What’s in a Name? The Confluence of Confederate Symbolism and the Disparate Experiences of African American Students in a Central Virginia High School

In 2015-2016, news stories from Charleston, South Carolina, and the University of Missouri, among others, motivated and inspired many people to organize against assaults on the Black community generally and Black students in particular. Similarly, Black students at Robert E. Lee High School in Virginia have come together around what they perceive as racist symbolism and inequitable educational policies and practices. The Black student leaders at Robert E. Lee High School have presented their school principal with a list of demands. Meanwhile, the school’s football and basketball teams, The Rebels, are threatening to go on strike until students’ demands are addressed. This case study could be used in educational leadership graduate programs as well as curriculum and instruction coursework, especially in courses that emphasize social justice and ethical decision making. Particularly relevant courses might include School-Community Relations, Organizational Culture, Politics of Education, Contemporary Issues in Education, Visionary Planning and Strategies, and Schools as Learning Communities. In addition, this case study aligns with Standards 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 of the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) Standards and can be integrated in leadership preparation programs accordingly. This case might also be used in school district–sponsored professional development workshops for current and/or aspiring administrators.

The empirical and moral foundations of the ISLLC Standards

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to unpack the foundations for the national standards for school leaders in the USA. The author examines some of the background of the Standards from 1996 to 2015. The author explores the two foundations on which the ISLLC Standards rest, academic press and supportive community. Design/methodology/approach – This paper takes the approach of a review of research. Findings – The paper lays out the foundations for ISLLC. Originality/value – The ISLLC Standards have the potential to significantly alter the landscape of leadership.

Principal Quality, ISLLC Standards, and Student Achievement: A Virginia Study

A significant relationship exists between principals’ quality at certain grade levels and student achievement on the Virginia Standards of Learning tests. A statewide study finds principals rated higher on school leadership as measured by an Interstate School Leadership Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) Standards rubric. These schools have higher student achievement than comparable schools headed by lower rated principals controlling for socioeconomic status. Implications for increasing student achievement, developing and keeping a school achievement culture, and improving principal leadership are discussed.