INTRODUCTION Summaries Education without borders

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

-Peter Drucker

Education without borders exposes the idea that, in a globalized world, borders

serve as a way to maintain the status quo. However, if the status quo adequately serves

only those who can afford it, what are the implications of inequity in education for the

ability of educators and leaders to incorporate globalization into education? At the center

of this debate are policymakers who argue for global learning in schools but who are

unable to navigate effective avenues to lead the public education system towards this

innovation. By investigating global mindedness among educational leaders, we can

explore the major and minor patterns, themes, or links to global learning with regard to

21st-century educational policy.

How do students of multiple languages, cultures, and modalities of learning

interact and find value in each other’s abilities? Can an individual’s life-learning be seen

as an asset on the global scale? The implications of globalization with regard to education

are vast, intricate, and far reaching. But to what extent does globalization change

education? Change is inevitable, and globalization has forced education to shift, as we

saw in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, not knowing the extent to which

globalization affects education creates a problem. Furthermore, the viewpoint of

educational leadership is essential to creating actionable change. How can educational

organizations make changes to, prepare for, or teach for global learning if there is no

collective research to identify and provide evidence of how education is being affected by

globalization or to determine the effectiveness of current policies?

Evolution determines survival in the natural world. Similarly, educational

structures must evolve now that the global community has become a reality of our

existence, both to ensure that future generations are prepared to work in increasingly

globalized jobs and because education based on 19th-century models of teaching are

becoming obsolete. Incorporating globalization into education is essential. With the

undeniable educational platform shift following the COVID-19 global pandemic, we have

first-hand experiential knowledge of the inequities of student access to global learning

platforms. Instances were reported of students and even teachers sitting outside of fast-

food restaurants to gain access to Wi-Fi. If we fail to teach children how to be

active/productive participants within the global community, we are failing to prepare

them for the future. Education in the age of globalization must merge learning with a

child’s natural creativity and curiosity in order to maintain relevancy.

For this academic integration of global thinking to occur, there must be policy that

guides the learning community. Well-defined policies can be game changers. Educational

institutions need clarity on the best practices with regard to policy that can naturally

diffuse globalization into education and provide access to this global learning to the

masses. Educational leaders’ perspectives on this dimension of education can assist

policymakers in creating meaningful laws that reflect the needs and aims of educational

leaders who represent the larger educational community. Access to the global community,

evolution of current educational structures, and the application of 21st century skills to

improve student outcomes can be potential effects of valuing educational leaderships

perspectives with regard to globalization and education.

Globalization has quickly woven its way into every aspect of our economic,

technological, and social lives. It is only natural that the educational system transforms

into a globally competent powerhouse. We must hold our educational system accountable

for creating quality education based on equity and realistic policies that reflect the 21st

century needs of our youth. It is with skilled educational leaders and collaborative

educational structures, school districts can compete, thrive, and communicate within the

global context. Effective communication is a pillar of effective educational leadership.

Therefore, educational leadership perspectives of how to incorporate complex ideas such

as globalization and education are valuable to policy makers. It is with educational

leaders that a balance of the individual community and the global community can

intertwine to create meaningful global exchange. When we educate with a global

perspective, we create the future leaders of our country who can maneuver and excel in

the global 21st century. Therefore, it is imperative to better understand the global

mindedness of our leaders, as it is through leadership that informed change can be

introduced through policy to bring about actionable steps for progress.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to analyze and synthesize educational leaders’ global

mindedness regarding the future policy implications of globalization on education. This

research aims to serve as a way to solidify the major and minor identifiable themes that

make policy with regard to globalization easy or difficult to implement in the field of

education from the perspective of educational leaders. It seeks to discover how

globalization fits into the field of education, and to identify if there are policies currently

in place that are based on outdated or insufficient research. Just as Apple seeks to update

their products and software with improved internal analytics, the education sector must

also remedy policy that could work better. Fixing a problem before it emerges can elevate

productivity. The purpose of this research is to fundamentally ground how the

perspectives of superintendents’ and their global mindedness can highlight the

phenomenon of globalization regarding education.

An alternative motive for this research is to investigate where and why delays in

implementing globalization may occur from a leadership perspective. By identifying

these patterns, educational leaders and policymakers can use this study to reflect on local

practices. Research based on community policy can also prepare future educational

leaders, policymakers, educators, and students for their role in our globalized educational

society. Providing access to quality globalized education means creating avenues through

collaborative policy for educational leaders to organize and communicate with the

educational community and for students to explore the opportunities afforded by

globalization.

Theoretical Framework

This research is guided by the diffusion theory of innovation framework. This

framework highlights how a phenomenon or innovation is viewed, practiced, and shared

to bring about change.

Diffusion Theory of Innovation

Leadership in the 21st century recognizes that it is only through the collective

whole that effective and ongoing change is possible. The global innovations shaping the

economy are not the sole purpose of change. The diffusion, acceptance, and increasing

preference for these new innovations in daily life has created the need to reconsider

where globalization and global mindedness fit within the educational system: “Diffusion

is a kind of social change, defined as the process by which alteration occurs in the

structure and function of a social system” (Rogers, 1995, p. 36). Educational leadership

pairs with this diffusion of social change and alterations in the way they communicate the

need for innovation or change in educational structures. Educational leadership balances

the mandates from policy and needs of individual districts. Effective communication of

new or potential innovations such as globalization and education is needed to establish

civic buy-in in an attempt to diffuse the benefits to the larger community.

Educational systems are structured with educational leadership at the forefront of

implementing change. The way educational leaders communicate empower the culture of

change within their learning community. For the purposes of this research, “Diffusion of

Innovation (DOI) Theory, developed by E.M. Rogers in 1962, is one of the oldest social

science theories. It originated in communication to explain how, over time, an idea or

product gains momentum and diffuses (or spreads) through a specific population or social

system. The end result of this diffusion is that people, as part of a social system, adopt a

new idea, behavior, or product. (LaMorte, 2019, p. 4).” Effective communication of

educational leaders that can invite collective change towards a global learning experience.

Different communities have different needs and different perspectives of what

globalization and education can mean for their district, however striving toward the goal

of a more collaborative global learning community can create meaningful opportunities

for global learning to prosper. “Adoption means that a person does something differently

than what they had previously (i.e., purchase or use a new product, acquire, and perform a

new behavior, etc.). The key to adoption is that the person must perceive the idea,

behavior, or product as new or innovative. (LaMorte, 2019, p. 4).” The global mindedness

of school district superintendents is the initial step to discover how far global change is

from the educational system. The perspectives of educational leaders can determine how

or if the adoption of globalization and education is an innovation desired within their

local educational community. Because superintendents are the paramount leaders and

agents of change in their school districts, their perceptions and global mindedness fosters

the diffusion of global educational opportunities. The theory of diffusion suggests that

there are different stages to the adoption of new innovations, therefore it would be

sufficient to suggest that the global mindedness of educational leaders relating to

globalization and education may also have different stages perceptions with regard to this

topic. With regard to educational leadership, early adaption is benefits superintendents’

ability to lead and the learning community’s ability to evolve. The benefit of inclination

to adopt innovation is, “The early adopters are not too far ahead of the average individual

in innovativeness, they serve as a role model for many other members of a social

system… The early adopter knows that to continue to earn this esteem of colleagues and

to maintain a central position in the communication networks of the system, he or she,

must make judicious innovation decisions… The early adopter decreases uncertainty

about a new idea by adopting it, and then conveying a subjective evaluation of the

innovation to near-peers through interpersonal networks” (Rogers, 1995, p. 489).”

Educational leadership that recognizes innovation in its infancy has the time to use it to

create future possibilities and potentials. Educational leadership does not have to be the

innovator but has to be able to recognize the innovative shifts within educational

potentials within their district to create continuous prosperous change. It is important to

understand the connection between educational leaders and global mindedness in

globalization and innovative educational policy. Educational leadership that finds

significance in global learning for better student outcomes will more readily seek global

opportunities for their district.

The Connection to Social Justice and the Vincentian Mission in Education

As the Class of 2013 St. Vincent DePaul Social Justice Award holder for the St.

John’s University School of Education, I hold the university’s dedication to providing

equity in education. This research reflects the particular values associated with our

university mission statement as it is rooted in the desire to represent all people in

globalized educational research while discussing the global mindedness of educational

leadership. Research can no longer serve only those with privilege or power. Institutional

structures that demolish barriers and seek instead to build educational systems that value

many forms of learning and knowledge can flourish in the age of global learning. Global

connections for educational advancement can create connections that people may strive to

feel when learning. Global learning is the act of intellectual togetherness. The

phenomenon of globalization and education will continue to evolve within the field of

education. Superintendents’ perspectives of the global community are an important piece

to uncovering what the needs are to meaningful global exchange.

Research Question(s)

The overarching research questions primarily seek to uncover the global

mindedness of superintendents in suburban school of New York and how it shapes their

views on globalization in education. The research questions are the following:

RQ1: How do superintendents view education as a means for creating global

connections, ambassadors, and innovators?

RQ2: What major or minor concepts do superintendents consider when

explaining the phenomenon of globalization for the purposes of education?

RQ3: With regard to education and globalization, does the current educational

system provide the capacity for meaningful global learning and/or exchanges?

RQ4: Are there national or local educational policies that are easily or

meaningfully put into practice that provide avenues to guide educational

leaders toward a more global and interconnected educational system? RQ5: In

what ways does educational leaders’ global mindedness impact educational

policy and influence the presence of globalization in educational practice?

Design and Methods

This research calls for a qualitative methodology for data collection, which is

useful as it can uncover the intent to which questions are responded to. When discussing

the phenomena of globalization, educational leadership, global perspectives, and policy, it

is important to gather insight into the interviewees’ perspectives through their responses:

“The pure qualitative strategy… combines naturalistic inquiry, qualitative data, and

content analysis” (Bogdan & Biklen, 2016). This strategy is beneficial for this research as

it provides a full response from the participants and an opportunity for them to explain

their perceptions and intent.

A phenomenological qualitative study can best analyze and synthesize the

perspectives of suburban New York superintendents regarding global mindedness.

Globalization as a concept or goal is a lived experience. Here, the phenomenon and its

implications on education and policy is studied through the perceptions of educational

leaders that point to the increasing diffusion of global awareness and pave the way to

interpret possible policy shifts. Phenomenological research by definition is meant to

“describe the common meaning for several individuals of their lived experience of a

concept or phenomenon. Phenomenologists focus on describing what all participants have

in common as they experience a phenomenon” (Creswell & Poth, 2018, p. 75). The

chosen methodology is meant to synthesize superintendents’ experiences of educational

policy, educational leadership, and global mindedness to create shifts in potential

educational policy to better align global learning with 21st-century learning skills.

The need to predict and further the needs of educational leadership to create space

to incorporate globalization lies at the forefront of this study. This qualitative research has

the capability to open a conversation with educational leaders about how educational

policy and leadership affects those with the least social, financial, and/or political power.

For change to last, it must be incremental and steady, and it must have shareholder input.

When educational leaders empower the learning community to build trust, consolidate

visions, and evolve the system, embracing the future becomes a matter of action. Policy

done with haste may result in pockets of resistance or uncertainty. Isolated visions form

disconnections, which then become gaps and fissures in the foundations of a shared

vision. Concise, well-crafted visions produce true policy change. To reveal the fixed

structures that inhibit globalized changes in educational policy, we must be prepared to let

go of the status quo of educational structures that cater only to a portion of the student

population and prepare students for the globalized world they will become a part of.

Change in the form of the structured theory of diffusion suggests that evolution of

knowledge is based on leadership that sees value in change. By incorporating educational

leadership perspectives into educational policy, we can introduce incremental

improvements to those who balance between required mandates and the learning

community. Slow and purposeful steps to change the mindsets of policymakers can help

to bring about meaningful change in how educators feel valued on a global scale.

In this study, the global mindedness of educational leaders serves as the

foundation for the exploration of future changes in policy. The research is based on

interviews, peer-reviewed articles, and papers regarding education, globalization, and/or

policy. The use of peer-reviewed scholarship provides a solid foundation of high-quality

evidence and themes within educational policy and how policy is influenced by

policymakers and leaders. The end goal of this study is to have a better idea of how

educational leadership and educational policy can be reviewed to implement

evidencebased theories regarding globalization, education, and policy.

Using integrative literature to integrate globalization, education, and policy, this

study offers an in-depth analysis of educational leaders’ global perspectives on

globalization and education in a way that may connect to educational policy reform. The

study analyzes educational leaderships perspectives of on globalization and education and

how policies can combine to incorporate the leadership outlook. The significance of this

study lies in the ability to highlight how educational leaders can bring forth perspectives

that encourage new policies to bring globalization to the local educational level. Through

comparative coding and the technological assistance of a program called Dedoose, the

researcher compares multiple sources of information to uncover consistencies in patterns

and themes in the data gathered from participant interview responses. The study aims to

understand educational leaderships’ perspectives regarding globalization, why

globalization may be difficult to implement in education, and where there are small

pathways that open the way for gains. Educational leaderships global mindedness

regarding the phenomenon of globalization and education can uncover what promotes or

delays globalized education and contribute to frameworks to guide policymakers.

Definition of Terms

Global Competency

Zhao (2009) stated that, according to the University of Wisconsin Global

Competency Task Force (2008), a globally competent person should have “the skills,

knowledge, and attitude to work effectively in our increasingly interdependent world.”

This report further states, “Foremost amongst these ‘global competencies’ are the abilities

to communicate effectively across linguistic and cultural boundaries, to see and

understand the world from a perspective other than one’s own, and to understand and

appreciate the diversity of societies and cultures. Students need to appreciate the

interdependence of nations in a global economy and to know how to adapt their work to a

variety of cultures” (p. 3). Fernando Reimers, a Harvard University education professor,

has a similar definition: I define Global Competency as the knowledge and skills that help

people understand the flat world in which they live, the skills to integrate across

disciplinary domains to comprehend global affairs and events and to create possibilities to

address them. Global competencies are also the attitudinal and ethical dispositions that

make it possible to interact peacefully, respectfully, and productively with fellow human

beings from diverse geographies. (Zhao, 2009, p. 165)

Global Mindedness

Hett’s (1993) research defines global mindedness as, “a worldview in which one

sees oneself as connected to the global community and feels a sense of responsibility to

its members. This commitment is reflected in the individual's attitudes, beliefs, and

behaviors” (p. 143). For the purposes of this research, this definition of global

mindedness aligns directly with superintendents’ global mindedness with regard to

community, responsibility, and commitment. A second defining factor of global

mindedness is that “[p]eople who are global-minded possess an ecological world view,

believe in the unity of humankind and the interdependence of humanity, support universal

human rights, have loyalties that extend beyond national borders, and are futurists” (Hett,

1993, p. 9). Unity, interconnection, support, and loyalty are grounding pillars for

superintendents who use the complexities of the present to create a better future.

Globalization

Thomas Friedman (2016) viewed globalization to relate to an organization and

individual equally: “For a long time, many economists insisted that globalization was

simply a measure of trade in physical goods, services, and financial transactions. That

definition is way too narrow. Globalization, for me, has always meant the ability of any

individual or company to compete, connect, exchange, or collaborate globally. And by

that definition, globalization is now exploding” (Friedman, 2016, p. 120). Using this

definition for globalization intends to highlight that, today, a single person can be a global

entity.

Policy

This study uses “John Prunty’s definition of policy as the ‘authoritative allocation

of values’” (Taylor & Henry, 2000, p. 498). Educational policy is a set of communal and

cultural values that is put in place authoritatively to develop a pathway for citizens to

create a world within the structure of regulations. While regulations and policy can

change, the allocated values and intent of the authority and policy are consequential.

Twenty-First Century Skills

There is an immense latitude that learning now encompasses. This is why the

Partnership for 21st Century Learning “agrees that understanding and appreciating

diverse cultures are additional core competencies that all high school graduates need to

master and thus has included ‘Global Awareness’ in its ‘21st Century Skills Framework,’

which it has been promoting for the last several years to policymakers and education

leaders around the country” (Wagner, 2009, p. 25).

According to the Partnership, global awareness refers to the ability of students to:

- “[use] 21st century skills [such as critical thinking and problem solving] to

understand and address global issues;

- [learn] from and [work] collaboratively with individuals representing diverse

cultures, religions, and lifestyles in a spirit of mutual respect and open dialogue in

personal, work and community contexts;

- [understand] other nations and cultures, including the use of non-English

languages.” (Wagner, 2009, p. 25)

Wagner (2009) acknowledged how “[p]olicymakers and education leaders all like

to talk about ‘21st century skills’ for a 21st century society shaped by globalization and

technology. [The Partnership for 21st Century Skills] believes that ‘every child in America

needs 21st century knowledge and skills to succeed as effective citizens, workers and

leaders, in the 21st century’… According to its framework ‘the skills, knowledge and

expertise students should master to succeed in work and life in the 21st century’ are the

following:

- Core Subjects (English, reading or language arts, world languages, arts,

mathematics, economics, science, geography, history, government, and civics) and

21st Century Themes (global awareness, financial, economic, business, and

entrepreneurial literacy; civic literacy; health literacy)

- Learning and Innovation Skills (creativity and innovation skills, critical-thinking

and problem-solving skills, communication, and collaboration skills)

- Information, media, and Technology Skills (information literacy, media literacy,

ICT [information and communication technology] literacy)

- Life and Career Skills (flexibility and adaptability, initiative and self-direction,

social and cross-cultural skills, productivity and accountability, leadership and

responsibility).” (Wagner, 2009, p. 24-25).

These aforementioned skills are directly linked to those needed to be a productive global

citizen and personal ambassador. They create a well-rounded view of how instrumental

the education system is in shaping the future of not just a country, but the planet. The

educational leadership’s perspectives of these 21st-century skills can highlight the need

for policy change that aligns with a global perspective.

CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF RELATED RESEARCH

Leadership in the 21st century relies on collective innovation. However,

innovation alone does not guarantee the implementation of new practices or perceptions.

Effective leaders bring educational systems to change with dynamic equilibrium, which

“occurs when the rate of change in a social system is commensurate with the system’s

ability to cope with it” (Rogers, 1995, p. 798). Within the dynamic system, there is a

sense of trust that great innovations balance the gains and losses. The willingness to grow

and learn is the dynamic piece to this equilibrium. This aligns with Friedman’s (2016)

example of how the complexities of globalization rely on an individual’s ability to

continuously move forward, like pedaling on a bike rather than attempting to balance in

stillness.

Theoretical Framework

“Many technologists believe that advantageous innovations will sell themselves,

that the obvious benefits of a new idea will be widely realized by potential adopters, and

that the innovation will therefore diffuse rapidly. Seldom is this the case” (Rogers, 1995,

p. 37). This is due to the need to see the benefits of innovation in action. Abstract ideas

for potential technologies serve no purpose without the ability to see them resolve a

problem or challenge. Diffusion is “the process by which an innovation is communicated

through certain channels over time among members of a social system. The four main

elements are the innovation, communication channels, time, and the social system”

(Rogers, 1995, p. 53).

Educational leaders are directly linked to this process through communication and

system thinking actions. Leaders assume the need to motivate people to change.

However, before motivating others to change, they must uncover the essential

information and possible hurdles: “Innovation-evaluation information, is the reduction on

uncertainty about an innovation’s expected consequences” (Rogers, 1995, p. 73). By

reducing uncertainty, they create a more precise understanding of the benefit of the

innovation: “Diffusion is a particular type of communication in which the message

content this is exchanges is concerned with a new idea” (Rogers, 1995, p. 67). This leads

to decisions to either reject the innovation, or to continue with it. With time, one moves

from “knowledge [of the innovation], persuasion [to use the innovation], decision [to

reject or adopt the innovation], implementation [using the innovation], and confirmation

[reinforcement of innovation]” (Rogers, 1995, p. 72). The process of “diffusion occurs

within the social system” (Rogers, 1995, p. 79). Educational leadership and policymakers

perceptions drive educational endeavors that in turn reflect “how the system’s social

structure affects diffusion” (Rogers, 1995, p. 79).

With regard to globalization, the global mindedness of the educational leadership

reflects the authority innovation-decision to incorporate the diffusion of innovations.

“Authority innovation-decision are choices to adopt or reject an innovation that are made

by a relatively few individuals in a system who possess power, status, or technical

expertise” (Rogers, 1995, p. 89). Educational leadership that plans global educational

possibilities allow globalization to diffuse and be reflected in actionable decision-making.

As such, “[a]uthority decisions are much more common than optional decisions in formal

organizations, such as, factories, schools, or government organizations… Generally, the

fastest rate of adaption of innovations results from authority decisions (depending of

course on how innovative the authorities are)” (Rogers, 1995, p. 90). This is why the

perceptions and global mindedness of superintendents are essential to incorporating

globalization in public schools: “One can imagine other types of innovation-decisions in

which the first decision is of an authority sort followed by a collective decision” (Rogers,

1995). Superintendents can be the catalyst of diffusion for globalization as an innovation

and create actionable policy to structure meaningful change.

Review of Related Literature

A Historical Introduction of the United States to the Global Platform

Globalization today might ignite thoughts of the technological advances and

global interactions that only the 21st century could fuel. However, the presence of

globalization precedes today by far. It dates back to the Silk Road that linked Asian and

Europe for the trade of silk, spice, and salt. It can also be seen in more the founding of the

New World and the arrival of pilgrims to North and South America. What makes

globalization different in the 21st century is the technology that makes the economic and

the social injustices of globalization instantly apparent. This makes it increasingly

important to consider what globalization can mean in the future: “Indeed, as the world

becomes more interdependent and complex, it becomes more vital than ever to widen

your aperture and to synthesize more perspectives” (Friedman, 2016, p. 14). In essence,

“[t]he flattening world means that we are now connecting all the knowledge centers on

the planet together into a single global network which—if politics and terrorism do not

get in the way—could usher in an amazing era of prosperity, innovation, and

collaboration, by companies, communities, and individuals” (Friedman, 2007, p. 23).

Globalization must be seen to include and represent the global community, which we are

now able to represent adequately. The future of globalization will be led by generations

who have grown up with access to the global community, where personal success can “go

viral” in an instant. This new age of globalization can represent the world as a whole, not

only those who can afford it or have privilege over others.

At the forefront of globalization is the United States, where policies can live and

die as bills in Congress. However, with American innovation, great diplomatic decisions

can affect how global policy is shaped: “It was not only immigration that invented the

American people. The American people invented themselves. They found themselves

with an unprecedented regime and an extraordinary land, and they came here to find

things they could not find at home. Once here, they had to invent their lives. It was not

simply a matter of choosing among the many possibilities. It was also inventing

possibilities that were not yet seen” (Friedman, 2020, p. 102). Therefore, it was not only

immigration that invented globalization, but the monetary value placed on cultural

diffusion and cultural reciprocity. Today, there is a need to turn to other cultures and

groups for new needs and desires. Thus, as the nation “created by immigrants,” the

United States has always focused on the needs of the homeland while also concentrating

on the broader impacts on a global scale.

The United States has become a global stakeholder, and U.S. policy has been a

stronghold assisting innovation and leading to roads “paved with gold”:

Technology is intended to create products, and products must be sold. [Thomas

Edison] understood the subtlety of invention, which was not mastering the science

nor building the product. The subtlety was in understanding what society needed

and what the customer would buy. It was not enough to be a scientist or an

engineer. It was also necessary to be a sociologist. Thomas Edison became the

template for Henry Ford, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and all of the rest who

understood that the inventor had to have a user and that business was the bridge

between the two. (Friedman, 2020, p. 116)

Therefore, understanding what society needs leads to the need for effective

communication of innovations. It is with effective communication of new inventions that

they disperse throughout society. Business has found extreme success in the global

market, and it is time for educational policy to do the same. In order to advance

education, we must create a solid foundational policy for support. The following

exemplifies why the United States is a global power with the responsibility to create

policy that can inspire other countries to adapt a global mindset through innovative

policy:

At the heart of this is the culture of technology. It is not unique to America, but it

still is quintessentially American. In a book by Arthur Koestler on Stalin’s purges,

the protagonist, sitting in his cell, wonders what is happening in the world, having

not read a newspaper in months. He wonders if the Americans have invented time

travel. This gives you a sense of how the world, even in the 1930’s, thought of

America. No great art, no deep thought, no brilliant strategy, but a country

capable of extraordinary feats of technological brilliance. (Friedman, 2020, p.

382)

The educational community is at a precipice of a golden age that will merge

educational opportunity with global exposure: “A golden age is an age that in spite of all

the pains that are normal and possible nevertheless creates something extraordinary…

What we remember about the golden ages in history is not what was common to all times

but what was unique to them” (Friedman, 2020, p. 347). The unique aspect that 21st-

century globalization brings to education is the opportunity to appreciate the

distinctiveness of cultures with the awareness that globalization affords a multitude of

perspectives.

Tensions in Policymaking

Policymaking in the United States is a process that involves many central and

local governments which need to collectively find a purpose in new legislature. This can

inspire debate, which leads to the re-writing or re-thinking of the intent behind the

legislature. This is why we have amendments in place that can apply change that is seen

to be fit by the collective, following any debate and discord. The success of the United

States lies in its ability to combine the new and old to develop mechanisms for innovative

change: “Every layer of innovation gets built on the next” (Friedman, 2007, p. 124). The

same applies for policy. We must remember that the world watches the United States as it

seeks problem-solving pathways. Creative innovation in the United States offers global

possibilities, and global responsibilities. The United States is a global powerhouse that

offers problem-resolution pathways that have far-reaching consequences on human lives.

As such, those who speak about the innovative nature of the United States refer to

it as an invented culture, referring to “the regime [that] was invented, I am therefore

saying that it was invented by men who were lifelong inventors. They were technologists.

They tried to create things that would manage nature and ease human existence.

Invention was not only part of the regime. It was built into American culture” (Friedman,

2020, p. 44). The U.S. culture disrupts the systems in place that already work, in search of

a quicker, smarter, more economically efficient, and financially appealing way. U.S.

culture is disruptive, as it offers a more direct way to travel, but others must still pay a toll

to use the road. Without the toll, they can still reach the same point, but it will take longer

and likely be a bumpier process. U.S. culture is designed to compete constantly. Within

interconnected systems, a competitive culture is what drives new and better innovations.

Educational structures can benefit from innovation based on competition that disrupts in

order to bring new and better systems.

Power/Dominance

The U.S. global dominance is undeniable: “The United States has become an

empire. It is an empire of power and global reach, but of course not a formal empire. Its

power derives from the size of its economy, its military, and the seductive power of its

culture. These in turn derive from its regime, land, and people” (Friedman, 2020, p. 143).

It is important to note that the American people are part of a global phenomenon. The

modern-day U.S. empire has unmeasurable global effects. Education as a globalized

interest can have wide reaching impacts. In fact, “[a]n empire exists when its power is so

great compared with other nations that simply by existing, it changes the shape of their

relationships and the way other nations behave” (Friedman, 2020, p. 144).

The purpose of this study is not to determine whether or not the United States

changes other nations’ behavior positively or negatively, but simply to acknowledge that

other countries view policy made in the United States as reputable:

Empires are resented and hated. They are also admired and envied. They define

the culture of the world. By this definition, the United States is an empire. English

has become the global language of business and government, and it has become

an expectation that professionals around the world will speak English. I have been

at meetings where the United States was vehemently condemned by foreign

experts and politicians speaking English. The British opened the door to the use of

English, but the Americans have taken it much further. The fact that American

power exists without any formal structure indicates that the United States is more

powerful than most empires have been, historically. Its empire is not only global

but casual. It has and uses power casually, controlling the world without a clear

plan or even a systematic intent. (Friedman, 2020, p. 157)

Therefore, educational policy stemming from the U.S. may bring traction and interest to

the global education arena. While the U.S. can be seen as a global superpower, if the U.S.

uses globalization and education to incorporate a sense of collaborative systems, other

nations may follow suite. If the United States chooses to be part of the global educational

structures, other nations may have more incentive to participate educationally.

Innovation and Innovative Policy

Before we can discuss the policies that should be put forth for the betterment of

education, we must discuss why the United States is different from other countries in

terms of policy. The country was shaped by its founders to create policy hubs that grapple

with the minutia of policy and the vision and intent of policy. In this way, the collective

whole is impactful when the separate parts work in tandem towards a common goal. The

U.S. Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution to transcend time through balance and

flexibility. While the separation between private and public life was meant to create safe

boundaries, it has also resulted in difficulty in creating legislation to fulfill the needs of

both private and public entities: “The moral principles were complex and sometimes at

odds with each other, but they had a common core: each American ought to be free to

succeed or fail in the things he wished to undertake” (Friedman, 2020, p. 33). Our

constitutional documents describe our basic rights: “The state would not hinder anyone. A

person’s fate would be determined only by his character and talents. The founders did

more than separate the state and private life. They created an ongoing tension between

them” (Friedman, 2020, p. 33).

This tension is displayed in the way policy has become nearly impossible to

implement in a timely manner. Through the action of specific political parties, it has also

become focused on prominent figures rather than on practicality. “Governments can be

machines, but nations have to accommodate the actual lives of people. People don’t live

abstract lives. They live real ones, within nations, and those nations give them a sense of

who they are. Partly it has to do with the government. Partly it has to do with the

principles of the nation, the things that tell us what kinds of people we are and ought to

be” (Friedman, 2020, p. 36). This is an important feature of policy, which must reflect a

country’s values and core beliefs, in addition, to being practical. Policy that is not easily

put into practice, or that is impractical due to the financial burden or untimely

implementation, will be left to those who have passion: “Jefferson and Franklin

questioned all political premises. They also questioned all things and how to improve

them. This inventiveness can be seen throughout American history, from farm

implements to smartphones. This inventiveness was coupled with a sense of urgency”

(Friedman, 2020, p. 44). Urgency can be unspoken or unidentifiable, but it is a motivation

that cannot be ignored, especially if shared by the masses. Educational policymakers must

reflect the needs of the people they govern, while effectively communicating and the core

beliefs of their community within new innovations.

Community

A shared vision can create policy that motivates stakeholders. It is most beneficial

to the community when stakeholders are present for discussions on new and old policy.

Stakeholders can provide insight into how policy directly hinders or helps achieve a goal.

Policymaking should also be done with a team mentality and searching for evidence of

why a policy is needed and how it can preserve the initial intention while still progressing

with time. It is only through the phenomenon of globalization that organizations now

have global outreach. Participation in the global community for large and small

communities is now possible.

Globalization is the word we came up with to describe the changing relationships

between governments and big businesses,” said David Rothkopf, a former senior

Department of Commerce official in the Clinton administration and now a private

strategic consultant. “But what is going on today is a much broader, much more

profound phenomenon.” It is not simply about how governments, business, and

people communicate, not just about how organizations interact, but it is-about the

emergence of completely new social, political, and business models. (Friedman,

2007, p. 83)

These new global interconnections reflect a system modeled for a global community that

reflects local people. Part of globalization is balancing one’s participation in the global

and local community. Therefore, the educational model is still in need for a systematic

review to incorporate these new models. “National policy leaders can still be central

players in reform adoption, even in the globalized world that exerts isomorphic pressures

on national education systems” (Komatsu, 2013, p. 13). Policy leaders are central to

educational policy reform with regard to ensuring their policy reflects the people they

govern. Inclusive measures allows for more widespread adoption and incorporation of

educational policy reforms.

Progress

Progress is slow and develops with shared mindsets. However, “the

democratization of information is having a profound impact on society” (Friedman, 2007,

p. 280). Progress that produces positive results cycles through a culture long after the

initial idea was introduced. Therefore, ensuring adequate access to information is

important. For example, technology is part of our culture and now “[t]echnology is not

just a machine but a mode of approaching a problem” (Friedman, 2020, p. 258). The

skeptics all said, “It takes people a long time to change their habits and learn new

technology. [But] people did it very quickly, and ten years later there wereeight hundred

million people on the Internet. The reason? “People will change their habits quickly

when they have a strong reason to do so, and people have an innate urge to connect with

other people” said Andreessen. “And when you give people a new way to connect with

other people, they will punch through any technical barrier, they will learn new

languages—people are wired to want to connect with other people and they find it

objectionable not to able to.”

(Friedman, 2007, p. 113)

The connections available make seeing multiple perspectives of issues necessary.

Using the technology available today, we have access to free “think-tanks” that represent

the good, bad, and ugly thoughts in society:

It is interesting to note that at the time of political instability there is frequently a

new communication technology that is blamed for the dissemination of negativity

or vitriol. In the 1960’s, it was television, rendering the country passive victims of

the news media. In the 1920’s, it was the movies, peddling a form of collective

sentimentality and licentiousness, along with radio introducing the immediacy of

news. (Friedman, 2020, p. 251)

We must not focus on the pros and cons of technology available today, but

acknowledge the progress it has offered to the global community, which proves it is here

to stay: “The big question for the future is, what is the next transformative technology and

how do we recognize it in its early form?” (Friedman, 2020, p. 305). Early adopters to

new innovations have the ability to grow with new technologies as it evolves. There is

evidence that suggests that the global market is changing. What we should note is that

“Uber, the world’s largest taxi company, owns no vehicles. Facebook, the world’s most

popular media owner, creates no content. Alibaba, the most valuable retailer, has no

inventory. Further, Airbnb, the world’s largest accommodation provider, owns no real

estate. “Something interesting is happening” (Friedman, 2016, p. 97).

Technology is making it possible for future generations to eventually allow

parents to choose their children’s teachers, the classroom content, and the classes their

children take on a global scale. It will be the movement toward a “school of choice” with

people centering their education on their wants, needs, likes, and passions. For this

reason, educational policy must stay relevant, and there cannot be gaps in legislation:

“The flatter the world gets, the more we are going to need a system of global governance

that keeps up with all the new legal and illegal forms of collaboration” (Friedman, 2007,

p. 390). There are innovators and inventors in classrooms today who are dreaming of the

next big transformative technology. It is the responsibility of leaders and policymakers to

find urgency in developing policy and frameworks towards globalization and education.

Put bluntly, “[y]esterday’s solution doesn’t solve tomorrow’s problem” (Wagner, 2009, p.

17).

Policy Change/Modification

An educational leader’s role in education is to remove roadblocks to ensure

forward progression leading to elevated success, and to guarantee that teachers have

access to quality material to challenge, create wonder, and inspire future generations.

“Happiness is the emotional engine powering the United States. It is the only country to

make the pursuit of happiness a fundamental right. But with happiness comes

disappointment, just as with technology comes obsolescence” (Friedman, 2020, p. 46). It

is not only necessary that policy is created but necessary for policy to be updated as new

technology and awareness becomes available. Connections between policy makers and

educational leaders presents the multiple aspects of leadership needed to create large

scale policy that is flexible enough to be implemented in local communities. “The

challenge is for education leaders and policymakers to agree on the skills that matter most

for administrators and then to develop ways to assess them” (Wagner, 2009, p. 153). In

these instances, time is of the utmost importance. Simply providing more education is

probably a good thing on balance, especially if a more educated labor force is more

flexible and can cope more readily with non-routine tasks and occupational changes. But

it is far from a panacea. In the future, how we educate our children may prove to be more

important than how much we educate them” (Friedman, 2007, p. 471). Creating citizens

with 21st century skills can transfer rote knowledge into actionable skills needed. No

longer do student need to memorize facts, it is using facts to create new thoughts.

With this in mind, creating educational policy is difficult because it relies on

predictions on the future: “The problem is that prediction depends on modeling (a subject

I know a little about) and effective modeling of change depends on understanding all of

the variables, their baseline interaction, and the impact of new forces on the variables”

(Friedman, 2020, p. 367). However, modifying educational policy should not be

considered a failure but should be treated as an update: “Once invented, the inventions

had to be reinvented to deal with new challenges and new possibilities” (Friedman, 2020,

p. 367). Educational policy must be modified to reflect new challenges and possibilities,

and policymakers and educational leaders can create policy with the intent of “[f]reedom

of action based on commander’s intent means that the expectation is success, not a

particular way of achieving success” (Friedman, 2020, p. 338). Intent-based policy is

created to assist educational professionals in creating new educational evidence-based

practices.

The Speed of Globalization

The limitless speed of globalization is enough to send any system into overdrive.

However, Thomas Friedman discusses the concepts of creation as “[w]hen you press the

pause button on a machine, it stops. But when you press the pause button on human

beings they start,” …Dov Seidman, CEO of LRN, which advises global businesses on

ethics and leadership (Friedman, 2016). “You start to reflect, you start to rethink your

assumptions, you start to reimagine what is possible and, most importantly, you start to

reconnect with your most deeply held beliefs. Once you’ve done that, you can begin to

reimagine a better path” (Friedman, 2016, p. 4). We all know the saying that if you do not

learn from the past, you are doomed to repeat it. Well, “the ancients believed that there

was wisdom in patience and that wisdom comes from patience… Patience wasn’t just the

absence of speed-It was space for reflection and thought” (Friedman, 2016, p. 6).

The speed at which globalization is changing our world is compounding. In other

words, the shifts may appear small, but over time they become quite monumental: To

illustrate this kind of exponential growth, Brynjolfsson and McAfee recalled the famous

legend of the king who was so impressed with the man who invented the game of chess

that he offered him any reward. The inventor of chess said that all he wanted was

enough rice to feed his family. The king said, “Of course, it shall be done. How much

would you like?” The man asked the king to simply place a single grain of rice on the

first square of a chessboard, then two on the next, then four on the next, with each

subsequent square receiving twice as many grains as the previous one. The king agreed,

noted Brynjolfsson and McAfee— without realizing that sixty-three instances of

doubling yields a fantastically big number: something like eighteen quintillion grains of

rice. That is the power of exponential change. (Friedman, 2016, p. 26)

Exponential growth in terms of learning capabilities are now possible through

collaborative learning platforms. The learning experiences and exchanges of the world

are now possible. Part of the learning process are the mishaps that teach endurance from

failure. “Innovation, Teller said, is a cycle of experimenting, learning, applying

knowledge, and then assessing success or failure. And when the outcome is failure, that’s

just a reason to start the cycle over again. One of X’s mottos is ‘Fail fast’ (Friedman,

2016, p. 35).” Between the constant compounding principles of globalization and “fail

fast” innovations, the concept of lifelong learning is essential to any type of stability in

the 21st century:

The new kind of stability has to be dynamic stability. There are some ways of

being, like riding a bicycle, where you cannot stand still, but once you are moving

it is actually easier. It is not our natural state. But humanity has to learn to exist in

this state. (Friedman, 2016, p. 35)

This dynamic stability creates momentum for innovation. Education can be the

promotion for young innovators that learn how to use this dynamic stability to their

advantage. However, “Another big challenge is the way we educate our population. We

go to school for 12 or more years during our childhood and early adulthood, and then we

are done. But when the pace of change is this fast, the only way to retain a lifelong

working capacity is to engage in lifelong learning. These are signs “that our societal

structures are failing to keep pace with the rate of change,” …Everything feels like it’s in

constant catch-up mode” (Friedman, 2016, p. 33).” Therefore, education can be the

groundwork that brings calm to future populations who will need to be comfortable with

constant improvements. “Leaders need to be able to operate in this new dynamic

environment of globalization, the shrinking of distance and reaction time, working in

different cultures, new nuclear powers, and clash of civilizations” (Wagner, 2009, p. 21).

Incorporated within this new form of leadership will be the need to effectively

communicate with those that share different opinions.

Dynamic leadership is creating new leaders. We must all find and surround

ourselves with people who can visualize better solutions: “Another part of critical

thinking is surrounding yourself with people who have differences of opinion and who

can help you come to the best solution: team-based leadership” (Wagner, 2009, p. 22).

Some solidarity can be reflective, but “isolation is the enemy of improvement” (Wagner,

2009, p. 157). “Command-and-control leadership style is becoming less and less valued

in organizations. People have to understand the importance of working fluidly and across

boundaries. As organizations become more global, the ability to work fluidly around the

world is a competitive advantage: understanding how to leverage the globe, time zones,

where the work can best be done, where there are skills that best match the task, either

because of the culture or the training” (Wagner, 2009, p. 23). Policy makers should

recognize the value in collaboration of educational leaders. “The recognition of the

factors that are critical for success in education policy reforms calls for policy makers to

have better knowledge on how to respond” (Pont, 2014, p. 25). Part of gaining the

knowledge to respond is knowledge of what is happening within local communities.

Collaboration between educational leadership and educational policy makers can expand

commonalities and create meaningful dialogue for educational needs.

The Role of Leadership

The speed of globalization drives the need for leadership that views the

community as the knowledge base for collective goal setting:

Despite the unprecedented speed and frequency related to the amount of

information and ideas that traverse the globe, education appears to be stuck in a

time warp framed by issues and objectives set decades before the effects of

technological innovation, enhanced communication, changing political conditions

and global migrations. (Hersey, 2012, p. 1)

By creating educational leadership with the capacity to exchange new and innovation

thoughts, new educational connections can be created. Leadership in the 21st century

needs to “take advantage of the commons and the notion that all of us are smarter than

one of us; if everyone works on a program or product and then shares their

improvements, that product will get smarter faster and then drive more change even

faster” (Friedman, 2016, p. 55). Educational improvements should not be left within

isolated learning communities. By sharing new and important knowledge bases, the bar

can be heightened for educational community as a whole. “The interconnectedness and

interdependency of peoples, countries and nations increase every day through travel,

commerce, advancing technologies, international relations, environmental concerns and a

growing global identity” (McCarthy, 2011, p. 35).

The idea of a global identity is interesting, as it supposes that an individual can

have an identity on a global scale through the use of technology-based processes, such as

social media, while also contributing to the community in which they live. This type of

global access makes learning, teaching, and leading in the 21st century extremely

dynamic: “Some superintendents are including global education for their students. More

superintendents may decide to include global education if more research and case studies

were available” (McCarthy, 2011, p. 21). Research provides evidence on which the

leadership can base claims and motivate change within their district. If the global

mindedness paradigm creates a desire and capacity to expand educational leadership’s

view of what education can mean for the future, it is the duty of policymakers to ensure

that leaders have the freedom to systematically explore the possibilities:

The definition of leadership offered by a Harvard University expert on the subject,

Ronald Heifetz, who says the role of a leader is ‘to help people face reality and to

mobilize them to make change’ as their environment changes to ensure the security and

prosperity of their community (Friedman, 2016, p. 311). Without resources or

collaborative forums, educational leadership is forced to create change in isolation.

Therefore, in order for educational leaders to promote global educational experiences,

they need the opportunity to learn and fund such experiences. Leaders must innovate

within a social culture, as [o]ur ability to forge deep relationships—to love, to care, to

hope, to trust, and to build voluntary communities based on shared values—is one of the

most uniquely human capacities we have. It is the single most important thing that

differentiates us from nature and machines. Not everything is better faster or meant to go

faster.

(Friedman, 2016, p. 6)

The culture within the learning community is based on experiences and relationships. For

educational leadership purposes, new innovations come from effective communication

and connection with the learning community. Educational leaders who understand and

connect with the learning community can effectively communicate why new innovations,

such as globalization and education can be beneficial. “If school leaders are to be seen as

responsive and active participants, and real change in education is to occur, then an

understanding of the perspectives, skills, characteristics, and mindsets needed for life in a

global world must be identified and understood” (Hersey, 2012, p. 49).

The organized, meaningful use of data can sway public opinion in favor of making

substantial change. This is the premise for this research. Statistics reminds us that

correlation does not equal cause, but organized data can help maximize leaders’ ability to

prove cause through data correlation. However, for educational leadership, providing

concise accurate structured data takes time and resources. The major difference between

unstructured and structured data becomes: “Unstructured data was a mess. It meant you

just vacuumed up everything out there that you could digitize and store, without any

particular structure” (Friedman, 2016, p. 58), whereas structured data assists in the

grounding of shared visions based on documented realities. When educational leadership

has access to data grounded in research, they can make informed decisions for their

learning community. In the words of Friedman (2016), “[b]ig data analytics: when you

can see more, you can understand more, and if you can understand more, you can make

better decisions rather than blind guesses. And so, data tied to analytics gives us better

vision” (p. 58). Having a clear vision for the learning community centralizes energies

and resources towards a common goal. When technology made the leap from

unstructured to structured data, we became able to “search all that unstructured data and

find the patterns. This ability to sift mountains of unstructured data, without necessarily

knowing what you were looking at, and be able to query it and get answers back and

identify patterns was a profound breakthrough” (Friedman, 2016, p. 59). Globalization

and education is in its infancy of research, however there are plenty of opportunities to

begin gather data. “Finally, it is important to understand that going from practice to

policy requires taking into consideration the context and challenges of implementation.

Every policy reform can be different because of the system’s political structure, social,

cultural and economic context” (Pont, 2014, p. 24). Finding research based trends of

commonality and connecting them to the community takes understanding the important

features of the learning community. “It is important to note here that the sociological

analysis of institutional isomorphism focuses on systems rather than the individuals who

control them” (Komatsu, 2013, p. 6). Changing the educational system to provide more

global learning experiences will allow those within the learning community to choose to

participate and in what capacity. Komatsu (2013) mentioned “Steiner-Khamsi (2006),

for example, insisted that the global convergence of education occurred only at the level

of ‘policy talk’ and very rarely at the level of implementation” (p. 7). Discussing

potential is the starting point, but implementation is where the educational leadership can

help shape policy into action: “Changing the mind-set of students and teachers to

recognize the importance of globalization requires the efforts of a visionary school leader

who is committed to the importance of global education” (Merriman & Nicoletti, 2008,

p.14). When educational leaders choose to invest resources into global education, there

are learning experiences that shape the youth and provide a wider range of possibilities

for their future. Therefore, it is essential for educational leadership to communicate

effectively new innovations, such as global education in a way that makes the learning

community willingly and wanting to explore what global learning can mean for their

content, students, and community. More options and opportunity for exploration of

innovations, create a larger pool of knowledge within a district learning community.

Superintendency

Superintendency reflects the top echelon of leadership within the educational

community with regard to ability to inspire research-based change. Superintendents lead

the other leaders within a school district. Being that the superintendent is the leader of

leaders within a school district, and the culminating force behind meaningful change, this

research focuses on their perspectives and thoughts behind globalization and education.

Many superintendents create meaningful cultures within their districts to serve students

with quality educational experiences. This does not mean that superintendents do not

perceive the barriers within educational policy. Educational leadership must remove

barriers to empower teachers in their instruction, and superintendents must also be served

by policy that reflects their needs and the needs of the community. Superintendents’

thoughts, suggestions, and reflections on global mindedness can offer insight into the

factors that are important to educational leaders at the district and local level for

globalization to be brought into schools in meaningful and actionable ways.

Superintendents face internal challenges, such as resource limits, Board of

Education (BOE) decisions, and more. There are also the external challenges, such as

budget cuts, policy changes, public perceptions of education, and educational reforms not

made by local governing units. While balancing internal and external factors,

superintendents must find ways to reflect the core values of their local community and

develop the learning community into a coherent systems thinking machine focused on a

shared vision.

Superintendency as a utility of change leadership continues to evolve as

policymakers recognize the complexity of educational reform: “Superintendents are being

viewed as pivotal actors in the complex algorithm for managing districts and leading

policy implementation efforts” (Björk et al., 2014, p. 444). Therefore, if superintendents

are being seen as crucial in terms of implementation of policy, their perspectives are

valuable in the creation of said policy. By incorporating superintendents in policy

decision-making processes, they can better communicate the need to implement new

initiatives within their local district. “A superintendent serves as a school district’s chief

executive officer (CEO) and manages its day-to-day affairs” (Björk et al., 2014, p.

446). Superintendents serve as the formal collective leader within the school community.

With the incorporation of new innovations, superintendents have had to expand their

responsibilities to incorporate oversight into these new advances. Thus, the perceptions of

superintendents are essential in the introduction of any functionable policy:

The formal position of school-district superintendent was established in Buffalo,

New York in 1837… the superintendent position has been defined through a process of

continuous adaptation to social, economic, and political changes [and]… [a]s the pace of

change accelerated during the twentieth century, these events not only had a profound

effect in terms of redefining the nature of schooling but also in reshaping superintendents’

work. (Björk et al., 2014, p. 447) Change is no simple task when approaching a

community. Clear communication and understanding of this new change is vital for the

stakeholders. Superintendents must connect with the many stakeholders with different

perspectives to communicate how this change is beneficial for the learning community.

When superintendents are put in the position of communicating policy without full

comprehension or collaboration, there is a disconnect between policy and action. “In

many instances, externally imposed educational reforms are often accompanied by

ambiguity, uncertainty, or resistance, which means that superintendents must possess the

acuity to handle political dynamics within municipal governments, school boards, district

offices, and parent organizations”

(Björk & Browne-Ferrigno, 2016, p. 130).

“[S]hifts in national education policy altered how school districts were organized,

managed, and governed which in turn reconfigured superintendents’ roles” (Björk &

Browne-Ferrigno, 2016, p. 121). According to Bjork et. Al. (2014), the roles of

superintendents are to serve as teacher-scholar, manager, democratic political leader,

social scientist, and communicator. Superintendents effectively lead when these five roles

of superintendents reflect the local community they serve. One role that reflects

educational leadership is the superintendent as teacher-scholar: “Since the early 1900s,

the state-level policies directed toward establishing common schools unambiguously

called for superintendents to implement mandated curriculum and supervise teachers”

(Björk et al., 2014, p. 452). Discussing this through a leadership perspective lens,

superintendents’ state-regulated protocols become negotiable when best practices using

evidence-based research teaching methods have an influence on how state mandates are

taught: “To be successful, superintendents are expected to be creative, implementers,

facilitators, and motivators for change all in the hopes of achieving the primary goal of

increasing student learning” (Przybylski et al., 2018, p. 18). Ultimately superintendents

are responsible to the learning community to bring resources for the improvement of

student outcomes. Superintendents’ displays of leadership within the academic

community reflects back to the learning community in dynamic equilibrium, where

constant improvement becomes the norm. Creating motivation assists superintendents’

goal to increase student learning as new efforts to incorporate latest quality learning

practices come around. Effective communication and professional resources for faculty

also contribute to the success of superintendents as teacher-scholar.

On the other hand, the second role of superintendent as manager was “imposed on

school districts to make them run like businesses” (Björk et al., 2014, p. 453). This was

initially controversial, but “[w]ithin a few decades it was recognized that serving as both

effective school-district manage and as an instructional leader were not mutually

exclusive but actually complementary aspects of their work” (Björk et al., 2014, p. 453).

Explicit discussion to the BOE regarding the of balancing of public resources and funds

for instructional improvement has become part of the superintendent’s responsibility. “In

the USA, superintendents convened leadership teams to achieve greater coherency of

support services, and to achieve operational efficiencies and consistency of vision and

voice” (Björk et al., 2014, p. 470). The creation of educational leadership teams within

local districts assist in the organization of educational data and progression of shared

visions. Fundamentally, the third role of superintendent as democratic political leader

reflects “superintendents’ political success rested on their capacity to galvanize support of

school board members, citizens, parents, and employees for district initiatives, while also

deftly handling demands of special interest groups during decision making” (Björk et al.,

2014, p. 454). Effective communication and alignment of shared visions within the local

community promotes support for new initiatives geared towards improving or

implementing features of a shared vision. Superintendents’ role as they incorporate “In

current circumstances, the issue is not whether superintendents enact a political role but

how well they do it” (Björk & Browne-Ferrigno, 2016, p. 128). Effective connections and

communication to the community reflects the balance of different ideals within education

and what that means for different families within the learning community.

Superintendents must engage with the local community and the different

stakeholders within it. Educational leadership balances and ensures equity within the

different stakeholder groups within a community.

Although they tend to be cautious in disclosing the breadth and intensity of their

political involvement in working with central office staffs, school principals,

school boards, and community-based interest groups, most do not have a choice

as to whether they are engaged in politics but rather only how they will

participate. (Björk et al., 2014, p. 471)

The development of professional relationships with community members provides

alternate perspectives and considerations when attempting to bring new initiatives to a

learning community. “Superintendents responded to political influences by working

closely with school board members, forming leadership teams, communicating frequently

and directly to various stakeholders, and developing relationships with key community

members” (Przybylski et al., 2018, p. 19).

Public education provides education for all. Keeping in mind the societal struggles

do not cease to continue to affect students when they walk into school buildings.

Therefore, effective educational leadership ensures to plan for possible social struggles of

their student and community population. The fourth role of superintendent as applied

social scientist recognizes how “[s]uperintendents’ disposition towards datainformed

decision making recognizes the relationship between education and society and is central

to understanding how changing demographics, poverty, racism, drugs, and violence may

affect children’s academic performance” (Björk & Browne-Ferrigno, 2016,

p. 126). High quality educational experiences with global perspectives may change

perspectives of possibilities, especially for students who live in instability. Knowing there

is more to the world than their community and acknowledging global impacts can

promote academic motivation. It is therefore the superintendent who can rally the

community through effective communication to bring new initiatives for change. Finally,

the fifth role of superintendent as communicator reflects the importance of making

connections and being able to effectively address the purpose, role, and function of

change:

Educational reforms launched during the early 1980’s underscored the need for

superintendents to communicate with a wider array of stakeholders and engage

them in rethinking the nature and direction of public education. During this

period, traditional, top-down models of communication were challenged by

scholars who believed that it had a negative impact on worker commitment and

job satisfaction. Which reduced overall organizational effectiveness. (Björk et al.,

2014, p. 456)

Superintendents weave and connect the many stakeholders and central needs of a local

school district. This takes exploration of how all stakeholders are interconnected and the

role of superintendent is to find common interests among stakeholders.

“These nationwide reports and scholarly studies not only enhance our

understanding of the devolution of governance and decision-making authority in the

Nordic countries but also heighten our understanding of how superintendents’ have

increased their acuity for micropolitics” (Björk & Browne-Ferrigno, 2016, p. 122). All in

all, the role of superintendent echoes the need for analytical reflection of self and

community. The coalescence of each role and educational leadership experiences creates

the perspective for superintendents. Therefore, by better understanding superintendents’

perspectives of leadership and global-mindedness we can have a well-rounded

understanding of what New York superintendents might need in order to find success on a

global scale. Systematic reform for global education require participation from

superintendents for they are closely connected to the community they serve. During the

last three decades, the emergence of a global economy and competitive markets

heightened concern for the future well-being of the USA, fueled demands for improving

education, and simulated interest in superintendents’ leadership role in launching and

sustaining large-scale systematic reform. (Björk et al., 2014, p. 459)

Superintendency in Finland and China

Different educational systems such as Finland and China reflect alternative

educational perspectives. National well-being does not need to come at a cost while

introducing globalization to education. “The notion of globalizations helps reveal the

shared sense of urgency in policymakers’ efforts to preserve, protect, and promote their

nations’ social, economic, and political well-being” (Björk et al., 2014, p. 468). The

educational system currently in place has left superintendents in a traditional leadership

pattern and “Findings suggest that superintendents hold ideas and go about their duties

significantly shaped by leadership traditions, as well as social, economic, and cultural

contexts” (Przybylski et al., 2018, p. 1). Different educational systems reflect the

leadership style of their country. “Furthermore, the educational contexts that

superintendents operate under in their respective countries inform why particular

practices are existent” (Przybylski et al., 2018, p. 1).

Education in Finland is a well-respected course for study. Education and

educational leadership is based on ensuring high-quality educators are teaching students.

In Finland, [a]ccording to the 1968 Act on the Administration of the Municipal

Provision of Education, the basic task of superintendents was to assist municipal

school boards in the preparation, supervision, and execution of local educational

issues. The 1969 Decree on the Directors and Secretaries of the Municipal

Provision of Education that followed also reinforced the need for professional

superintendents by stipulating their qualifications and job responsibilities.

Although superintendents could meet these qualifications in various ways, they all

had to meet the requirements of possessing teacher qualifications, completing

university-based studies in pedagogy and advanced studies in educational

administration, and having prior administrative experience. These qualifications

provided a strong foundation for superintendents to be able to address effectively

their 16 specified work responsibilities. (Risku et al., 2014, p. 391)

Finnish leaders understand that strong educators create strong educational leadership.

Finland also represents an educational style that welcomes the community-created shared

vision. Finland’s approach to education represents a strong grounding of educational

philosophy and values. It uses competent and experienced educators as leaders within

their educational system. By ensuring a strong core of educational practice throughout the

educational system, a common understanding of how to bring change can be adopted in

an actionable format.

On the other hand, China’s education system appears to have a structure based on

strict adherence to tradition: “superintendents are chosen on seniority or for local political

motives …it is common for superintendents to have no educational experience

whatsoever” (Przybylski et al., 2018, p. 14). China reflect a more seniority based

educational system. “The authoritarian style of management that is carried forth severely

restricts the prospects for change and amendments to the overall structure, human

capacity, and objectives of the school district” (Przybylski et al., 2018, p. 15). It appears

that within the Chinese educational system consistency is important. “Decision making

follows the bureaucratic format of passing along directives from higher echelons of

authority to those that will ensure the policies will be carried out as mandated”

(Przybylski et al., 2018, p. 15). Educational policy appears to stem from authoritative

perspectives. “Administrators– superintendents and principals––are typically, civil

service officials with little or no K-12 experience” (Przybylski et al., 2018, p. 15). The

culture of the educational community is led by educational leaders. The “government

policies and the mindset of the ‘common good’ is deeply-seated in present day Chinese

society, thus creating a sense of anxiety whenever change is encountered” (Przybylski et

al., 2018, p. 16). Chinese preservation of culture may be why change is met with

hesitance. This hesitance can also suggest the need for more communication from

leadership. “Superintendents are restricted in the current framework and for the most part

are ill prepared to take on the responsibilities of change if opportunities were to come

forth” (Przybylski et al., 2018, p. 16). “The superintendent is more of an operational

implementer; rather than a visionary planning strategically” (Przybylski et al., 2018, p.

16). This perspective of educational leadership is vastly different from that of the western

world. “There is barely room for the superintendent to seek changes as a response to

specific district concerns or interests. Simply put, the current system quashes such

thinking” (Przybylski et al., 2018, p. 16). This educational system is meant to create

citizens that reflect the needs and culture of Chinese society.

While the educational system in China is very different from the U.S., there are

instances of similarity. “Similar to U.S. rural superintendents, Chinese superintendents,

particularly in the western portion of the country, deal with divergent community beliefs

and values” (Przybylski et al., 2018, p. 16). Instances of conflicting community beliefs

and values is where the role of superintendent is essential for the educational good of the

youth. To fuse oppositional educational perspectives based on the common good of their

learning community is the responsibility of the superintendent. “Up to this point in time,

Chinese educational leaders and policymakers have been open to many Western theories

on education and leadership; however, the present situation implores the question of how

far China should go to using Western ideas to building new organizations within its

educational system” (Przybylski et al., 2018, p. 20). When global education is viewed as a

means for collective good and knowledge creation, we can move away from East versus

West mentality towards global educational innovations.

[F]or China to just adopt the U.S. structure of district leadership and the roles of

the superintendent will simply not work… The philosophical disparity between

the two countries is clearly evident concerning education. It would be

unreasonable to simply suggest Chinese superintendents to shadow the actions of

those of the United States. (Przybylski et al., 2018, p. 23)

Leadership must develop their own personal style of leadership, simply copying another

leader will not be effective. However, exploring alternative leadership perspectives and

styles can be beneficial. Effective leaders keep what works and make small changes that

benefit their leadership needs.

Globalization and Education

For most of the world, education serves as a means for upward social and

financial mobility. The United States has created legislature surrounding the value of

higher education:

…it follows from the 1787 Northwest Ordinance that was introduced by Thomas

Jefferson in 1784, requiring every new state to fund a university. Jefferson and his

colleagues believed that the development of such universities would create a

learned class of farmers and merchants, contributing to the development of the

economy and establishing the basis of democracy. The graduates of these

universities would serve as the educated leaders of their community and as

inventors of the future. (Friedman, 2020, p. 324)

This aligns with the thinking that each community has value and leaders can lift society.

A strong foundation of the United States is education. To provide perspective on the role

education plays in the United States:

America has 4,000 colleges and universities,” said Allen E. Goodman, president

of the Institute for International Education. “The rest of the world combined has

7,768 institutions of higher education. In the state of California alone, there are

about 130 colleges and universities. There are only 14 countries in the world that

have more than that number. (Friedman, 2007, p. 504)

Education is part of the cultural identity of the United States. However, how does our

educational policy reflect the skills one must master for success in life after 12th grade?

“Effective communication, curiosity, and critical-thinking skills, as we will see, are much

more than just the traditional desirable outcomes of a liberal arts education. They are

essential competencies and habits of mind for life in the twenty-first century” (Wagner,

2009, p. 346). With access to so many educational institutions and a large array of

educational possibilities, the United States educational system can be used to create

meaningful educational development towards twenty-first century learning competencies.

“The global achievement gap remains invisible to most of us—in part, because it is fueled

by fundamental economic, social, political, and technological changes that have taken

place so rapidly over the last two decades that they seem more like static in people’s lives

than like tangible forces that are shaping our future. But these changes are powerful, and

until we understand them and rethink what young people need to know in the twenty-first

century and how they are best taught, our future as a country remains uncertain” (Wagner,

2009, p. 9). Globalization and technology have been catalysts to the rapid change

happening, by ensuring education parallels the needs of the twenty-first century we

develop students with the skills they need to ensure stability in the workforce of the

future. “All of these changes illuminate the importance of another set of essential survival

skills for work today: agility and adaptability” (Wagner, 2009, p. 30).” Using knowledge

develops one’s ability to innovate in the stage of constant change. This dynamic stability

related to finding calm within constant change will be important for the twenty-first

century.

“Education is supposed to prepare future citizens—that is, to equip them with the

necessary skills, knowledge, attitudes, and perspectives to live a prosperous and happy

life as well as to perform responsibilities required of them as citizens of a society” (Zhao,

2009, p. 13). Therefore, education is at the core of all societies and their operational

functions. Well-defined educational frameworks grounded in collaboration of

stakeholders map out effective change. “What we need is a paradigm shift in thinking

about education both what we should teach and how we should deliver it” (Zhao, 2009, p.

18). This shift includes acknowledging that global education is a possibility with current

technologies. Creating a global educational experience prepares students for global

markets that otherwise they would need to learn privately. “Public education is one of the

largest investments Americans make, it affects their future on many levels” (Zhao, 2009,

p. 32). “Governments and their constituents are calling for more efficient and effective

public services, with greater engagement, and schooling is at the heart of this public

provision across OECD countries” (Pont, 2014, p. 7). With public education at the heart

of pubic investments, it is important to better understand the perspectives of those

running the current educational system. Those in a position of leadership have ideas and

understanding of how to create actionable change. “Building on current leadership

practices, contextualized policies can weave together different components to

professionalize school leadership” (Pont, 2014, p. 19). Superintendents and educational

leadership provide meaningful actionable perspectives behind initiatives, therefore

incorporating them in educational decision-making would be beneficial. Komatsu (2013)

noted, “[w]ith the global models more easily available and actively advocated by

international organizations, it is argued that these global models penetrate daily life more

than ever before (p. 6)” Global citizenry, especially in the United States, is prevalent; it is

time our educational structure matched the business and commerce sector in providing

global learning. “Government and business groups talk about the necessity of schools

meeting the needs of the global economy” (Spring, 2008, p. 331). “It is certain that a

central global discussion is about the knowledge economy. Contained within discourses

about the knowledge economy are discussions of technology, human capitol, lifelong

learning, and global migration of workers” (Spring, 2008, p. 337). Lifelong learning and

global learning pair in unison, as global experiences expand one’s experiential knowledge

of the world. “Discourses about the knowledge economy focus on the necessity of

educating students with skills for the global workplace” (Spring, 2008, p. 337).

Globalization has trickled its way into education, now best educational practices can be

shared globally. “Education is affected by all of these changes associated with

globalization: it is affected structurally, in policy terms, in practice terms, and in the

experiences that young people bring with them to their education” (Rizvi & Lingard,

2000, p. 421). “Educational policy is now often conceptualized as a central plank of

national economic planning the skills of a nation’s people being an important factor in

attracting peripatetic capital to a specific place” (Rizvi & Lingard, 2000, p. 424).

Education is the foundation for the future workforce. Exploring global innovations of

educational practice can create options and opportunity for educational leaders to grow

their own potentials and therefore the potentials of their learning community.

Educators

“For instance, we have not even begun to tap the potential of putting the lectures

of great teachers on video. Why suffer through bad teachers when a great teacher is just a

flat screen away” (Friedman, 2007, p. 593). The media platform called Masterclass is a

series that teaches “students” who pay for a membership the ins and outs of various

subjects taught by high profile masterminds in their chosen field. It truly tips its hat to

“learning by choice.” We can agree that there are certain ground level needs that students

should be exposed to in reading, writing, mathematics, science, and history. However,

student choice is a development that technology affords, granting the opportunity to truly

prioritize student-centered study. The virtual world of the internet unlocks limitless

opportunities for study: “Therefore, teaching them how to navigate that virtual world, and

how to sift through it and separate the voice, the filth, and the lies from facts, the wisdom,

and the real sources of knowledge becomes more important than ever” (Friedman, 2007,

p. 474).

PISA/OECD

International comparative studies such as the Programme for International Student

Assessment (PISA) and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development

(OECD) allow for global exploration using competition and high stakes testing as a way

to organize educational systems.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was

founded in 1961 in order to promote economic growth and world trade. It

sponsors the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which was

launched in 2000. PISA develops and administers standardized assessments of

reading, mathematical, and scientific literacy to a sample of between 4,500 and

10,000 15-year-olds in participating countries. However, the OECD leaders were

concerned about the extent to which these subject-content skills translate into the

kinds of skills adults need in life. (Wagner, 2009, p. 73)

These international examinations were the beginning of acknowledging that the

educational systems of the world may in fact be comparable. In addition, by

acknowledging the inadequacies of such examinations and attempting to create new ones,

again international educational institutions recognize the importance of transferrable

skills as important over rote memorization of facts.

So, in 2003, they [PISA/OECD] administered a remarkable test of problemsolving

skills, in addition to other assessments, in all forty-one of the countries then

involved in the program. The goal was to measure what they call “crosscurricular

competencies”—that is, to directly assess life competencies that apply across

different areas of the school curriculum. The assessment measured students’

problem-solving abilities in three areas:

• Making decisions under constraints

• Evaluating and designing systems for a particular situation

• Trouble-shooting a malfunctioning device or system based on a set of

symptoms. (Wagner, 2009, p. 73)

Measuring transferable skills also creates global equity. When skills are measured rather

than rote memorization, global equity is involved because it can level the playing field to

measure ability and maneuvering of information. Global skillsets are ones that are

maneuverable and applicable from country to country.

When international educational systems find value in international collaboration

for the success of future generations, this is where global learning begins to expand. This

translates to the need to expand educational policy to reflect the new needs of the future

global workforce:

The OECD is essentially an intergovernmental organization, comprising twentynine

predominantly wealthy Western countries though, since the mid-l990’s, the

trajectory has changed to include countries such as Mexico, the Czech Republic,

Hungary, Korea, and Poland. While there are significant ideological differences

among OECD countries, in particular between social democratic and market liberal

orientations, decision making is essentially consensual. This means that policy

positions tend to be sufficiently flexible to enable individual member countries to

develop their own policy stances. Unlike, say, the World Bank, the OECD has no

prescriptive mandate over its member countries. Rather, it describes itself as a place

for reflection, discussion, research, and analysis “that may often help governments

shape policy,” exerting influence through processes of “mutual examination by

governments, multilateral surveillance and peer pressure to conform or reform.

(Taylor & Henry, 2000, p. 489)

This collaboration assists in expanding the possibilities for future educational

policy on a global level. The OECD is a platform for educational discourse. Using

platforms currently available would be beneficial for the purposes of not repeating

already solid global education findings. Instead, benefits of organizations such as OECD

and examinations such as PISA can be used for the purposes of expanding global access.

Education leaders need access to as many research based organizations as possible. By

offering true connections for educational leaders with reasonable stipends, payment no

longer becomes a hinder to educational leadership access. When educational leadership

has access to meaningful organizations, they can begin to incorporate meaningful global

actions into their local district. In addition, “international organizations influence the

incorporation and diffusion of educational ideologies and practices within and among

nation-states and suggest that international organizations ‘have been an important catalyst

in spreading world cultural themes and accounts, and research conceptualizing them as

institutionalizing mechanisms can provide important insights in the area of comparative

education” (Taylor & Henry, 2000, p. 489). This is the future of educational cultural

reciprocity. Educational cultural reciprocity can mean a form of education based on the

value of knowledge regardless of where in earth such knowledge derives.

In order for mutual respect-based knowledge to be the norm, educational

leadership in return needs actionable policy. “Educational reform and improvement do

not end with policy recommendations or with legislation. Successful reforms require

effective policy implementation, which translates intentions into effects in the world of

educational practice” (OECD, 2018). This tips its hat to the educational leaders and

educators who implement global learning societal changes in isolation because of the

value it may have towards the betterment of their districts’ student body.

Upcoming initiatives reflect the needs of the future. The “OECD has created a

Framework 2030 for students entering school in 2018, who will be young adults in 2030.

Part of the shared vision includes environmental, economic, and social endeavors to teach

and prepare students with skills for the future” (OECD, 2018). Creating a shared vision

that reflects environmental frameworks recognize how a changing climate can affect

current and future citizens of the world. This framework reflects global interconnections

related to how individual countries can longer ignore global environmental impacts. This

is a very recent incorporation of science-based research that we must educate our youth

on preservation for future generations. “Recognizing how globalization might affect

national education policies and practices involves three things: appreciating and

specifying the nature and force of the extranational effect; specifying what it is that may

be affected, in this case ‘education,’ and what forms those changes may take; and how

that effect occurs, whether directly, in traceable ways indirectly, or consequentially on

other changes it may bring about within or on the education sector” (Dale, 2000, p. 427).

Educational research on the interconnections of education and globalization can be used

to explicitly discern the ways in which education and educational policy is changed by

global interactions. Interconnecting factors and exams

PISA OECD Standings

The duplication of prosperity is a desired outcome, especially when it relates to

international student achievement and learning outcomes. In Europe, “Finland’s longterm

commitment to public education has contributed to perhaps its most notable

accomplishment—its students consistently being ranked at the top of international

comparisons of academic performance since the early 2000s. For example, Finland had

the best total results in the 2000, 2003, and 2006 PISA surveys, and in the 2009 survey,

Finland was ranked third” (Risku et al., 2014, p. 383). International ranking of European

educational systems such as Finland provide a comparable educational format.

Linguistically European countries acquire language, even English, at a rate of success that

the United States has not been able to mimic. However, based on the 2018 PISA, it

appears that Finland has declined in overall performance. The following rankings are

reflected from the 2018 PISA by OECD:

-Reading was the main subject assessed in PISA 2018. The PISA 2018 reading

assessment, which was delivered on computer in most of the 79 countries and

economies that participated, included new text and assessment formats made

possible through digital delivery. The test aimed to assess reading literacy in the

digital environment while retaining the ability to measure trends in reading

literacy over the past two decades. PISA 2018 defined reading literacy as

understanding, using, evaluating, reflecting on, and engaging with texts in order

to achieve one’s goals, to develop one’s knowledge and potential, and to

participate in society.” (OECD, 2019) Digital literacy is an essential skill of the

future. Being able to determine perspectives, biases, and purpose within a digital

context is a skillset students must be able to develop in order to function in the

digital era.

-In Reading: Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang (China) and Singapore

scored significantly higher in reading than all other countries/ economies that

participated in PISA 2018. Estonia, Canada, Finland, and Ireland were the

highest‐ performing OECD countries in reading. (OECD, 2019)

-In Math and Science: Around one in six 15‐ year‐ old students in Beijing,

Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang (China) (16.5%), and about one in seven students

in Singapore (13.8%), scored at Level 6 in mathematics, the highest level of

proficiency that PISA describes. These students are capable of advanced

mathematical thinking and reasoning. On average across OECD countries, only

2.4% of students scored at this level. (OECD, 2019)

Based on these findings, China’s student population is leading the world in reading, math,

and science. This finding is significant for purposes of international educational

reflection. This is because “Trends in Performance: On average across OECD countries,

mean performance in reading, mathematics and science remained stable between 2015

and 2018” (OECD, 2019). The 2018 PISA by OECD is again reflected by:

-Seven countries/economies saw improvements, on average, in the reading,

mathematics and science performance of their students throughout their

participation in PISA: Albania, Colombia, Macao (China), the Republic of

Moldova, Peru, Portugal and Qatar. Seven countries saw declining mean

performance across all three subjects: Australia, Finland, Iceland, Korea, the

Netherlands, New Zealand and the Slovak Republic. (OECD, 2019)

Equity of education using the PISA evaluations can also be assessed. Access to education

and educational resources, is an indicator for academic success. Therefore it is no surprise

that countries who are in need of educational infrastructure scored well below those with

adequate access. “Around the world, the share of 15‐ year‐ old students, in grade 7 and

above, who reached a minimum level of proficiency in reading (at least Level 2 on the

PISA scale) ranged from close to 90% in Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and

Zhejiang (China), Estonia, Macao (China) and Singapore, to less than 10% in Cambodia,

Senegal and Zambia (countries that participated in the PISA for Development assessment

in 2017).” (OECD, 2019).

Strong findings based on the PISA show that there is clearly room for

improvement in the U.S. education system. In order to keep the United States competitive

on the global market, educational infrastructure to develop 21st century skills is needed. In

order for the United States to create an equitable educational system that functions for the

purposes of creating a competent workforce, we must analyze the ways in which we

educate our students in comparison to countries who outrank the U.S. If we take this line

of global comparison seriously, we can begin to hand pick educational practices that

develop the needed skills for the twenty-first century workforce.

Educational Career Paths for the 21st Century

Education serves its nation by developing human capital into effective citizens of

society. Educational policy is meant to serve as standards for those they govern, however,

very rarely do life events happen in exact spectrums. “Indeed, there is a certain paradox

between the ideal school policies and the different realities in which they are

implemented” (Magalhães, 2013, p. 92). For this reason, flexibility built within policy is

necessary. Educational leadership that prepares its learning population with 21st century

transferable skills, prepares the future workforce. “Louis Pasteur said it a long time ago:

‘Fortune favors the prepared mind’” (Friedman, 2007, p. 215). Preparing learners today

with transferable skills, provides a solid foundation for building upon other unforeseen

yet potentials. Therefore, “[t]he first more important ability you can develop in a flat

world is the ability to ‘learn how to learn’––to constantly absorb, and teach yourself, new

ways of doing old things or new ways of doing new things” (Friedman, 2007, p. 472).

This can look like a staircase; you rise and achieve success in an area of choice (or need)

and then you perfect it, which feels like a plateau. However, this is truly the learning

curve that enables the learner to grapple with the small parts that make up the whole (new

buttons, new integrated technology aspects). Then you engage in the process of what

needs to be done to make the process better, faster, stronger, more efficient, and then take

the next step up, learn the new process, perfect it, and move up another step.

This process provides a solid foundation of learning that builds on prior

knowledge, with infinite possibilities. Part of shaping the minds of 21st-century learners

is teaching students how to enjoy the process of learning, to see that learning is supposed

to awaken and enlighten and teach perseverance: “To learn how to learn, you have to love

learning—or you have to at least enjoy it—because so much of learning is about being

motivated to teach yourself” (Friedman, 2007, p. 473). Educational systems that create

educational experiences surrounding intrinsic exploration allows for students to learn

where and how to research and test hypotheses. “Curious passionate kids are

selfeducators and self-motivators” (Friedman, 2007, p. 479). Technology available today

allows for students to develop innovations, track their progress, and reinvent better

solutions. “In the flat world, educational opportunities are limitless, even without help

from school, government, churches, or business” (Friedman, 2007, p. 478).

The virtual world of the internet unlocks limitless opportunities of study. “What

schools should do is to provide opportunities and resources to support students’

development in their chosen areas” (Zhao, 2009, p. 154). Similarly, to how students

choose their elective coursework, education now can be studies of choice that extend

student interest into actual areas of study. “In the increasingly globalized world, what is

needed is a diversity of talents rather than individuals with the same competencies. If we

adopt a global mindset, rather than a local, nationalist one, we will find that historical,

cultural, and political factors have resulted in a variety of educational systems that have

developed varying practices to cultivate talents valued in different societies” (Zhao, 2009,

p. 158). Companies in the 21st century look for competency in knowledge that is “less

about technical skills and knowledge than about learning how to think, and their concern

was that time spent on test preparation and memorizing more content knowledge comes

at the expense of teaching students to use their minds well” (Wagner, 2009, p. 6). Career

paths in the 21st century reflect common ideas of effective communication, collaboration,

problem-solving, and creation. Students in the 21st century reflect an interconnected

global workforce, and therefore global learning experiences are necessary to develop

global competencies.

Conclusion

Education as a whole is deep rooted in the governmental structure of the United

States. For generations, education has been viewed as a means for upward social mobility.

With that said, the United States is currently outranked on the PISA international

assessment. Being that education is a major financial public investment, it is clear that

outdated learning approaches serve to only perpetuate current outcomes. Therefore, it is

time for the United States educational system to transform to meet the needs of the 21st

century. By focusing on transferable skills, the educational system will more closely align

with the needs of the 21st century workforce. It should be noted that innovations, even

well-functioning ones, do not encourage mass acceptance. Therefore, globalization and

education, while appearing to be beneficial, will have an uphill battle without proper

policy, community, and educational leadership support. Leadership that communicates

effectively can bring about meaningful change. In addition, educational policy should

reflect the needs of the educational leader. In closing, educational leadership perspectives

provide valuable educational and leadership knowledge based that is beneficial for

actionable change and policy makers alike.

CHAPTER 3: METHOD

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to develop an

understanding of the educational leaderships’ global mindedness through the perceptions

of superintendents in suburban New York regarding globalization and policy.

Globalization is generally defined as “the ability of any individual or company to

compete, connect, exchange, or collaborate globally” (Friedman, 2016, p. 120).

Methods and Procedures

Research Questions

In this research, the interviews with superintendents of suburban New York school

districts sought to answer the following research questions:

RQ1: How do superintendents view education as a means for creating global

connections, ambassadors, and innovators?

RQ2: What major or minor concepts do superintendents consider when

explaining the phenomena of globalization for the purposes of education?

RQ3: With regard to education and globalization, does the current educational

system provide the capacity for meaningful global learning and/or exchanges?

RQ4: Are there national or local educational policies that are easily or

meaningfully put into practice that provide avenues to guide educational

leaders toward a more global and interconnected educational system? RQ5: In

what ways does educational leaders’ global mindedness impact educational

policy and influence the presence of globalization in educational practice?

The intent of this research is to create strategic representation those in power can use to

provide perspective on globalization to inform policy designed for an interconnected

educational future.

Setting

Suburban New York State (NYS) encompasses the eastern suburbs of New York

City. Typically, these schools are community centered and lead by school leadership in

the form of a superintendent and the community comprising of the school board.

Suburban New York demographics range from the wealthy gold coast to homes deemed

inhospitable and everything in between. This qualitative research was conducted virtually

using interviews. This allowed for a higher likelihood of participation. Acknowledging a

district leader’s capacity to change is shaped by the district climate. The theory of

diffusion to progress or be delayed is directly impacted by effective communication from

leadership. Change to incorporate globalization into education, a district leader must feel

that they are within a district that’s community encourages large-scale change.

Participants

The participants in this research were past or present suburban New York

superintendents. The recruiting process included virtual interviews which may have

encouraged more participants to participate on this topic that is so relevant but still not

yet grounded in actionable practice. The pertinent demographic characteristics were that

the participants currently held the role of superintendent in suburban New York. This

ensured consistency within the role of the participants and across the regional setting. The

participant sampling was homogeneous, as this “[f]ocuses, reduces, simplifies, and

facilitates group interviewing” (Creswell & Poth, 2018, p. 159). Each participant also

needed to meet the criterion of being a present educational leader in the role of

superintendent, as setting this criterion was “useful for quality assurance” (Creswell &

Poth, 2018, p. 159).

Data Collection Procedures

Data collection was in the form of virtual interviews using a password-protected

Zoom meeting platform. The reasoning for this is that the Zoom virtual conferencing

source became widely known during the pandemic. Zoom also provides the option to

record sessions, and the password option provides a sense of security and anonymity for

the interviewee. The researcher used planned questions, as the purpose of qualitative

research is to move beyond “yes” and “no” or scaled answers. When appropriate,

followup questions to responses were recorded and included within the study. The

qualitative interview process “attempts to understand the world from the subjects’ point

of view, to unfold the meaning of their experience, to uncover their lived world”

(Creswell & Poth, 2018, p. 164). In the attempt to understand the participants’

perspectives, going slightly off script to uncover a deeper perspective can prove helpful

for research. However, the data collection procedures followed relevant systematic topics

that related solely to the research.

The diffusion theory assisted directly with the reasoning behind using interviews

as the form of data collection. Ideas and perspectives diffuse when organic interactions

take place and honest conversation about thought-provoking topics can occur. Interviews

allow for individuals to explain their thought-processes and verbally visualize how the

future of education can be shaped. Superintendents have extremely strict timeframes to

do pro bono interviews. Therefore, there was an extremely limited timeline for the

interview process.

Trustworthiness of Design

The organization of information is essential for validation. Creswell and Poth

(2018) discussed research validation by relating it to perspective and terms for research.

Each superintendent had their own personal experiences, they brought with them to the

global learning community. Therefore, perspective was essential to the data collection.

“Terms: Primary criteria: credibility, authenticity, criticality, and integrity Secondary

Criteria: explicitness, vividness, creativity, thoroughness, congruence, and sensitivity”

(Creswell & Poth, 2018, p. 258). These terms are essential when attempting to unveil

meaningful connections and findings within the data.

In terms of reliability, the password required to enter our virtual interview

conference was a form of protection of validity. This ensured that only the researcher and

interviewee were in the virtual conference and that no other unknown virtual interceptor

had access to the confidential perspectives and ideas of the participants. To order the

interview data, the researcher used the DeDoose platform to discover patterns and themes

and to present them in a manageable format. When the researcher was not analyzing,

synthesizing, or using the research, it was kept within an external hard drive.

Research Ethics

The researcher extended formal emails for participation to non-charter public

suburban New York school districts. New York State has a core curriculum that is taught

using state standards, so the superintendents of suburban New York lead within a

framework based on state mandates. For the purposes of this research, non-charter public

schools reflect the majority of the student population and require a public balance

between the Board of Education and the acting Superintendent.

A signed voluntary participation and confidentiality agreement was distributed

after approval from St. John’s University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). Participant

benefits from participation included the healthy discussion of global thoughts and their

influences or impacts on education, and the notion that participation could be a

foundation for meaningful change.

Qualitative Data Analysis Approach

The phenomenon of globalization steers this study. By definition,

phenomenological research “describe(s) the common meaning for several individuals of

their lived experience of a concept or a phenomenon” (Creswell & Poth, 2018, p. 75).

The ontological philosophy of research seeks to uncover “the nature of reality: (Creswell

& Poth, 2018, p. 20). For the purposes of this study, the nature of reality was focused on

educational leaders’ global mindedness, which can have direct impact on community. The

goal was to discover the global mindedness and different perspectives of educational

leaders on the topic of globalization and education. The ontological philosophical

structure can help expose the reality of “divergent perspectives (Creswell & Poth, 2018,

p. 315).

This research focused on “phenomenology [, which] emphasizes the common

experiences for a number of individuals” (Creswell & Poth, 2018, p. 82). It entails a

philosophical discussion about the basic ideas involved in conducting a

phenomenological study. This revolves around the lived experiences of individuals and

how they have both subjective experiences of the phenomenon and objective experiences

of something in common with other people. “Thus, there is a refusal of the subjective–

objective perspective, and for these reasons, phenomenology lies somewhere on a

continuum between qualitative and quantitative research” (Creswell & Poth, 2018, p. 76).

An ending for phenomenology with a descriptive passage that discusses the “essence of

the experience of individuals incorporating “what” they have experienced and “how” they

experienced it. The “essence” is the culminating aspect of a phenomenological study”

(Creswell & Poth, 2018, p. 77).

Superintendents are in a very specific role at the precipice of a period that is new

enough to be both wearying and exciting for globalization and education. The

“[r]esearcher in the phenomenological mode attempt[s] to understand the meaning of

events and interactions to ordinary people in particular situations” (Bogdan & Biklen,

2016, p. 23). These particular situations reveal the absolute interconnectedness of the

world, and the desire to be part of a community. Douglas, 1976 discusses how

“Phenomenologists do not assume they know what things mean to the people they are

studying (Bogdan & Biklen, 2016).” Psathas, 1973 mentions, “Phenomenological inquiry

begins with silence (Bogdan & Biklen, 2016).” This “silence” is an attempt to grasp what

they are studying by bracketing an idea the participants take for granted as true. That is,

researchers act as if they do not know what a phenomenon or idea means and study it to

find out what is actually taken for granted. What phenomenologists emphasize, then, is

the subjective aspects of people’s behavior. They attempt to gain entry into the conceptual

world of their informants (Geertz, 1973) in order to understand how and what meaning

they construct around events in their daily lives (Bogdan & Biklen, 2016).

“Phenomenologists believe that multiple ways of interpreting experiences are available to

each of us through interacting with others, and that the meaning of our experiences

constitutes reality. Reality, consequently, is “socially constructed” (Bogdan & Biklen,

2016, p. 23).”

For the purpose of this research, virtual interviews served as the safest forum that

minimized exposure to COVID-19 for all parties. The virtual forum chosen was a

confidential password-protected Zoom conference room. The interviews were recorded

and transcribed solely for research purposes. To maintain participant anonymity, the

recordings were held in a password-protected digital folder. For coding, the researcher

formatted the qualitative computer-assisted data with Dedoose. This was chosen for its

digital research formatting assistance and coding assistance.

Researcher Role

The researchers’ role in this study was to use current educational leadership’s

global mindedness to condense unbiased information into themes relating to educational

policy centered on the implications of globalization for future policy. This meant to

discover what overall research on this topic was accurately portraying before

policymakers to sway their thoughts and policies. Combining unbiased research into a

single relevant resource promotes efficiency for future researchers and policymakers

alike. Uncovering the implications of globalization on policy and policymakers opens

way for a discussion on the role of globalization in education. Along with this, it reveals

what systems must be put in place for a successful roll-out of new innovative policy that

is flexible enough to be interpreted to fulfill the needs of a local community but strong

enough to hold the basic values and intent with which it was meant to be implemented.

Researcher Assumptions

As an English as a New Language (ENL) educator, my perspective of the global

community reflects the importance each local community plays in the greater world. I

believe that each culture shares geographical knowledge at an expert level, even those

cultures whose knowledge is measured on an experiential basis, and all are equally

valuable to knowledge pursued in academia. I believe that globalization of education is a

key to elevating the human race towards 21st century skillsets. To ensure my views of

inclusivity as a source of greater good for humanity did not skew my research, it was

essential that I voluntarily reported my potential bias regarding a global educational

equity policy and framework, which are the visions that underlay this project and my

future research.

Conclusion

The phenomenon of globalization is a continuous factor for the educational

system. Therefore, understanding the implications of globalization has on the

perspectives of superintendents can unlock policy needs. Virtual interviews were

performed for the purposes of participation and pandemic safety protocol. The Dedoose

coding software was used to code research. Codes were then used to present findings.

CHAPTER 4: RESULTS

For the purposes of this study, the researcher interviewed five New York State

superintendents to provide an in-depth analysis of their thoughts and perspectives

regarding globalization, education, and what might help or hinder these interconnected

interactions. Of the interviewed superintendents, three (3) were female and two (2) were

males, with an age range from 49 to 62 years. All of the superintendents were born in the

United States, and English was their native language. Two superintendents had parents

immigrate to the United States from other countries. All of the superintendents described

their ethnicity as White, Caucasian, or Irish American. All of the superintendents had over

22 years in education and also had licenses or experience in other career pathways prior

to going into education. They all participated through Zoom interviews, and the

researcher then transcribed the audio of that interview.

This research revealed the following themes: educational leadership, the global

community, educational structures/systems, funding and resources, communication,

collaboration, civic engagement and buy-in, policy, student outcomes, and the pandemic

(Figures 1-2). It is important to note that the researcher anticipated many bi-focal

thoughts regarding the incorporation of global learning in public education. During the

pandemic, many global interactions such as exchange programs were also paused.

Between 2020-2022, the educational leadership had to be hyper-focused on the health and

wellbeing of their communities to expose gaps in exposure. Prior to this study, the

researcher also anticipated many uncut ideas of globalization and education, as there is a

clear need for more research and more supportive educational frameworks.

Figure 1 below represents each individual participant and their themed coded

responses. The focus of this research was on educational leadership. Therefore, the

significance of coding total for educational leadership highest (48 coding responses) is

reflective of research topic. This is not significant as this is an anticipated and expected

research outcome based on the topic centered on this research. Another code that

represents research is global community, which is second highest code found within

research (39 coding responses). Again, this was anticipated as it is the focus of research.

The research hypothesized that hindered policy would reflect higher (31) coded responses

than helpful policy which reflects (13) coded responses. Also, not monumental findings.

Findings of interest in terms of participant coding responses in Figure 1 reflect student

outcomes (38 coded responses). This is significant as participants reflect to student

outcomes for reasoning to incorporate global learning community in education. A second

finding from Figure 1 was that civic engagement/buy-in reflect (22) coded responses and

are expressed as a major impact for participants’ ability in helping/hindering globalization

in education. A final finding from Figure 1 displays communication (28) coded responses

and collaboration (25) coded responses. Both communication and collaboration are

thought to affect how globalization is incorporated within education.

Figure 2 below represents code co-occurrence within participant responses. This

acknowledges that some responses incorporated more than one coded responses within

the research data. The highest three code co-occurrences from superintendent participant

responses linked students’ outcomes and global community with 11 co-occurrences,

educational leadership and student outcomes with 10 co-occurrences, and educational

structures and collaboration with 9 co-occurrences. Significance of linking student

outcomes with global community code co-occurrences reflects the overall findings that

superintendents believe students may benefit from the global community. The code

cooccurrences of educational leadership and student outcomes are significant for this

research as it connects how educational leadership impacts student outcomes. The third

code co-occurrences of educational structures and collaboration reflect the desire of

educational structures to be created through collaborative efforts that represent the

educational leadership perspectives.

Figure 1

Themes from the Qualitative Interviews

Figure 2

Co-Occurrence of Codes

Results/Findings

Research Question 1: How Do Superintendents View Education as a Means for

Creating Global Connections, Ambassadors, and Innovators?

The five superintendents interviewed for this study not only felt that education

could be a means for creating global connections, ambassadors, and innovators, but also

expressed an overall sense of responsibility to create rewarding global educational

experiences for their students. The themes relating to this question addressed educational

leadership responsibility, the global community and education, student outcomes, and the

pandemic. These will all be discussed more at length below.

The educational leadership perspective of responsibility was a continuous thought.

The superintendents understood that they had a hand in shaping and creating educational

outcomes within their student learning community. Each superintendent felt responsible

for student outcomes and expressed that, if a funded globalization framework was offered

as a research-grounded educational best-practice, they would give exposure and time to

that taskforce. With regard to the attempt to create global connections, ambassadors, and

innovators, the superintendents expressed that more inclusive collaboration was needed

for this to be successful. They also spoke to the benefits of the global community, stating

that the future of education and the workforce will involve specific skillsets that the

global community needs.

The superintendents mentioned that the global community can develop student

understandings of the broader world and shift their perspectives to a global outlook.

Educational leaders want to improve student outcomes, and global connections are

considered to improve student outcomes on resumes, job prospects, and transferrable

21st-century workforce skills. As this is the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, it

would be remiss not to note the underlying “cause for pause” with regard to the virus and

globalization. The COVID-19 virus has created many educational obstacles for school

leadership. The luxury of thinking creatively in terms of education has not been easy in

the past 2 years in the realm of global learning. While the pandemic has created many

obstacles, it has also displayed the clear interconnectedness of our planet.

Educational Leadership Responsibility

Education is a means for creating the foundations for participating in a global

society. The participants in this study did not shy away from the awareness that they had a

duty to expand their learning communities’ global competencies. When asked if

educational leaders are responsible for educating global competencies of students, the

participants unanimously affirmed that they were. Participant 1 (P1) responded, “I believe

we do, but in the format that we currently have, I think it’s difficult. And again, that’s

driven by policy, curriculum, mandates.” P2 responded, “I think so. Yes.” P3 replied, “I

would say so. Yes. I think that because if they’re not going to learn it at home, then we

need to learn it in school. We have to learn someplace.” P4 responded, “Yeah, I think we

should be,” and P5 replied, “Absolutely. 100%. We are responsible for that.”

There was a degree of passion that differed between each interviewee, but they all

respond affirmatively. The response of P1 includes other themes, such as policy and

factors that make global learning difficult to implement. However, it is important first to

focus on the fact that five NYS superintendents all felt a sense of responsibility for

educating their students on global competencies. This displays the responsibility of

educational leadership. While this view is commendable, the participants were also

realistic about the fact that there are many more forces acting upon the meaningful

execution of globalization in education. These will be discussed more later. The

educational system as a whole can create global connections, ambassadors, and

innovations. While this may or may not be actively happening within each NYS district,

the interviewees believed that educational leadership is responsible for global

competencies related to student outcomes.

Educational ambassadorship for the purposes of education can form pathways to

allow for more global interactions. These interactions can point to best practices. When

asked about educational ambassadors, P2 stated, “I think it’s always great when you have

the opportunity to have conversation about what’s happening in other places and what

could you do to improve your local school district.” As an educational leader, choosing

the interactions that will best fit your population matter. When asked about

ambassadorship, P5 mentioned that an important role of educational leadership’s was to

vet or research potential sources of global development. According to P5,

I think those are wonderful opportunities for dialogue and for conversation and

for learning. Obviously, you would want to look at and study systems that have a

demonstrated, proven track record of providing optimal opportunities for kids in

their learning experiences. And conversely also, inviting others to see what we are

doing and also get feedback on how we could do things better. I think anytime

you have the opportunity to create connections and bridges and relationships, you

open up the door to learning and to improving outcomes and opportunities for

everyone.

P2 also voiced the importance of vetting by saying, “I think if educational

ambassadors were well trained, that could be something beneficial.” Analyzing

educational systems aligns with educational leadership’s commitment and understanding

of the community it serves. While there are many big innovations in education,

understanding the learning community is essential for motivating change. When

educational leaders have a grounded understanding of what they need, it can be easier for

them to research the types of educational systems applicable to their learning community.

Global Community and Education

The educational leaders in this study viewed the educational community as a

source of learning that could lead to greater student outcomes. Shifting from their

personal thoughts on the responsibility of the educational leadership to push for global

competencies, the participants here viewed the global community as a

perspectivechanging, skill-creating opportunity. Participation in the global community

was an opportunity to expand global competencies. P2 made the point that the global

community was, “very important. If we don’t work together, I think we’re going to all fail

together.”

P1 stated that education is preparation for the future. This follows the common

theme of superintendents feeling responsible for their students’ educational outcomes

regarding exposure to globalized educational experiences. Participant 1 revealed the

appeal of being a part of the global community as, “it [the global community] definitely

appeals to me because my, I guess, motto, is that we are preparing students for

occupations that don’t currently exist. So, we have to think of the skillsets that they may

need, to tackle the jobs that we don’t even know are out there or will be out there.” The

underlying idea behind this is that students should be exposed to the skillsets they need to

become a meaningful part of the workforce and global community. When students are

exposed to these skillsets, they can participate, collaborate, or compete meaningfully

within the job sector or chosen career pathways that emerge down the line.

While revealing the importance of the global community for student outcomes, a

second perspective was the notion that many other aspects of our society are global. This

shows that educational leaders understand how interconnected the global community is

and how important it is for education to pave the way for the global community. P1

discussed the global community in terms of the realization of access to needs and found

that the future of education lies, at least in part, with the global community: “It’s huge.

Just because we live in a society that it’s easy for us to go out and get clean water, there

are societies that don’t have clean water. And exposing our children to that and solutions

to those problems, I think, is where we have to [make] our society not just creative and

innovative, but compassionate. We all don’t live with the freedoms that we have, that we

take for granted in United States.” P1 brought up the ideas that underly the purpose of the

global community, one being that the students of today will grow into the society of the

future, so we are all empowered when we shape students to be creative and innovative

citizens and to have compassion for those around them.

P5 discussed the global community for the future of education by mentioning

other large societal factors and how they contribute to education. Alongside the expansion

of educational opportunities, the future of education will include more interconnected

capabilities. As P5 stated,

Well, I think it’s critically important. I think we are part of a much larger society.

It’s expanded exponentially by a variety of factors: economic, political,

technological, social. And so that global community will, we need to be able to

prepare our kids to be able to live within it and be successful in it and interact

within it. And we also have to be aware of how it impacts our life in every way

and have an understanding of how to be able to contribute to that global

community to make it better for everyone.

Part of the preparation for our students is providing perspective on how the global

community affects education. P3 found that the global community does impact education:

[F]or example, right now, there’s this growing tension with Ukraine and certainly what’s

going on with Russia with that, and also China and Taiwan. I mean, these things do have

an impact. We’re taking a look at how at the Olympics, there’s the political implications.

So, I think that there’s impacts from that. I just truly believe that everything does trickle

down into the schools. I mean if we keep our head in

the sand, then we’re not doing our children any service, so it’s important to have

current events to discuss current events and for students to be aware of what’s

going on globally.

Being part of the global community for educators is being able to discuss difficult

topics and analyze the different perspectives using facts. For any community, it is easy to

become comfortable in benign day-to-day processes. Being part of the global educational

community appeals for P4 under the premise that students deserve an expanded view of

the world: “it appeal[s] to me so that students could be more worldly and understand that

things don’t happen in a vacuum.”

This idea of being part of the global community can reveal to students how

outside influences change, mold, and impact the educational system that leads directly to

them. The global community is constantly changing. P3 defined the global community in

this way:

[T]o me, global community is not only the respect for our cultural differences but

working together. This is a global history term with, cultural diffusion, as we

embark and trade. We’re also sharing our cultural aspects with that trade. And it’s

influencing one another. I mean, certainly United States is the prime example that

we are, except for our indigenous native Americans, we are a nation of

immigrants. And so that’s what makes America great. We have a little bit of

influence from many different countries around the world.

P3 nodded to the idea that respect for the global community includes recognizing

that it has had an impact on the United States through cultural diffusion. The global

community is connected through many aspects of life. It is only reasonable that these

educational leaders expressed the opinion that the global community as a whole impacts

larger societal factors, even inadvertently.

Student Outcomes

The participants revealed their own responsibility for creating global educational

experiences and acknowledged the larger impacts of the global community. However,

student outcomes were a major theme throughout this research. At the core of global

connections for education is the notion that these can bring quality student learning and

outcomes. The educational leaders interviewed here believed in the importance of

practicing the skillsets that will be required for future educational and career endeavors.

P3 discussed student outcomes in terms of how globalization has changed education from

the perspective of hire ability based on educational experiences. P3 stated, “to see

students be successful, to see them feeling prepared and feeling that they are… I’m trying

to think of the right term here, like that people want to hire them. And that people look at

their high school resume and say, ‘Wow, you’re so prepared for the real world,’ that

would make me happy.”

This merges the association of a student body with competent global knowledge,

the potential for successful student educational outcomes, and the personal feelings of

educational leaders. It shows that educational leaders know their responsibility in

ensuring that society has the knowledge base it needs for the future and building global

connections as a skillset. Students need to be able to find the value in these educational

outcomes. When discussing the rewards of global education, P4 mentioned, “I think of it

as students becoming more worldly and understanding that maybe they have to become

global citizens, not just local.” This leads to the thought process that global connections

can lead to improved student outlooks in terms of personal possibilities. P4 also

mentioned, “I think life experience and getting out of your community is really important

for growing and expanding your horizons.” This leads into the idea that, when students

“expand their horizons,” they can be more innovative in their problem-solving and

critical thinking abilities, particularly if coupled with effective communication skills to

create a “well-rounded” person.

Education creates global connections, ambassadors, and innovators when we use

our current resources to build meaningful bonds centered on shared interests. In the words

of P1, “we have an opportunity to provide children and staff with the resources they need

to explore a greater area. I think of robotics because robotics has an international

component. It provides students with like a blog that they’re able to find out what they’re

doing in China, what they’re doing in some of the other countries, like Costa Rica. It’s a

common language that the kids all understand. We may not understand it, but they do. I

mean, they’re speaking in code.” Part of global connections is creating meaningful

relationships where international students have new common learning interests to

explore. This provides learning experiences based in the value of all cultures and

perspectives, ensuring a balance of power so that no student can be considered an expert.

Educational outcomes centered on student interests such as robotics is an “opportunity,”

P1 stated.

Such student-centered interests that explore focused learning outcomes can further

the potential needs and skillsets that allow for innovation among youth. An interesting

thought P1 mentioned subtly is that technological coding can skip language barriers that

can clog the pipelines to global communications and connections. P1 appeared to align

their personal responsibility with student global connections and experiences to benefit

the future of the learning community. When discussing the rewards of global learning, P5

said,

I think there’s just so many things that are rewarding and beneficial for students.

It’s the cross-cultural connections, it’s the humanistic element of globalization.

It’s also the skillsets that we want to help students develop so that they are

applicable to any kind of environment that they see themselves in terms of their

post-secondary education and careers. The collaboration skills, the creativity

opportunities, the communication skill sets, critical thinking, and problem

solving. All of those types of things or those attributes are applicable in almost

anything that we do. So, I think, globalization helps to enhance it from that

approach.

All the aforementioned skills are needed for the 21st-century workforce. The

assembly line worker has been replaced by machines, and the future workforce will rely

on the student outcomes of today. Multiple and alternative perspectives are important for

student outcomes, as they lead to new ideas. In the case of NYS, students do not

necessarily need to leave the state to interact with those outside of their “zone of

familiarity,” as there are urban, suburban, and rural parts to the state that have different

ways of life and that may lead to different learning perspectives. P1 perceived the rewards

of a more interconnected educational system in the following way: “The creativity, the

innovation, the collaboration with other countries with other students… You don’t have to

go far for it to be different from a different perspective.” On the other hand, P2 saw the

rewards of global education as “the ability to see the results and the impact that it could

have.” Global education can lead to skillsets that develop into positive student

educational and experiential outcomes.

Research Question 2: What Major or Minor Concepts Do Superintendents Consider

When Explaining the Phenomena of Globalization for the Purposes of Education?

The phenomenon of globalization for the purposes of education, at first glance, is

about the interconnected learning community. However, in order for superintendents to

create educational experiences that allow for global interconnections, there must be local

public support. The greater civic and learning community interests must align with buy-in

factors that make local support actionable. Therefore, superintendents’ perspectives of the

local community must be considered when explaining the phenomena of globalization

and education.

When considering globalization and education there is a need for educational

leaders to have the capacity to create educational experiences that allow for global

interconnections, without media or public perceptions skewing local attitudes toward

international communities of learning. When explaining the phenomenon of globalization

in the educational system, civic buy-in through effective communication is at the core.

The common themes related to the second research question were therefore civic

engagement and buy-in, communication, educational structures and systems, educational

leadership participation within educational structures, and student outcomes.

Civic Engagement and Buy-In

A common theme within this research was the need for civic engagement and buy-

in. Fascinatingly, the superintendents reflected on their responsibility for developing

global competencies, how the global community affects many facets of life, and the

potential global learning has to creating meaningful student outcomes, but they also

pointed to a major obstacle to explaining the phenomenon of globalization in education:

public opinion. P4 mentioned that civic buy-in is essential: “people aren’t necessarily

looking at that [global education] or clamoring for that type of education. But the timing

of it is interesting because there’s a faction, probably, of a lot of communities that would

rail against globalization.” These hypothetical scenarios are not deceptive, and this is

where effective communication becomes fundamental.

P2 noted a second facet of civic buy-in that needs to be considered when

explaining the phenomena of globalization and education: “You need buy-in, and that’s

tough to get people to realize that they need to add another thing onto their plate.” With

the major changes to the educational system introduced to the pandemic, it is not

surprising that superintendents, educational leaders, educators, families, and students

alike are hard-pressed to add another educational change to the learning community. This

is where clear communication can systematically change the educational structures in

place. A potential way to encourage civic buy-in is to have a strong understanding of the

values and needs of the community and speak to those uniting factors and interests.

Communication

Communication is intensely important to explaining the phenomena of

globalization for the purposes of education to the public. When asked about how

important effective communication was to their educational leadership role, each

participant found it to be essential. P1 said, “you can’t communicate too often,” P2 noted

it was “totally 100% important,” and P3 said it was “100%, the most important thing.

Communication is the key.” P4 also stated, “it’s crucial,” and P5 agreed: “It’s mission

critical… I think a lot of people lose sight in the idea that it’s one-way. It’s got to be

twoway.” P5 pointed to the importance of active listening in good communication and

emphasized this aspect:

It’s really important to engage in two-way communication. You have to be

available to listen and meet with people and talk with them and hear their

concerns. So having an open-door policy, making myself available to the

community, to stakeholders, to the faculty, to kids, to parents, to all of the

stakeholders in the community and being an active listener with regard to their…

Obviously the school board is involved in that as a major stakeholder. Being an

active listener in terms of understanding what they want for their children and

their community is part of communication. It’s important to also engage the

stakeholders in the activities and keep them well-informed about what’s going on

in the district.

Effective communication begins with listening. However, when communication is

not frequent enough, interest and buy-in can waiver. P4 found that “good leaders

communicate frequently. I think the communication is clear. I think it’s explicit. I think

it’s honest. And I think good leaders communicate in a way where people can feel their

passion and it motivates people.” The motivation that brings about educational change

lies within each communal stakeholder groups. P4 expressed that educational leadership

communication should be transparent and inclusive. And I think the one [communication

style] that works the worse is non-answers and “because I said so.” If you’ve been

watching board meetings and you think about communication, all over [New York],

there’s board members and superintendents that are getting pelted from people… It’s a

challenge, every board meeting. I find that people can respect an answer. I find they more

readily accept an answer, even if it’s one they don’t agree with, than a non-answer.

Non-answers are a bookmark that prevents the conversation from moving

forward. P1 agreed with the notion that an upsetting answer was better than no answer

and noted the importance of ensuring “honesty and transparency.” This shows respect

when having difficult conversations, especially regarding excessed positions. When

educational leaders prioritize having those uncomfortable conversations, this reflects the

culture of the community. P1 stated, “it’s important. Otherwise, you… you’re going to

have angry people.” P4 mentioned “trying to nip things into bud too. You anticipate

what’s going to be a hot button issue.” Each superintendent used the common adjective of

“transparency” with regard to communication. This reveals that, to create meaningful

working relationships, we must be able to communicate in a way that reflects ethical and

moral responsibilities to the learning community we serve.

Educational Structures/Systems

There are educational systems and structures in place that we must consider when

explaining the phenomena of globalization and education. Educational structures are

crucial to the successful incorporation of global learning in education. P2 found that the

educational system, “gives the framework. I think it really requires a commitment on

behalf of the individuals within the different school systems.” This points to the larger

realization that frameworks alone do not ensure civic support or community interest;

rather, these supports ebb and flow depending on district initiatives. When discussing the

idea of global education as conjoining civic support and learning structures, the

framework that aligns with individual district objectives that will pique interest for

communities. Global learning and global participation are not remotely enforceable, like

state exams for graduation. All educational leaders are responsible for ensuring that the

educational structures in place reflect and promote the healthy exploration of new global

topics. Global learning must reflect authentic partnerships.

A healthy combination of collaboration and competition within the global learning

community can provide balance. When asked if education is based more on competition

or collaboration, three of the five superintendents responded that it was competition. P2

stated directly, “Competition.” P3 elaborated with,

Certainly competition. I mean, even when I was a teacher, some colleagues

wouldn’t even want to share out a lesson plan, or they were very territorial on

what they were doing, and I’m the opposite. I’m like, “Listen. I did this, you want

to come into my class? Do you want to see what I'm doing?” I was the first

teacher in my district to have a smartboard. I invited everybody in to see, but

some people, instead of being happy, were like, “Why did he get it?” I think we’re

way too competitive, and we need to be much more collaborative.

An educational structure based on individual competition leads to individual innovation,

and this can create concerns for global learning, as collective systems thinking and

collective shared visions are inherently more collaborative in nature. If teachers feel that

they cannot collaborate within their own districts, the global education system has a long

way to go.

However, a sidenote regarding this individualized competition might align with

the time it takes to creating elaborate lessons, which is not always compensated. Online

formats like teachers-pay-teachers encourage the capitalistic entrepreneurial systems

within our government format, as these systems allow teachers to pay one another for

lesson plans, virtual and paper-based student work, summative and formative

assessments, behavioral systems, and more. P5 found our education system as a whole to

be based on “competition. That is typically the mindset of American schools, American

education, especially pre-K-12. And that is almost cultural. For Americans, there’s this

cultural idea of individualism and survival of the fittest. And much of American history,

American literature and American culture have a tendency to glorify that kind of

competition.” When explaining globalization for the purposes of education, P5 made a

good point of recognizing the internal workings that motivate the core of U.S. culture.

Two superintendents did say that education aligns with collaboration. P4 stated,

“in places I’ve worked, the competition’s not necessarily within the organization. So, I

would say it’s collaboration.” This perspective is based on personal experiences and

aligns with leadership. Leaders who promote shared visions, systems thinking

approaches, and collaboration can slowly shift mindsets to a more open exchange of best

practices. P1 agreed: “Collaboration. Competition doesn’t drive what we do.”

Interestingly, each participant believed that both competition and collaboration

have a place in education and in society as a whole. When asked about the benefits of

education based on competition and collaboration, P2 stated:

[F]or some communities, competition is important to be number one, to be at the

top. And then for a district like [District Name], I need to collaborate because I

don’t have the resources that, let’s say, [another District Name] has. So, I have to

rely on them. I don’t have all the staff that they have. I don’t have the public’s

relations that they have… transportation, sharing with your colleagues… because

you don’t have enough buses or bus drivers.

This is a direct example of P1’s experiences as a superintendent and their

perspective on the importance of collaboration. P1 expressed that relying on others does

not make a leader weak but provides the essential resources to be able to compete. P2’s

perspective on competition and collaboration was that “competition forces you to try to

do the best you can. Collaboration, working together for the best of all.” Each participant

pointed to the fact that education must find an internal balance. However, P3 had a

commercial perspective toward educational structures:

Well, certainly I don’t want to say that all competition is bad because businesses

sharpen themselves when they’re in competition. So, if we lived in a rural area,

there would be much less competition. And I find that there’s less opportunities.

Whereas [New York], there seems to be commerce everywhere. And so, there’s a

lot of competition and businesses have to stay sharp to meet those needs. But I

also feel that we need to do a much better job of the collaboration, and the more

collaboration we have, I think will lead to more opportunities.

While P3 reflected on competition within education as important, both

competition and collaboration are needed to improve different aspects of society. P4

mentioned historical events that require both a competitive aspect and used science as an

example of a curriculum that encourages collaboration: “I think if you think about

education based on competition, we could go all the way back to the space race probably.

To be the first on the moon and so on. I think that’s a good example of competition. Then

there’s probably some science examples that are based on collaboration, I would

imagine.” Both history and science offer two perspectives that highlight the benefits of

competition and collaboration.

In terms of education, based on the benefits of competition and collaboration, P5

stated,

So, when you really take a look at the effectiveness of the private and public

sector, when it comes to achievements whether they are in science, whether

they’re in research, whether they’re in medicine, whether they’re in discovery,

discovery of new ideas and pathways, those typically occur in environments that

encourage collaboration. Even when you look at some of our successful

corporations and companies in the United States. And we really need to align

more effectively and move away from this culture of individual achievement, as

opposed to collaborative success, and get people thinking along those mindsets.

Two of the superintendents, P3 and P5, believed that education is based on

competition but that collaboration should be a stronger aspect within the educational

system and structure. When asked if the educational global community is connected, all

interviewees said “no” or answered this question in the context of how individual districts

can be global but not as a collective international educational community. P1 said, “I

don’t think so.” P2 said “no,” and P3 voiced

Not at all, because I certainly see Finland’s approach, which I think most of the

world does look towards and has that respect. I think that quite frankly, and I hate

to say this, but the United States, I think we’ve kind of lost our way when it

comes to public education. I don’t think we are putting enough concentration and

supports and financial supports that we should. And I think that, unfortunately,

politics in America has entered into public education when it should not. And I

think we need to continue to think out of the box and be more innovative the way

we were in the past.

P3 noted the lack of global connections available due to the lack of funding as a

feature of the educational system’s lack of global interconnections. P4 responded, “not in

my experience” to this question, and P5 replied,

It is connected in sort of an ad hoc kind of a way. I think that’s more connected on

the university level and on the research level, at much higher levels than it is at

the pre-K-12 level. And I think that part of that has to do with the fact that, at least

in the United States, we have really 50 different systems of education and they’re

all governed in very similar ways and also very dissimilar ways. So, I think that

there’s more work that definitely can be done in terms of that globalization or

interconnectedness on the pre-K-12 level. It’s happening, those connections and

partnerships are happening, but it’s not very well organized or very

wellorchestrated. And it really is dependent upon individuals who are interested in

seeking out those types of opportunities.

Creating connective international frameworks can create a more equitable and full

global learning experience. The current education system only creates islands of

innovation. While competition is important, collaboration among educational leadership

can form meaningful bonds and create authentic learning possibilities. P3 thought that

educational leadership, if provided supportive educational policy structures, would

benefit from more collaboration. P3 found that globalization integration could be made

possible, as “I would say to allow more of a deeper conversation between

superintendents, between us and our colleagues in other countries.”

Of the five participants, P2 mentioned global education experiences: “I visited

different schools in different countries.” Creating meaningful pathways for educational

leadership participation in the international arena is important. P3 noted, “I don’t really

do that because I don’t see those pathways… And I would certainly welcome that if I

would be able to be put in touch with somebody who can make that happen.” P5 also

said, “in terms of the global participation, I would say that I am not part of any global

organization at this time in my career that is focused on educational issues.” Without

creating learning opportunities for educational leadership to participate globally, this

perpetuates independent global learning experiences rather than collaboration.

Student Outcomes

When explaining the phenomena of globalization and education, student outcomes

are at the core of creating meaningful learning experiences. When defining globalization,

P3 stated,

[T]he definition would have to share that it’s preparing students for the world that

we’re in nowadays. For example, I look at Manhattan as the Mecca or the

metropolis of the world, people from every walk of life are in Manhattan, and

anybody can come from any country, and they could work hard to do what they

need to do and to advance and to get ahead. And there’s a lot of innovation with

that. So, I think if we are able to connect the importance of future job prospects

being prepared… teaching about the various cultural experiences and historical

experiences. I just think that’s important. Kids really need to know that so that

they’re really fully prepared as citizens and can make informed decisions.

NYS in particular does have access to a very culturally diverse population.

Student outcomes are where the results of global learning can speak for themselves. The

future of society is built in part within the educational experiences provided to the youth.

When considering reasons to integrate globalization into schools, P4 shared, “I think

people should consider it so that our children, and our students, in the future are able to

compete because I think that’ll probably be necessary.” Considering the educational and

global structures currently in place when explaining the phenomenon of education can

better prepare students for the future and for careers we cannot even imagine yet.

Research Question 3: With Regard to Education and Globalization, Does the

Current Educational System Provide the Capacity for Meaningful Global Learning

and/or Exchanges?

Educational Structures

The capacity of the educational system to provide meaningful global learning and

exchanges currently relies heavily on those seeking out ways to pursue these educational

features. Innovation working in isolation promotes inequity. When asked about the

educational system’s capacity to provide global learning or exchanges, P5 responded

with,

I believe that there are pockets of innovation, of opportunity, of creativity when it

comes to this issue, and how it happens is really dependent upon having

individuals who are committed to that vision and committed to that purpose. I

would say that the [educational] system itself needs to improve in that area to

provide those opportunities. And it would require… a focused, systemic effort on

those specific areas that would allow further, really, freedom of opportunities for

exploration, opportunities to pilot some areas of innovation, and study their

outcomes, and what the effects are, and what the benefits are. I think that would

be a first step in moving in a direction that would allow the [educational] system

to expand.

Educational structures must be in place that support those who are willing and

who want to explore educationally. P1 relayed the idea of risk-taking in the format of the

current educational structure and how it limits those who want to take methodological

risks. The current educational framework does not account for calculated risk in the

improvement of educational outcomes, creating an unstable foundation for education. P1

spoke to the educational system and observed,

I don’t think we’re there yet, until we change the education of educators. Right

now, I think the individuals teaching, our teachers have been far removed from

the classroom. Many of them are retirees, and this is their retirement job. We

could do a lot better. Our teachers are still standing up in front of a room, and

speaking to children, versus letting children explore, and they feel like they’re not

teaching if students are doing the heavy lifting. It’s a hard shift. There are very

few teachers that I know do it and take that risk. Very few.

Again, it is important to note that unplanned risks have unplanned outcomes.

However, when educational systems allow for well-researched risk, in particular in

relation to global learning, the implications for learning outcomes can create 21st-century

educational exchange. The educational system’s capacity to provide meaningful global

exchanges can grow. With regard to this, P3 stated,

I think we do [have the capacity]. I don’t think it’s enough. I mean, certainly,

we’re very fortunate. BOCES [Board of Cooperative Educational Services’ does

offer a lot, so we have a lot of different types of coursework and partnering with

them. We also partner with [local university] as well… So, I’m very happy to see

that we’re working with [local university]. But I think we need to do more…

Again, it all has to do with the district synergy, working with different groups, and

really having the best opportunities for our students.

P3 mentioned the need to continue reaching out to work with others and develop a

more interconnected base to ensure that students have opportunities. Currently, the

educational system encourages isolated innovation within individual districts. A potential

pathway to integrate global learning could be the partnering of educational leadership and

stakeholders to create interconnected international learning communities focused on

providing global learning outcomes for students.

Funding/Resources

The capacity for any educational system to make change depends on the support

of the civic community and funds from local, state, and federal governments, which

should invest in all they deem beneficial and necessary. Therefore, if the government

views education as a pathway for the civic future, it must make financial investments

towards global learning outcomes. P1 highlighted that policymakers should have a reason

for globalization, affirming, “I would think they [politicians] would. I just look at the

resources that schools are given, and for the most part, our politicians don’t put the

money into education.” P2, when asked about limitations for global learning, replied:

“Time and money.” P4 echoed that the major hindrance to more meaningful global

exchanges for education are funding, the pandemic, and civic support: “I think [what

hinders it is] its finances. I certainly think right now it’s a pandemic. I think it’s

misinformation campaigns.”

Again, civic involvement is essential to creating any change, but even publicly

supported initiatives are difficult to implement without the needed funding. When asked

what was needed from policymakers to make globalization possible in schools, the

superintendents emphasized resources in the form of a framework and funding. P1 said,

“I do think we have a big disconnect when it comes to what’s required of schools and the

funding behind it and the reality base.” P2 stated, “money.” P3 observed,

Well, certainly if they gave us funding and opportunities to partner and meet with

leaders from other nations. I would love the opportunity to meet with educational

directors or the equivalent of the tendency of somebody in another country. I

would love the opportunity for our students at [District Name] to go and exchange

programs and our staff as well with a particular country in their school district.

Just to kind of get another perspective because we all learn from looking at all of

the different things that we’re doing. I think when everybody does everything the

same way, and we have conformity, I don’t think that that leads to any innovation

or growth.

When speaking to the capacity to introduce globalization to schools, P4 remarked,

“I think policy makers should first ask what the goals are, ‘What do we need to

accomplish this’ and then work backwards from that. Then of course… studying abroad

or getting to really immerse students in cultures over summertime. I think funding

because trips and programs like that you don’t really move the needle on globalization if

the only people that study abroad are the people who can afford it.” Focusing on the

inclusivity of globalization for students and the funding required to ensure all students

have access to this educational endeavor is essential is fully understanding the benefits of

global learning and global relations in education.

On this point, P5 remarked, “I think that we open up the opportunity to create this

framework to pursue opportunities that support this understanding of what globalization

is and how it impacts our society, and how our children need to be prepared to interface

with that globalized world, and the resources and the support to be able to implement

those kinds of initiatives.” This response can be linked to those of P3 and P4 because

collaboration with others from alternative perspectives towards a shared vision creates a

mental model that reflects a global framework. This can then become a shared resource

used by multiple districts that can individualize it to fit their districts’ needs. The capacity

to create these collective frameworks is possible but, as P2 explained, local leaders are

limited in their ability to create a global community when resources such as “time and

money” are not allotted.

Superintendents would support for globalization in education with the proper

funding and policy frameworks. Communication and support is key to expressing the

urgency for any change initiative. When asked if they would want more exposure to

globalization if policy and funding supported this endeavor, all five superintendents

replied with a “yes.” Regarding policy and funding support, P1 said, “I would definitely

be in favor of it, and I would spend time and resources if it was provided to me.” P2

stated, “Yes. I would be interested. And the amount of time really would be dependent

upon the amount of time I have in a day.” P3 noted, “absolutely without a doubt, I think

it's so important and vital. So, I would say we probably need to start like planting a seed

and then watch it grow and then see as it becomes more influential.” P4 was very honest

by saying, “yeah, I would want access to it, and I’d be willing to spend a good amount of

time, but it would not be a top priority on my list. I feel like where I work at the moment,

we have bigger fish to fry first.”

Knowing your community and its capacity to make meaningful change is

important. Also, globalization does not have to be a top priority for it to be a progressive

structure within educational structures; it can be phased in through slow, meaningful

stages. P5 noted, “I think that it’s really important. And again, I would want to see it not

within a vacuum, right? But across the content area it’s something that should be diffused

throughout the curriculum, throughout the content areas. And I think it’s aligned with

what research tells us our best practices in terms of higher order in student engagement

and higher order learning. So, I would want to spend a lot of time on something like that.”

Civic Encouragement and Buy-In

The capacity for globalization to be meaningfully incorporated into our education

system relies on funding just as much as it does on public support. Without public support

for global interactions and learning, this avenue of learning is immobile. P3 highlighted

the hindrances for more meaningful global exchanges within education as “time, money,

politics, I would say, are the big roadblocks.” Time for collaboration and funding are

typical responses to questions, but it is clear that politics have an impact on public

education. The limitations local leaders face while incorporating global learning tied back

again to funding for P4: “I think it’s budget constraints. And then I also think it’s closed

mindedness, to be honest with you.” The perspective of P1 regarding hindrances was,

“finances, resources, support from our government, support from our parents.” P3

explained the phenomenon of globalization for the purposes of creating global

community connections in the following way:

I think it has to do with synergy. It’s so important for districts to partner with

many different groups and organizations. The great thing that I see about [District

Name] is that really, I’ve met with practically every single stakeholder group in

the district, and they either currently partner with the district or want to partner

with the district further. So, I think that that’s truly beneficial, but in addition to

that, we collectively need to do a better job of having more conversations with

innovation, taking risks, supporting our teachers and students to take those risks.

And we know that sometimes when you take a risk, you fail, but then we learn

from the failure. When we become too scared to take risks, we become

complacent, and then we end up falling behind. And from all of the courses that I

took in my experience in the business world is that businesses that continue to

change and put effort into their research and development are more successful. I’ll

give you a very simple example. If you look at McDonald’s, why is McDonald’s

so successful? Because they’re always looking at their menu, they’re trying to

come up with different ways. Right now, they have their app, and they offer all

these different things. So, they’re bringing in people Millennials and Gen-Z into

the equation. And at the same time, they have certain staples on their menu that

people may have had when they’re kids and maybe older now. So, they do a nice

mixture of that, and they market very well. So, I feel that that’s extremely

important too.

When schools incorporate stakeholders as a means to create new opportunities, the

shared vision of communal empowerment creates community bonds. This fail-fast

mentality allows for risk taking within a confined placeholder. This type of systematic

experimental global learning could be the bridge along which to bring in new positive

civic opinions regarding what global learning can mean. The capacity for global learning

to enter our educational systems depends heavily on funding, the opportunity to

collaborate, and civic support.

The Pandemic

The capacity to educate during a global pandemic over the past 2 years has been

exhausting. Educators have had to shift from in-person learning to various distance

learning methods, reaching what is now described as the “new normal.” This has included

new vocabulary that can be applied to the field of education: social distancing, contact

tracing, virtual/distance learning, flattening the curve, and super-spreader events to name

a few. Educators are now seen as essential workers and have been creating educational

remedies throughout the span of the pandemic, which has exposed food insecurities,

housing insecurities, financial insecurities, medical inequities, racial inequities, a

social/emotional crisis, and, for the purposes of this research, to learning inequities within

education.

Educational leaders have had to become creative and to move education on a

pathway toward success while keeping in mind the health and safety of the entire learning

community. Therefore, this study comes at an interesting moment. During this global

pandemic, the attempt to incorporate globalization into education is not very high on any

educational leader or politician’s list of needs. However, we now know the capabilities of

our educators, educational leaders, and policymakers. If only we knew then what we

know now! Through educational initiatives, we also have access to the technology base to

support potential international connections. Therefore, to fully discuss the capacity for

education to incorporate a global view, we must consider the experiences of educational

leaders during the pandemic, which made it clear that global connections are at the

forefront and future of our interconnected world.

Due to the pandemic, education became virtual, almost immediately. In this

context, P2 found that, in terms of meaningful global exchange, “I think it’s also very

difficult to do a whole lot right now with COVID because everything right now pretty

much has to be virtual.” At the same time P2 found that globalization,

…probably should affect it [education] more. But again, just the world and

current events and what’s happening around us is impacting how we’re

responding. And again, I point to COVID. That now has changed the entire world

and made us realize, or at least made me realize that we’re very interconnected.

What’s happening in one part of the world really does impact everybody.

The pandemic seems to have brought out this virtual togetherness, while

simultaneously increasing separation. However, the appeal of being a part of the global

educational community for P3 was that, absolutely because it’s not just New York State

or the United States, but we really are a global economy as we see how we’re all being

affected due to the pandemic.

We’re all connected. And so, it’s important for us to have perspectives not just

educationally, economically. We do need to be aware of other nations as well.

P5 reiterated the current effects of globalization and the pandemic, saying,

Well, I think that globalization has really affected all of us in education right now

on a variety of different levels. Certainly, responding to a pandemic has really had

a tremendous impact on everyone. Policymakers, politics, the classroom teacher,

obviously school leaders have really had to juggle a lot over the last 2 years now.

We’re coming into 2 years in March that we’ve been dealing with this situation. I

mean, that, in and of itself, I think demonstrates and illustrates the point about the

fact that we are in this interdependent world.

The pandemic has also exposed limitations and inequities in our educational

system, like those P3 mentioned: “I would say certainly Wi-Fi issues, socioeconomic

issues.” Educational leaders have been put in difficult positions to uphold legislation that

they are not part of making, and, as P5 remarked, “superintendents and school leaders

were kind of left to figure things out on their own.” The pandemic may have also

weakened the appeal of global exchange, as it has been 2 years since international travel

was not at a limited capacity. When asked about globalization impacting education, P4

stated,

I don’t think it does presently. Certainly, in the last two and a half years, maybe

that’s an anomaly, but I don’t think it really does. I think it’s limited to the trip to

Spain, France, or Italy, and I think that makes it [globalization in education]

lacking.”

P5 discussed the process of looking beyond the pandemic to the future of global learning:

I think that there are tremendous opportunities and capitalizing, again, as we come

out of the pandemic, we’re just starting, to not only regroup, but also reengage a

with the rest of the world. We’ve been very isolated, but there are opportunities,

it’s [global education] very interdisciplinary in its approach. And there are

opportunities across the curriculum to move in those directions to provide

opportunities for kids. And so, again, I imagine that if we were having this

conversation pre-COVID or well post-COVID, I’d be able to be providing you

with more concrete kinds of examples… everything has sort of been ground to a

halt because of the pandemic.

The pandemic has exposed weak systems within our government. Our educational

system was turned upside down, but the confusion brought on by the pandemic may have

actually opened the door to global education in a way we never thought possible

previously due to the new sense of virtual togetherness.

Pandemic Technology

One benefit of the pandemic in terms of the integration of globalization in schools

has been the expansive shift to online learning platforms. While some schools were

already incorporating online learning, the educational shift would not have been possible

without distance learning. When asked what technology platforms were most beneficial

during the pandemic, the participants highlighted similar platforms across all schools.

This is promising because using the same online learning platforms ensures that all

students have experience with the same formats for learning and the things that were

initially difficult to understand, such as how to turn in an assignment, are now nearly

common knowledge for all students with virtual learning experience.

Common learning platforms create common formats for dialogue. This can be

beneficial to global learning if international students also have exposure to the same

learning platforms. This technology learning shift rested on the capacity for students and

staff to have access to technologies for learning and teaching. P1 explained that their

district was fortunate because

…we were a Google platform before [the pandemic] and students from four to

eight had their own Chromebooks. So, we only needed to get Chromebooks for K

to three, but our teachers were already using them in the classroom. So, it was an

easy transition. And again, funding could have prevented us from putting those

Chromebooks in everybody’s hands immediately, but we were fortunate enough

to get a donation and the person who donated them had them in his warehouse.

So, we didn’t have to wait for a supply to come in.

Not all districts were as fortunate to already be using Google learning platforms

prior to the pandemic. However, P2 stated, “we use Seesaw primarily for elementary, and

Google Classroom, secondary. Administratively, Google Meet, even FaceTime, Teams,

whatever we’re on. All of those types of things have been very beneficial.” P3 remarked,

“I would say it’s definitely different between the availability of Seesaw… on the

elementary level, the secondary level Google.” P4 used “Google Classroom.” Finally, the

technology for P5 was mainly Google:

Our platform was Google platform. It was Google classroom, the Google suite of

applications. That had existed prior to the pandemic. And so our staff was used to

utilizing that pretty regularly, every day. It was already a system of an educational

platform that existed, but we had to harness it and make it work for kids that were

now no longer in the building, that were at home. And so there’s going to be

continued research in this area of virtual learning in the different virtual

platforms. The thing that I feel was very important from the beginning of the

pandemic was the relationships and keeping the kids connected to each other and

to the faculty. And so we really focused our efforts on live streaming, and that was

challenging for the staff, very challenging for lower elementary kids who needed

a lot of assistance at home back when we were fully remote. For their parents, it

was really challenging. But I think it goes back to, again, there’s a whole host of

methods that we can use, and we have to be open to an amalgam of tools that

work for kids and for the faculty. The teachers worked extremely hard to get

through that, as did families and kids. And so I know that as time passes and we

look back and reflect on this period of education during the pandemic, I think

there’s going to be a lot of lessons that come out of that for us.

Focusing again on the similarities between these five districts, with each district

using the same learning platform, the pandemic actually brought learning closer in terms

of educational capacities. To have five districts, and countless more across the country,

using the same educational platform is an educational feat. It is extremely rare to see

nonmandated or systemically regulated educational experiences that work effectively

across multiple districts. Technology is the great unifier. The exchange of thoughts can be

made global using technology. With shared educational platforms, this thought-sharing

space can create meaningful educational learning experiences.

Collaboration

The capacity for collaboration could be the most important yet exclusionary factor

when discussing the incorporation of globalization into education. When discussing ways

policy could integrate globalization into schools, P1 replied, “I think globalization has to

be more global. We’re all in our own bubbles. We really are.” This leads to educational

leader isolation. When asked which educational leadership forums support NYS

superintendents, P2 said “My superintendent’s association primarily.” However, P3 said,

I’m part of quite a few different organizations… in my current superintendency, I do meet

regularly to share with my colleagues in [name of] County. I’m also part of the legislative

committee. We do take a look at policies and procedures in New York State, and I’m able

to give input and speak with them regarding that. And it’s important for any of us to reach

out when we need any type of assistance or help and to really be vulnerable and say, “I

could use some help.” I think everybody does in life. I don’t think there’s anybody who

knows all the answers to everything. And I think if I had that approach, I don’t think I’d

be a good superintendent. So I think that it’s all about seeing what my strengths are and

looking at what my areas of weakness are, and getting the help to be better with those

areas.

P4 shared, “well, first it’s colleagues, then it’s local and state organizations. For

me, it’s [name of] County School Superintendents. It’s New York State Council School

Superintendents.” P5 said,

We have a lot of professional organizations to be part of. The biggest one, of

course, is for the region, which is New York State… New York State Council of

School Superintendents. We also have close partnership and affiliation with the

New York State Council for Social Studies… we have a lot of resources and

networks that exist to support us and that we connect to and collaborate on a very

regular basis. School Boards Association. We also have regionals superintendents’

groups. We have the AASA, which is a national organization. These

organizations have the capacity to collectively encourage and form meaningful

connections for superintendents. With these systems in place, currently there is

the opportunity for a more global outlook of educational experiences. When

superintendents have access to other educational leaders, meaningful connections

can form. With these forums and organizations in place, if global learning was to

become a topic implemented at the state level, these educational leaders could

have access to each other as a collaborative knowledge base.

When discussing forums for support, P1 said,

I would not have gotten through this pandemic without the [name of] County

superintendents, without the New York State Council of School

Superintendents… Those days of hiding and not sharing are gone. Survival has

been to share, and I think that’s what we need in education but yet if you think

about it, my teachers don’t have the opportunity to share like I do with my

superintendents. When you try to do a shared superintendent’s conference day,

people are missing, or you don’t have the same day off. We can’t get subs, so

professional development to go visit another school is out of the question. They’re

limited. They really are. I would love more exchange programs, I would love for

teachers to go over to Finland and having somebody pay for that. I think we

would get teachers going to Ecuador in South America to spend time working on

building schools, if somebody would pay for it. I have a lot of young teachers

here that do not have families. Some of them are former contractors. Some of

them are servers. I could see some of my younger teachers going to Ecuador and

studying there for a year. How great of a teacher would they be to come back to

Springs if they had that opportunity? I haven’t seen anything that provides that

opportunity. If I want to go to Finland, it’s going to cost me about $10,000. They

have a program. It’s an immersion program for, I guess it’s six weeks. So, your

employer has to give you your salary, you have to pay for your airfare, you have

to pay for them to provide this program to you. I just think there’s more that the

government can offer to make our teachers better, to make our administrators

better. It’s all on us to do it ourselves.

This exhibits the frustrations for public education leaders. There may be great

programs available but, without the proper resources, it is out of the question for public

school districts. This is another example of why global learning integration moves at a

slow pace. It appears to be mostly the entrepreneurs and private sector noticing that

educational leaders and professionals want access to the best practices not just in their

state but around the world. However, due to the high costs and the lack of public funding

for global education, this is left to individuals or individual districts. Within NYS, each

superintendent collaborates within their state superintendent association. However, when

asked nationally how they collaborate, P1 answered, “I don’t participate nationally due to

the enormous cost to belong to national organizations.” P4 also replied, “I haven’t

really.” However, P2 responded, “I belong to several different organizations,” and P3

replied,

It’s a challenge, but I do try at least once or twice a year to attend different

national conferences and connect with my colleagues. A lot of time nowadays, we

do have the ability to communicate with one another through like we are now

through Zoom. So that is helpful, but when you’re in person with your colleagues,

and you can spend that time, and you can discuss some of the concerns that you

have, or some of the problems you have in your district and speaking to

colleagues in other districts and what their experiences are and where we could

mentor and support one another and help to make things better. And even though

no two districts are exactly the same.

Participant 5 noted, “I’m involved in a number of national organizations, leadership

organizations, and that’s how I stay connected with regard to national issues.” With each

superintendent having to afford their own resources to belong to different association, it

again points to why collaboration might help more for global learning.

Research Question 4: Are There National or Local Educational Policies That are

Easily or Meaningfully Put into Practice That Provide Avenues to Guide

Educational Leaders Toward a More Global and Interconnected Educational

System?

Policy and Policymakers

Within this research, policy appeared to be another unifying them, but not in the

success stories of policy promoting a global perspective, and more in the scarcity of

policies that promote global frameworks and globalized learning. In terms of this study,

policy offers educational leaders a pathway to creating a more global and interconnected

educational system. However, the superintendents interviewed had perspectives on

policies, policymakers, and what was helpful or hindered educational policies and

frameworks. When asked what policymakers needed to know about education, P1 said,

“We need a shift. We need a change. They need to know that the way we’ve been

traditionally doing things is not the way that we have to continue to do things. If you look

at Finland’s education system, which is one of the books that I’ve read, they do things

very differently than here. There isn’t the kind of testing that we do. They have more

recess; they have more time to explore a topic.” P2 said that policy makers should know

“how significant it is and how beneficial” globalization can be in education. P3

mentioned,

I think that they [policy makers] really need to know that there’s a missed

opportunity there, that we’re not doing enough, and that we need to have that

synergy with other nations as well. For example, I mean our closest ally being

Great Britain, we speak the same language, but their educational system is

completely different than ours, but why don’t we have those conversations? Why

don’t we take a look and see what the Brits are doing, is that better? Or what

we’re doing, is that better? Or what could we change? What could they change?

Why are we not engaging in conversation with our cousins, if you will, from

Great Britain?

To begin global learning, why not start with a country that has a different culture but is

linguistically similar? P5 thought that policymakers

need to be able to have an understanding and a framework, fundamentally, what

are the underpinnings and outcomes that we expect from public education. And in light of

the fact that we are in a globalized interdependent world, how do we create opportunities

to prepare our citizens, to prepare our students to be able to actively engage in and

participate in such a world. And I would argue that there are some differing opinions

about that, about what that ought to look like. And so, I think that policy makers, first,

need to be educated about the implications of globalization, and then have an

understanding of how education has to help provide support for effective well-educated

citizenry in such an environment. Understanding the inner workings of how education

systems really work within our school districts and the extensive communications needed

to garner civic support would reflect a more inclusive decision-making team.

When asked what policymakers need to know about education and what policy

makers misinterpret about education, P1 said, “I don’t think policymakers have been in a

classroom in a long time.” This disconnect between what really goes on within schools

can be why educational policy often is met with resistance. P2 reiterates this point: “I

don’t think that they realize how sometimes their ideas actually get carried out. And I

don’t think they realize how difficult change can be.” P2 mentioned the difficulty of

change because most change is based on the realization of better practices, efficient

communication, and a foundation built on trust. When asked about policymakers, P3

observed,

I think that policymakers, with all of their best intentions in trying to help

districts, are trying to raise the bar, [and] forget that we are dealing with children,

and we’re not dealing with a product. We’re dealing with children who come into

our buildings with real concerns or issues or learning gaps. I will say teaching is a

very challenging job. There are so many facets to it, and being an administrator as

well, all of this work in education, it’s not easy. I think that policymakers don’t

understand that. And I think that a lot of times, they don’t think things through

when they’re making policies. Because then, all of a sudden, it becomes another

mandate that the district has to do… And a lot of the time, the politicians don’t

really look at the whole picture, and I wish that more politicians would reach out

to us as educators when they’re going to make policy. Because I look at it this

way, I’m certainly not going to tell a medical doctor how he or she should

perform heart surgery, but it seems that with education, everybody seems to be an

expert… and they don’t realize that there’s a whole science behind it. And there’s

a tremendous amount of research behind it. And that as educators, we obtain our

certification through really a rigorous process. So, I think that’s where there’s a

little disconnect, and I do wish that politicians would work with us more and ask

us to be involved in the decision-making process more.

P3 did a great job visualizing the humanism of our students and families within

the learning community. This type of change does not have to do with manufacturing; it

has to do with changing perspectives, and that lies in connecting with the hearts and

minds of the people. This is why creating meaningful bonds within the community is

essential for superintendency. In order to bring about change, it must be communicated

effectively, with urgency, and tug at the hearts and minds of the learning community.

When policymakers skip stakeholder buy-in and enforce new policies and frameworks

without the proper communications, they force superintendents to juggle upholding

mandates (probably linked to funding), communicating why these mandates are in place

to stakeholders, and implementing them in a way that reflects the needs, desires, and

resources within their learning community. P5 linked this to the abstract thoughts

regarding the purpose of education. When asked about what policymakers need to know

and what they misinterpret about education P5 stated, “I think it goes back to what is the

purpose, what is [public education’s] reason for existence, and having an understanding

of what that is, and a defined, focal focus and vision and plan for education. I think that’s

important.”

When asked what policymakers contribute to the field of education, P1 said, “they

add layers.” P2’s response aligned with that of P1: “Well, they’re the people that tell us

what we have to do.” P3 stated, “I think it has to do with all of the different mandates that

we have all the rules and regulations. I would say that’s where it’s driven by.” P4

discussed the role of policy as, “I think policy has the power of steering focus or targeting

focus. Sometimes the focus is a good thing. Sometimes it distracts from really important

things. Sometimes a policy action creates competing demands. Sometimes it has

unintended consequences, but sometimes it hits the mark.” Finally, P5 discussed the

power of policymakers and their impact on education:

Policymakers have the ability to set policy and therefore set the direction. And

there are a lot of factors that can influence the policymakers themselves. And it

goes back to that idea of what are those philosophies with regard to things like

globalization, and how are policymakers impacted by their own political

alignment and ideology. That’s going to have an impact. So, they’re very

powerful.

Adults in education have so much power over the learning experiences to which

students are exposed, which reflects back on educational philosophies and why this work

is so important for education. Educational policy is a driving factor. P2 discussed the

effects of educational policy in the following way: “Well, policy is the guiding principles

of what you do, but it could also be the other way around. Your practice can shape your

policy or create your policy.” P3 stated that educational policy has a tremendous effect

because it drives a lot of our professional development. It drives programming. It drives

all the different vendors in which districts partner with, whether it is a shared partnership

or where we’re paying the vendor with taxpayer money. So, I feel that it has a tremendous

impact, and that’s why I stand by again that our members of Congress need to speak to

teachers and administrators before they make policies in the federal level. And certainly,

in Albany, I would hope that they would continue to engage with educators,

administrators more so on our state level.

P3 also mentioned how incorporating educational administrators and educators

within policy is necessary. P4 then discussed the larger effects of educational policy: “I

think it has a trickle-down effect.” P5 commented on the effects of educational policy in

the following way:

Policy really sets the direction for what the expectations are in terms of standards

and outcomes and expectations for what we do as educators, as teachers, and what

the expectations are for learning. I think there’s so many ways that policy

impacts… the testing programs that exist, that are federally aligned… there’s an

expectation that the system has to prepare students for those benchmarks, that

measured program, and measure student outcome and performance. So, they

really set the course in the direction.

High-stakes educational testing is linked to funding, which is another way that policy

affects educational outcomes.

Global education is a topic relatively isolated from the rest of the conversation on

educational structures. Students in the United States are not required to travel to other

countries, learn of other cultures, or even speak another language fluently in order to

graduate from high school, so global education typically can be sidelined. In some

instances, policy may make leadership in a global society easier. P4 remarked that

“policymakers could probably do a better job getting buy-in and participation earlier on

in the process, rather than just handing down a policy where people are obligated to

follow the policy.” This perspective reinstates the idea that communication is key to

successful policy implementation. On the other hand, P3 stated,

I think that however we look at things, you do need policies. You do need rules.

So, there are rules and regulations we have with everything. I think that that’s

necessary. Otherwise, we’ll have chaos in society and expectations. But I think

that we do need to do a better job in having those opportunities come up, that we

have that in policy for globalization. I do feel currently it’s pretty absent from

most policymakers’ minds. I don’t think that they really look into that. I could be

remiss, I could be wrong, but from anything I’ve read, it seems to be a lot of

policy right now in this country on internal. We’re looking too much the way

America is behaving internally, and we’re not looking enough of how we’re

dealing internationally. We’re looking at really domestic policy instead of foreign

policy.

There are many factors as to why international educational expectations are not in

place. However, with no framework for this global educational process, individuals are

left to explore this avenue of education alone. When asked if there were national or local

policies to guide educational leaders towards a more global educational system, the

majority of participants were not aware of any, stating, “None that I know of” (P1), “if

there any, I am not aware of any” (P4), and “I don’t think that there is… I think it, again,

it exists in pockets. I don’t think that it exists as a particular pathway or one particular

approach” (P5). P3 expanded on this:

I’m actually not aware that there is anything like that. Which again makes it more

challenging for us. Because I guess I don’t understand why we seem to operate more in

our individual silos in districts, and it would be nicer to have more of those

opportunities. But the only opportunities I have out there is that if I say I personally

attend a conference and I meet with other superintendents, and we get together, or I meet

with the county superintendents… there’s so many things that we’re talking about that

have nothing to do with globalization, which is unfortunate. I feel there’s a tremendous

amount of missed opportunities. The underpinning of the participants’ responses focused

on a desire for a more collaborative administrative experience where interesting topics

within education could be explored, discussed, and framed as meaningful learning

opportunities.

Aspects That Are Helpful

Educational policy that respects individuality and incorporates a sense of

flexibility in the approach is more likely to create meaningful outcomes. In terms of

creating meaningful policy that promotes global educational outcomes, collaboration with

educational leaders and educators is crucial. When asked if policy can help integrate

globalization into public education, the majority of superintendents interviewed replied

with some form of yes: “I’m sure it would” (P2). P3 believed that the integration of

policy would best be implemented “if we really worked with the secretary of education

and our members of the Senate in the House on the federal level, and then the state level

getting more support from Albany, but also to working with them so that we provide more

professional development opportunities for our board members because that’s also

important too.” P5 also discussed how policy with educational leadership collaboration

can help integrate globalization into education:

Policy can definitely help support that [globalization]. And again, policy creates…

frameworks and creating that framework, getting information from the field on

how to develop that so that that can become a focal point in an initiative that gets

attention across the content area and within the curriculum. That’s very important.

There are occasions when policy has been helpful. P1 remarked that “the policy

that I think have been helpful is the safety policies about anti-bullying, the financial

policies to keep districts safe as far as financial, data privacy policies to keep our kids’

data and our staff’s data safe. I think the biggest three that I support is the financial ones,

the safety ones, which includes the anti-bullying.” These are policies that promote

financial, digital, and social emotional safety. P1 also mentioned other helpful policies,

such as “policy that helps us is the sexual harassment, the anti-bullying, the social

emotional policies that we have to deal with the whole child. I think those are some

policies that have been helpful.” Policies that focus on the protection of private data,

social emotional wellness, and safety in the workplace are all examples of how policy can

promote a better educational system.

Policy that promotes high standards is also helpful in educational structures. P5

stated,

I think what they [policymakers] get right is wanting to have a standard of

expectation with regard to equity, with regard to access, with regard to

opportunity for all. I think what they get right is, especially in the United States,

supporting the needs of special education learners who need interventions,

learners who need accommodations and support. And as much as we still have yet

to go traveling in terms of truly making sure that we are providing equity,

policymakers are focused on it, and I think that’s a positive thing. Economic, with

all the different disaggregated groups, students who are economically challenged,

students who are challenged because they’re English language learners, or there

are incidents of racism. And the fact that there are some who have not had, for a

variety of different reasons, the same opportunity. That work is really important,

and I think policymakers are really working on that.

P5 appeared hopeful for a better educational future because of policy focused on

equity in educational opportunities. P3 remarked this regarding helpful educational

policies: “I would say they’ve gotten right, certainly, our supports for special education

students. I think that they’ve gotten that right, with an IEP, even 504 Plans for our

students. I think that that has been ways to help address situations.” Discussing policies

that have been a success in education sheds light on how creating meaningful policy is

possible. As echoed throughout this research, funding, effective communication that

encourages civic support, collaboration among stakeholders, and policies that provide a

framework can help integrate global learning in public education.

Aspects That Hinder

Educational policy that is a one-size-fits-all approach ignores the fact that

educational structures serve individuals with individual educational needs. Educational

policy often overlooks that people have different talents and does not allow students to

shine in their own chosen or practiced skill in the educational setting. P5 discussed the

educational detriment of one-size-fits-all policies: “I think in terms of what they

[policymakers] could improve upon, is that there have to be many pathways. And there

isn’t just one-size-fits-all. There is just one way for students to demonstrate that they have

mastered and accomplished what they need to in order to demonstrate that they’re

proficient. I would say that we’ve got to be more individualized in our approach for the

learning needs, and we certainly have the ability to do that.” An educational structure that

allows for global learning opens the possibilities for students to explore individual talents

and see people using those same talents to participate meaningfully within global society.

P5 also mentioned that a hindrance to educational policy is bureaucracy [as you] stifle a

lot of opportunity, creativity, innovation when you overly regulate. I think that’s

always the concern with policy in terms of broad strokes. There has to be

flexibility within policy to allow for the individual needs

and unique needs that may exist in a particular area. And I think that New York

does that well. I think that New York allows for opportunities at the local level for

decision making that are really important. From a broad perspective, I would look

it that way. You don’t want policy to be so narrow that it doesn’t allow for the

meeting of the unique needs of the various constituents that are served by the

policy.

P3 also mentioned that policy can be restrictive and, to remedy this, stated that policy

should be created in consultation with those who have to implement it. P3 stated, I find

that most of the time, policy could actually be a little restrictive, and it may not fully

allow us the opportunities to engage in conversations. So again, I circle back to. I think

the main problem is that our policymakers, whether it’s on the federal or state level, may

have the best of intentions, but they really should sit down and let teachers and

administrators look at some of these potential policy changes they want to make and ask

our opinion for it.

Policy implementation without community support hinders policymakers, educational

leaders, teachers, and, ultimately, the students. P4 discussed a hindrance in educational

policy connected with communication:

I think policies that are intended to force schools, or educators, to focus on all

students. I think something like No Child Left Behind was actually well intended.

I think Common Core policy was well intended. I don’t have disputes with that,

but I think at least in New York, the way Common Core was rolled out was

disastrous. As a person who was a building principal and a superintendent, I

understand this notion of having a sense of urgency and in education, if you delay

a decision by a year, then you’ve cost a whole other year of not attending to the

needs of students. I understand that, but sometimes the rollout that policy makers

implement, it seems to be that… If I have a criticism, I think that’s where they get

it wrong sometimes because I think that they might not understand the challenges

of a rollout, and that a rushed rollout causes more resistance. You can’t get the

positive momentum you need. I think Common Core is a good example of that.

Student educational outcomes are important, as is providing high-quality learning

experiences. However, educational policy that hinders individuality in education is where

policy hits a snag. P4 continued: “sometimes policy promotes angst and anger. A good

example of it is Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) and Common Core. I

mean, those are two policy examples that riled up teacher unions and riled up parents.

And it forced educational leaders to expand a great deal of energy on things that didn’t

have to do directly with the classroom or instruction.”

Another hindrance to educational policy is when policymakers underestimate the

time, buy-in, funding needed, learning curve, and process it takes to make meaningful

change. P3 stated,

I think where they [policymakers] get it wrong… I mention APPR… I think too

that they just feel that it’s very easy for us to snap our fingers and to make change.

I don’t think they realize that change is slow, and it has to be methodical and done

right, and paced correctly. I think that’s the other thing, too, is that our

policymakers don’t understand that it’s all timing and pacing.

Another hindrance is the lack of support. P2 observed, “I don’t really think they

[policymakers] give us a whole lot of support in general. I think they make policy, but I

don’t know that they often help us carry it out.” In terms of global learning and policy, P5

noted,

[F]rom a K-12 perspective, I think that the achievements of any kinds of

globalized opportunities for exchange and ideas, provide opportunity for

outcomes that can really expand understanding, knowledge, opportunity,

collaboration, but I can’t think of anything that has occurred, sustained systemic

kind of an approach to that. I think it goes back to what I’d said earlier about

those things being ad hoc, happening because people saw value and had a vision

and wanted to make those things happen. So I definitely think that there are

achievements in those areas, but to what extent they’ve been built into some kind

of a systematic approach, I don’t know that exists yet, from the K-12 perspective.

Hindered policy in terms of global learning will continue to confine international

learning experiences to pockets of exploration. This exploration without frameworks,

funding, or community support will also be experienced inequitably by those who cannot

afford international experiences. Policymakers need to communicate in ways that are

meaningful to educational leaders and to the greater educational community. The study

participants did not know of any major policies that promoted educational globalization

because. without frameworks and pathways or actionable policy, globalization and

education remain isolated experiences. This displays how policy and policymakers who

do not support, promote, or encourage collaboration on the local, state, or national levels

fail to foresee the benefits of global learning. Superintendents have ideas to ways

incorporate global learning, but when they are kept isolated, global, local, and state

collaboration, competition, and communication suffers.

Research Question 5: In What Ways Does Educational Leaders’ Global Mindedness

Impact Educational Policy and Influence the Presence of Globalization in

Educational Practice?

Educational Leadership Perspectives

Throughout this research, multiple superintendents stated repeatedly that

educational leadership could benefit from more collaboration and that educational policy

would be more effective if the perspectives of educational leaders were taken into

account. However, when discussing the global community and education, P3 brought a

larger perspective regarding globalization’s effects on innovating through collaboration: I

would say that life is much more complicated today than it was even 20 years ago. So

certainly, there are many more challenges that our educators, our administrators,

policymakers, we’re all facing. The world is becoming more complex. But the beauty in it

is that if we work together collectively, and without kind of sounding like I’m being too

much of an optimist, but if we could get together as nations and work closer, like the

United Nations’ original intent was supposed to be, I think we could accomplish so much

more. Instead, there’s so much negative competition between nations and trying to outdo

one another, trying to have that control. But what I try to say to people is that if you look

at things economically, everybody could have the pieces of the pie, but when we work

together, and we provide a more solid foundation, the pie gets bigger. When the pie’s

bigger, there are more pieces for people to have. And when you do the opposite, and you

don’t encourage the innovation and the conversations and the support from one another,

then what happens is the actual pie starts to get smaller,

and then people start competing for those pieces of pie. That’s not something that

I think benefits America or the world.

This is an all-encompassing idea: the vision that the global community can expand with

innovation. The “pie” is a great analogy for the potential for the global community. If we

choose to stick with this analogy, we can also infer that different “flavors of pie” can

increase opportunity for thought. This reflects the global mindedness of P3 in very clear

ways, showing how the global community and education can meaningfully interact,

leading to innovation and success.

The global community as a means for creating global connections is also seen in a

statement by P5:

Education has the potential to be the incubator, and has the potential to really be

at the forefront of providing those kinds of [global] opportunities. And to the

extent that we can provide those opportunities for kids requires that level of

creativity, that level of entrepreneurship, and the freedom to be able to explore

those opportunities. I think that fundamentally and foundationally, those really are

the purposes of education. And when we think about the creation of public

education as an opportunity for all citizens that speaks to the desire to have a

well-educated citizenry, that can effectively compete, engage, and collaborate in

whatever arena there is to do so, and certainly now in a globalized arena. I think

it’s a mission critical function of education to provide those things.

P5 reflected on global mindedness that welcomes critical thinking and

problemsolving. P5 also reflected on global mindedness in a way that “fundamentally and

foundationally” provides perspective of what this participant found to be the purpose of

education and how global education can fit into the public education arena. Global

participation and global mindedness in educational leadership must begin with a better

understanding of the population. P1 did research to build cultural connections within the

student population:

…from reading books on education. I have personally been reading a lot of books

about the struggles of Latina students on coming into this country. Some are

nonfiction, some are fiction, but they still give me a perspective on what their

journey was like here, because I do want to better understand my population.

This educational leader is aware that personal awareness and responsibility for

alternative struggles can impact their ability to positively lead a learning community.

Global mindedness can include considering alternative perspectives from varying cultural

norms. An educational leader educating themself on cultures reflected within their

learning community is a form of global mindedness.

P4 reflected on experiential learning that can provide a high level of global

integration and appreciation for other cultures through summer trips to other countries

where children have more than five days to get immersed in a culture, where the trip is

more than say a February break, or spring break trip, but where they have time to really

get immersed in a culture, and live among people that are from other nations, and use

that as a starting point for building relationships. I think it would need to be not just one

school, somewhere in Europe, or some other part of the world, but it could be really

powerful if school districts had connections all over the place.

P4 mentioned a high level of global learning exchanges because, while in another

country, students can use language acquisition, cultural norms, and the opportunity to

reflect on their own life experiences to visualize how there are different lifestyles around

the world, not associating them with “good” or “bad” but appreciating the “different.”

Every community has some expertise or something to be proud of and share with

the global educational community. P2 believed her district spends a lot of time on

building good character:

We spend a lot of time trying to think of ways to do things compassionately and

kindly. I do spend a lot of time with my colleagues, so we share ideas some with

each other. I do think that my district has a lot to contribute [globally]. I think

everybody’s district has a lot to contribute.

This emphasis on global mindedness is what inspired this research. If we as educational

leaders influence the educational structures in which we work, we can appreciate the hard

work others put into their districts and communities. These examples of global

mindedness paired with funding and frameworks can lead to true implemented change

towards a more global learning experience in public education.

Educational Structures/Systems

Globalization within educational practice is currently linked to individual district

capabilities and funding. The global mindedness of educators does not appear to shape

policy outcomes at the federal or state level due to a lack of collaboration. When asked if

it will be educational leaders or policymakers to forge globalization in education, the

participants offered a variety of perspectives: “I think it’s going to be policymakers,

unfortunately, unless they give leadership the ability to be independent” (P1); “I believe

leadership. Policies can be enforced, or they can be not enforced so much” (P2); “I would

say effective leadership because we, through our conversations, could influence

policymakers if they listen to us” (P3). On this question, P5 remarked, “I think it’s a

combination of both. And I think it’s important for the leaders to communicate to the

policymakers what their concerns are in this area, so that they have an understanding.

And by the same token, it’s important for policymakers to seek out that information and

seek input from the field and from the educational leaders. It is clear that, with the current

educational structures in place, superintendents feel responsible for creating the global

educational outcomes for students.

The presence of globalization within educational practice is, again, based on

individual district initiatives. P2 described the global exchanges available to her students:

Our district takes field trips to other countries. We did before COVID. We are picking

them back up this year. We do a lot of, particularly the foreign language, there’s a lot of

pen pals, your traditional kind of thing. We have a business program that collaborates

with students from around the world.

These global exchanges, if broadened to a larger scale that incorporates other

districts, could create “pods” of educational learning friendships for students. P3 looked

to the future, following the pandemic, for ways to incorporate “student exchange

programs or teacher exchange programs. That’s something that I think would be great.”

P4 discussed global exchange within educational practice in their district as a “a trip

abroad with foreign language students.” Bringing high school students abroad opens the

world to them and shows them it is much larger than their hometown. On this, P5

mentioned other potential for growth through a

…technical education program in agriculture. We also have entrepreneurial

courses and classwork where kids are communicating with students from other

parts of the country. It is not in other parts of the region, it’s not international yet,

but certainly that is an area of opportunity that we want to pursue. Up until the

pandemic, travel was an important opportunity for educational interests and

activities… In previous settings, we’ve had exchanges with students in South

Africa, learning opportunities, opportunities to connect and certainly opportunities

to participate in workshops with the United Nations. Providing opportunities to

expose kids to the world beyond our doors is really a very important, and we’re

hoping to be able to get back to those opportunities as we move past this

pandemic, which is another example of how we’re so interdependent in how the

world has become really globalized.

Based on these examples of global learning within independent districts, there is a desire

to continue to incorporate similar practices within education. Acknowledging the global

mindedness of these superintendents is important, but this must be put into practice in

individual educational structures. This research reflects how the current educational

structures in place can be improved with global educational frameworks and collaborative

input with educational leaders. With these educational structural improvements, the 21st-

century student may emerge from public education with the ability to think critically,

problem-solve, and view the world from multiple cultural perspectives and experiences.

Conclusion

Applying the perspectives of superintendents to the vast landscape of

globalization and education can be a humbling experience. Obviously, these thoughts and

perspectives require collaboration and communication for the exchange of alternative

perspectives, which can be a daunting task. All of the participants used their educational

experiences, knowledge base, and personal thoughts to create a better international

educational forum. Cultural reciprocity is the awareness of other cultures for their core

values and to promote the development of healthy cultural exchanges, meaning that each

culture is valued for what it can learn from and teach to another. Global learning reflects

an understanding of the responsibility to the local learning community by providing

experiences that can change student and teacher perspectives on the possibilities and

capabilities of the learning community.

Beneficial student outcomes are at the core of the educational community, and

global learning is just an extension of those potential outcomes. Again, without the

support of educational leaders in focusing, developing, and providing actionable practice

of global exploration, 21st-century skillsets must be acquired outside of public education.

This increases inequity in education and in future education and career paths. The

education system as a whole relies on effective communication to introduce new and

innovative perspectives. Effective communication and collaboration can increase civic

buy-in and propel new learning initiatives forward.

The superintendents’ perspectives documented here reflect those of the learning

communities they serve, their personal experiences, and the resources available.

Therefore, global educational frameworks must be flexible enough to allow all districts to

incorporate global initiatives. When we explore the benefits of global learning, this can

lead our students to evolve into well-rounded, productive 21st-century global citizens.

CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION

Globalization has impacted education in ways research has not yet caught up to.

Therefore, effective policy for global education is stagnant. Educational leaders have

many thoughts and ideas that can benefit the global learning community. The

responsibility felt by the superintendents interviewed in this study is clear and apparent.

While their sense of responsibility for their leadership role and desire for a more

interconnected global educational platform is evident, this often depends on independent

innovations within individual school districts in NYS. It is admirable that school

superintendents feel a sense of responsibility to create global exchanges and

ambassadorship experiences when there is such a lack of funding and structures around

which to base their internal systems. It reflects that educational leaders know that global

competency is essential for the future, and their own personal experiences and district

emphases drive this learning. A profound element that emerged from this study is how

superintendents feel about effective communication and civic buy-in. The impacts of

forward thinking in education today can create the foundations for our society in the

future. The overall implications of findings determine that collaboration with educational

leadership is necessary for globalization and education to be integrated into public

education with actionable policy. Superintendents in this research are able to comprehend

the importance of global learning for student outcomes and desire funded collaborative

frameworks to guide this innovation.

Implications of Findings

Educational Leaders’ Responsibility

Overall, it appears that the New York public school superintendents in this

research felt a sense of responsibility and duty to their students and local community. The

data support the findings that all the superintendents appeared to be open and interested in

creating global connections, ambassadorships, and innovations. However, they needed

more partnership in the form of research-based exposure, funding/resources, and

collaborative time to bring global learning to their districts. Each superintendent

responded in a “yes” format when asked if educating students on global competencies

was the responsibility of educational leaders. However, the participants also recognized

that there are many other forces that complicate how globalization and global learning are

brought into the public education arena, including communication, the pandemic, civic

buy-in, and the lack of funding/resources.

The educational leaders’ sense of responsibility was reflected within the

theoretical framework, as leaders, in this case the superintendents, must review, reflect

on, and evaluate the new phenomenon of globalization within the arena of educational

innovation. Then, they must communicate effectively in order to reduce uncertainty about

how this is beneficial for the betterment of student outcomes. A potential limitation of this

finding is that non-mandated educational potentials, such as global learning, are typically

interesting to discuss in abstract terms but difficult to implement within districts without

public support, policy, or funding/resources.

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