Zaengle+Rought+Draft

Below is a rough draft for the introduction and my portion of the issues. I don't really know what we would consider our "thesis", which is something listed in the rubric. I highlighted the sources for my own benefit when I review the APA. Feel free to edit!

**Introduction** Hickory Ridge High School is a large urban school containing approximately 1,800 students (Cunningham & Cordeiro, 2009). 15 percent of these students are special-needs or exceptional, 46 percent are white, 40 percent are African American, 12 percent are Hispanic, and 2 percent are Asian and recent immigrants.

Hickory Ridge High School is undergoing a period of reform. The needs of the student population have significantly changed in the past four years (Cunningham & Cordeiro, 2009). Staff, faculty members, business partners, and parents have attempted to meet student needs by implementing various reform initiatives. However, they have experienced little success. Four years ago, the school was chosen to fulfill the district vision and become a model for school reform, which would ultimately spread throughout the district. The vision of the school district is to become a technologically driven, innovative school district, but the administrators and teachers have been in conflict about how best to achieve this vision. The school has become viewed as out of date, unable to meet new reform guidelines, and in serious conflict.

Much of the conflict within the school arises from the dynamic that has evolved among faculty and administrators. Hickory High principal, Jim O’Connor, does not have the respect of his teachers; they view him as someone who would not advance farther than a high school principal (Cunningham & Cordeiro, 2009). O’Connor is very knowledgeable about the community and existing programs within the school district, yet he lacks understanding of student needs in the twenty-first century. In the last four years, Hickory High acquired twenty-seven new teachers, all of whom were in the top 10 percent in their school programs. The intention of placing these new teachers at Hickory High was to allow O’Connor and the aging teaching staff to learn from them about new and innovative programs. The hope was also that the new teachers would learn about the school’s history and past successes from O’Connor and the experienced teachers. This sharing of knowledge and skills never took place. Instead, the young teachers view O’Connor and the older teachers as being out of touch with the twenty-first century and they fear being held back in their careers. O’Connor complains the new hires look down on him and the older teachers and perceives they don’t understand the school culture or the community.

This paper will address the various reasons behind the lack of success at Hickory Ridge High School and will propose recommendations for resolving conflict within the school. The topics to be addressed include: lack of respect, vision, and communication among all staff and faculty; lack of administrator power and guidance; unguided ambition among new teachers; teacher complacency; lack of support and professional development; and difficulty in achieving school reform while preserving its history. These problems are not unique to Hickory High and educators should reflect upon the strategies presented in this paper to gain insights on how to improve their own school settings. **Content** The lack of respect, vision and communication among all staff and faculty creates a negative impact on the school’s climate. According to Christensen, Marx, and Stevenson (2006), the following factors influence school climate: school mission and vision statement, staff and faculty work relationships, principal’s behavior and leadership style, lines of communication, and faculty and staff’s feeling of respect and trust for leadership. There is a breakdown in many of these areas at Hickory High. It is important to work toward a positive school climate because school climate significantly impacts school performance and academic achievement ( Tubbs & Garner, 2008).
 * Issue addressed: Lack of respect, vision and communication among all staff and faculty**

One way to assess school climate is through periodic climate surveys ( Tubbs and Garner, 2008). A survey can be designed to determine the level of faculty and staff dissatisfaction toward the school’s climate and their work environment. Teacher perceptions concerning school mission and vision, communication, administration, work environment, and personal opinions can be determined through the survey responses. Once the results have been collected and determined, school leaders can create a plan to work towards improvement. The lack of respect, vision and communication among all staff and faculty must be addressed in order to meet the demands for school reform. Providing a positive and supportive working environment where staff, faculty and administrators feel valued and respected will likely improve employee morale and performance at Hickory High.