Administrative support of the instructional coach is critical to the success of instructional coaches in each building (Hall and Simeral, 2008; Knight, 2011; Sweeney, 2018). Effective instructional coaches support the transfer of new skills into practice to positively impact student learning outcomes (Costa and Garmston, 1994; Desimone and Pak, 2017; Knight and Cornett, 2007; Kraft, Blazar, and Hogan, 2019; Showers and Joyce, 1996). The purpose of this study was to identify instructional coaches' perceptions of principal support and the factors that contribute to those perceptions. The study aimed to address the following research questions: 1) What do instructional coaches perceive as principals' knowledge of the role of the instructional coach? 2) How do instructional coaches perceive the actions of principals in support of their work? This descriptive study examined instructional coaches' perceptions of principal support given to instructional coaches in one large, suburban school division in Virginia. Data were collected through an online survey and optional participation in focus groups. Findings included a misalignment between the instructional coaches' knowledge of the role of an instructional coach and that of the principal. Findings indicated the instructional coaches perceived support from the principal as including a shared knowledge of the role of the instructional coach, including the instructional coach in the vision for the school, maintaining regular communication and meetings, following up with teachers after a professional development led by the coach, providing professional development opportunities for the instructional coach, providing access to instructional resources, providing feedback on the work of the instructional coach, and building a relationship with the instructional coach. Implications outlined in the study identify specific actions principals can take to positively impact the instructional coaching in schools. / Doctor of Education / Instructional coaching is a growing method for building the capacity of teachers in schools. Administrative knowledge of the role of an instructional coach and principal support of the work of the instructional coach is critical to the success of the role of the instructional coach. Actions taken by the principal directly impact the perception of support for the work of the instructional coach and either negatively or positively impact the potential for the instructional coach to build capacity in the school. The work of instructional coaches is often interrupted by task assignments by the principal that engage instructional coaches in activities that detract from the instructional coach's role as instructional support. The purpose of this study was to identify instructional coaches' perceptions of principal support and the factors that contribute to those perceptions. Instructional coaches from one school division in Virginia participated in the study. The study yielded eight findings and eight implications for principal actions that improve the instructional coaches' perception of principal support for the role of the instructional coach. Findings from the study indicated the instructional coaches perceived support from the principal as including a shared knowledge of the role of the instructional coach, including the instructional coach in the vision for the school, maintaining regular communication and meetings, following up with teachers after a professional development led by the coach, providing professional development opportunities for the instructional coach, providing access to instructional resources, providing feedback on the work of the instructional coach, and building a relationship with the instructional coach. Implications outlined in the study identify specific actions principals can take to positively impact the instructional coaching in schools. Future researchers may want to consider completing this study with instructional coaches from various school divisions. Additionally, future researchers may also want to compare instructional coaches' perception of principal support with principals' perception of the actions of support given to the instructional coaches.

Educational leaders have shared concerns of the shortage of qualified candidates applying for principal openings, particularly at challenging schools, such as turnaround schools (Gurley, Anast-May, and Lee, 2015; Kutash et al., 2010). The challenge of turning around a failing school makes it essential to study when and how successful turnaround principals adapt their leadership practices in their unique contexts. Kouzes and Posner (2017) studied leaders at all levels from a variety of organizations. Their research identified five common leadership practices. Good leaders model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart (Kouzes and Posner, 2017). The purpose of this study was to compare Kouzes and Posner's five leadership practices with what successful elementary school turnaround principals described as performing at their personal best. This research was conducted at a Mid-Atlantic school district, Riverdale Public Schools (pseudonym). Seven successful elementary school turnaround principals were interviewed. The leadership practices of these principals were compared to Kouzes and Posner's five leadership practices to determine where their leadership practices were consistent with what turnaround principals described as their personal best experiences. The information gained will contribute to the knowledge base of prioritizing essential leadership actions for turnaround leadership. / Doctor of Education / Being an elementary school principal is challenging work. Leaders have shared concerns of the shortage of qualified principals applying for schools that failed to meet state or national academic benchmarks (Gurley, Anast-May, & Lee, 2015; Kutash et al., 2010). The challenge of improving a failing school makes it important to study when and how successful principals lead in these situations. Kouzes and Posner (2017) studied leaders at all levels from a variety of organizations. Their research identified five common leadership practices. Good leaders model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). This study compared Kouzes and Posner’s five leadership practices with what successful elementary school principals described as performing at their personal best. This research was conducted at a Mid-Atlantic school district, Riverdale Public Schools (pseudonym). Seven elementary school principals who were hired to lead a failing school were interviewed. The leadership practices of these principals were compared to Kouzes and Posner’s five leadership practices to determine where their leadership practices were consistent. The information gained from this research study will contribute to the knowledge base of prioritizing essential leadership actions for failing schools.

No description available.

This study is an attempt to analyze the novels of Juan Valera y Alcala Galiano, with particular attention to the characterization of the principal figures.

Due to the increasing demands on educational administrators it has become essential that leadership priorities be established. This study investigated elementary school principals' job responsibilities and how the school administrator prioritized the many facets of the job. The literature supported the continued escalation of job demands on the school principal. Thus with growing accountability, it is essential that school leaders learn to balance the responsibilities of being the instructional leader and the school manager. A purposeful sample of 25 elementary school principals in central Virginia was used in a qualitative study. Principals from small (0-350), medium (351-750), and large (751-1200) sized schools participated in the research. The data did not support any trends or patterns related to school size and the work of the elementary principal. In addition, the research regarding the fulfillment of the ISLLC Standards (Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium) suggested that localities should correlate their local professional responsibilities and qualities with the national standards in order to help with the use of a common language when discussing principal job qualities and responsibilities. The study also suggested that although instructional leadership was a principalship priority, it was often overshadowed by the school managerial demands. Each participant maintained one-day logs of activities and the results supported the interview responses in the area of instructional leadership. The principals' day included a variety of situations that interrupted the scheduling of classroom observations. Principals shared that they wanted to be more of an instructional leader yet management demands often prevented them from being actively involved in the classroom. Elementary leaders described the frustrations of time management and the desire to have more "human resources" available to assist them with the very demanding job. In addition, school administrators explained various methods used to prioritize the job responsibilities in order to "run the school". This research study explored how principals described their jobs and their leadership with hopes of discovering what might be done to encourage more qualified applicants.

Pyrite oxidation in coal-bearing strata is recognised as the main precursor to Acidic Mine Drainage (AMD) generation. Predicting AMD quality and quantity for remediation, or proposed extraction, requires assessment of interactions between oxidising fluids and pyrite, and between oxidation products and groundwater. Current predictive methods and models rarely account for individual mineral weathering rates, or their distribution within rock. Better constraints on the importance of such variables in controlling rock leachate are required to provide more reliable predictions of AMD quality. In this study assumptions made during modelling of AMD generation were tested including; homogeneity of rock chemical and physical characteristics, controls on the rate of embedded pyrite oxidation and oxidation front ingress. The main conclusions of this work are:• The ingress of a pyrite oxidation front into coal-bearing strata depends on dominant oxidant transport mechanism, pyrite morphology and rock pore-size distribution.• Although pyrite oxidation rates predicted from rate laws and derived from experimental weathering of coal-bearing strata agree, uncertainty in surface area of framboids produces at least an order of magnitude error in predicted rates.• Pyrite oxidation products in partly unsaturated rock are removed to solution via a cycle of dissolution and precipitation at the water-rock interface. Dissolution mainly occurs along rock cleavage planes, as does diffusion of dissolved oxidant.• Significant variance of whole seam S and pyrite wt % existed over a 30 m exposure of an analysed coal seam. Assuming a seam mean pyrite wt % to predict net acid producing potential for coal and shale seams may be unsuitable, at this scale at least.• Seasonal variation in AMD discharge chemistry indicates that base-flow is not necessarily representative of extreme poor quality leachate. Summer and winter storms, following relatively dry periods, tended to release the greatest volume of pyrite oxidation products.

The current study explored the relation between the self-perceived leadership practices of Portland Metro area high school principals (N = 28) and the achievement levels of Hispanic and non-Hispanic White high school students on the Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS) high school math test. The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) self-report was used to measure frequency of leadership practices. Differential performance across categories of race and ethnicity were analyzed and compared against high school principal self-reported scores on the LPI. This study expanded on existing research by connecting principal leadership practices to student achievement by subgroup with a focus on achievement of Hispanic and non-Hispanic White students at the secondary level. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients were computed to assess the relation between the self-reported leadership practices of high school principals and student proficiency category percentages. Multiple regressions were used to determine the relative predictive nature of the practices of an exemplary leader in relation to the percentage of Hispanic and non-Hispanic White students who exceeded, met, or did not meet standards on the 2010-2011 OAKS high school math test. School demographic factors of percentage of students of color, percentage of students receiving free or reduced price lunch (FRPL), and percentage of students enrolled in English Language Learner (ELL) programs were also analyzed to determine if these contextual factors had an impact on leadership practices. Results support no predictive nature of student achievement on principal self-assessment of leadership practices nor do they support a relation between school demographic factors and principal leadership.

Despite growing consensus that educational reform has changed the nature of school leadership, the contemporary literature provides limited insight into how educational change impacts the identity of those who are centrally involved. Although the principal is deemed to be a critical lynch-pin in school improvement, relatively few studies seek the informative voices of principals to understand the identities assumed as principals engage in change processes, and how principals address consonance and dissonance between their identities and internal and external demands. In this study, interpretive approaches were used to explore the relationship between principal identity and educational change. I used purposeful sampling to select six principals within central Alberta. Multiple individual interviews were conducted with each principal. Additionally, I recorded notes in my researchers journal which also served as a record of my thinking as the study unfolded and as an additional data source. Data analysis involved identifying patterns and themes pertinent to the research questions. Micropolitical analysis suggested that the nature and degree of change was influenced by the four identities principals assumed as they engaged in educational change: (a) organizational architect (visionary and analyst sub-identities), (b) mediator (disseminator, meaning maker, and problem solver sub-identities), (c) awakener (teacher and learner sub-identities), and (d) protector (caregiver and advocate sub-identities). A degree of overlap and reciprocity, as well as competition, between identities and sub-identities existed. Principals assumed identities were derived from access to sources of organizational power. Principals constructed their own understandings and responses to change by assimilating, accommodating (including symbolic accommodation and compromise), or resisting (through evidence-based argument, avoidance, and opposition) new ideas or approaches. Although principals often felt at odds with the prevailing discourses of educational change, they both consciously and inadvertently reinforced dominant ideologies. Expectations for legitimacy and cohesion preoccupied principals thinking and influenced identity salience. Principals identities and responses impacted the potential for change. My key recommendation is that principals need to consider how their identities, positional power, and responses to change shape the nature and extent of educational change. I conclude with further questions and directions for practice, policy, and research. / Educational Administration and Leadership

Parks provide a multitude of benefits to communities that, while intuitive and easy to describe, are difficult to quantify. With public park departments being increasingly scrutinized in terms of dollars spent rather than merit value contributed to communities, the difficulty in quantifying those benefits presents a problem. Finding a method to apply monetary values to the contributions of parks in a community has become a prominent need for public parks departments. One way to measure the monetary value of parks to a community is by examining the effects of those parks on the values of surrounding properties. This method assumes that the benefits offered by parks are capitalized into home prices such that prospective buyers are willing to pay premiums on properties that offer easy access to the parks and their benefits. This study utilizes hedonic price modeling and multiple regression analyses to isolate the incremental value conferred on a home based on its proximity to a park. Parks were separated into three categories (regional, community, and neighborhood). Their spatial proximity to homes was measured by Geographic Information Systems and included in regressions along with structural, time, and neighborhood variables for each property. A golf course was also examined so that its effect on proximate home values could be compared to that of the parks. Results suggested the most substantial impact of parks on home values was caused by the regional nature park, followed by the community parks. Neighborhood parks in the aggregate yielded no significant results. Even when these data were disaggregated so parks which had positive and negative influences were analyzed independently, there were no significant results. However, there was some suggestion that positive influences were associated with higher income level and a lower proportion of rental homes in an area. The golf course showed higher premiums than any of the parks, however, homes which were in the overlap of the influence zones of the regional park and golf course had the highest premiums, suggesting a compounding effect.

The purpose of this study is to explore relevant issues concerning the evaluation of the principals of the elementary schools in Kaohsiung city, and in return, to provide a basis for the municipal administrators to conduct evaluation of the principals in the future. Applying the method of ¡§literature analysis¡¨, both domestic and international studies on the evaluation of the principals were collected and analyzed. These studies include basic concepts, establishment of criteria, methods of implementation, appointment of evaluators, application of the evaluation finds, and other relevant procedures. A questionnaire was designed to look into the viewpoints and the variance of the viewpoints of the educators, administrators, parents, and experts of the elementary schools. Regarding the prominent ideas rendered by various groups of people, a second phase questionnaire under the Delphi Method was prescribed. A common understanding was thus achieved. The questionnaire was distributed to 630 elementary school related subjects, including educators, administrative staff, parents, and experts. The response rate was 82.72% (523 specimens). The analysis The major procedures of data analysis were both qualitative and quantitative. In qualitative analysis, comments in the questionnaire were individually considered. In quantitative analysis, the formal questionnaire adopted statistical processes like percentage, frequency, mean, analysis of variance, and Shefield comparison. The second phase Delphi Method focused on 15 subjects including education experts, principals, parents, teachers and administrators. Both the quantitative and qualitative analyses were applied to achieve a common understanding from different functional groups on the evaluation of the principals. Based on findings of this study, conclusions are drawn as follow: 1.Currently, Bureau of Education of Kaohsiung City has not developed the official standards for evaluating the effectiveness of the elementary school principals. 2.The variance of the viewpoints between elementary school principals and teachers varied according to different evaluation issues. 3.The variance of viewpoints regarding principal evaluation issues varied according to participants¡¦ specific backgrounds. 4.New school culture is imperative to cultivate the mutual trust relationship between the principals and the teachers. 5.Conclusions regarding specific evaluation issues are drawn as below: -The purposes of principal evaluation are not only developmental-oriented but also and administrative-oriented. -With experts and researchers¡¦ assistance, the principal evaluation criteria need to be jointly developed by principal representatives, teacher representatives, and parent representatives. The evaluation criteria must include the core as well as the self-established criteria. - Principal evaluation process is composed of four phases: planning of evaluation, implementing and collecting data, processing date and generating results, providing feedback. -The frequency of principal evaluation must be corresponded to the principal¡¦s term of office, which is once in four years. -The appointment of evaluators ¡Õmust take into account three factors: profeessionality, multiplicity, and objectivity. - The date collecting methods for principal evaluation must be diverse. - The principal evaluation reports must consist of strengths as well as areas needing improvements. Moreover, a proper appeal procedure needed to be established for the principals to request further discussion regarding the evaluation results. -The evaluation results are not only form a frame of reference for ¡§decision-making¡¨ but also lay the cornerstone for improved practices and principals¡¦ professional growth. According to the results of this study, recommendations are made as follows: 1. Recommendations for Bureau of Education, Kaohsiung city - Developing official standards for evaluating the effectiveness of elementary school principals (see Appendix 10) -Cooperating with academic institutes to provide elementary school principals with opportunities for professional enhancement -A ¡§gradual model¡¨ should be adopted in the principal evaluation. 2. Recommendations for the elementary school principals -Embracing the notion of evaluation and actively engaging in planning, implementing and developing evaluation system. -Re-adjusting their leadership behaviors, cultivate persistent willingness and abilities for self-improvement and cumulate experience in making changes. - Emphasizing school managements and developing features unique to their schools. - Establishing and maintaining portfolios with documents represent their professional accomplishments. 3.Recommendations for teaching staffs in the elementary schools -Improving teaching staffs¡¦ evaluation capabilities by establishing professional dialogue mechanisms internally and externally. -Cultivating a culture of evaluation that is beneficial to school development as a whole 4. Recommendation to further studies to be made hereafter -Integrating evaluation criteria and paying more attention to principal¡¦s current practices, leadership behaviors and professional development. -Further exploring the relationship between ¡§principal evaluation¡¨ and ¡§evaluations of school management¡¨ and the feasibility of conducting both at a time. - ¡§Meta-evaluation¡¨ needs to be conducted to understand the effects of principal evaluation and advance the quality of evaluation eventually.