Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Peter Kiriakidis

Abstract

Educational community leaders struggle to be involved with the educational processes in schools; their involvement has the potential to improve proficiency among African American students in low-performing school. This basic qualitative project study was conducted to investigate how educational community leaders perceive their involvement with the educational process at the study site. The conceptual framework was Epstein’s school–family–community partnership model. The research was conducted to determine how educational community leaders perceive their involvement with the educational process of low-performing schools to support the academic growth of African American students. Purposeful sampling was used to select 10 community leaders who were familiar with the local school district’s community relations policy. Zoom interviews were conducted and the interview transcripts were analyzed thematically. The themes revealed that participants: (a) provided educational support to students, participated in school district councils, and worked with school and district administrators; (b) provided tutoring support in literacy and mathematics to improve proficiency; (c) made recommendations to create a policy on community involvement to provide teaching resources to focus on academic achievement; and (d) recommended a shared decision-making process between the community and school leaders. A policy recommendation was developed for school leaders to involve educational community leaders in school activities. The content of the policy recommendation may result in improved educational processes at low performing schools to support the academic growth of African American students to increase their proficiency in literacy and mathematics resulting in positive social change.

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