Principal Preparation Programs Research Articles

An Examination of Educational Leadership Preparation in Ontario: Are Principals Prepared to Lead Equitably?

<p>In response to the changing demographics of schools in Canada and efforts to better equip principals to challenging inequity, leadership preparation programs have adopted new policies focused more on leading with an equity lens. However, studies have demonstrated a disconnect between what is covered in these leadership programs and how school principals actually perceive their ability to lead equitably and work with diverse learners. Six current school principals and vice principals in Ontario, Canada who have successfully completed a Principal Qualification Program (PQP) course were interviewed to understand their perceptions on the program’s ability to prepare them to lead, and their perceptions on concepts of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). The racial experiences and identities of each participant shaped their definitions of EDI, as well as their understandings of difference. Study findings indicate several critical areas of change for principal preparation programs in Ontario: training guidelines, efforts to prepare educators to be equitable leaders, and the educators’ perceptions on their preparedness to lead. Utilization of Critical Race Theory in Education and Applied Critical Leadership additionally help frame analysis and support the need to integrate culturally relevant pedagogical practice into leadership preparation programs.</p>

The Mediating Effects of Generational Affiliation to The Influence of Principals’ Digital Leadership on Teachers’ Technological Self-Efficacy

New technology developments are rapidly altering the teaching and learning environment. Schools require leaders who can assist the transformation process and promote a digital culture of learning. As a result, this study aims to determine the influence of the respondents’ perceived digital leadership of principals on their technological self-efficacy when mediated by generational affiliation among private schools in Quezon province. Two instruments were used in this study: The principals’ Digital Leadership questionnaire, which is based on the International Society for Technology Education (ISTE) standard for Education Leaders (2022) was administered to school principals/heads, while Teachers’ Technological Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, which is based on the ISTE standard for Educators (2022) was administered to teachers. Descriptive and Inferential analysis was carried out using SPSS. The findings showed that the respondents significantly demonstrated generational work-related orientation, digital leadership, and technological self-efficacy. Furthermore, when respondents were categorized by generational affiliation, there were no significant differences in their work-related orientation, digital leadership, and technological self-efficacy. On the other hand, there was a significant influence of the principals’ digital leadership on teachers’ technological self-efficacy. Moreover, the respondents' generational affiliation/work-related orientation mediates the direct influence of Principals’ Digital Leadership on the Teachers’ Technological Self-efficacy. Principal preparation programs and teacher training programs may include technology-based leadership to improve technology integration in classrooms. It is advised that further studies be conducted on digital leadership and technical self-efficacy for administrators and teachers.

Lessons Learned: Considerations for Enhancing Principal Preparation Programs with Inclusive Special Education Practices

Lessons Learned: Considerations for Enhancing Principal Preparation Programs with Inclusive Special Education Practices

“It Wasn’t Just in My Head”: A Qualitative Study on Nurturing the Racial Literacy of Mexican American Aspiring School Leaders in South Texas

This qualitative study centers on interview data from ten Mexican American aspiring school leaders as they developed their racial literacy across two sociocultural foundations courses in a principal preparation program at a Hispanic Serving Institution in South Texas. The theoretical perspectives framing this study include notions of racial literacy and the subtractive schooling of Mexican school children in the United States. Findings illustrate how coursework strengthened Mexican American participants’ racial literacy in several ways. The discussion elaborates on racial literacy from theory to practice and the contextual elements that promote anti-racial literacy in P-20 settings in South Texas.

A Comparison of the Internship Experiences of Aspiring School Leaders in a Principal Residency and Traditional Principal Preparation Program in Texas

The principal internship is a crucial component of principal preparation programs (PPP) in the U.S. and, increasingly, in other countries. The purpose of this study was to compare the experiences and work of principal candidates enrolled in one principal residency program (PRP) to candidates enrolled in a traditional principal preparation program at the same university. Using an embedded case study design, we collected survey, log, and interview data from interns enrolled in two different programs at one university across two semesters. We analyzed the quantitative data using descriptive statistics and iterative rounds of coding to analyze the interview and log data. Our findings suggest that the interns in both groups had a wide variety of authentic leadership experiences but that the residents had higher levels of engagement than did the traditional interns. Our findings add to our understanding of the depth and quality of interns’ leadership experiences and how program structures may shape those experiences. We conclude with recommendations for principal preparation programs.

“I had no knowledge of this”: disrupting majoritarian narratives regarding Mexican American K12 students and employing documentary film in the preparation of equity-oriented school leaders

ABSTRACT This qualitative study examines the experiences of primarily Latinx and Black aspirant school leaders in a social-justice oriented principal preparation program situated within a Hispanic Serving Institution in South Texas. Through the usage of weekly journal reflections and semi-structured interviews, this action research study employs Critical Race Theory, critical race heuristics, majoritarian narratives, and counter-stories as theoretical lenses to map the perspectives of aspiring school leaders as they view the film Stolen Education a documentary highlighting the historical injustices Mexican American K12 students endured in South Texas. Findings from this research highlight the erasure of Latinx history from K12 history books; the role of linguistic genocide in the film and in participants’ family histories; and the linkages between past and present injustices for Latinx pupils in K12 schools. The authors provide a discussion and implications on preparing school leaders given a growing conservative movement to squelch social justice issues from P20 education.

International Student Perceptions of an American Educational Leadership Program: A Look at Students Residing in Qatar and Their Quest to Receive an Advanced Degree from an American University

Transnational Higher Education has become more prevalent and an option that many international students seek. International students choose online education through United States universities for a plethora of reasons including the perceived high quality of US universities, the flexible modality of online education, and the associated reduced costs. This study seeks to examine the perceptions and experiences of international students residing in Qatar as they progress through a United States university’s online (hybrid of synchronous and asynchronous) master’s degree principal preparation program in Educational Leadership. This phenomenological qualitative study surveys international student candidates at the completion of the program to ascertain their experiences of receiving an advanced degree from a university in the United States. The candidates represent a variety of countries, yet work as teachers in various types of schools in Qatar. This study should add to the growing research of transnational education and help to provide a better understanding of international student insights.

The Geography of Principal Internships in North Carolina

Principal preparation programs play an important role in developing future school leaders’ skills and practices. Internships, or structured opportunities for future leaders to engage in the work of school leadership in hands-on, authentic ways, are among the most essential components of principal preparation. Using longitudinal data from 12 programs in North Carolina, this study extends research on internships by examining the pathways of interns from prior- to post-internship employment. We find that internships are highly localized around interns’ prior- and post-employment schools but not their preparation program, with wide variability in placements between programs. Interns’ demographics do not play a large role in shaping the geography of internship placements. However, we find that preparation program type is strongly related to the geography of internship placements, suggesting that differences in program structure may shape internship placements. We conclude by highlighting the limitations and discussing implications for future research.

Structures for continuous improvement in principal preparation

The requisite knowledge and skills of principals are in a constant state of flux. Principal preparation programs need to proactively create systems and structures for continuous improvement and create pathways for information-sharing in order to remain responsive to the needs of local districts. James Coviello, Joan I. Birringer-Haig, and Katherine C. Aquino share how their university has created structures for continual improvement that principal preparation programs can use to in ensure leaders are prepared to face the dynamic tempo of change.

Impact of Leadership Practices of Principals and Teachers on Classroom Management and School Environment Towards an Institutional Leadership Training Program

School leaders can facilitate the development of students’ educational competence to face challenges. Farr (2011) asserted that when school leadership is strategically examined, factors such as classroom management; school environment (i.e., internal and external to the school); and academic performance emerge. School leadership practices (i.e., those of principals and teachers) can change the academic trajectory of a school. Danielson (2010) emphasized that change itself comes from the collective efforts of teachers, schools, and communities. The school is an organization of learning and knowledge development within the community. School performance centers on academic achievement, and teachers are the core component of such achievement. School leadership assists in managing and shaping the flow of cultural information to support students’ academic progress. Good leadership may help children learn by encouraging them and boosting teacher participation and coordination. The study examines how school leadership approaches affect classroom management, school climate, and student achievement. The key results of this study will help principals/School Heads and teachers to develop and improve leadership skills and practices. A proposed training program was also crafted to help principals/administrators and teachers to enhance the classroom management, school environment, and academic performance of the students. In an era of higher standards and greater accountability, it is critical that schools have leaders who are prepared to do everything necessary to improve teaching and learning. Done right, principal preparation programs can help states put a quality principal in every school who knows how to lead changes in school and classroom practices that result in higher student achievement.

Pre-Service Principals in a Principal Preparation Program: Leadership Practices as a Response to COVID-19

The COVID 19 pandemic affected individuals and institutions globally, especially schools. As schools temporarily closed, teachers and administrators worked to develop innovative solutions to the problems generated by the crisis. In this qualitative case study, we examined the impact of leadership practices and responses to the COVID 19 pandemic as perceived by the pre-service principals who were enrolled in a university principal preparation program. Forty-four pre-service principals participated in an open-ended survey to identify leadership practices during the pandemic. Pre-service principals, in the findings, identified five main practices they experienced to overcome the pandemic’s challenges: (a) distributing meals for students and their families; (b) issuing learning materials and devices; (c) coordinating online instructions; (d) assisting leadership teams; and (e) leading professional development sessions to integrate the school teams’ experiences. The research team expects that these findings could assist decision makers in creating new leadership strategies to respond to the natural crisis that society is experiencing.

How are Principal Preparation Programs Preparing Leaders for Family and Community Engagement?

This qualitative content analysis of course descriptions and syllabi examines how family and community engagement are addressed in principal preparation programs. Relying on a conceptual framework that centers four areas of practice, the analysis determined only half of programs had a substantial focus on families and communities. Many programs that did address FCE relied on outdated literature and standards or lacked authentic skill-development experiences to prepare school leaders for collaboration with family and community members. The results suggest many aspiring principals are leaving educational leadership programs ill-equipped to lead more democratic approaches to schooling and unaware that such models exist.

PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR ACADEMIC TRAINING FOR THE HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS OF THEIR ROLE

The principal manages many employees, including teachers and other certified staff. Therefore, they need to receive specialized training toward this end. Unfortunately, previous research has shown that many principals do not receive this training and education. This study explores principals perceptions of the academic training they received. Specifically, the study examines their thoughts and opinions regarding how well they were trained for their roles human capital management functions. This study utilized a mixed-method survey research design to obtain information from a sample of PK-12 school principals. The researchers employed a 25-item online questionnaire to assess the principals perceptions of the principal preparation programs they participated in before initiating their principalship. This questionnaire included open- and close-ended questions to evaluate their perceptions and thoughts. One-Way ANOVA was used to analyze Likert-style data and explore the perceptions of completing a human resource capital management course. A thematic qualitative analysis was also used to identify and analyze themes within qualitative data. The findings revealed that respondents shared the same desire to complete a human capital management course, principals with varying degrees of experience perceived their masters degree in educational leadership as preparing them for the post of principal in the same way, and principals must believe they have the relevant knowledge and skillsto help them perceive that they are operating as efficient and effective human capital managers.

Navigating Policy and Local Context in Times of Crisis: District and School Leader Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Purpose: To examine how federal/state-level policy guidance and local context have influenced district and school leader responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as how these external/internal factors might provide a window into K-12 crisis leadership and policy sensemaking more broadly. Research: Investigating two districts over two years (2020-2022), data gathered include 39 hours of interviews with K-12 leaders (n = 41) and teachers (n = 18), federal/state-level policy documents (N = 64) governing these districts, and school staff responses to the Comprehensive Assessment of Leaders for Learning survey (N = 111). Drawing theoretically upon sensemaking, crisis leadership/management, law/policy implementation, and organizational theory, these data were analyzed using both inductive and deductive coding over several phases. Findings: In tracing the confluence of federal/state-level guidance and local capacities, we find both influenced K-12 leaders' sensemaking and subsequent responses to COVID-19. However, districts that possessed adequate expertise and organizational resources were better positioned to respond to the crisis, whereas those lacking such capacities experienced increased anxiety/stress. Conclusion: We argue that the COVID-19 pandemic provides a new window into the critical external/internal factors influencing K-12 leader sensemaking and subsequent responses to crises more broadly. We also discuss the potential role intermediate service agencies might play in the development of a stronger crisis response infrastructure for associated districts and schools. Finally, we point out how principal preparation programs and professional development efforts could prospectively address such crisis-related challenges faced by K-12 leaders.

School principals’ emotionally draining situations and student discipline issues in the context of work intensification

Over the past decade, research into principals’ work intensification has revealed that principals spend significant work hours on student discipline and attendance issues, and that they report high levels of emotionally draining situations. In the current study, we examined the relationship between student discipline issues and principals’ emotionally draining situations to determine if variables related to student discipline issues affected principals’ experiences of emotionally draining situations. Using a correlational research design with hierarchical regression, we analysed data from a digital survey of school principals in Ontario, Canada. A total of 1434 surveys were included in the final analysis, with respondents from elementary, high-school and combined schools. Results showed a correlation between student discipline and attendance issues and principals’ experiences of emotionally draining situations, while also showing that student discipline and student and parent mental health were strong predictors of principals’ experiences of emotionally draining situations. These findings have important implications in supporting principals: These insights can inform principal preparation programmes by showing the need for increased training on identifying and treating emotionally draining situations. Insights may also encourage policymakers to review student discipline and student/parent mental health policies in light of the revelation of their impact on principals’ work.

Backtalk: What principals need to know to respond to a crisis

Principals face unexpected crises, big and small, regularly. Yet, as the COVID-19 pandemic illustrated, they aren’t always prepared for them when they come. Mario Jackson describes some of the challenges principals faced during the pandemic and the specific attributes that helped them manage. Specifically, equity-oriented leadership, crisis communication, and emotional intelligence skills were crucial to leaders during the pandemic. These skills can be beneficial in a variety of crises, and Jackson suggests that principal preparation programs help leaders grow in these areas.

Using Leadership Coaching to Strengthen the Developmental Opportunity of the Clinical Experience for Aspiring Principals: The Importance of Brokering and Third-Party Influence

Purpose: To identify key issues that university-based leadership coaches act upon in work to fortify the developmental opportunity of the clinical experience for aspiring principals, and how leadership coaches act upon these issues. Research: Data include roughly 75 hours of interviews with two cohorts of aspiring principals and 25 hours of interviews with the five leadership coaches assigned to these aspirants ( N = 25). Drawing theoretically upon brokering and social networks brokerage, analysis of transcripts used both deductive and inductive coding. Findings: We identified five key issues acted upon by leadership coaches, including: (a) relational issues between the aspirant and the mentor; (b) insufficient time between the aspirant and the mentor; (c) aspirant identification of and engagement with clinical work of developmental importance; (d) aspirant access to and/or authority for clinical work; and (e) the developmental supports provided to aspirants by mentors. Drawing upon theories of brokering, social networks brokerage, and third-party influence as we examined how coaches acted upon aspirant issues, we found that coaches regularly worked as brokers and third-party influencers in these pursuits. The structuring and design of coaching as well as coaching tools proved vital to this work. Conclusion: Leadership coaches tethered to principal preparation programs can play an important role in fortifying the developmental opportunity of the clinical experience. Our findings suggest an assortment of implications for leadership preparation, the deployment and design of university-based leadership coaches, and the development of such coaches tied to principal preparation.

Leader Developers: Perspectives of Mentor Principals in an Administrator Preparation Program

Principal preparation programs use various components to develop candidates, including course work, core assessments, and field-based internships or practicums. The internship represents an exceptionally high leverage learning opportunity (Lochmiller, 2014). The success of the internship depends highly on the abilities of a mentor via informal instructional supervision. Mette (2020) explains that supervision has a potential transformational quality. This study explores mentorships in a university principal preparation program through the mentor’s perspective. We interviewed a sample of mentors nominated as effective by peer and program informants. We learned that mentors were deliberate in developing three specific skills -- metacognitive ability, developmental efficacy, and learning-oriented goal setting. Mentor principals described these three elements as paramount to master before becoming a principal. We discuss implications for principal preparation programs to use mentors as informal instructional supervisors and develop highly effective school principals.

Impacting Student Achievement: Principals’ Instructional Leadership Practice in Two Title I Rural Schools

The purpose of this paper is to examine principals’ instructional actions in rural, high-poverty schools and the perceived impact on student achievement. For this qualitative case study, research questions were: What principals’ instructional leadership practices are being demonstrated in rural, high-poverty schools based on the literature and findings? How do these practices impact academic achievement in rural Title 1 schools, as reported by principals, assistant principals (AP), instructional coaches, and teachers? To examine principalship impact on schoolwide student achievement in rural, low-income contexts, an elementary (grades K–5) and middle (grades 6–8) Title I school were enlisted. Following a demographic survey, perspectives on principalship influence were shared via Zoom by 13 participants from the schools: 2 principals, 1 AP, and 2 instructional coaches were interviewed one-on-one, and 8 teachers in focus groups. Principalship practices were analyzed based on perceived influence on student learning outcomes. Seven findings revealed impactful principal practices that align with extant research. The evidence-based strategies that promote instructional leadership and the desired effect on achievement in low-income, rural schools can improve learning outcomes and build capacity for success schoolwide. Stakeholder data indicated direct impact of the principals’ practices on student achievement, which furthers the capacity of principals to make more of a difference on learning. This investigation contributes to knowledge, empowers principals within rural areas to lead in poverty conditions, and concerns the work of schools and principal preparation programs. Vulnerable students gaining from the very best principals and their teams have to offer is a takeaway.

Exploring the Accountability Relationships of Turkish School Principals: A Qualitative Study

In developed countries, accountability mechanisms, external control and standardized testing to increase student academic achievement have fundamentally influenced school principals and their management styles. On the other hand, much is unknown about the Turkish principals’ experiences in their accountability environment. This is significant because accountability relationships might be even destructive for principals and the school learning environment despite the intended formative and supportive purposes. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the accountability relationships of Turkish K12 school principals. The data of seventeen purposefully-sampled Turkish school principals were collected through in-depth phenomenological interviews. Data analysis yielded five major themes with supporting sub-themes: bureaucratic accountability environment, market accountability environment, professional accountability environment, accountability intensity, and accountability impacts on principals, teachers, schools, students and parents. Knowing the nature of context-dependent accountability environments can help principals adopt new roles and help policymakers improve their ill-natured accountability relationships, principal preparation and development programs.