Volume 2 - Issue 1 - DBU Journal of K-12 Educational Research - Page 14

12 Mark A. Ramirez, Ed.D. • be highly visible by making frequent campus visits and asking questions related to the campus performance gap; • require campus principals of the lowest performing campuses to present quarterly data directly to the super- intendent; • have a direct involvement in the hiring of principals, especially those assigned to the lowest performing cam- puses; and • incorporate an individualized progress monitoring sys - tem leading to a personalized approach for each student as part of the district’s instructional framework. A paradigm shift must take place in order to view Hispanic students as “at-potential” instead of being labeled as being “at- risk” (Murillo et al., 2010, p. 280). The reform challenge facing Hispanic students begins with overcoming a deficit mindset that blames poor, Hispanic, and minority students for school failures (Valencia, 2011). The performance gap for Hispanic students is a complex, multidimensional concern that requires a wide lens to be able to capture all viable solutions to improve student achieve- ment (Valencia, 2011). The current study identified a potential blueprint of leader - ship practices that can be used by superintendents to significantly close the performance gap for Hispanic students. The leadership practices identified in the current study bring a future of hope and unlimited potential for urban school districts to have a signifi - cant impact on the closing of the performance gap for Hispanic students. References Andero, A. (2000). The changing role of school superintendent with regard to curriculum policy and decision making. Education, 121 (2), 276. Björk, L. (1993). Effective schools effective superintendents: The emerging instructional leadership role. Journal of School Leadership , 3 (3), 246-259. Bridges, E. (1982). Research on the school administrator: The state of the art 1967-1980. Educational Administrator Quarterly, 18 (3), 12-33. Byrd, J., Drews, C., & Johnson, J. (2007). Factors impacting superintendent turnover: Lessons from the field. National Council of Professors of Educational Administration, 7 (2), 1-11. Camera, L. (2016, March). Gains in reading for Hispanic students overshadowed by achievement gap. U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/ news/blogs/data-mine/2016/03/28/hispanic-students-gains- overshadowed-by-achievement-gaps Carter, G., & Cunningham, W. (1997). The American school superintendent:  Leading in an age of pressure.  San Francisco, CA:  Jossey Bass. Chingos, M., Whitehurst, G., & Lindquist, K. (2014). School superintendents: Vital or irrelevant? Washington, DC: Brown Center on Education Policy at Brookings. Cohen, J. (1992). A power primer. Psychological Bulletin, 112 (1). 155-159. Cuban, L. (1984). Transforming the frog into a prince: Effective schools research and practice at the district level. Harvard Educational Review , 54 (2), 129-151. Fullan, M. (1991). The meaning of educational change; NewYork, NY: Teachers College Press. Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a culture of change. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Fullan, M. (2005). Leadership and sustainability: System thinkers in action. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Fullan, M. (2006). Turnaround leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Houston, P. (2001). Superintendents for the 21st century: It’s not just a job it’s a calling. Phi Delta Kappan , 82 (6), 428-433. Jackson, B. (1995). Balancing act: The political role of the urban school superintendent . Washington, DC: Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. Jeynes, W. H. (2015). A meta-analysis on the factors that best reduce the achievement gap. Education and Urban Society, 47 (5), 523-554. Kowalski, T. J. (2006). The school superintendent: Theory, practice, and cases (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Lashway, L. (2002). Trends in school leadership. ERIC Digest, 162. Eugene, OR. Lauen, D. L., & Gaddis, S. M. (2012). Shining a light or fumbling in the dark? The effects of NCLB’s subgroup- specific accountability on student achievement. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 34 (2), 185-208. Leithwood, K., & Jantzi, D. (2008). Linking leadership to student learning: The contributions of leader efficacy. Educational Administration Quarterly, 44 (4), 496-528.