The purpose of this explanatory single-case case study was to investigate teachers' perceptions of a principal's leadership behavior associated with the integration of a one-to-one laptop program in a parochial secondary school. The sample included the school principal and teachers who have had at least one year of teaching experience at the parochial school with laptop computers. Owing to a mixed methods case study approach, data was collected from four sources: a semi-structured personal interview with the school principal, semi-structured personal interviews with teachers, a focus group interview with teachers, and teachers' completion with an electronic version of the Principal Leadership Questionnaire. These multiple forms of data were collected to support data-rich triangulation on the same set of research questions. SPSS was used to assist with data analysis of the electronic survey. Cronbach's alpha was used to determine the reliability of the instrument. Themes were extracted from the semi-structured personal interviews and focus group. The findings from this study provided teachers' perceptions of a principal's leadership behaviors associated with the integration of a one-to-one laptop program for students in a parochial secondary school.

The climate of a school can be defined as the set of internal characteristics that distinguishes one school from another and influences the behavior of its members (Hoy & Hannum, 1997). Schools with a positive climate have been shown to positively impact students (Hoy, 1972). A principal’s leadership style influences the climate that, in turn, impacts student performance. In this work, the researcher investigated Miami-Dade County Public Schools in order to determine if there was a relationship between instructional staff members’ perceptions of their school’s principals, a derivative of the district’s school climate studies, and their schools’ grades. Eight School Climate Survey items were inter-correlated. The smallest intercorrelation was .83, which is still a large intercorrelation, and the largest intercorrelation was .96. Pearson’s correlation analysis (Healey, 2004) was run to determine the relationship between schools’ earned points and averaged survey responses. Survey items 8, 9, 12 and 13 had weak (less than .30) positive correlations to schools’ earned points. Survey items 7, 10, 11 and 14 had moderate (above .30) positive correlations to schools’ earned points. The researcher created a composite variable (Pallant, 2007) from all the School Climate Survey responses. This composite variable, titled Principal Leadership Score, allowed the researcher to determine that approximately 9% of the variance in the points earned by schools in 2009 can be accounted for by how teachers in this study perceived the leadership of their principals. This study’s findings of a moderate positive correlation between teachers’ perceptions of principal leadership and school performance supports earlier research linking school climate and school performance. Due to the fact that the leadership of the principal affects, either positively or negatively, the learning and working environment of students and teachers, it is recommended that principals use the eight School Climate Survey items examined within this study as guides (Pepper & Thomas, 2002). Through focusing on these survey items, principals may be propelled to self-identify their leadership strengths as well as leadership weaknesses.

Schools in Hawaii are continuing to struggle with low student performance on their state's mandated test. Principal leadership has been found to have a direct impact on school effectiveness and researchers have indicated that school effectiveness can also be predicted by teachers' perceptions of principal leadership. This quantitative study was an examination of the relationships between teachers' perceptions of their principals' leadership attributes and school effectiveness as measured by the Strive HI Index in the state of Hawaii. The theoretical framework was grounded in Leithwood's core effective principal practices. A 41-item questionnaire from Colorado Education Initiative with a Cronbach's alpha of .95 was given to 124 teachers from 15 elementary schools to rate leadership attributes of the principal. Multiple regression yielded several statistically significant predictors of school effectiveness. Positive predictors were (a) level of teachers' education, (b) teachers' years of experience, (c) prioritization of structured activities, (d) development and implementation of a process to analyze data to improve student learning, and (e) building a positive school climate. The negative predictors were (a) years principal served in the school, (b) years teachers served at the school, and (c) creation of structures for distributive leadership. The outcomes provide administrators with information about the relationship between teachers' views of leadership practices and the school effectiveness index. The potential for positive social change includes raising principals' awareness of teacher perceptions of leadership practices, which may increase efforts to improve practice and ultimately school effectiveness in the study district.

Thesis advisor: Vincent Cho / This individual case study is part of a larger group study examining how principals benefit from and shape professional capital to improve schools. Limited studies consider how the recruiting principal’s individual pathway may impact who they chose to recruit. Accordingly, this qualitative study examined the factors that influence educators to become principals and how these factors influence principals' decisions to recruit other potential candidates into the principalship. This study explored the professional journeys of eight school principals from one large urban school district in Massachusetts and how their principal pathways impacted their recruitment strategies. Findings revealed that building principals often credited their collegial relationship and interactions as playing an important role in their pathway to the principalship. Another finding from this study revealed that principals recruited potential leaders with the same qualifications or characteristics as themselves through the informal recruitment practices of tapping and their narrow definition of fit. Recommendations of this study suggest that districts should develop more formal social networks that ensure all educators have access to the necessary support and pipelines to consider the principal pathway. And, principals must reflect on their own principal pathway and potential bias to disrupt the cycle of recruiting a homophilous leadership workforce. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

In this era of educational accountability, achieving and maintaining high levels of student academic performance is the goal of every school. State accountability models serve as the measure to determine if school districts are successfully educating students, and the responsibility of student academic success rests on the principal of each school. Effective leadership is a necessary component of successful schools, especially in rural school districts. The focus of this research was to explore teachers' perceptions of the leadership behaviors and practices of their principals and determine if relationships existed between the leadership behaviors and the schools' accountability ratings. A survey research design was utilized in this study of eight schools across three rural school districts in central Mississippi. The researcher utilized The Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale to survey 121 teacher participants regarding their perceptions of principals' leadership behaviors or practices. The study revealed no statistically significant relationships existed between principals' leadership behaviors and school accountability ratings. However, the findings support existing literature on the indirect influence of principal leadership on student achievement.

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A number of significant changes have occurred in our public schools in recent years. These changes include shifting federal program priorities, adoption of state curriculum standards, and the implementation of site-based decision-making. These changes come at a time when schools are experiencing significant changes in the ethnic and socioeconomic composition of their student body and when many families are struggling to meet challenges arising from poverty or job requirements. Attention has been given to the impact these changes are having on teachers, parents, and students. Little attention has been given, however, to the impact these changes are having on principals. The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of a principal's worklife in an achieving urban elementary school with a large number of at-risk students. The study examined one principal's methods of dealing with everyday problems associated with leading in a school that serves children of color and 98% of the students meet low-income criteria (i.e., they qualify for free or reduced-price lunch). Over the past five years, second grade students showed increases in reading beyond those achieved by minority students in the school division. Attendance rates over the past five years show improvement. Interviews, observations, and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (Bass & Avolio, 1995) were used to collect data. From these data, a case study was written. The report of case study findings describes the worklife of the principal, school characteristics, and school outcomes. Conclusions drawn from the case study indicate that the worklife of the principal has similarities to the worklife of other elementary principals. However, due to school characteristics and external factors elementary principals serving in urban schools with a large number of at-risk students can expect an escalated level of intensity and demand on a daily basis. Findings of this study have relevance for urban elementary school principals desiring to increase achievement. Further, findings suggest that urban elementary schools serving a large number of at-risk students can achieve successful outcomes. / Ed. D.

Elementary students continue to fall below proficiency levels in reading as measured by reading achievement tests (NAEP, 2019; Virginia Department of Education, 2021). In 2019, The Nation's Report Card disclosed that 37% of fourth-graders performed at or above the proficiency level on the National Assessment of Educational Progress reading assessment (NAEP, 2019). Data from these assessments show gaps exist between specific subgroups of students. These statistics present a national crisis in the reading skills of elementary students sitting in America's schools. The Wallace Foundation (2021) research indicates that principals influence student achievement data as measured by standardized tests, and the impact of an effective principal is almost as great as having an effective teacher. The purpose of this study was to identify the leadership practices of elementary turnaround principals whose schools' reading achievement scores increased under their leadership. A basic qualitative research design was used and the study was conducted in one suburban school division in central Virginia. Two principals and four teachers were interviewed using semi-structured interviews to identify the leadership practices the principals employed as the literacy leader in the school. Interviews were coded and analyzed to identify trends and themes shared by participants. This study's findings include four themes emerging from the principals' interviews and three themes emerging from the teachers' interviews. One major finding from 100% of participants included the use of Professional Learning Communities (PLC) to help build the professional knowledge of the teachers in understanding how to teach reading. An implication of this finding states that school leaders could develop the master schedule with established times for PLC meetings to occur during the school day. An additional finding from 100% of the participants included the principal's knowledge of the reading process as it allowed the principals to have constructive conversations with teachers around their reading instruction. An implication of this finding includes school leaders considering building their knowledge of the reading process by attending conferences or reading professional books. The data from this research study will contribute to the research of prioritizing principals' leadership actions for turnaround elementary schools. / Doctor of Education / Elementary students continue to read below proficiency levels. Student achievement data from standardized reading tests show the students sitting in America's schools are not meeting basic reading proficiency levels (NAEP, 2019; Virginia Department of Education, 2021); however, principals play a key role in their students' reading achievement levels in their schools. Research by The Wallace Foundation (2021) found "the effectiveness of the principal of the school is more important than the effectiveness of a single teacher" (p. xiv). Principals can have a positive impact on students' achievement in school. This research study investigated the leadership practices used by elementary principals to turn around their schools' reading achievement data. The study was designed to investigate the perceptions of principals and teachers on the leadership practices impacting the improvement of reading achievement scores in the school. A qualitative research design with semi-structured interviews was used to gather the perceptions of the principals and teachers in one suburban school division in Virginia. These data were collected and analyzed resulting in 10 findings and 10 implications. One finding in the Instructional Practices theme indicated that implementing professional learning communities helped build principals' and teachers' professional knowledge in teaching reading. An implication of this finding could be for school divisions to provide professional learning to teachers and administrators regarding how to implement professional learning communities. The findings from the research provide principals and school division leaders with a myriad of implications that could be used to change the trajectory of reading achievement scores in schools. One limitation of the study was the sample size of participants. A suggestion for future research would be to increase the sample size of the participants in the study.

New initiatives involving the use and implementation of technology are being put into place in many school systems across the country to help students acquire needed 21st century skills (Grady, 2011). The purpose of this study of the implementation of one-to-one devices was to examine school leaders' perceptions of changes in their leadership practices, teachers' instructional practices, and student engagement. A member of the central office staff and five elementary principals were asked to provide perceptions on the implementation process with their staff. School leaders also provided perceptions on how teachers were led to facilitate instruction while using devices. This study consisted of an interview with five elementary principals as well as a member of the central office staff who oversaw implementation. The school leaders' individual interview responses were analyzed and the data, based on their perspectives, were examined. The results of this study indicated that student collaboration, student-centered learning, diverse learning needs of students, and students' familiarity with technology were factors that influence students in a one-to-one device environment. Finding the right digital tool, instructional planning, teacher as facilitator, professional development, and parallel modeling and learning on behalf of the principal to all be important factors to consider for one-to-one device implementation. The results may influence the implementation of one-to-one technology programs for this and other school divisions as well as school leaders. / Ed. D. / The purpose of this study of the implementation of one-to-one devices was to examine school leaders’ perceptions of changes in their leadership practices, teachers’ instructional practices, and student engagement. A member of the central office staff and five elementary principals were asked to provide perceptions on the implementation process with their staff through individual interviews. School leaders also provided proceptions on how teachers were led to facilitate instruction while using technology devices. The school leaders’ individual interview responses were analyzed and the data, based on their perspectives, were examined. The results of this study indicated that student collaboration, student-centered learning, diverse learning needs of students, and students’ familiarity with technology were factors that influence students in a one-to-one device environment. Finding the right digital tool, instructional planning, teacher as facilitator, professional development, and parallel modeling and learning on behalf of the principal to all be important factors to consider for one-to-one device implementation. The results may influence the implementation of one-to-one technology programs for this and other school divisions as well as school leaders.

This study sought to determine to what extend completers of School District A’s Preparing New Principals Program (PNPP) are prepared to meet the 2011 Florida Principal Leadership Standards (FPLS). Major questions addressed (a) the perception of principals regarding how well prepared completers of School District A’s principal preparation program were to meet the 2011 Florida Principal Leadership Standards, (b) if the perceived importance of the 2011 Florida Leadership Standards varied by leadership level, (c) if the perceived importance of the 2011 Florida Leadership Standards varied by a school’s free/reduced lunch percentage, and (d) the 2011 Florida Principal Leadership Standards perceived as the most beneficial to increasing student achievement. This mixed method study employed an online survey. The participants in this study included 46 supervising principals of Preparing New Principals Program completers from an urban school district in central Florida. Findings indicated that principals believed that Preparing New Principals Program completers were prepared to meet the 2011 Florida Principal Leadership Standards. Principals also believed that the following experiences would enhance the program: (a) more meaningful experiences that require participants to solve identified deficiencies, (b) an 18 to 24 month principal internship as opposed to the current eight-week principal internship, and (c) differentiating principal preparation based on participants’ experiences and school district needs.