Using Autoethnography to Re-Frame School Turnaround: Praxis Through The Eyes of a Chicano Leader In Texas Schools

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dc.contributor.advisorGuajardo, Miguel A.
dc.contributor.advisorArar, Khalid
dc.contributor.authorCastro, Luciano
dc.contributor.committeeMemberMartinez, Melissa
dc.contributor.committeeMemberKoschoreck, James
dc.contributor.committeeMemberGrijalva, Benjamin
dc.date.accessioned2023-05-01T19:31:57Z
dc.date.available2023-05-01T19:31:57Z
dc.date.issued2023-05
dc.description.abstractThis study was an autoethnography of the turnaround efforts of a Chicano leader in four low-performing schools in Texas. The U.S. Government and the State of Texas both impose sanctions on schools that fail to meet minimum standards on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exams. The focus in the research was on how life experience, educational theory, and educational law/policy informed the praxis of a Chicano school turnaround leader. This study involved the use of critical reflection that was guided by the following research questions: What does school turnaround mean to a Chicano administrator working in schools that are facing accountability sanctions? How is a Chicano administrator’s understanding of the conditions involved in school turnaround influenced by life experience, theory, and policy? Where is the space for negotiation and reform of a Chicano administrator’s school turnaround plan? The initial process started with the creation of a timeline to identify critical or pivotal points in the life of the participant. Through an analysis of the timeline, a series of three stories were written that provided discourse to the life experience of the participant/researcher. The literature review provided an analysis of the educational theory and educational law/policy that influenced the work of this campus leader using a three circle Venn diagram to represent the intersection of the life experiences of the campus leader, educational theory, and educational law/policy. The intersection area of the three circles framed the praxis the campus leader used in turning around low-performing schools. The findings from this analysis provided the following themes: campus leadership’s point of view has a great impact on the school; the vision for a school is driven by the campus leader; the campus leader provides protection for those individuals who serve as advocates and promote the growth of their students; a plan of action with a strong foundation, but not one so rigid there is no room for change, should provide guidance in a school turnaround initiative; and school turnaround should have its roots in providing, promoting, and cultivating a culture of academia. Implications and recommendations of this study serve to provoke discussion among educators and scholars to use autoethnography as way to make sense of life experiences as a driving force in shaping an educational leader’s turnaround paradigm and focus.
dc.description.departmentCounseling, Leadership, Adult Education, and School Psychology
dc.formatText
dc.format.extent124 pages
dc.format.medium1 file (.pdf)
dc.identifier.citationCastro, L. (2023). Using autoethnography to re-frame school turnaround: Praxis through the eyes of a Chicano leader in Texas schools (Unpublished dissertation). Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10877/16682
dc.language.isoen
dc.subjectschool turnaround
dc.subjectautoethnography
dc.subjectschool leadership
dc.titleUsing Autoethnography to Re-Frame School Turnaround: Praxis Through The Eyes of a Chicano Leader In Texas Schools
dc.typeDissertation
thesis.degree.departmentCounseling, Leadership, Adult Education, and School Psychology
thesis.degree.disciplineSchool Improvement
thesis.degree.grantorTexas State University
thesis.degree.levelDoctoral
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy

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