The teacher shortage will be a major hurdle for school leaders over the next several years with declining enrollments in teacher preparatory programs and many teachers changing professions in their first five years. The "2021 Illinois Educator Shortage Survey," authored by Shereen Oca Beilstein and Tom Withee, and sponsored by several…

In a time in which teacher recruitment and retention play such a vital role in reducing the teacher shortage, principals need to be cognizant of their leadership style and the potential impact it can have on not only teachers, but on the school climate as well. Within this study, I explored the relationship between leadership style and school…

Leading school communities during the pandemic impacted elementary and middle school principals and brought about reflection of their leadership practices. School principals were forced to reassess leadership priorities like those set forth by the National Policy Board for Educational Administration (NPBEA) in 2015. This study looks at information…

This correlational study analyzed the data from surveys administered to current Illinois superintendents. Two-way MANOVAs were used to identify if there was a statistically significant relationship between the nine factors of Transformational and Transactional leadership styles as measured by the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) and…

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between specific leadership behaviors and student achievement in Illinois high schools excluding those within the Chicago Public School System. The leadership behaviors examined in this study include setting direction, developing people, redesigning the organization, and improving the…

The quantitative study examined the connection between principal leadership practices and the morale of elementary, middle, and high school teachers in rural Southern Illinois. These rural districts serve students in grades Pre-K through twelve. This cross-sectional survey design identifies the most prevalent practices in the study's population…

As schools struggle with student achievement outcomes and school designations, the school improvement process has become a central aspect of leadership and planning for school principals as they work to ensure that every child has an opportunity to succeed. Previous researchers have indicated that culture influences everything that occurs in…

In recent years, much emphasis has been placed on student outcomes on high stakes summative assessments. This call for accountability has forced educators to look critically at themselves and their schools to determine what they can do to improve the outcomes (Suber, 2011). Generally, in the United States, schools with high percentages of poor…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify the perceived self-leadership capacity and behaviors of K-5 principals in the state of Illinois and to establish whether or not there was a correlation between principal self-leadership and student achievement. In order to achieve this overall objective, the following research questions framed…

This quantitative, correlational study examined the technology leadership skills of principals within the state of Illinois based upon demographic, grade-level, and cross categorical tabulations to determine technology domain competency. Data was collected using the TELECOM-EDAD scale, which was distributed through an electronic survey. Over 4,000…

As the Millennial generation (individuals born 1982-2004) of leaders emerge in the educational setting, it is important to consider how these individuals may lead or work alongside a more veteran generation of teachers and administrators. While most of the evidence on leadership focuses on the characteristics of Baby Boomer and Generation X…

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the professional development training provided by the National Institute for School Leadership (NISL) on leadership behavior in schools. In order to achieve this overall objective, the following research questions framed this mixed methods study: 1. To what degree did the National Institute…

The purpose of this study was to examine female school superintendents and their leadership practices. Particular attention is given to their leadership practices, professional development, mentoring, and barriers. The conceptual framework for this research study was based on the transformational leadership model. According to Bass and Avolio, the…

Twenty-first century principals have multiple roles as leaders of public K-12 schools. Since school reform of the 1980s, principals are expected to be school managers and instructional leaders along with understanding and knowing policies, rules, and practices of the organization. Research has shown that effective leadership is necessary to lead…

This research examined the relationship between Illinois Directors, of special education leadership styles and the importance of the Illinois mandated standards for Director of special education. It extends the current research in educational leadership by specifically exploring the relationship between the importance of special education…