Intent vs impact: a mixed methods exploratory study of k-12 central office equity leaders

Diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, have emerged as prominent subjects of discourse in recent years, with evolving implications and definitions over time. Despite extensive efforts in education reform spanning the past three decades, the current educational system appears to be heavily influenced by partisan dominance. This mixed methods exploratory research study investigated the role of PreK–12 Central Office equity leaders by examining their practices, variables defining their roles, and methods for measuring impact. This mixed methods study utilized a concurrent triangulation research design. This study drew upon the Fields Equity Leaders Survey (FELS) (2024), specifically designed to gather quantitative and qualitative data for this study. By addressing these research questions, this study may contribute to a deeper understanding of the roles, practices, and impact assessment strategies of PreK–12 Central Office equity leaders, ultimately informing the structure and supports available to equity leaders. Findings revealed significant insights into the challenges related to structural barriers, belief systems, and resource allocation that hinder equity leaders' ability to drive meaningful change. Moreover, the study uncovered the diverse range of metrics and data utilized by equity leaders to monitor the impact of this work. This dissertation may contribute to a deeper understanding of district-level equity leadership and inform best practices for promoting equitable educational environments.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2024

Author dc:creator

• Fields, Tasia

Contributors dc:contributor

• Hood, Denice
• Kang, Hyun-Sook
• Lee, Sharon
• Span, Christopher

• Diversity
• Equity
• Inclusion
• Leadership
• Equity Leadership
• Culturally Responsive School Leadership

Statement dc:rights

• ©2024 Tasia Fields

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/124285

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F124285