Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of La Verne, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 119-128).

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of La Verne, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 119-128).

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Scholars of transformational leadership literature assert that school-based management teams are a vital component in transforming schools. Many of these works focus heavily on the roles of principals and teachers, ignoring the contribution of Assistant Principals (APs). More attention is now being given to the unique role that Assistant Principals play in school leadership teams (see for example, Muijs & Harris, 2002). While there is a good amount of literature on what APs do in terms of their roles and responsibilities, what remains unclear; is how and why they enact their role in particular ways, especially under the umbrella of urban school reform. This work will address this gap by examining: how Urban High School Assistant Principals come to understand their role as both leader and staff, particularly in the context of transformational models of leadership? Guided by the theoretical framework of middle management, this study utilized a qualitative case study approach to interview seven Assistant Principals in three urban high schools in a large Northeast coast school district. Additionally, a one-time 15 minute interview with the principals and direct reports to the APs was employed to gain a better understanding of the leadership dynamic within the schools. The interviews were transcribed and coded by the researcher using Atlas.Ti. Through the lens of middle management theory, this work focused on a specific group of Assistant Principals working under a distributed leadership model. The findings revealed that the role of the AP is nebulous position that when not appropriately defined can cause professional difficulties that impede the leadership capacity of APs and the growth of school success. As such, stakeholders involved in schooling need to gain a greater understanding of the psychological and sociological underpinnings that impact the functionality of their middle leaders (those not operating in senior level positions). The findings of this work speak to the intricacies of the Assistant Principalship and contribute to a growing body of literature centered on how Assistant Principals navigate their space as leader and staff in an educational setting where leadership is more shared and collaborative. / Urban Education

The role of an assistant principal is both challenging and multifaceted. The role of an assistant principal who is both Black and female is compounded as this demographic of leaders must navigate both the present demands of the position and racial stressors that often cause low self-confidence and feelings of inadequacy (Robinson, 2014). Cited research indicates that mentoring is effective in developing both leadership capacity and self-confidence or self-efficacy for new school leaders (Allen et al., 1995; Barnett et al., 2017; Calabrese and Tucker-Ladd, 1991; Craft et al., 2016; Gurley et al., 2015; Harris, 2020; Hausman et al., 2002; Lester et al, 2011; Liang and Augustine-Shaw, 2016; Marshall and Phelps, 2016; Parfitt and Rose, 2020; Ryan, 2011; Searby et al., 2017; Spillane and Lee, 2014). The purpose of this study was to identify the perspectives of mentoring on Black female assistant principals' self-confidence and leadership capacity development. A secondary purpose was to learn if participants perceived that race had any impact on their ability to serve successfully in the role. Data analysis revealed that relationship, not race was the primary driver needed for a successful mentoring relationship. Data also supports a positive perceived relationship between mentoring and improved leadership capacity and self-confidence for Black female assistant principals. Findings and implications could aid school districts, policymakers, and principal preparation program leaders with establishing and diversifying practices and/or programs to strengthen the leadership capacity and confidence of Black female assistant principals. / Doctor of Education / The role of an assistant principal is both challenging and multifaceted. The role of an assistant principal who is both Black and female is compounded as this demographic of leaders must navigate both the present demands of the position and racial stressors that often cause low self-confidence and feelings of inadequacy (Robinson, 2014). This study investigated the perspectives of mentoring on Black female assistant principals' self-confidence and leadership capacity development. Additionally, the researcher aimed to learn if participants perceived that race had any impact on their ability to serve successfully in the role. Data analysis revealed that relationship, not race, was the primary driver needed for a successful mentoring relationship. Data also supported a positive perceived relationship between mentoring and improved leadership capacity and self-confidence for Black female assistant principals. Findings and implications could aid school districts, policymakers, and principal preparation program leaders with establishing and diversifying practices and/or programs to strengthen the leadership capacity and confidence of Black female assistant principals.

This study analyzes the status and job functions of the 546 elementary school assistant principals in Texas during the 1985-1986 school year. It is concerned with the status of the position and the degree of responsibility assigned to the assistant principal for forty-eight specific job functions in the actual and ideal practice. A sample of 125 assistant principals, 125 supervising principals and a population of 135 superintendents whose districts employ assistant principals were included in the study. All three groups completed the role survey instrument. The results were analyzed by using the one-sample chi-square test to determine whether significant differences existed among the perceptions of the superintendents, principals, and assistant principals at the .01 level. The return rate was 60.8 percent for the assistant principals and principals and 84.6 percent for the superintendents.

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