The Principal’s Dilemma: A Qualitative Study of Sensemaking through Ethical Decision Making in Response to Tennessee’s Third Grade Retention Law for EL Students

Author

Virginia R. Boles, University of TennesseeFollow

Date of Award

5-2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Major

Educational Leadership

Major Professor

Rachel S. White

Committee Members

Rachel S. White, Mary Lynn Derrington, Amy Broemmel

Abstract

This qualitative study explored how elementary principals used sensemaking to implement intersecting laws when making decisions on how to provide the best educational experiences for EL students while being faced with high-stakes assessment policies—in particular, third grade retention policy in Tennessee. Participants were nine elementary school principals with five or more years of experience, in Title I schools, with 5% or more EL students. Interviews were then both inductively and deductively analyzed through Weick and Caughron’s sensemaking framework. Results suggested that long-standing Federal laws, create a set of values and ethics in principals. Principals find ways to stay true to these values while still staying within the state law.

Recommended Citation

Boles, Virginia R., "The Principal’s Dilemma: A Qualitative Study of Sensemaking through Ethical Decision Making in Response to Tennessee’s Third Grade Retention Law for EL Students. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2024.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/10098