five effective leadership practices as defined in the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) by Kouzes and Posner (1997). The study examines an expanded leadership base that includes, superintendents, assistant superintendents, principals, assistant principals, teachers, counselors, and administrative assistants. These leaders are from eight Illinois schools recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) as learning organizations at the excellence level for the Those Who Excel awards program from 1998 to 2000. The study includes leaders from schools of variant socio-economic status including urban, rural and suburban settings.; The study conceptualizes a learning organization school culture around four effective practices. These four essential components of a learning organization school culture are: Continuous Improvement---interdependent change, growth and innovation to improve the entire organization; Shared Vision---the shared creation of an ennobling future; Collaboration---team building as a cultural norm; and Individual Growth and Improvement---individuals behave in ways that model the core values of the school culture. Darling-Hammond (1997), Fullan (1998), Newmann & Wehlage (1995), Barth (2001), Liebermann (1995), and Louis, Kruse and Marks (1996) have provided rich research-based or theoretical connections to the importance of the components of a learning organization, or learning community culture as a primary vehicle for creating improved learning experiences for all students. This study includes the collection of data from quantitative surveys of 48 school leaders followed by the collection of data from qualitative interviews with 18 of the school leaders.; It was determined in this study that leaders in a learning organization school culture give rise to conditions that create a context for adult learning and development in order to impact student growth and development. The leaders in this study believe in the importance of developing the learning capacity of the adults in the school, by creating cultural conditions for adult learning. These leaders also believe the focus on individual and collective adult learning is for the purpose of creating improved and more consistent student learning experiences throughout the school. |
