The Role Of Leadership In Developing A Successful Arts Integration School: A Multi-Site Case Study

Abstract

The research design for this investigation is a qualitative exploratory case study (Handcock & Algozzine, 2011) focusing on the unique challenges faced by arts integration school leaders. This case study research attempts to add to the literature on the role of leadership in developing quality arts integration schools by examining three existing arts integration school programs in the Minneapolis and surrounding regions. School and program leaders in each of these three schools were interviewed in the effort to gain a clear understanding of what types of challenges they encountered when developing and operating arts integrated K-12 schools, and specifically, how those challenges were confronted and addressed. Document analysis was also conducted including a review of historical documents surrounding the initial school or program development process, board minutes, strategic plans, school report cards, course and program descriptions, enrollment and other statistical data that was available for review. The study sought to understand specifically how these leaders address challenges and how they promote the school programs successfully. Addressing these questions is important because of growing evidence and consensus among leaders in not only education, but in business, architecture and among the general public, for the need of schools to expand beyond the focus on basic areas, such as writing, math and reading. Expanding the focus to address 21st century skills will help to ensure that students will thrive in the new age by acquiring new sets of thinking and communication skills, fostering curiosity and imagination, and knowing how to access and analyze information (Houle & Cobb, 2011; Trilling & Fadel, 2009). A second and more practical use of the information gained through this case study research will also be to inform decisions regarding the future development of arts-integration schools within the rural regions of central Minnesota.