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The Boundary-spanning Role of Democratic Learning CommunitiesImplementing the IDEALSUniversity of Oklahoma
K20 Center for Educational and Community Renewal at the University of Oklahoma
School and Community Partnerships, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USA, mjohair{at}ou.edu This multi-case study investigates characteristics and practices in schools that expand the traditional boundaries of school leadership and transform schools into democratic learning communities based on the level of implementation of the IDEALS framework. This investigation serves as a modus to illuminate democratic processes that change schools and address the needs of the students, not the needs of the adults in the system. A sample of five purposefully selected high schools, from the Midwest USA, was utilized. The schools serve Grade 9—12 students, but vary in size, residential area and socioeconomic status of the students. This study illuminates some of the challenges and strategies that facilitate or impede the process of creating more democratic schools that expand the boundaries of inquiry and discourse to include a broader range of community stakeholders and that respect and embrace issues of equity.
Key Words: collaboration democratic learning communities high schools school change teacher leadership teacher learning
Educational Management Administration & Leadership, Vol. 37, No. 4,
452-472 (2009) |
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