Administrators Implementing Transformational Leadership Strategies To Increase African American Academic Achievement (Paperback) | Released: 02 Apr 2015

Transformational leadership is considered a full range of leadership, meaning it uses many factors to engage followers. With students being viewed as one of the greatest accesses for the educational system, therefore administrators are responsible for designing learning environments that retain, inspire, motivate and are relevant to their student population. The experiences and perceptions of 9 school administrators, from three public high school districts located in the Southwestern and Gulf Coast region of Texas explored the qualitative interpretative phenomenological study of transformational leadership and how implementing transformational attributes (i.e. core values and community involvement) influence the academic achievement rate of African American students within their high schools. Furthermore the study sought to explore how administrators' individual leadership philosophies influenced their organization. The modified van Kaam method contributed to data analysis, which examined administrator responses for comparison and assessment. The themes that emerged from interviews were (a) cultural experiences drives leadership; (b) community collaboration; (c) cultural awareness & customized learning strategies; (d) implementing core value systems; (e) positive relationships. The themes revealed transformational leadership positively influences academic achievement among African American students. Through the implementation of transformational leadership qualities, students were more committed to academic success, actively participated in setting educational goals, and build collaborative relationships with administrators, peers and the community.
About the Author: I am a very energetic and outgoing person, and I have a strong passion and commitment to education. As an educator and community volunteer my life's goal is to inspire others to change while sharing the appropriate knowledge to aid them in the critical thinking process. For me inspirational motivation is a leadership quality that implicitly shows enthusiasm and optimism of followers, pointing out positive results, advantages emphasizing aims, and stimulating the inner curiosity of others. Therefore, teaching has become a platform allowing me to make that difference in the lives of student by sharing the knowledge that I have gained on my journey both professional and personal journey. My cultural background as an African American woman allows me to have creative insight into in providing students, especially African American students with practical ways of applying course concepts, and creating real world examples of how the concepts relate to their world which is the sole purpose of my spiritual calling. As a transformational leader I always look for ways to promote new learning opportunities through inspiration, idealized influence, and intellectual consideration. Transformational leadership supports the idea that learning is a lifelong process that begins with role models and influential teachers. This idea helps students to envision themselves achieving their goals. Dr. Kendra Mayes resides in Fort Worth/Dallas, Texas and attends First St. John Cathedral. Dr. Kendra Mayes also serves here community in various capacities, including that of a leader, mentor, and community volunteer. Dr. Mayes is the founder and CEO of Kingdom Fitness, which is a community, based fitness organization. She actively serves as the president of Elaine Mayes Ministry. This outreach ministry helps low income families of the community with food, clothes, school supplies, and a host of other needed resources. She has served as a mentor for Fort Worth ISD, a board member on the East Side YMCA in Fort Worth. She also travels the community as a motivational speaker which she impresses upon her African American community the benefits of being whole spiritually, mentally and physically.