Sixty-six school districts and more than 150 schools in the state of Kansas are participating in the Kansans Can Redesign Project. In this article, we present a case study of using Design Thinking as a systemic process to structure continuous school improvement. The collage of real-life scenarios presented in our case shows the integration of…

The following case portrays administrator, faculty, and student responses to a race-related incident that occurred in a predominantly White, wealthy, suburban high school. Reports of the story took off in news outlets and on social media; but the events did not end there. The scenario underscores the challenges involved in school and district…

This case was written for educational leadership courses, especially ones focused on organizational change. The case explores a principal's first year at school where the student achievement and school climate were not meeting the school's lofty mission. Readers of the case should consider the steps and perspectives taken by the principal during…

The story of the past 15 years in U.S. education has been one of fundamental reform and transformation. These changes are felt most acutely in the daily lives of teachers and principals and often have lasting effects on the context of the school community. This case study explores the challenges facing a principal when attempting reform and…

The following case is inspired by real-life events that the authors experienced while working in the K-12 public school system. This case describes the experiences of Mrs. Hodge, a seasoned assistant principal who was unexpectedly assigned to be principal of her elementary school. The case follows Mrs. Hodge through her first 3 years as the…

In this case, Sharon Rowley, a veteran principal, volunteers to participate in a new community-driven accountability initiative and encounters dilemmas about what it means to be a "data-driven" instructional leader. This case provides an opportunity for aspiring school leaders to explore and apply data-use theory to the work of leading…

This case calls attention to some of the biases that teachers and leaders in school settings may carry when working with students whose appearance goes against the norm. It presents the experience of Lee-Ann, a vice principal, as she negotiates a conflict between a student and teacher, and is confronted by Marc, a guidance counselor, who…

Gary Armstrong, assistant principal, is faced with a delicate situation. The elementary school recently enrolled a transgender student, and the principal, Amy Lamar, is resistant to considering the student's unique needs. This case was developed for use in a leadership course. Instructors can use the case to encourage dialogue around legal…

This case discusses early work to implement the Common Core State Standards at a fictitious school in Florida. The case is designed to support students' efforts to use school accountability data for inquiry and to conceptualize change in schools where previous leaders' efforts were not successful. Shell Elementary is an exurban school that serves…

Exclusionary discipline and the implementation of zero-tolerance policies are disproportionately used against African American students and other marginalized groups. This case involves an urban school district with historically high rates of suspension, a low-performing middle school, and a new principal seeking to create a more socially just…

The case positions the reader as a faculty member who must advise a student who is struggling in his administrative internship. The case walks the reader through a set of internship experiences that place the intern in an increasingly uncomfortable position with his internship sponsor. These experiences encourage the reader to reflect on the…

High-stakes accountability policies have brought about significant change in schools, but have also triggered instances of cheating and gaming at school and district levels. This undisguised case study involves the El Paso Independent School District, one of its high schools, and a popular principal accused of cheating. This context provides the…

This fictional case study examines crisis response in higher education settings. Information about current crisis response procedures, plans, and trends was gathered from informational interviews, current crisis management literature, and multiple college and university websites. The information was synthesized into a fictional case study using…

This case, inspired by a real school district scenario, was developed for use in a graduate-level course in school finance. James Spencer had just been selected as the new superintendent of a low-income, 400-student, rural school district in need of many capital improvements. The previous superintendent had refused to hold a bond election because…

This case study provides a contemporary look at a first year rural high school principal who is on the frontlines of the U.S./Mexico border struggles. Having taken over an underperforming school, this principal--in one year--moved the school accountability rating to Recognized status and is now focusing on the highest or Exemplary status for the…