Campus Location
Dallas Campus (Online)
Date of Award
9-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Department
Organizational Leadership
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Committee Chair or Primary Advisor
BJ McMichael
Second Committee Member or Secondary Advisor
Karan Duwe
Third Committee Member or Committee Reader
Melissa Atkinson
Abstract
Changing student demographics within a large elementary school increased the need for collaboration between leadership and staff as they implemented a wide range of initiatives to support student learning. Grounded in the transformational leadership theoretical framework, this exploratory case study sought to systematically observe and gather knowledge about the experiences of campus leaders as they implement vertical alignment teams to foster a collaborative approach while instituting required initiatives. The sample included seven campus leadership team members and data collection utilized transcribed semistructured interviews, debriefing sessions after vertical alignment team meetings, meeting observations, and a researcher’s journal. All data were analyzed through a reflective thematic approach and was conducted by hand. Three major themes were discovered and included: the transfer of ownership from administrators to teachers, intentional boundaries against external accountability, and instructional coherence. The successful implementation of the vertical alignment teams was based on gradually releasing responsibility to teachers, while maintaining boundaries on external mandates and fostering instructional coherence. The study concluded sustaining a positive school culture required transformational leadership focused on shared decision making, rather than transactional compliance.
Creative Commons License
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Recommended Citation
Wehmeyer, Tara R., "School Leadership and Collaboration: A Case Study of Leaders’ Experience Implementing Vertical Alignment Practices" (2026). Digital Commons @ ACU, Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1053.
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/etd/1053