Abstract
Rural school principals often face issues of professional isolation and lack of access to leadership development opportunities. To address these challenges, the Elgin Children’s Foundation launched its Principal Support Program (PSP) in 2017 to support the development of effective school leaders in three states with high rural student populations in the Appalachian region. The PSP posited four components as essential for principal development: professional development, networking, mentoring, and learning plans. The aim of this qualitative study was to determine what PSP participants believed to be the most effective in terms of principal development. Results indicate that because of PSP training, rural principals grew from managers to instructional leaders and changed their mindsets and practices regarding shared leadership. Principals believed that they benefited most from the networking and coaching that the PSP provided. Future professional development for rural principals should consider a focus on opportunities to learn with and through others.
Highlights
Rural school principals often face issues of professional isolation and lack of access to leadership development opportunities, when compared to principals from larger school districts
The Elgin Children’s Foundation founded the Principal Support Program (PSP) in 2017 to leverage their impact in the Appalachian region, and it was developed in partnership with the Kentucky Education Co-op with the goal of supporting principals in becoming effective school leaders
Informal interviews with PSP coaches and a review of PSP agendas revealed that professional development focused on principal mindsets and practices related to school culture and climate, instructional leadership, and organizational
Summary
Rural school principals often face issues of professional isolation and lack of access to leadership development opportunities, when compared to principals from larger school districts To address these challenges, the Elgin Children’s Foundation launched its Principal Support Program (PSP) in 2017 to support the development of effective school leaders in three states with high rural student populations in the Appalachian region. To structure the programming offered, Elgin leadership predicted that four components would be essential for principal development (i.e., professional development, networking, mentoring, and learning plans) that are described below. Informal interviews with PSP coaches and a review of PSP agendas revealed that professional development focused on principal mindsets and practices related to school culture and climate, instructional leadership, and organizational. Principals participated in a variety of learning activities, including hearing from guest speakers, discussing books, reflecting on their practices, and learning from others during informal conversations
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
