This study compared perceptions of principals and assistant principals to examine the skills and traits necessary for one to be successful as an assistant principal. Research on the role of the assistant principal is limited. Over the last several years there have been major reforms in education such as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 that constitute a re-examination of all roles in K-12 schools. An online survey was used to gather data from assistant principal and principals in the State of Mississippi.Overall, 9 out of the 10 variables are significant except problem solving in the second MANOVA which reports the results of the comparison of the first year assistant principals and principals. This variable showed no significant difference between assistant principals and principals in regards to problem solving with a significance of .239. In each of these variables assistant principals rated the skills as more important than principals. The results of this study suggest that school districts and state departments of education should consider providing more training for assistant principals and principals about instructional leadership.

Research has documented the need for school districts to recruit and retain qualified school leaders capable of navigating the organizational challenges for school improvement, particularly in high-poverty, low-achievement contexts. Recently, scholars have studied principal pipeline structures implemented by school districts to recruit and retain effective principals. A key finding of this research is that clearly-defined standards and performance criteria can inform school districts' strategic identification and development of individuals with the potential to become effective principals. Further research is needed to understand and define potential and readiness for the principalship in assistant principals, commonly the largest candidate group in a principal pipeline. I used a qualitative case study design to investigate veteran principals' perceptions about potential and readiness for the principalship in assistant principals. Six principals in one urban school in Texas were purposefully selected based on their experience with supporting, developing, and/or endorsing former assistant principals for promotion to the principalship while under their supervision. I collected data through questionnaires and in-depth interviews to understand this phenomenon through the informants' lived experience. I found that the principals view professional competence and personal dispositions as indicators of potential and readiness for the principalship. They believe an assistant principal's potential to perform as a principal is evident in the processes and products of their work, but they don't believe all high-potentials are necessarily ready to become principals. Shared leadership was instrumental to developing readiness for the principalship in their assistant principals, and developing capacity by building on strength and targeting weakness worked equally well in their experience. Using these findings and existing research, I identify state and district-level policy implications for the field. I also make recommendations for further study of this topic in the future. / text

This study examined assistant principals' perceptions regarding their beliefs concerning actual involvement and ideal involvement with competencies identified by the Tennessee State Department of Education as evaluative measures for principals and assistant principals employed in public schools in the State of Tennessee during the 1996-1997 school year. Nine hundred fifty-four assistant principals made up the population for this study. Two hundred eighty-one assistant principals made up the sample. One hundred seventy-nine questionnaires were returned. Competencies from the State of Tennessee Model for Local Evaluation of Administrators /Supervisors were used to develop a survey instrument to determine assistant principals' actual involvement and ideal involvement with each of the competency areas. The Likert-type responses for actual involvement and ideal involvement each ranged from 1 (Low) through 7 (High). The competency areas included instructional leadership, organizational management, communication, interpersonal relations, professional development, and leadership. Demographic information included gender, race, age, location of school, type of school, and educational attainment. A significant difference was found in each of the competency areas between assistant principals' actual involvement and ideal involvement in each of the areas. There was no significant difference found between actual competency scores of assistant principals employed in rural, urban, and suburban schools. No significant difference was found between ideal competency scores of assistant principals according to their educational level, and no significant difference was found between actual competency scores of assistant principals employed in elementary, middle/junior high, and high schools.

A review of literature on the preparation and training for assistant principals showed that there are gaps in the current support structures in place to encourage them to be effective in their position or prepared to assume other leadership roles (Armstrong, 2009; Barnett et al., 2012; Morgan, 2018). The role of assistant principal is an important area of educational leadership that has historically been underrepresented in the literature, and it is "one of the least researched and least discussed topics in educational leadership" (Weller and Weller, 2002, p. xiii). The researcher adapted the quantitative methodology techniques and survey tool of Inabinett's (2015) study titled, The Nourishment of Assistant Principals: The Effective Development of Future School Principals in Alabama. The researcher focused on assistant principals' beliefs about their preparedness for the principalship and how their real and ideal development compared to one another. Specifically, the study considered the five elements (professional development, mentoring, aspiration, networking, and experiences) from the Assistant Principal Development Framework as being instrumental in preparing assistant principals for the principalship. The purpose of this study was to identify assistant principals' self-reported perceptions regarding their job experiences as defined by the Assistant Principal Development Framework. This study reported assistant principals' perceptions of their ideal development compared across each of the five domains of the Assistant Principal Development Framework. Additionally, this study identified specific professional development that assistant principals perceive they need to become future principals and determined which components of the Assistant Principal Development Framework were currently utilized in their leadership practice. This study sample included assistant principals in one PK-12 school division in Virginia. The research questions guiding this study were: 1) What are the self-reported perceptions of assistant and associate principals' levels of preparedness for the principalship based on their real job experiences? and 2) How do their self-reported perceptions compare to their ideal development across each of the five domains in the Assistant Principal Development Framework? The research method included a researcher-adapted survey titled the Assistant Principal Perceptions Survey. The survey instrument consisted of 63 items: 11 demographic questions, 51 Likert-scale questions, and one open-ended question. Descriptive statistics, including a paired sample t-test, were used to analyze the data and identify findings and implications. Results from this study revealed that assistant principals perceived a difference between their current job experiences and what their ideal experiences should be to prepare them for the principalship. Participants reported the need for readily accessible professional development, opportunities for networking with other administrators, formal mentoring, and more experience in the areas of curriculum and instruction, organizational management, student achievement, and professional and ethical behaviors. Furthermore, the findings provide educational leaders with relevant research and awareness related to assistant principals' perceptions of their preparedness for the principalship. / Doctor of Education / The purpose of this study was to identify assistant principals' self-reported perceptions regarding their real job experiences as defined by the Assistant Principal Development Framework. Additionally, the study also reported assistant principals' perceptions of their ideal development compared across each of the five domains of the Assistant Principal Development Framework as defined by Inabinett (2015). In this quantitative study, a survey research design was used. The study was conducted in one PK-12 public school division in Virginia. The research questions guiding this study were: 1) What are the self-reported perceptions of assistant principals' levels of preparedness for the principalship based on their real job experiences? and 2) How do their self-reported perceptions compare to their ideal development across each of the five domains in the Assistant Principal Development Framework? Results from this study revealed that assistant principals perceived a difference in their current job experiences opposed to what their ideal experiences should be to prepare them for the principalship. Participants reported the need for readily accessible professional development, opportunities for networking with other administrators, formal mentoring, and more experience in the areas of curriculum and instruction, organizational management, student achievement, and professional and ethical behaviors. Recommendations for future studies and implications for practice were provided.

The purpose of this study was to identify variables that explain the job satisfaction of assistant principals of secondary schools. If such variables are identified, efforts can be made to eliminate or reduce the effects of those variables which lead to dissatisfaction and enhance those which lead to satisfaction. The participants were 291 respondents to a survey distributed to a systemic sample of 400 assistant principals who were members of the National Association of Secondary School Principals in 1996. Participants completed the short form of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire and a questionnaire developed by the researcher. Participants' job satisfaction had three measures: extrinsic, intrinsic, and general job satisfaction. The variables believed to explain job satisfaction of assistant principals (age, opportunity for advancement, career aspirations, compensation, feelings of compensation fairness, supervisor relations, and ability utilization) were analyzed through path analysis to determine the effects of the independent variables on the three measures of job satisfaction. Results revealed that assistant principals are only marginally satisfied with their jobs. Assistant principals are not as interested in advancing their careers as reported in prior studies. Assistant principals also feel that their responsibilities are extending beyond the routine maintenance of discipline and attendance programs. Examination of the data revealed that the hypothesized models did not fit the data. Of the variables theorized to explain job satisfaction, age, compensation, and opportunity for advancement were found to have no significant effect on intrinsic, extrinsic, or general job satisfaction. However, supervisor relations was found to have a significant effect on all three measures, as did ability utilization. The other variables in the models either did not have significant effects on the three measures of job satisfaction or were too small to be considered important. Relationships between the independent variables were also examined and reported. None of the hypothesized indirect path effects were large enough to be considered important. After reviewing the results, the only conclusion that can be drawn is that the models did not capture accurate relationships among the variables. However, supervisor relations and ability utilization were found to be moderately related to extrinsic, intrinsic, and general job satisfaction. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this study was to determine the role of high school assistant principals as perceived by principals, assistant principals, and teachers. The population in this study consisted of the principals, assistant principals, and teachers in Class 5A high schools in Texas during the 1985- 86 school year. One hundred and twenty of the Class 5A high schools were randomly selected to participate in the study. One principal, one assistant principal, and one teacher from each school were asked to respond to the survey. A questionnaire was designed to measure the perception of the three groups under study and contained seventy-seven job responsibilities which were divided into six major areas. The six areas were school management, staff personnel, community relations, student activities, curriculum and instruction, and pupil personnel. Eighteen items were eliminated through clarity, appropriateness, and reliability studies. Each respondent was asked to rate the degree of involvement of assistant principals for each job responsibility listed in two columns labeled current and ideal. Five hypotheses were developed for the study. Three hypotheses were tested by a multivariate one-way analysis of variance with repeated measures, and two were tested using a univariate one-way analysis of variance. The .05 level of significance was used to determine if any significant differences existed. This study concluded that currently assistant principals have had moderate to considerable involvement in all six areas of job responsibility. The three groups in the study differed significantly in their perceptions about the current role of assistant principals. The four areas that showed a significant difference were staff personnel, student activities, curriculum and instruction, and pupil personnel. Results from the study indicated that principals and teachers agreed that ideally assistant principals should have more involvement in all six areas of job responsibility. Assistant principals indicated that ideally they should have more involvement in school management, curriculum and instruction, and staff personnel. When the ideal role was further analyzed, the three groups only showed a difference in the area of student activities.

The purpose of this study was to conduct an investigation of the meanings novice high school assistant principals have constructed from their experiences to comply with Texas Administrative Code, Title 19 Part 7 Chapter 241.20, which requires an induction period for all new campus administrators. This study focused only on the mentoring aspect of the induction program. This study was not designed as an evaluation tool for the purpose of assessing any particular district’s mentoring plan for its new principals, nor was it designed to evaluate the state statute. This study was about how a state statute on mentoring has been experienced by novice high school assistant principals and the resulting apparent effects of different strategies on the personal growth and learning of the novice high school assistant principals. This is a qualitative study with a sample selection that was nonrandom, purposeful, and small. Grounded theory anchored the data analysis process as the researcher examined emergent themes. This careful inspection and analysis of the mentoring component of the induction year for novice high school assistant principals will pave the way for further studies in the new wave of mentoring. / text

While some attention has been paid to organizational culture, there has been a paucity of research relating specifically to: (a) how first year assistant principals in the high school setting describe and assess their schools' organizational cultures, (b) how they utilize the information gained from their assessments of their schools' cultures, and (c) their perceptions of how they know whether they have been successful in adapting or assimilating into their schools' cultures. The purpose of this research study was to identify how first year high school assistant principals describe and assess their schools' organizational cultures and how these administrators utilized the information gained during this assessment. Data were gathered through a total of eleven interviews of assistant principals who completed their first year in 2002/03 and whose high schools were located in Regions Three, Four, Seven, and Nine, as designated by the Association of California School Administrators. Data analysis was conducted simultaneously during and after the data collection process. During the data analysis, the researcher attempted to identify common themes among the data gathered from the interviews. In summary, all of the assistant principals indicated that they described and assessed their schools' organizational cultures during their first year. Nine out of the eleven indicated they utilized the information gained from their assessments. All but one of the assistant principals reported that they had adapted and/or assimilated into the schools' organizational cultures during their first year. It is this researcher's contention that first year assistant principals need to be able to describe and assess their schools' organizational cultures so that they can better fulfill the roles and responsibilities of their positions. Mentor and staff development programs need to address not only why it is necessary for assistant principals to describe and assess their schools' organizational cultures, but also how to use the information gained from the assessment.

Thesis advisor: Martin Scanlan / Thesis advisor: Nathaniel Brown / The COVID-19 global pandemic has had major implications on the work educational leaders do on a daily basis, including frequently attending to health and well-being matters as well as operations in order to ensure the safety of all community members. At the same time, school leaders are tasked with maintaining a focus on instructional leadership to close opportunity gaps that may have been exasperated due to the pandemic. One way to increase sustained improvement efforts is to maximize the impact of Middle-level Instructional Leaders (MILs) within the district. Yet, research on MILs is grim and rarely attends to cultivation of learning for these varying roles. In order to address this gap in research, the purpose of this study is to understand how MILs pursue and make sense of instructional leadership during a time of crisis. Through an analysis of 10 semi-structured interviews, two observations and a document review, this qualitative case study presents the perspectives of MILs within a single district, capturing a description of two Communities of Practice (CoPs): District MILs and school-based MILs. Findings indicate that MILs’ individual investment on vision and goals can supersede that of hierarchical accountability structures. In addition, the social-emotional well-being of students and teachers was an emergent and conflicting priority with instructional leadership. Workplace experiences and collaborative, experiential practices are amongst the exemplary practices that develop the capacity of MILs. However, limited enrollment capacity, lack of frequency of experiences, and ambiguous role expectations hinder the ability to develop the practice of MILs. These findings have implications for how to best maximize MILs to pursue instructional leadership, and identify additional areas to consider for future research. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Shifting demographics in the U.S. population, persistent disparities in achievement, and student discipline call for school leaders who are culturally responsive to the diversity present in their schools and communities (Brown, 2005; deBrey et al., 2019; Khalifa et al., 2016a). A review of the literature revealed that researchers maintain the position of assistant principal plays a crucial role in moving forward to the principalship and that this position should be leveraged as an embedded opportunity to learn, which can more effectively prepare leaders for the future role of principal amidst changing school demographics (Oleszewski et al., 2012). Without culturally responsive school leaders and school environments, oppressive systems will continue to thrive in our schools, creating a sense of urgency to carefully explore and understand the ideology of cultural responsiveness concerning school leadership (Khalifa et al., 2016). Culturally responsive leadership practices and behaviors have been noted as "one of the most recent extensions of the research regarding how to meet the needs of culturally diverse learners" (Kranzlein, 2019, p. 22). These practices and behaviors create inclusive school environments responsive to all students' needs (Harris, 2020; Hollowell, 2019; Khalifa et al., 2016a). The purpose of this study was to investigate elementary assistant principals' perceptions of their preparedness to lead in diverse school settings through the lens of the culturally responsive school leadership (CRSL) framework. Additionally, this study sought to identify specific professional development assistant principals perceived they needed to lead diverse schools and determine which components of the CRSL framework assistant principals currently utilize in their leadership practice. This quantitative study sample included 26 elementary assistant principals from a suburban PK-12 school division in Central Virginia. The research questions guiding this study were as follows: (1) To what extent do assistant principals perceive they are prepared to lead in diverse school settings? (2) What components of the CRSL framework do assistant principals currently utilize in their leadership practice? (3) What are self-reported professional development needs for assistant principals to lead in diverse schools? The research method included a researcher-developed survey titled the Self-Perceived Culturally Responsive School Leadership Preparedness Survey aligned to the CRSL framework created by Khalifa et al. (2016b). The survey instrument consisted of 17 items: one demographic question, 15 Likert-scale questions, and one open-ended question. The researcher used quantitative methodology techniques to analyze the data, including descriptive statistics. This study offers awareness into the perceptions of assistant principals' preparedness to lead in diverse school settings, identifies CRSL practices utilized by assistant principals, and identifies professional development needs to prepare assistant principals to lead in diverse schools. Results indicated that assistant principals perceive they are prepared to lead in diverse school settings as the building principal and that their duties and responsibilities have prepared them. Additionally, assistant principals indicated a need for professional growth opportunities focused on supporting the development of culturally responsive teachers in their schools and engaging students, parents, and Indigenous contexts. / Doctor of Education / The purpose of this study was to investigate elementary assistant principals' perceptions of their preparedness to lead in diverse school settings through the lens of the CRSL framework. The results of this study offer awareness into the perceptions of assistant principals' preparedness to lead in diverse school settings. Additionally, the study results identify CRSL practices utilized by assistant principals. It also discusses their professional development. In this quantitative study, a survey research design was used. The study was conducted in a PK-12 suburban public-school division in Central Virginia; the study sample included 26 elementary assistant principals. The research questions guiding this study were as follows: (1) To what extent do assistant principals perceive they are prepared to lead in diverse school settings? (2) What components of the CRSL framework do assistant principals currently utilize in their leadership practice? (3) What are self-reported professional development needs for assistant principals to lead in diverse schools? Results indicated that assistant principals perceive they are prepared to lead in diverse school settings as the building principal and that their duties and responsibilities have prepared them. Additionally, assistant principals indicated a need for professional growth opportunities focused on supporting the development of culturally responsive teachers in their schools and engaging students, parents, and Indigenous contexts. Recommendations for future studies and implications for practice were provided.