Purpose: This study addressed a gap in the literature to clearly describe or identify effective models of new principal mentorship. Little research has been conducted examining the role that new principal mentorship can play in the development of TK-12 principal leadership skills. Theoretical Framework: Kram's mentor role theory provided a lens…

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…

In the current K-12 educational system, there is a lack of mentoring programs for novice principals, and as a result, a substantial number of principals are not well prepared to do the complicated job of a principal. The nation's report card shows how United States students have regressed in reading and math and which states experienced the most…

In spring 2024, the authors surveyed 156 American School District Panel member districts about principal pipeline activities across seven domains -- leader standards, principal preparation, selective hiring and placement, on-the-job support and evaluation, principal supervision, leader tracking systems, and systems of support -- to estimate the…

The purpose of this study was to examine if a relationship existed between the self-efficacy and grit of selected principals; the differences in self-efficacy and grit among the principals who did and did not participate in a principal development program; and the differences in self-efficacy, grit, and persistence in the job role of the selected…

The problem addressed by this study was that new school administrators are not prepared to lead special education programs. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore new school administrators' perceptions of their preparation and knowledge in leading special education programs in a kindergarten through 12th grade school setting.…

Educational leadership, including special education leadership, could benefit from learning sciences and advanced technologies used in other fields (e.g., psychology, medicine). Despite over 30 years of research, leadership preparation is not yet incorporating critical knowledge from the learning sciences to understand the expert versus novice…

The study examines factors that boost principals' sense of resilience in their first year, as well as those that undermine it. 61 interviews were conducted with 21 school principals from five different districts throughout their first year in the role. Analysis revealed five categories of resilience-undermining factors. (1) Work overload that…

The purpose of this article is to explore novice principals' attempts to make sense of their new organisational roles, challenges and discrepancies. To frame our work, we focused on new comer sense-making perspective of job socialisation. Sense-making is a relevant conceptual perspective through which novice principals come to discover, interpret…

New vice-principals (VPs) inevitably experience high levels of uncertainty when assuming the position, and undergo a process of socialisation, involving engaging with both professional and relational sources of support in schools, to adjust to their changing role. Drawing on socialisation theories, this exploratory study proposes that novice VPs…

The purpose of this research was to examine the role of a mentoring program on the professional growth of novice urban K-12 administrators. This research provided an opportunity for urban K-12 administrators to discuss their experiences of day-to-day school and district level operations while participating in a mentoring program. Through the lens…

Mentoring is an established method of supporting principals as they begin their careers; however, early studies focus on how a veteran principal supports a novice principal in acquiring the skills to manage the school. As the role of a principal has evolved from a building manager to a leader of learning, the role of mentoring has also evolved.…

The American Rescue Plan Act has made funds available to states and districts to speed up recovery from the effects of COVID-19, including addressing learning loss. The Wallace Foundation has distilled evidence from its work that may be helpful in informing choices about how to spend those funds, as well as how to implement key strategies.…

Principals shape the academic setting of schools. Yet, there is limited evidence on whether principal professional development improves schooling outcomes. Beginning in 2008-09, Pennsylvania's Inspired Leadership (PIL) induction program required that newly hired principals complete targeted in-service professional development tied to newly…

Mentoring is one important construct to support novice principals in this time of change. This study investigates the impact of a district-developed handbook to support co-constructed mentoring practices and cultivate a learning culture within a suburban school district. The handbook offered a framework of interactive systems and tools for…