Principals are essential in any institution of learning. Great schools do not exist in the absence of a great principal, which demonstrates the importance of strong leadership. However, due to complexities and the demanding nature of their jobs, there has been an increasing deficiency in the supply of these professionals. Schools have recorded…

The purpose of this study was to understand the instructional leadership role development of new principals. The overarching research question that guided this study was: How do new principals transition into an instructional leadership role? Using a basic qualitative approach, 12 new principals participated in the study. Data collection included…

Although the assistant principal position has been the career path for aspiring principals, some researchers have claimed the position lacks adequacy as a training position. With limited research available, the purpose of this study was to explore the induction and acclimation experiences of newly assigned assistant principals. Following a…

This research study intended to discover the perceptions of 10 Illinois Generation Y novice high school principals pertaining to the effectiveness of their principal preparation programs in terms of how well it prepared them to lead in the first three years of their principalship, and what subsequent professional development they deemed necessary…

This qualitative study sought to identify current principal professional development practices in four school systems in Georgia and to examine them by applying the principles of adult learning theory. The cross-case analysis of principal professional development initiatives in four school districts revealed nine common practices: connecting…

Education policymakers at the national level have initiated reforms in K-12 education for that past several years that have focused on teacher quality and teacher evaluation. More recently, reforms have included legislation that focuses on administrator quality as well. Included in far-reaching recent legislation in Arizona is a requirement that…

Principals who are strong, effective, responsive leaders help to inspire and enhance the abilities of their teachers and other school staff to do excellent work. Such principals also tend to retain great teachers and create opportunities for them to take on new leadership roles. This leads to the following key question: What can state policymakers…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how district leaders of two school systems in the USA describe an effective principal. Membership categorisation analysis revealed that district leaders believed an effective principal had four major categories of characteristics: (1) documented characteristics (having a track record and being a…

There is growing awareness among educators and policymakers that effective school leaders are critical to school success and student achievement. Many studies illustrate the important benefits of effective school leadership for teachers, pointing to the significant influence on teacher satisfaction, development, and retention. This case study…

Purposively selected urban California superintendents and assistant superintendents participated in surveys and interviews which examined their views about the impact California university Tier I school leadership preparation programs have on overall preparedness for the position, effectiveness of job performance, longevity, transference of skills…

Principal retention is a national and international challenge (Clark, Martorell, & Rockoff, 2009; Stoelinga, Hart, & Schalliol, 2008; Partlow & Ridenour, 2008; Browne-Ferrigno, & Johnson-Fusarelli, 2005; Thomson & Blackmore, 2006; Weiss, 2005; Whittal, 2002; Walker & Qian, 2006). Fuller and Young (2010) found similar trends…

A principal can have the greatest effect on student achievement by improving the performance of the classroom teacher. School administrators may receive little instruction on how to supervise and manage teachers or improve their instruction in their university training, which can put a new administrator at a disadvantage when defining performance…

The purpose of this mixed-method design study is to evaluate how well the Maryland Task Force on the Principalship recommendations have been implemented throughout the state of Maryland. The study examines Maryland principal perceptions as to whether or not the Task Force recommendations have been implemented in their county school districts. The…

The purpose of this research study was to investigate the impact of principal participation in a leadership capacity building and support program on educational leaders' practice and the professional practice of teachers. The two examined principals participated in the Duncan Principal Coaching Initiative (DPCI), a comprehensive, research and…

The demands of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) increase each year, requiring all students to be proficient in mathematics by 2014. The county in this project study will not meet requirements of NCLB by 2014 if current trends continue. The guiding research question for this project study investigated the most effective way to meet the needs of all…