Principals’ Sustainable Leadership Behaviors and Their Impact on the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme in Urban Schools

Abstract

The current climate in education requires campus and district leaders to compete for students and to ensure that their schools meet the demands of a complex accountability system that is designed to assess low-level skills in students. Campus leaders who are committed to deep learning for all students have begun to adopt more student-centered instruction programs in the hopes of both attracting students and providing a better-quality education over time. One of the most popular programs elementary schools are turning to is the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP). Since 2009, the number of IB programmes at Title 1 schools has grown by 46%, and this growth is projected to continue as more public schools begin to offer the PYP. Although there have been studies conducted on the IB PYP, most of these studies are quantitative and focus on the impact of the program as measured by student achievement data on standardized tests, or they were conducted in settings outside of the United States; and therefore, cannot be generalized for urban public schools. There are very few qualitative studies that provide the perspective of the urban school leader on the impact of the IB PYP on their campuses. The purpose of this multiple case study was to examine the relationship between sustainable leadership practices and IB PYP implementation on six urban elementary school campuses that receive Title I funding. The findings contribute to the knowledge base about how campus and district leadership should evaluate programs that require a sustainable amount of funds that are designed to help students overcome challenges associated with poverty. The participants in my study cited key behaviors that campus leaders can utilize to help build sustainability into the IB PYP. Participants also identified multiple challenges that come along with implementing the IB PYP in a Title I setting. This campus leaders also highlighted the potential benefits that come with offering the IB PYP to a diverse student population.