2012 UCEA Convention

A Quantitative Analysis of the Production, Selection, and Career Paths of Texas Public School Administrators. Bradley Walter Davis, The University of Texas at Austin
This paper provides detailed, longitudinal, quantitative analysis of the production and selection of Texas public school administrators. This study describes the current state and past trends of leadership production in the state of Texas, explores the career paths of Texas public school administrators and how their experiences differ across race and gender, and investigates prejudicial influence on the selection and career-paths of campus leaders.

Important Competencies for the Selection of Effective School Leaders: Principals’ Perceptions. Arturo Jude Cavazos, Public School; Dr. Martha N. Ovando, Univeristy of Texas at Austin
Abstract This paper focuses on competencies considered important in the selection of principals from the perspectives of effective principals on the Texas–Mexico border. The competencies of effective K-12 principals included in the study were initially advanced by Marzano et al. (2005). Specifically, an attempt was made to determine which competencies are considered important, how these were assessed during the hiring process, and whether differences in importance existed by school level (elementary, middle, and high school).

Leadership for School Improvement in the Border Context: Inherent Tensions for Collaboration and Democratic Capacity. Jeffrey V. Bennett, The University of Arizona
The qualitative case study examines the democratic nature of collaboration and related principal influences in one successful Southern Arizona elementary school in a changing demographic and border context in the U.S. Southwest. Participants included the principal, assistant principal, 8 teachers, and 6 parents. Furman’s (2004) ethic of community framework guides the analysis. Findings revealed top-down managerial practices that sacrificed inclusion of stakeholders, community relationship building, and room for more authentic democratic collaboration and grassroots innovation.