Sustainable Leadership in Arts Education Using Alternative Resources in Pennsylvania Title I Schools

• Main Author: Potter, Stacy M
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: ScholarWorks 2018
• Subjects: art education; creativity; funding; leadership; program sustainability; transformational leadership; Art Education; Educational Administration and Supervision
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/5932; https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=7211&context=dissertations

Budgetary constraints have led many educational leaders to limit arts education programming to students across the state of Pennsylvania. The purpose of this qualitative dissertation was to investigate how educational leaders sustain access to arts education programs using alternative budgetary resources for K-12 students in Pennsylvania Title I schools. This multiple case study provided analysis within and across Pennsylvania Title I schools to help fill a gap in the educational leadership literature regarding alternative budgeting strategies to meet programming needs. The conceptual framework integrated transformational leadership, principles of creativity, and budgetary strategies. Key research questions explored sustainability frameworks and the use of creative leadership strategies to guide budget allocations while analyzing how educational leaders employ constructs of transformational leadership theory to produce measures of accountability. The study of 15 school districts across Pennsylvania employed an in-depth interview process and document review. Multiple case study analysis allowed for the exploration of leadership decisions within the current financial landscape of Pennsylvania Title I public schools during the 2017-2018 school year. The study found that alternative budgetary resources were not confined to financial support but included strategic resource management, inclusive stakeholder practices, and synoptic performance. Each of these constructs extended knowledge in leadership practice and organizational outcomes. This study's findings may have practical applications in relation to sustained leadership for arts education programs using alternative resources in Pennsylvania Title I schools.