This dissertation advocates for improved succession planning in educational leadership, particularly in the public sector, where it often receives insufficient attention. It proposes a robust leadership pipeline program within school districts to enhance the capacity of aspiring assistant principals by providing hands-on experiences, mentorship…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore assistant principals' leadership readiness levels and the relationship between a district-provided administrator development program (ADP) and those levels. The study took place in Lovely Independent School District, which is in southeast Texas. Research questions focused on perceptions of…

The purpose of this dissertation-in-practice was to explore the dimensions of support for assistant principals in one southeast Texas mid-sized suburban public school district in conjunction with improving the overall efficacy of campus leaders while also bolstering the organizational leadership pipeline. Sixteen current or former assistant…

I designed this study to explore elementary assistant principals' perspectives of their roles as instructional leaders while fulfilling other administrative duties typically associated with the assistant principal position. I aimed to build on existing research on the role of contemporary elementary assistant principals as instructional leaders.…

This paper describes a participatory action research project that was delivered on Saturday mornings to vice-principals (VPs) in two Anglophone school districts in the province of New Brunswick, Canada, in 2022 and 2023. The project was set up as an invitational five-part seminar series that was grounded in educational theory and leadership…

Assistant principals typically begin their careers as teachers and transition to the role of assistant principal after completing a certification program that characteristically focuses on the principalship. Once they move into the role of assistant principal, many feel unprepared as the job responsibilities, assigned by the principal, usually…

Many school districts in the United States struggle to retain assistant principals (APs), thus losing the opportunity to prepare and promote quality internal candidates for the principalship. The purpose of the critical participatory action research study was to add to the limited research on AP experiences and how to support their professional…

School leaders, specifically principals, play a pivotal role in shaping student learning outcomes. The benefits of strong leaders extend beyond academic achievement, such as reductions in absenteeism and exclusionary discipline. While quality principals are critical for creating and sustaining quality schools, the staffing pipeline is facing…

The purpose of this case is to illuminate the nuances of one of the most important roles on a school campus--the role of the assistant principal; with a focus on Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) women assistant principals. This case is for educational leaders interested in understanding the power dynamics between an assistant principal…

This report presents a multi-case qualitative research study on how to support teacher professional learning and development of their digital competence, through a self-reflection process using SELFIEforTEACHERS (SfT). The study investigated how SfT can be used in different settings and what factors, enablers and barriers affect its effective…

This case study explored the impacts of school shootings on K-12 school principals. Eleven school principals and assistant principals from rural, suburban, and urban areas in all regions of the United States were interviewed. The study answered two research questions: What impact do school shootings have on school principals? and What do…

School leadership has progressed from a principal-led position to a dual-leader position with assistant principals. Assistant principals have stepped into instructional leadership roles and have been identified as overseeing special education (Best, 2016; Gaston, 2005; Walton, 2008). Despite studies determining that assistant principals are…

This critical ethnographic case study explores the impact of Performance-Based Assessment Tasks (PBATs) on high school dynamics and instructional practices, particularly in schools serving immigrant communities. PBATs, considered alternatives to standardized testing, have shown promise in enhancing student engagement, critical thinking, and…