This quantitative study has two purposes. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate how teachers’ perceptions of principals’ instructional leadership affects student achievement in Texas suburban elementary schools. The secondary purpose of the study was to learn whether school demographic variables or prior achievement predict the level of instructional leadership elementary school teachers report for their principals. The primary outcome of instructional leadership was the achievement of fifth grade students who attended five select suburban elementary school districts in Texas for the 2011 – 2012 school year. The data collected for this research examined the two-year performance of the fifth grade students on their Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills reading test. Data were also collected from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade elementary teachers who attended one of the 97 participating schools from the five school districts. The teachers completed a voluntary survey during a faculty meeting. The survey asked teachers to report their perceptions of instructional leadership. The survey questions tapped four primary areas of instructional leadership: setting goals, providing professional development, monitoring and providing feedback, and establishing high standards. The main hypothesis was that instructional leadership would have a direct effect on student achievement. A variety of statistical techniques, such as factor analysis and multilevel analyses, were utilized for this study. A factor analysis method was used to create a measure of degree for instructional leadership in schools and multiple regression methods were utilized to test the relationship between instructional leadership and school SES, ethnicity, and prior achievement. This study found a modest direct relationship between instructional leadership and reading achievement. More specifically, teachers’ perceptions of instructional leadership were a marginally statistically significant and positive predictor of between school variation in student achievement in reading. Additionally, the study revealed that the school socioeconomic status, ethnic composition, and prior achievement do not predict instructional leadership. Implications of the findings for future research and practice are discussed.

Research on school districts has repeatedly found that focusing on student learning and instructional leadership is a key component to effectiveness (Murphy & Hallinger, 1988; Leithwood, 2010; Anderson & Young, 2018). Districts are currently undergoing a redefinition of roles in order to specifically support principals as instructional leaders in their schools. This qualitative case study describes how one district began to develop a system for supporting principals through incorporating leadership coaching. This study shares the perspectives of principal supervisors and other district specialists as they built their own capacities to be effective coaches. The complexity of simultaneously developing skills in both the principal supervisors learning to coach and the principals being coached is contextualized in this study. I find that the self-direction of coaches learning to coach was significant in principal supervisors and district specialists learning to understand the key principles of coaching. As individuals and as a collective of district leaders, it is the element of choice that creates a meaningful beginning to implementing leadership coaching for principals and has set forth a clear vision for the future of supporting principals in their instructional leadership goals.

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Thesis advisor: Martin M. Scanlan / Problem and Purpose: Professional learning has the potential for significant impact within the realm of teaching and learning. District and school-based leaders spend valuable time mapping professional development calendars and planning learning opportunities for staff. In addition to the time spent, professional learning has a significant impact on the budget. Planning and implementing professional learning is a timely and expensive endeavor. However, professional learning often falls short in delivery. Impacts are limited and sometimes even negative when staff have a bad experience. During a time of crisis, professional learning is paramount as all stakeholders respond and adjust. Time is of the essence during a crisis. As a result, effective delivery of professional learning is critical for managing and maintaining the instructional core. The purpose of this study is to further explore and understand what influences teacher professional learning and instructional practices. Additionally, this study will seek to identify the ways in which principals create the conditions to support teachers’ professional learning. Understanding teacher learning and leadership support for learning will help practitioners to design for learning that has an impact. Methods: To answer these questions, a qualitative case-study of one medium sized urban district in Massachusetts was studied. The district reflects a diverse student body that includes English Language Learners, students with disabilities, and students identified as high needs. Interviews, observations, and document review were utilized for data collection. Analysis of the data was informed by Communities of Practice. Implications: In order for professional learning opportunities to be meaningful and to have an impact, district and school based leaders should remain mindful that learning is a social endeavor. Balancing vertical and horizontal power with creating space for partnership will contribute to professional learning plans that are productive for teachers and that engage principals in creating the conditions to support teacher learning. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

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Educational equity is a strategy through which schools prioritize equitable access to learning experiences most appropriate for each student's needs. It is an attempt to reduce inequitable student outcomes by closing gaps in students' opportunities to access the teachers, learning, and resources they need. Instructional leaders are vital to how educational equity manifests in the school setting, and assistant principals serve in this capacity among many. The purpose of this study was to identify assistant principals' preparation, opportunity, and self-reported professional learning needs to serve as equity-focused instructional leaders. The researcher sought participation from a sample of assistant principals from four school divisions in Virginia. For this quantitative study, participants completed a researcher-developed survey about equity-focused instructional leadership practices adapted from an educational equity framework developed by the Virginia Department of Education and the nationally recognized BELE framework. The researcher analyzed survey responses and used descriptive statistics to report findings that answered three research questions about assistant principals' preparation, opportunity, and self-reported professional learning needs to serve as equity-focused instructional leaders. The data revealed that assistant principals are prepared and often engage in multiple equity-focused instructional leadership practices. Assistant principals would benefit from increased opportunities and additional professional learning in some areas of equity-focused instructional leadership. The researcher identified implications for the practice of assistant principals and made recommendations for future research that might provide insight for principals, division leaders, and state personnel into how to utilize and support assistant principals in this capacity. / Doctor of Education / Pursuing equity in the educational setting aims to reduce inequitable student outcomes by closing gaps in students' opportunities to access teachers, learning, and resources that address their specific needs. Assistant principals serve as instructional leaders and are vital to establishing and maintaining equity in the school setting. The purpose of this study was to identify assistant principals' preparation, opportunity, and self-reported professional learning needs to serve as equity-focused instructional leaders. The researcher sought insight into assistant principals' beliefs about their experiences as equity-focused instructional leaders, specifically in the areas of the equity-focused instructional leadership strategies outlined in a framework developed by the Virginia Department of Education and the nationally recognized BELE framework. The researcher sought to gain insight for principals, division leaders, and state personnel to support their efforts to utilize and support assistant principals in this capacity. The researcher conducted a quantitative study using a survey research design. The researcher conducted the study in Virginia and collected data from a sample of 65 assistant principals in four school divisions. The researcher analyzed responses to the survey and used descriptive statistics to report findings that answered three research questions about assistant principals' preparation, opportunity, and self-reported professional learning needs to serve as equity-focused instructional leaders. Findings indicate that assistant principals are both prepared and have opportunities to serve as equity-focused leaders. However, they would benefit from increased opportunities and professional learning to improve their practice.

The major purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the instructional leadership role and responsibilities of middle school assistant principals and their level of involvement in instructional leadership. Specifically, this study determined the extent of involvement of the middle school assistant principal as an instructional leader in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The data gathered compared instructional leadership tasks to various demographic variables and determined the amount of time spent performing the instructional leadership tasks. The Sources of Instructional Leadership(SOIL) survey instrument was revised and used in addition to a demographic survey to collect the data. A total of 396 surveys were mailed to middle school assistant principals across the state of Virginia. The SOIL survey includes 31 instructional leadership tasks that describe the instructional leadership responsibilities of assistant principals. The research design is non-experimental and descriptive. The methodology was a modification of the methodology used in a study conducted by Bush (1997). The design used a demographic survey, the SOIL survey and time study to collect data. The data collected answered the following research questions: 1. What instructional leadership roles and responsibilities are performed by middle school assistant principals in Virginia? 2. What is the relationship between instructional leadership responsibilities performed and specific demographic variables? 3. How much time do middle school assistant principals spend on instructional issues each week? Conclusions from the data reveal the primary instructional leadership responsibilities of Virginia middle school assistant principals are: (1) developing a school climate that is conducive to learning (2) improving student discipline, and (3) communicating a concern for student achievement. The data also indicate that older assistant principals are more involved in observing and evaluating staff than younger assistant principals. Additionally, the study found that the more instructional leaders in a school, the more involved assistant principals are with tasks that are associated with developing an academic climate. Furthermore, almost 80% of the participants indicated they spent between 10-30% of their instructional task time developing an academic climate each week. Nearly 50% of the participants spent the least amount of time on tasks that focus on coordinating the instructional program. / Ph. D.

Since the 1980s, researchers have suggested that principals are an integral part of school effectiveness through their actions as instructional leaders. Standardized testing and strict accountability, which heavily influence today's public schools, make principals responsible for student achievement. They fulfill this responsibility by influencing and guiding the quality of teaching and learning in their schools. The purpose of this study was to measure how high school principals influenced change in teachers' instructional practices; however, other factors influencing classroom instruction surfaced. A two-step methodology was used. The first step was a qualitative study in which interviews with 9 principals and 9 teachers from high schools across the country were conducted. The purpose of this step was to collect data that helped develop a questionnaire that was used in a quantitative study. The constant-comparative method was used to analyze data collected from the interviews. The influence of principals on change in teachers' instructional practices was limited. Several other factors emerged as influences on teachers. The original theory was modified and the new theory guided the development of the questionnaire. Step two of the methodology was a quantitative study in which a questionnaire was distributed to a national sample of teachers. Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze data collected from the questionnaire. Two of the five predictor variables were significantly related to change in teachers' instructional practices. The strongest predictor of change in teachers' instructional practices was pressure influences. External growth influences was the other variable significantly related to change in teachers' instructional practices. The remaining variables, administrative influence, peer influence, and self/family/student influence, were not predictors of change in teachers' instructional practices. Issuing directives, one of the pressure influences, was the only principal influence significantly related to change in teachers' instructional practices. Results indicated that teachers were influenced by many variables, many of which are outside of the principal's control. / Ed. D.