{"id":{"repo_id":"uiuc","oai_identifier":"oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/129243"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/uiuc/oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/129243","repository":{"repo_id":"uiuc","name":"University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign","base_url":"https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh"},"display":{"title":"Navigating heteronormativity in K-12 schools: challenges and opportunities for school leaders in supporting LGBTQ students","abstract":"Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2025-10-19 without embargo terms","abstract_html":"Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2025-10-19 without embargo terms","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Dunham, Audrey Martine Lucie"],"institution":"University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign","degree_name":"Ed.D.","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Mason, Curtis","Pak, Yoon","Huang, David","Lee, Sharon"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-04-25","date_published":"2025-04-25","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:25:04Z","subjects":["LGBTQ students","school principals","K-12 public schools","inclusion","CRSL frameworks","safe learning environments","inclusive policies"],"languages":["en","eng"],"rights":["Copyright 2025 Audrey Dunham"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129243","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Mason, Curtis","Pak, Yoon","Huang, David","Lee, Sharon"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Dunham, Audrey Martine Lucie"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2025-04-25","2025-05"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["text","Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ed.D."]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["LGBTQ students","school principals","K-12 public schools","inclusion","CRSL frameworks","safe learning environments","inclusive policies"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en","eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2025 Audrey Dunham"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129243"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2025-10-19 without embargo terms","The student, Audrey Dunham, accepted the attached license on 2025-04-24 at 10:27.","The student, Audrey Dunham, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2025-04-24 at 10:40.","This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2025-04-25 at 10:24.","DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #21945 on 2025-10-19 at 18:10:52","School principals can provide learning environments that respect and embrace the cultural backgrounds and identities of LGBTQ students. School leaders who embrace diverse identities can create safer and more welcoming spaces for their students. Unfortunately, heteronormative leadership and policies in K–12 schools continue to entertain hostile and unsafe school environments. School principals play an important role in building positive school environments, and their advocacy is necessary to build safe and inclusive school cultures. This qualitative case study explores a multitude of tools, strategies, and the Culturally Responsive School Leadership (CRSL) framework that school principals can utilize to promote social justice and defend LGBTQ student rights in their schools. Two key research questions drove this research to examine the barriers and challenges school leaders face in effectively implementing inclusive LGBTQ school policies, and how principalship training programs can better equip future school leaders to create inclusive school policies where LGBTQ students can feel safer and be more successful. Through interviews conducted with three Grand Public Schools principals, this research revealed that although the school district empowers their school principals to create more equitable and just environments for their students, the common themes identified were centered on the lack of school principals’ training, communication, and alignment between the district and the school policies specific to LGBTQ students. It is recommended for the school district to focus on aligning specific LGBTQ policies across their schools, provide their school leaders with professional development on communication skills focused on addressing LGBTQ-related topics, and training on sexual minority concepts so that their LGBTQ student population can better be protected against harassment and discrimination."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Navigating heteronormativity in K-12 schools: challenges and opportunities for school leaders in supporting LGBTQ students"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Mason, Curtis","Pak, Yoon","Huang, David","Lee, Sharon"],"dc:creator":["Dunham, Audrey Martine Lucie"],"dc:date":["2025-04-25","2025-05"],"dc:description":["Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2025-10-19 without embargo terms","The student, Audrey Dunham, accepted the attached license on 2025-04-24 at 10:27.","The student, Audrey Dunham, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2025-04-24 at 10:40.","This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2025-04-25 at 10:24.","DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #21945 on 2025-10-19 at 18:10:52","School principals can provide learning environments that respect and embrace the cultural backgrounds and identities of LGBTQ students. School leaders who embrace diverse identities can create safer and more welcoming spaces for their students. Unfortunately, heteronormative leadership and policies in K–12 schools continue to entertain hostile and unsafe school environments. School principals play an important role in building positive school environments, and their advocacy is necessary to build safe and inclusive school cultures. This qualitative case study explores a multitude of tools, strategies, and the Culturally Responsive School Leadership (CRSL) framework that school principals can utilize to promote social justice and defend LGBTQ student rights in their schools. Two key research questions drove this research to examine the barriers and challenges school leaders face in effectively implementing inclusive LGBTQ school policies, and how principalship training programs can better equip future school leaders to create inclusive school policies where LGBTQ students can feel safer and be more successful. Through interviews conducted with three Grand Public Schools principals, this research revealed that although the school district empowers their school principals to create more equitable and just environments for their students, the common themes identified were centered on the lack of school principals’ training, communication, and alignment between the district and the school policies specific to LGBTQ students. It is recommended for the school district to focus on aligning specific LGBTQ policies across their schools, provide their school leaders with professional development on communication skills focused on addressing LGBTQ-related topics, and training on sexual minority concepts so that their LGBTQ student population can better be protected against harassment and discrimination."],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129243"],"dc:language":["en","eng"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2025 Audrey Dunham"],"dc:subject":["LGBTQ students","school principals","K-12 public schools","inclusion","CRSL frameworks","safe learning environments","inclusive policies"],"dc:title":["Navigating heteronormativity in K-12 schools: challenges and opportunities for school leaders in supporting LGBTQ students"],"dc:type":["text","Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ed.D."],"thesis:institution_name":["University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:25:04Z"}