Susan C Faircloth

University of North Carolina Wilmington, Educational Leadership, Faculty Member

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Dr. Susan C. Faircloth (an enrolled member of the Coharie Tribe of North Carolina) is a Professor in the Educational Leadership Department at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). Prior to joining UNCW, Dr. Faircloth was an Associate Professor in the Department of Leadership, Policy, and Adult and Higher Education at North Carolina State University. She has also served as an Associate Professor and Director of the American Indian Leadership Program at the Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Faircloth’s research interests include: Indigenous education, the education of culturally and linguistically diverse students with special educational needs, and the moral and ethical dimensions of school leadership. She has published in such journals as Educational Administration Quarterly, Harvard Educational Review, The Journal of Special Education Leadership, International Studies in Educational Administration, Values and Ethics in Educational Administration, Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education, Rural Special Education Quarterly, and Journal of Disability Policy Studies.

Dr. Faircloth is a former Fulbright Senior Scholar to New Zealand, Ford Foundation Postdoctoral scholar with the Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles at the University of California Los Angeles, and a Fellow with the American Indian/Alaska Native Head Start Research Center at the University of Colorado Denver. She is also a William C. Friday Fellow for Human Relations.

Dr. Faircloth is a senior associate editor of the American Journal of Education and recently completed a two-year term as associate editor of the American Educational Research Journal – Social and Institutional Analysis. She is also a member of the editorial boards of the Journal of American Indian Education and American Secondary Education.

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Papers by Susan C Faircloth

Challenges of Student Voice Within a Context of Threatened Identities

Radical Collegiality through Student Voice, 2018

This chapter expands on an earlier publication in which we discussed the trickiness of a collabor... more This chapter expands on an earlier publication in which we discussed the trickiness of a collaborative, community-based participatory research project in Aotearoa (New Zealand) that explored the unique identities and perspectives of a group of Ngāti Turi rangatahi (Māori D/deaf youth). This research was tricky because it involved a diverse group comprising Māori and non-Māori D/deaf and hearing researchers of different ages and genders, and because of the complex ethical issues involved in “outing” students through the use of an adapted approach to the photovoice methodology. In this chapter, we delve more deeply into this collaborative work and its implications for the establishment of radical collegiality with a group of historically marginalised students and their adult peers.

Indigenous Education and Self-Determination in a Global Context

Researching identity with indigenous D/deaf youth

New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies, 2014

AbstractIn this article, we explore the "trickiness" of interpreting voice through our ... more AbstractIn this article, we explore the "trickiness" of interpreting voice through our research experiences with six Maori D/deaf rangatahi (young people). The text we present is a coconstructed hut incomplete and inexact account of the first stage of this work, which encouraged these young people to take photos, construct accompanying narratives and identify messages that best represented who they were and what was important to them. Initial data analysis from rangatahi and us (as invited outsiders) is presented. Whilst there was agreement on some things, we also saw key differences. We discuss the challenge of our interpretations associated with youth identity, agency and aspiration, alongside issues associated with silence and a lack of dialogue, through this first stage of the research process.Keywords: indigenous, deaf, youth voiceIntroductionWe start this article with a brief mihimihi (introduction), locating ourselves as a diverse group of adults who are not members...

Leadership Development for Schools Serving American Indian Students: Implications for Research, Policy, and Practice

Journal of American Indian Education, 2022

This article reviews extant research and scholarship on the role of leadership preparation for as... more This article reviews extant research and scholarship on the role of leadership preparation for aspiring American Indian school leaders (e.g., princi-pals). Although a review of the lit erature indicates a lack of published scholarship on this topic, what is published evidences the requirement for ongoing attention to the preparation of future school leaders to better meet the cultural, linguistic, and academic needs of American Indian students, their families, and their communities. The authors conclude with recommendations for research, policy, and practice. This article is an extension of previous research conducted by Indigenous scholars Susan C. Faircloth and John W. Tippeconnic III (2010). It begins with an overview of the lit erature, followed by recommendations for future research and implications for policy.

Indigenous Education and Leadership Challenges

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education

The ability to effectively lead schools serving Indigenous students in the United States is conti... more The ability to effectively lead schools serving Indigenous students in the United States is contingent upon one’s ability and willingness to acknowledge and honor the cultural, linguistic, and tribal diversity of Indigenous peoples and communities, coupled with a commitment to abiding by the federal trust responsibility for the education of Indigenous peoples—a federal responsibility unique to American Indian and Alaska Native peoples. This also requires educational leaders to create and sustain educational environments that are culturally relevant and responsive and that respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and their tribal nations to be involved in, and ultimately to determine, the educational pathways and futures of their tribal citizens.

National Indian Education Study 2019: American Indian and Alaska Native Students at Grades 4 and 8. NCES 2021-018

National Center for Education Statistics, May 1, 2021

National Indian Education Study 2019 Organization of the Report ◾ The Introduction includes infor... more National Indian Education Study 2019 Organization of the Report ◾ The Introduction includes information on sampling, participation, reporting, and the school types reported in the tables and figures throughout this report, as well as guidance about making comparisons and interpreting results. ◾ The Survey Questionnaires section discusses the development of the NIES survey questions as well as their importance for setting context for interpreting the educational experiences of AI/AN students. In addition, this section discusses how individual survey questions provide the building blocks for the composite variables interspersed in the two subsequent sections. ◾ The AI/AN Culture and Language section provides an in-depth look at the findings from the student, teacher, and administrator survey questions that are focused on AI/AN culture and language. Indeed, this discussion of culture and language provides the most thorough examination of these questions since the inception of the NIES program in 2005. ◾ The Performance Results for the Nation section provides information about the achievement of AI/AN students at grades 4 and 8 on the NAEP reading and mathematics assessments from 2005 to 2019. A supplemental subsection-Perspectives Beyond the Average Score-examines individual and contextual factors that are associated with higher versus lower academic performance among AI/AN students, as well as variables related to engagement at school and perceptions about effort in school. ◾ The State Results section provides reading and mathematics performance results for the 15 states that had reportable results for AI/AN students in 2019.

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Supporting Democratic and Ethical Schools

Developing Ethical Principles for School Leadership, 2018

Ensuring American Indian Students Receive an Equitable, Just, and Appropriate Education: A Matter of Personal and Professional Concern

The American Educator, 2021

a first-grade teacher at Heronville Elementary in Oklahoma City, reads The Legend of the Indian P... more

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Evaluation of He Kākano: Professional Development for Leaders in Secondary Schools (2011–2012): Final Report

This evaluation investigated (a) the effectiveness of He Kākano in meeting programme goals and ev... more This evaluation investigated (a) the effectiveness of He Kākano in meeting programme goals and evidence of shifts against baseline data, (b) the effectiveness of the delivery and implementation of He Kākano, and (c) ways to strengthen the design and implementation of He Kākano. Other key objectives for this evaluation were to identify examples of effective school-based leadership practices and provide new learning about effective leadership and professional learning in secondary schools. The evaluation developed agreed indicators in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the professional learning providers, and with input from our National Evaluation Advisory Group. These included key indicators along with a schema for types of evidence including experiential knowledge (variable), statistics (verifiable data returns), and research and evaluation (quality assured). This final report details the bicultural approach of the evaluation, methodology, data analysis, key findings, strengths and weaknesses, and recommendations for future school leadership professional learning programmes intending to promote educational outcomes for Māori student success as Māori.

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A Story Shared

9 Importance of Exceptional Leadership: One School Leader’s Insight on Effective Leadership in a High Poverty School System Wendell Waukau 149

Decreasing Dropout Rates for Minority Male Youth with Disabilities from Culturally and Ethnically Diverse Backgrounds

4 Effective Instructional Leadership for Diverse High Poverty Populations: The Effect of Instructional Supervision on Principal Trust Robbie Wahnee 63

The School Violence Dilemma

Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 2006

Focus group interviews were used to investigate teachers' perceptions of school violence and ... more Focus group interviews were used to investigate teachers' perceptions of school violence and their sense of safety in schools. Analysis of these data revealed that teachers perceived a discrepancy between their rights to maintain a safe classroom environment and the rights of students in special education to receive a free and appropriate public education. Four major themes emerged: (a) safety in the classroom, (b) disciplinary double standard, (c) limited disciplinary options, and (d) perceived tension in the educational environment. These emergent themes create a complex dilemma for schools as they are faced with balancing their duty to provide a safe working and learning environment with their duty to provide a free and appropriate public education to students with disabilities.

10 Bridging High Poverty Schools and Communities—Implications and Conclusions: Where Do We Go from Here? Susan C. Faircloth 161

Building Bridges from High Poverty Communities, to Schools, to Productive Citizenship

30 Years of Providing Services for Children with Disabilities: Implications for Secondary Education Special Issue Introduction

American Secondary Education, Jul 1, 2005

Special education is a field of study that has grown exponentially in terms both of importance an... more Special education is a field of study that has grown exponentially in terms both of importance and influence over the past 50 years (Brantlinger, 2004). At the same time, the number of students who are being served under the umbrella of special education is increasing and the nature of their disabilities is becoming more diverse and complex. Thus, there continues to be a need for significant attention and focus by researchers and K-12 educators on the needs of children with disabilities. This focus on providing educational supports and services to children with disabilities is critical to the future successes of this once neglected group of children in K-12 education. In this special theme issue, American secondary Education recognizes the thirtieth anniversary of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) by highlighting and critically examining its farreaching impact on secondary students with disabilities and for the schools in which they are enrolled. Since its initial passage, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L. 94-142) - later renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and most recently the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) - has evoked debate among scholars, professionals, parents, and policy-makers. It has also effected changes in the lives of adolescents with disabilities in both their schools and their communities. More importantly, this law has established a critical framework for special education and has introduced distinct parameters for the provision of special education services and supports to students with disabilities. As this law continues to evolve and to impact the lives of children in schools, it is encumbant upon leaders and scholars in the field of education to engage in focused discussions about special education and the myriad implications for all students, schools, and educators. Furthermore, it has become increasingly obvious that special education is no longer an isolated phenomenon. Rather, special education is intricately woven into the general education environment and is represented by an extensive service and support system. In an era of educational accountability, federal and state oversight of special education has intensified, thereby raising both the stakes and the complexity of serving students with disabilities. The first article in this special issue of American secondary Education highlights a complex issue faced by students, parents and educators in secondary education environments. Eckes and Ochoa carefully outline the legal parameters and obligations that guide the transition for students with disabilities from high school to higher education. Their presentation of key legal guidelines is augmented by several profiles of students with disabilities who share various challenges they faced while enrolled at a university. These student profiles provide valuable lessons for educators, parents, and especially students with disabilities, who are entering the higher education arena. The next two articles highlight the critical role of secondary administrators in supporting, facilitating and leading successful inclusive educational environments for students with disabilities. Boscardin focuses on the role of secondary school administrators, including school principals, guidance counselors, curriculum supervisors, department chairs, and special education directors, in ensuring that "evidence-based educational interventions" are developed and implemented for secondary level students with disabilities. This article is both timely and informative given the current focus, at the state and federal levels, on educational accountability and standards for all students including those with disabilities. …

Use of Large-Scale Data Sets to Study Educational Pathways of American Indian and Alaska Native Students

New Directions for Institutional Research, 2015

This chapter discusses issues and challenges encountered in using large-scale data sets to study ... more This chapter discusses issues and challenges encountered in using large-scale data sets to study educational experiences and subsequent outcomes for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students. In this chapter, we argue that the linguistic and cultural diversity of Native peoples, coupled with the legal and political ways in which education has been used to acculturate and assimilate them, makes it imperative that a full range of social, cultural, and demographic variables be collected and that these data be analyzed, using a theory of change that emphasizes the strengths of AI/AN students and their communities rather than their perceived deficits. We envision this theory of change espousing the use of data to critically unpack and respond to the role of language and culture in shaping pathways to success in education and beyond for AI/AN students. We conclude with recommendations for constructing and analyzing large-scale data sets to better represent the diversity of cultures and experiences among AI/AN students.

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National Indian Education Study 2015: A Closer Look. NCES 2019-048

National Center for Education Statistics, 2019

This study allows more in-depth reporting on the achievement and experiences of American Indian/A... more This study allows more in-depth reporting on the achievement and experiences of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) students in grades 4 and 8. The NIES program provides tribal leaders, educators, policymakers, and researchers with reliable and accurate data regarding the education of AI/AN youth. This information not only provides a snapshot of present conditions, it potentially raises a number of questions lending themselves to future research and lines of inquiry. This report focuses primarily on two major concerns that have been raised throughout the first decade of the NIES: ◾ What contextual factors are associated with higher-and lower-performing AI/AN students? ◾ How do AI/AN students see themselves in terms of their Native languages, 1 culture, and aspirations for the future? Both of these major themes are aimed at examining AI/AN student performance beyond what has been previously reported-average scores in mathematics and reading. Although average scores provide a measure for comparing AI/AN students to other racial/ethnic groups or examining trends, emphasizing a singular score may lead to simplistic interpretations. Just like any other identifiable student group, AI/AN students are not all the same; they represent a vast array of characteristics (e.g., linguistic, geographic, economic). 1 Native languages may also be referred to as Heritage, Indigenous, Treasure, and/or Amerindian languages.

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Exploring methodological and ethical opportunities and challenges when researching with Indigenous youth on issues of identity and culture

International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education