Executive Leader Perspectives of Rural School District Organizational Resilience: A Qualitative Multiple-Case Study Inquiry

The purpose of this qualitative embedded multiple-case study was to explore and describe how rural executive school district leaders overcome significant organizational adversity (low-income student factors) and sustain high student achievement outcomes. Organizational resilience theory provided the basis for the qualitative embedded multiple-case study. The multiple-case study design explored the perspectives of rural school district executive leaders at three levels of qualitative meaning: a) individual-level executive leader perspectives, b) organization function-level (program and department) perspectives, and c) district-wide organizational perspectives. Three small Utah rural school districts with higher-than-average student achievement trends, all of which have student populations experiencing low-income factors, were the sites for the study. The analysis included data from 11 executive leader participants, and evidence was collected through interviews, surveys, organizational documents, and artifactual evidence. Precoding, deductive, exploratory, and pattern coding techniques were used to analyze the data. Two broad thematic patterns emerged with professional learning communities (PLC) and human resource management (HR) constructs. Executive leaders were highly committed to three entrenched sub-thematic core values and beliefs: 1) a continual improvement and a goal mindset, 2) collaboration, and 3) effective teachers who place a high priority on student achievement outcomes. Five essential sub-thematic strategies also emerged in the analysis: 1) instructional coaches, mentors, and support networks; 2) data-driven decisions; 3) training and professional development; 4) consistent and effective leadership meetings; and 5) employee compensation and hiring the right people.