More research is needed to refine what is known about specific sets of skills that are needed to transform low-performing schools. This study examined the perspectives of principals and faculty members regarding the principal behaviors associated with rapid student achievement growth in low-performing schools. The findings disclosed the…

Building upon the prior development of a model of turnaround principal competencies, we investigated the extent to which the identified principal competencies correlate with student achievement. Participants met rigorous selection criteria for having effectively turned around their schools during their first 2 years as principal. We conducted…

Purpose: What do principals look for when hiring teachers? The purpose of this paper is to extend the knowledge concerning what aspects of teacher quality are in demand among the individuals who administer schools and make hiring decisions. Design/methodology/approach: Rather than employing interviews or surveys, the authors utilized a conjoint…

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of Invitational Leadership behaviors on school teacher satisfaction, teacher perceptions of the school principal's performance, and to identify if there was a difference between the levels of inviting behaviors of principals at high-achieving and low-achieving rural schools in North Carolina. The…

Studies suggest that between one-fourth and one-third of localities elect their leaders on partisan ballots. Does the presence of a party label on the ballot affect the level of partisanship in local office? I leverage the fact that within select states, school boards vary as to whether their members are elected on partisan or nonpartisan ballots.…

In North Carolina, charter schools that serve whites and non-economically disadvantaged students have doubled in the last fourteen years, whereas schools that serve economically disadvantaged students have closed at higher rates (Ladd, Clotfelter, & Holbein, 2015). Stories of school leadership that successfully promotes equity and excellence…

When Chiquita Brands considered relocating its corporate headquarters, competing cities started Twitter campaigns to influence the decision by communicating directly with the chief executive officer. As he used the new microblogging channel, some of his previously private communication became public, some personal communication became…

This dissertation was designed to investigate the causes behind teacher turnover and the connection between principal behavior, teacher working conditions, and rates of teacher turnover. In particular, this study examined behaviors that teachers in three North Carolina middle schools felt their principals displayed that helped encourage them to…

This study was designed to investigate whether significant differences exist among the perceptions of leadership behaviors of female principals in North Carolina using Bolman and Deal's (1984) four frames (structural, human resource, political, and symbolic) for analysis. Participants consisted of 1,245 female principals from elementary,middle,…

Uses two sets of survey data from random sample of North Carolina school principals to investigate principals reported behavioral responses to the state's accountability and incentive program. Finds that the state's ABC program is a powerful tool for changing the behavior of school principals in both intended and unintended ways. (Contains 2…

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant difference between teachers' perceptions of principals' use of consideration and initiating structure and elementary school student achievement as measured by academic growth according to the results of North Carolina End of Grade tests for reading and math during the school…

When each new school year begins, young teachers arrive anxious they have not had adequate training to implement new instructional programs. Seasoned teachers are irritated they must adapt their teaching style yet again to meet administrators' expectations, and many administrators are daunted by the responsibility of motivating staff members,…

This report describes a study of the factors that contributed to decisions by women to abandon their careers as school leaders. The purpose of the study was to extend analysis of socialization factors, particularly when they persuade school leaders to reconsider their careers in education. The study followed 25 women who completed the masters of…