School Science Capacity: A Study of Four Urban Catholic Grade Schools

A model for principals' STEM leadership capability

“…Capacity to lead sustainable educational change specifically allied to the culture of the school In addition to fostering a STEM-positive school culture, principals must have the capacity to lead change in a way that aligns with a school's unique culture (Agbo, 2015;Smetana & Coleman, 2015). This means principals must ensure that educational changes are implemented in a way that supports teachers and students, while at the same time accounting for the specific nuances of their school environment (Lamb, 2010;Smetana & Coleman, 2015).…”

“…The synthesis of research in STEM education above indicated that any plausible model of STEM leadership must acknowledge the multidimensional nature of this role and accommodate the following characteristics: the centrality of STEM disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge (e.g., Holmlund et al, 2018); a focus on the solution of problems set in real‐world contexts (e.g., Myers & Berkowicz, 2015; Wenner & Settlage, 2015); teachers' and students' dispositions and beliefs that promote ongoing engagement with STEM (e.g., Davis et al, 2019; Dong et al, 2020; Jeffries et al, 2019; Love et al, 2022); the use of tools that support investigatory approaches to teaching and learning (e.g., Dickes & Farris, 2019; Hoyles et al, 2010); and critical thinking capabilities needed to address complex open‐ended situations (e.g., Gómez & Suárez, 2020; Goos et al, 2020; Li et al, 2019; Smetana & Coleman, 2015).…”

“…To be effective STEM leaders, principals must possess a combination of leadership, business management and STEM‐specific instructional leadership capabilities (Blanton & Harmon, 2005; Gaffney, 2012). The need to appropriate this range of capabilities highlights the complexity of the challenges associated with building a positive STEM school culture (Hung & Mui, 2009; Smetana & Coleman, 2015). To exemplify, Toprakci (2006) highlighted that in order for principals to effectively lead the integration of changes in the ICT curriculum, they must possess the knowledge and skills to manage budgetary limitations, technical knowledge and the wherewithal to direct staff interest, motivation and adaptability to change.…”

Examining the Legacy of Urban Catholic Schooling in the U.S.: A Systematic Literature Review

“…Several other studies asserted that all urban schools that serve a higher percentage of low-income students of color require different organizational responses to confront these organizational challenges than their within-sector, non-urban peers (Crea et al, 2015;Fenzel et al, 2014;Rodriguez & Briscoe, 2019;Smetana & Coleman, 2015). These studies intentionally investigated how particular urban Catholic schools serving these populations have responded to communities' needs by reforming particular aspects of the school's educational infrastructure: new programs to help prepare low-income students of color to attend college (Rodriguez & Briscoe, 2019), new models for parent engagement given the time and economic pressures faced by low-income families (Crea et al, 2015), new hiring policies to ensure students have enough academic support to close academic achievement gaps (Fenzel et al, 2014), and new cost-effective curricular infrastructure to ensure rigorous academic work can occur even when a school lacks financial resources (Smetana & Coleman, 2015). Yet each study found that these urban Catholic schools' organizational responses were determined by the particular needs of the communities served rather than the organizational priorities of their sector.…”