This study aimed to deepen the understanding of ombuds (i.e., ombudsman, ombudsperson) who practice in higher education settings by exploring what ombuds consider the critical competencies to fulfill a variety of professional functions, how ombuds acquired those competencies, and how ombuds are assessed and self-assess. The purpose of this…

In this qualitative study, the researcher investigated and described the specific leadership practices employed by elementary principals in Texas to initiate school improvement in campuses designated as needing targeted support, additional targeted support, or comprehensive support and improvement by the Texas Education Agency (2023a). The…

Purpose: In the last 13 years, schools across the country spent a significant amount of time, money, and energy transitioning to the Common Core State Standards. States have also adopted high stakes accountability systems to track the achievement and growth of students. Despite these efforts, most schools are demonstrating only modest growth in…

Despite government interest in expanding charter schools within Virginia, very little is known about how these charter schools are led (Balow, 2022; Lehnen, 2016; Tyler, 2022; Youngkin, 2022). Research supports that leadership is a significant influence on the success of a school and, therefore, a critical component to understanding how to create…

Nonprofit organization Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) bring their unique experiences to their executive positions but are often unprepared for new responsibilities and challenges, which require a broad skill set. The problem identified was the gap in professional development in unexpected and acute areas. This study aimed to explore the…

This qualitative case study explored K-8 principals' perception of the contribution of job-embedded professional learning on skills and efficacy in instructional leadership, guided by Experiential Learning and Self-Efficacy Theory. The study addressed two research questions: the first explored how principals perceived the contribution of…

American schools are complex organizations responsible for the teaching and learning of students. Leading these dynamic institutions is the school principal and the influence of the principal is a leading factor in school outcomes and student achievement measures (Grissom et al., 2021). Thus, the principal is essential for school and student…

The quality of leadership is paramount in every learning community. The character of school leaders and their unique styles of leadership sets the tone in their respective educational environment. Teachers and support staff possess professional skills of their own. However, leadership is necessary because they establish a standard by setting…

Principals can have a positive impact on student achievement by employing specific actions targeted at improving teaching and learning. District offices can have a positive impact by helping principals develop and grow as leaders, but how and under what conditions? While growth and development are entwined with relationships, little is understood…

The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between principal self-efficacy, principal experience, and pandemic rebound rates to better understand the attributes of school principals who are leading schools at different rates of rebounding following the global pandemic in Oregon. In the 2022-2023 school year ODE used the calculation of…

Principals matter a great deal in establishing a culture of excellence in schools. It has been known that an "ineffective" principal can create significant problems that impede teachers from carrying out their tasks and poor leadership may eventually affect academic excellence in students. A leader who does not have the skill sets to…

Perceived self-efficacy is an important aspect that educational leaders must possess to be successful in the public-school setting. Constant changes in legislation require principals to have high levels of self-efficacy to perform their duties as administrators. Principal preparedness programs have failed to completely prepare candidates to be…

This study aimed to add to the limited research on principal self-efficacy in special education leadership and examine the link between principal preparation programs and special education leadership self-efficacy. The study further sought to examine how self-efficacy beliefs may influence principals' engagement in special education leadership…

This research draws upon a qualitative intrinsic case study methodology to gather perceptions of 15 school leaders in the province of Alberta, Canada, around social and emotional competencies in relation to their own leadership, school culture, and student learning. The premise behind this study is that school leaders who are socially and…

This dissertation examines the relationship between principals' leadership style: transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire; and chronic teacher absenteeism in schools. Through a mixed-methods approach and a parallel convergent design, this study integrated quantitative data from teacher attendance records with qualitative insights from…