Modeling Shared Governance at the School and Department Level

The article explores social capital and culturally responsive leadership theories as a means tounderstand and bridge differences that arise in diverse educational settings for public school leaders.Issues explored include those related to the educational histories and cultural heritages that studentsand stakeholders bring with them to the educational setting. More specifically, the article illuminateshow the merging of social capital and culturally responsive leadership theories as a conceptualframework for leadership can lead to not only student achievement, but also positive social networkingand relationships among school leaders, teachers, and students. Emphasis is placed on the notionthat in order for school leaders to close the achievement gap, they must first close the opportunity gap.