Date of Award

5-2021

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Executive Leadership

First Supervisor

Theresa L. Pulos, Ed.D.

Second Supervisor

Luvelle Brown, Ed.D.

Abstract

COVID-19 significantly disrupted education in districts across New York State, forcing school administrators and stakeholders to respond to an unpredictable pattern of lockdowns and restrictions. As a result of the lockdowns, school districts transitioned to remote learning and a reliance upon digital learning technologies. Previous research has indicated numerous challenges superintendents face in implementing technology such as resistance to change or lack of adequate resources. With the onset of the pandemic and the transition to online learning, the luxury of implementing programs such as one-to-one computing became necessity. The goal of this study was to better understand how the application of superintendent leadership in implementing P-12 technology was perceived as a result of the pandemic. Additional research is recommended to better understand how technological solutions implemented during COVID-19 will shape the future P-12 classrooms. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to describe how seven upstate New York superintendents’ leadership in technology implementation was approached and applied in P-12 school districts during the COVID-19 crisis. Their perceptions regarding crisis recovery, disruptive change, and their concept of the new-normal, post-COVID-19 were explored within the context of P-12 technology implementation. The findings from this qualitative descriptive study suggest that each of the participant superintendents noted a shift in priorities, focus and application of leadership in response to the pandemic. Specifically, superintendents describe factors such as changing mindsets and allaying fear by developing and facilitating interpersonal relationships through the empowerment of key technology skilled and trusted stakeholders; building technology capacity to ensure digital equity and access, and facilitating, leading and further developing communication with stakeholders in order to share information, strategy and/or vision. Recommendations and implications gathered from open-ended inquiry, center around the development of P-12 technology leadership development, visioning for future implementation and preparedness, and the application of leadership from a multi-framed approach.

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