Dr. Akua Obeng, Research & Evaluation Institute manager, recently had a research paper published in the latest issue of the Journal of Texas Women School Executives.

“Grit, Grace and Pearls” is published annually by the Texas Council of Women School Executives (TCWSE)  to promote the diversity of talents and skills of women school executives and their development through scholarly research and practice.

Dr. Obeng’s research entitled, “The Leadership Practices of Texas School District Superintendents During The COVID-19 Pandemic,” examines the various leadership practices that emerged during the pandemic in small, medium and large school districts from 2021-2022. The responses of 60 superintendents were analyzed to illustrate how effective leadership behaviors like collaboration, grit, perseverance, role-taking and personal beliefs enabled them to operate at their best under crisis.

The study was also presented in 2023 at the American Educational Research Association annual meeting.

“The opportunity to publish in an educational journal for Texas educators is a professional recognition of my work and an opportunity for REI and myself to increase its visibility while showcasing HCDE’s impact in the community,” Dr. Obeng said. “I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Sharon Ross, an editorial member of TCWSE Journal at the AERA Conference in 2023. The initial collaboration led to the publishing of this work to show the grit and tenacity of Texas superintendents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The contribution of this work to the educational field advances knowledge on grit and crisis leadership practices and most importantly, I hope it will inspire other educators to conduct further research on the topic.”