Educational Leadership Commons^™

Counselors And Principals: Collaborating To Improve Instructional Equity, Carl A. Lashley, Jaimie Stickl

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

School districts are held accountable for the performance of all students. This increased responsibility has caused principals and their faculties to become increasingly concerned about using performance data to improve achievement, attendance, promotion and graduation rates, dropout rates and at-risk student performance, and other indicators of school quality. An often overlooked resource in the school’s efforts is the school counselor.

School counselors are well-prepared to assist principals with data utilization and making recommendations for individual student, classroom, and school-wide improvement. Collaborative relationships between principals and school counselors can contribute significantly to school improvement efforts and to professional learning and capacity …

Teachers’ And Administrators' Perceptions Of The Characteristics Of Effective Leadership For K-12 International Schools, Travis S. Smith

All NMU Master's Theses

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to investigate teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions of the characteristics of effective leadership for K-12 international schools. The data produced three themes; these include emotional intelligence, the ability to establish school culture, and administrative mindset. The literature review focused on the survey data points of humor, cultural intelligence, and vision embedded within these themes. The research findings are intended to advance the knowledge of leadership for K-12 international schools.

Supporting Leadership Preparation In Indonesia, Kathryn Moyle

International Developments

Kathryn Moyle reports on an evaluation of a professional learning program for aspiring school principals in Indonesia.

K-12 And The Active Shooter: Principals’ Perceptions Of Armed Personnel In New Jersey District Factor Group Gh Public Schools, Brian P. Kelly

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study was to explore the predicament school principals face when formulating the best methodology to provide a safe environment for their students and faculty, while simultaneously creating an atmosphere that is conducive to education.

This multiple-case study is a replication of a dissertation published in 2014 which explored a unique phenomenon containing multiple variables within an urban public school district. Conversely, this research study examined suburban public school districts within communities that possessed a median household salary ranging between $86,000 and $105,000, where the socioeconomic status of these schools is identified and delineated by New Jersey …

The Impact Of Louisiana's Compass Teacher Evaluation System On Principals In One School District: A Case Study, David P. Schexnaydre Jr

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

As teacher evaluation practices become increasingly high-stakes, principal observation has been made an important source of data in the evaluation process. Driven by the federal Race to the Top initiative, implementation of teacher evaluation systems has been rapid and questions remain about the preparedness of principals to successfully implement the new evaluation processes. The researcher conducted a qualitative case study that focuses on the implementation of the Louisiana Department of Education's COMPASS teacher evaluation system and its impacts on principals in one school district. Interviews were conducted with six principals, a focus group was held with the four members of …

The Principal's Role; Distributed Leadership, Kathryn R. Hermann

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The role of the principal role has become very complex with the increased focus on accountability and student achievement. Principals can no longer do their jobs alone. Distributed leadership has been the subject of considerable educational research and discourse in recent years. This study explores how principals employ or do not employ distributed leadership with their staffs. The study found that the school principal plays a key role in supporting the school by communicating a common purpose, that distributed leadership is developed within a school climate built upon collaboration, the principal models leadership using tools and routines, and situational decision …

Women Principals Of Jewish Secular High Schools In Israel: Access And Progress, Dana Michelle Lebental

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative investigation focused on women high school principals at Jewish secular schools throughout Israel. Despite challenges, Israeli women have succeeded in obtaining over half of the principal positions at Jewish secular high schools, but the degree to which there is equal gender access to leadership roles in the school system remains unclear. This study examined whether there was clustering of women in high school principal positions in certain geographical areas, the process by which these women obtained principal positions, what obstacles the women overcame, and an analysis if respondents differed by district in terms of their career paths, career …

The Journey From Welcoming To Belonging: Stories Of A New Principal In A Latino Community, Corena Marasco

Journal of Catholic Education

From Catholic education’s inception in the United States, Catholic schools were established for the immigrant population and the leadership was successful at building enrollment with the high European immigrant populations. At this point in United States history, Catholic education is in need of innovative change, especially in regard to attracting the Latino community, the largest Catholic group, to Catholic schools. In this study, I detailed my own journey as a new, first time, first year, Catholic school principal in a 100% Latino environment, where I was welcomed by a Latino community, eventually leading me to a deep sense of belonging. …

Job Attainment And Perceived Role Differences Of Cyberschool Leaders, Jayson W. Richardson, Dennis Beck, Jason Lafrance, Scott Mcleod

Educational Leadership Studies Faculty Publications

As cyberschooling options expand, it is vital that we understand the nuances of these particular learning opportunities. Because little research exists on leaders of K-12 cyberschools, this exploratory case study had two purposes. We first examined how 18 cyberschool leaders in the United States obtained their position. Second, we explored the perceptions of cyberschool leaders regarding the differences between their job and that of a traditional brick-and-mortar school leader. We found that cyberschool leaders tend to be predominantly new, technology savvy administrators who have some background in online learning. Main differences between cyberschool leadership and brick-and-mortar school leadership included interactions …

Supportive Leadership: The Principal's Role In Beginning Teacher Retention, Kelli Leann Epling

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

School districts in West Virginia and across the nation have been experiencing a mass exodus of teachers over the last two decades, creating a widespread shortage of certified educators in the classroom. In the United States approximately a half-million teachers leave their schools every year, and only 16% of those exits can be attributed to retirement. The rest is due to movement between schools and to teachers leaving the profession. While a great deal of research has been completed in order to ascertain why teachers are leaving the profession most focuses on the individual teacher’s perspective – and that perspective …

National School Improvement Tool, Geoff N. Masters

School and system improvement

Research is revealing the powerful impact that school leadership teams can have in improving the quality of teaching and learning. Effective leaders create cultures of high expectations, provide clarity about what teachers are to teach and students are to learn, establish strong professional learning communities and lead ongoing efforts to improve teaching practices. The National School Improvement Tool brings together findings from international research into the practices of highly effective schools and school leaders. The Tool assists schools to review and reflect on their efforts to improve the quality of classroom teaching and learning. It supports school-wide conversations – including …

Principal Perceptions Of Strategies To Increase Effectiveness Of Educational Non-Governmental Organizations In Southern Belize., Wesley Hickey

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Collaborations among schools and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are common in developing countries. These partnerships have the potential to provide effective support for educational initiatives. This study used survey methodology to determine characteristics of NGOs that increased effectiveness as determined by experienced principals (n=15) within a region of Belize. The survey used open-ended questions, and these responses were disaggregated in order to determine themes. These principals wrote that effective NGOs built strong relationships with the schools, aligned efforts with the school’s mission, and assisted with providing resources.

Early College High School Principals As Democratic, Socially Just, Culturally Responsive Leaders, Hattie L. Hammonds

All Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative, multi-site, multi-case study was to examine how early college high school principals promote the success of the first generation, students of color and low-income students they serve. The study examined three early college high school principals in North Carolina through two lenses: the traditional role of principals and a conceptual framework of democratic, socially just, culturally responsive leaders. The study used semi-structured interview and focus groups as the primary data sources. Additional data sources included documents, state databases and observations. The research questions guiding the study were:

1. How do early college high school principals promote …

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Using Data To Make Decisions: A Study Of Public School Principals, Coby Todd Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to investigate the association between how principals use data to make school-level decisions and student outcomes. In June 2012, the state of Arkansas requested and received approval for an Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Flexibility Waiver from No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The United States Department of Education (USDOE) allowed each State Education Agency (SEA) the opportunity to request flexibility on behalf of the state, districts, and schools, to better focus on improving educational outcomes, closing achievement gaps, and increasing the quality of instruction which affects academic growth of students. Much of this …

Leadership Behaviors Used By Principals Of Large High Schools Compared To Principals Of Small High Schools: A Comparative Multiple-Case Study, Kimberly Lynn Baker Garrett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this multi-case study was to examine if there may be a perceived relationship between the size of the school and the leadership behaviors of the four principals. This purpose was achieved through a qualitative inquiry of principal interviews, principal survey, observation of a principals' leadership team meeting, focus group interview with the principals' leadership team, and analysis of the extant texts: principals' time log for one week, organizational chart, and agenda for a leadership team meeting. The data were reduced through two cycles of coding which then further analyzed resulting in the identification of five major themes. …

Achievenj And Its Effects On Hiring Principals, Gina M. Cinotti

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate New Jersey superintendents’ hiring decisions of principals during the implementation of AchieveNJ, the educator evaluation system. This policy created mandates for school districts, which were nonexistent in the past. The 2013-2014 school year was the inaugural year for AchieveNJ, and it is unknown if this new mandate has influenced superintendents’ hiring decisions of principals and whether superintendents’ own estimations of the new policy will shape their hiring decisions. The study described the influence, if any, AchieveNJ might have on superintendents’ hiring decisions of principals. A substantial amount of literature exists on …

Missed Opportunities: Preparing Aspiring School Leaders For Bold Social Justice School Leadership Needed For 21st Century Schools, Kriss Kemp-Graham

Faculty Publications

How and when are current and aspiring school leaders provided with opportunities to engage in sense making and reflection as it relates to race, oppression, and equal access to a quality education for all students while simultaneously making sense of the implications of their roles as school leaders in negotiating the sociopolitical and sociocultural challenges present in their schools?  Given the diversity of the student population in the state of Texas and the importance that has been assigned to social justice leadership for diverse student populations, this research sought to explore the readiness of recent graduates of Principal Preparation Program …

Gender Similarities And Differences In Experiences Of Public School Administrators, Marcia D. Fawver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of study was to examine similarities and differences in experiences between male and female high school principals and district administrators in addition to similarities and differences in leadership style and skills. This was an in-depth study with participants working in the same district and matched with descriptors such as age, similar position, and time served. Therefore the statement of the problem for the present study is what similarities and differences in experiences exist between male and female high school principals and district administrators in addition to similarities and differences in leadership style and skills.

Two male high school …

A Principal’S Working Day, Danielle Meloney

Teacher infographics

What is the task that takes up the most time in a principal's working day? Find out in this Teacher infographic.

The Influence Of No Child Left Behind (2001) On The Leadership Of Elementary School Principals In Massachusetts: Highlighted Responses From Asian American Principals, Wesley P. S. Manaday

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the influence of the No Child Left Behind Law (NCLB), one of the most influential educational reform acts in the U.S. and the Massachusetts Education Reform Act (MERA) upon the role of principals in elementary schools throughout Massachusetts. The thesis covered the leadership practices pre- and post- NCLB Federal Law of 2001, the leadership roles of principals, their decision making, and the types of practices they developed as a consequence of NCLB. In addition, principal's backgrounds and cultural influences on their leadership were specifically highlighted in the role of mainstream and non-mainstream principals of ethnic groups …

School Principals' Perceptions Of Bilingual Education And Their Relation To English Language Learners' 8th Grade Reading Performance On Staar, Imelda Mares

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This research examined school principals’ perceptions of bilingual education to determine whether perceptions were a function of gender, age, years of experience, level of academic knowledge of bilingual education, and language discourse or bilingualism. Moreover, this study explored whether principals’ perceptions of bilingual education were related to English language learners’ 8th grade reading performance as measured by the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). Thirty-one middle and high school principals in five school districts from south Texas and one district from southeast Texas responded to an electronic survey that solicited demographic information, perceptions of bilingual education, and academic …

Value Of Coaching In Building Leadership Capacity Of Principals In Urban Schools: A Case Study, Anita Renee Farver

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand how coaching support structures enabled and sustained leadership practices of urban principals. The study investigated how the intervention of coaching for academic leaders can serve as evidence based professional development for building leadership capacity. The central focus was on principals' perceptions of coaching engagements over time to identify recurring themes and essential elements of the coach-to-client relationship. With a goal of meeting 21st century school accountability requirements of standards and assessments, the urban district in this study implemented coaching for academic leaders who were selected to participate in the coaching …

An Exploratory Study Of The Strengths Of Islamic School Principals In California, Texas, New York, Florida, And Illinois, Syed Kamran Qadri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the focal point of the school, the principal’s leadership is integral to its effective functioning. This study used a self-assessment to analyze the self-identified strengths of principals in Islamic schools within the five most populated states in the United States (which also have the largest number of mosques) and the commonalities in those strengths based on (a) the enrollment of the school; (b) year school was established; (c) the gender of the principal; (d) the principal’s professional preparation, e.g., degree in education vs. other fields and years of experience; and (e) geographic location. While only a small amount of …

An Examination Of School Principals' Moral Reasoning And Decision-Making Along The Principalship Track And Across Years Of Experience, Trent Ling

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous research by Vitton & Wasonga (2009) and Strenth (2013) found public school K-12 principals struggling in the moral reasoning and decision-making measures of the second Defining Issues Test ("DIT-2"). In response to these studies, this research sought to collect, to examine, and to compare DIT-2 data for educational leaders at various stages of the principalship track in an effort to determine and/or to isolate the locus of principals' reported underperformance. The moral reasoning and decision-making of regular-education K-12 public school principals and assistant principals in Florida, and current master's degree students in educational leadership programs at a large public …

A Phenomenological Study Of Principals Who Transformed A Positive Impact Of School Change, Jason Faklaris

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study gathered, examined, and described the knowledge, beliefs, and actions of selected high school principals who had improved student achievement in their schools. This study was conducted to better understand the experience of providing moral leadership in schools, responding to moral challenges within educational settings, and understanding the factors which resulted in the phenomenon of high school principals raising student achievement to consistently meet state requirements. High school principals were selected for participation in the study based on their record of increasing the scores of their students on the Georgia high school graduation test and the Scholastic Aptitude …

Perceptions Of Elementary School Teachers, Counselors, And Principalsabout Bullying At Two School Sites In Utah And Mexico, Bernardo Villar

Theses and Dissertations

Bullying is a serious issue that exists not only in the United States but in other countries as well. There are significant, and often devastating, implications for both the bully and the victim. This research focused on the perspectives of teachers, principals, and counselors related to bullying in two elementary schools in Utah and Mexico. Through semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions and archival records, this qualitative study explored different perspectives on bullying found in two schools exhibiting approximately the same student and teacher demographics. Interviews with teachers, counselors and principals allowed for comparison of differences and similarities between both locations. …

The Leadership Role In Transitioning An Urban Secondary School From A Traditional Service Delivery Model To A Co-Teaching Service Delivery Model For Students With Disabilities: A Phenomenological Case Study, Ginni Elizabeth Mcdonald

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research studies the leadership role in transitioning from a traditional service delivery model to a co-teaching service delivery model for students with disabilities. While there is an abundant amount of information on the service delivery model of co-teaching, sustaining co-teaching programs, and effective co-teaching programs for students with disabilities, the actual studies for the leadership role in transitioning to co-teaching are fewer. This phenomenological case study explores the leadership role in effectively transitioning an urban high school from a traditional service delivery of special education services to a larger continuum of services, specifically co-teaching for students with disabilities. Participants …

The Experiences Of Young African American Women Principals, Tanya Roane

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was designed to gain an understanding of how young African American women principals experience the principalship. Three research questions were explored in this study: (a.) What are the pathways to the principalship for young African American women? (b.) How do African American women experience the principalship? (c.) What are the barriers that young African American women experience and what are their strategies for success? The researcher examined the day-to-day experiences faced by these women as they related to race, gender, and age challenges within the field of education. Using qualitative research with Black Feminist Standpoint …

The Perceptions Of Urban School Principles Regarding The Education Of Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Jean-Dominique Herve Anoh

Educational Studies Dissertations

This research investigated the perceptions and attitudes of principals and headmasters about the inclusion of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), the factors supporting or inhibiting school leaders in their effort to implement inclusive practices, and the approaches they use to initiate, facilitate, support and sustain the inclusion of students with EBD. Grounded in a mixed-method research, this investigator surveyed 71 school leaders and interviewed five of them. Descriptive and correlational findings supported by qualitative results reveal that principals and headmasters exhibit positive attitudes toward the inclusion of students with EBD. Overwhelmingly, attitudinal predictive variables such as school characteristics …

Perceptions Of The Catholic Secondary School Presidents And Principals Of Six Dioceses In Northern California Regarding Their Faith Leadership Practices And Preparations, Michael Daniels

Doctoral Dissertations

The responsibilities of Catholic secondary school leaders are multifaceted, and their roles demand essential skills and preparation to ensure success. In addition to performing a myriad of administrative duties, Catholic secondary school presidents and principals are called to exercise "faith leadership" within their schools. Faith leadership is a distinctive aspect of Catholic school administration and one that the Catholic Church has historically acknowledged as paramount to its mission. Faith leadership in this study is defined as exercising the competencies and practices related to faith development, community building, moral formation, and mission advancement.

The importance of faith leadership to the mission …