TDNet Discover

The purpose of this action research study is to better understand informal gatekeeping practices and inequitable access to leadership development opportunities among aspiring teachers of color and women in a large, diverse K–12 public school district. Although the district has formal policies and commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in its leadership development pipeline, behind-the-scenes nomination and advocacy processes, subjective selection criteria, and reliance on existing social capital networks tend to favor white, male candidates. Grounded in Distributed Leadership Theory, this iterative action research study will center the perspectives and expertise of teachers, administrators, and district leaders in co-designing and testing action research cycles of collaborative planning, observation, reflection, and intervention to identify and challenge systemic barriers and develop strategies to disrupt informal exclusionary practices. This study will contribute to theory by interrogating how social network connections and decision-making routines and norms can reproduce patterns of inequity and structural inequality and by advancing understandings of distributed leadership in ways that center equity and inclusion. The study will also generate practical recommendations and tools that can be immediately adopted and adapted by the district, such as transparent selection rubrics, structured mentorship programs, and accountability measures to support and evaluate progress. The findings will have the potential to both advance scholarship and have a positive impact on educational practice by providing actionable tools and strategies for increasing inclusion and diversity in school leadership pipelines that more closely reflect the diversity of the teaching workforce and student population.