The purpose of the study was to identify the basis of the aspiring principal preparation program (appp) components florida school districts provide to their aspiring principals and their relationship, if any, to the state and isllc standards. A total of 50 school districts in florida participated in this study. The research was guided by the following questions: to what extent do the florida school districts provide a formal appp to their current assistant principals? (b) upon what are the formal appps for current assistant principals based: the florida principal competencies (fpcs), the interstate school leaders licensure consortium (isllc) standards, or another source? (c) to what extent do the school district appps in the 67 florida districts have component requirements that include professional development, mentoring, and a performance-based experience? and (d) are there differences among the appp components provided by florida school districts of various sizes? the findings of the study were found through an examination of quantitative and qualitative data that were collected from the florida aspiring principal program assessment (flappa) survey and the school districts' appp brochures located on their websites. This study supported the following conclusions: (a) 75% of the school districts in florida do provide an appp for their aspiring principals, (b) the fpcs and the isllc standards are a part of the bases of the components found in appps provided by florida school districts, (c) florida school districts do provide appps that include components of a mentor principal, a performance-based experience, and professional development, (d) very large-sized school districts with a population over 100 thousand students contained the largest percentage of standards-based components in the appp; small-sized school districts with a population of under 7 thousand students contained the least percentage of standards-based components in the appp, (e) school districts in florida recognized the need to modify and were in the process of modifying their appps according to the new florida leadership standards, especially the component of technology, and (f) a lack of funding, time, and assessment were identified as appp weaknesses and components in need of improvement. Recommendations of this study included: (a) further research on florida school districts redesign of their appp components to identify whether or not the components are based upon the new florida leadership standards, especially technology; and the isllc educational standards; and (b) further research on florida school districts providing a mentor principal and support team; professional development, and a performance-based experience to their current assistant principals who participate in an appp, thus ensuring best practices in the appp and improving the quality of their future principals

No description available.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the City Public Schools" Leadership Academy has met its primary goal of preparing public school administrators to serve the school division. This study is built on research that reveals that there are a number of principal preparation programs available for future school leaders that do not adequately prepare the applicants for leadership roles. Collaborative partnerships between school divisions and colleges and universities are being formed in order to prepare public school leaders for the administrative demands of today's public schools, challenged by the mandates of the No Child Left Behind legislation. In particular, school divisions are forming grow-your-own leadership academies in order to meet the need for filling positions that are being vacated by retiring administrators. This study utilizes mixed-methodologies comprised of quantitative and qualitative data. Eleven completers of the City Public Schools" Leadership Academy who obtained administrative positions in the division during the 2004-2006 school years were a part of the study. In addition, their supervisors participated in the study. The research highlights, in quantitative data, the survey responses of ten novice administrators who were completers of the City Public Schools" Leadership Academy. Seminars that the novice administrators experienced were based on the six Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) standards. Thus, the survey and interview questions were adapted from the ISLLC standards. Adding richness to the study is the data that was generated in the form of in-depth interviews with the eight principals and five supervisors of the novice administrators. Findings revealed that the novice administrators had an overall perception that the City Public Schools" Leadership Academy prepared them to be school leaders. Although the supervisors felt, that the novice administrators were prepared, there were a few areas where they felt the program was in need of improvement. Additional findings gave school leaders a basis from which to make programmatic decisions that should result in a more effective leadership training program. / Ph. D.

The primary role of the principal has expanded over the past two decades from one of manager to one of manager and instructional leader. With the expanded role of instructional leader, the principal of the twenty-first century is faced with increased levels of accountability for student achievement as evidenced by national legislation, revised state standards, and an ever-increasing scrutiny by shareholders. Six years ago research indicated that approximately one fourth of practicing principals were eligible for retirement in the next three to four years (Lauder, 2000). School districts across the country are finding it more and more difficult to attract qualified candidates with the requisite instructional leadership skills for available principal positions and have chosen to address this crisis by creating principal preparation programs aligned with current needs and based on key practices. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to determine whether school personnel who participate in AAA Public School's leadership training program are better prepared for the principalship than those school personnel who did not participate in this leadership training program. Data collection included (a) focus group interview comprised of a random sample of assistant principals and principals who had participated in the leadership training program (N = 6), (b) focus group interview comprised of a random sample of assistant principals and principals who had not participated in the leadership training program (N = 6), (c) focus group interview with the population of assistant superintendents who evaluate principals (N = 4), (d) leadership academy training documents, and (e) observations. Study results found that administrators who participated in this leadership training program were better prepared, more confident in their leadership, and were more knowledgeable in the roles and responsibilities which principals face. / Ph. D.

The George W. Bush Institute (2016) stated the following: "Across the United States, as many as 700 principal preparation programs are preparing and certifying principals to lead our nation's schools. The methods that preparation programs use to train principals vary nationally and are a source of concern among policymakers, university faculty, and educators (p. 2)." The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze administrators' perceptions of the program components they perceived prepared them to be effective school leaders, and whether their preparation program components were aligned with the Professional Standards of Educational Leaders (PSEL). The literature review findings indicated that the PSEL, in addition to program components, are necessary for an effective program. A non-experimental quantitative Likert-style scale survey was used to collect data from a snowball sampling of 46 school leaders pursuing or having completed their doctoral degrees. Doctoral students have developed research skills that can be used to apply new knowledge to the education field; therefore, reflecting upon their initial administrative experiences may provide insight into Principal Preparation Programs (PPP). The research findings indicated that school leaders perceived that their program experiences were aligned with the PSEL and they were prepared for administrative assignments after completion of their PPP. The findings also indicated despite being prepared for their assignment, changes were suggested to improve their PPP. Implications for practice for improving their PPP are included in this study, as well as, suggestions for future studies. / Doctor of Education / The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze administrators' perceptions of the program components they perceived prepared them to be effective school leaders, and whether their preparation program components were aligned with the Professional Standards of Educational Leaders (PSEL). The literature review findings indicated that the PSEL, in addition to program components, are necessary for an effective program. This non-experimental quantitative study used a Likert-style scale to collect data from current and past doctoral students who were administrators. Doctoral students were selected as survey participants because they have developed research skills that can be used to apply new knowledge to the education field; therefore, reflecting upon their administrative experiences may provide insight into Principal Preparation Programs (PPP). The sampling technique of snowballing was used and resulted in 46 survey participants. The research findings indicated that school leaders perceived their program experiences were aligned with the PSEL and they were prepared for administrative assignments after completion of their PPP. The findings also indicated despite being prepared for their assignment, changes were suggested to improve their PPP. Suggested changes to PPPs included curriculum/coursework, practicum/internship, faculty, and method of instructional delivery. Implications for practice for improving PPPs include such considerations as a process to systematically assess graduates to determine what changes should occur to their principal preparation program. Suggestions for future research were also addressed in this study.

The purpose of this study was to determine if, after one year of operation, the UNT/Dallas Public Schools Leadership Development Program was progressing in accordance with the goals set out for the program. Questionnaires administered to 26 interns and 10 mentor principals and follow-up focus group interview sessions provided answers to the study's five research questions that explored the following: selection process; how interns' involvement in campus-based decision-making had changed; how mentor principals' perceptions toward interns had changed; and how administrative interns' perceptions of themselves and educational administration had changed. Findings from this study revealed the selection process provided the Dallas Public Schools an opportunity to select teacher-leaders from the district and to include a representative number of minority and women candidates for participation in the program. An area of weakness was seven interns with low GRE scores were admitted through an appeals process at the university. Another weakness revealed the majority of interns had been assigned more duties and responsibilities at the schools, but only 4 of 26 interns were being allowed to participate in any campus-based decision-making processes that could have an impact on school improvements. The study found the role of the mentor principal to be the most important factor in determining the satisfaction and success of the interns in the program. The embedded internship proved to be a disadvantage for the interns and principals, as the majority reported not having enough time to spend on administrative activities. Interns reported growth in personal and professional maturity and gained knowledge about the world of educational leadership. All 26 interns expressed the desire to become administrators in Dallas Public Schools upon completion of the program. Further research should include comparison studies between graduates of restructured programs and graduates of traditional programs to determine if there is a difference in school improvements and student achievement based upon the nature of the training of the school leader.

This mixed methods case study described and analyzed the 2004-2006 district-based principal preparation programs in Virginia. This dissertation explored goals stated in proposals for funding as well as program director and program completer perceptions of goals, content, processes, and outcomes for the 10 principal preparation programs that stemmed from the Commission to Review, Study, and Reform Educational Leadership. Data collection employed three phases: Phase I focused on the 10 grant proposals; Phase II involved semistructured interview questions centered on perceptions of nine participating program directors; Phase III investigated perceptions of 75 program completers who responded to a web-based survey. Data collection was conducted by coding proposals, transcriptions of directors’ interviews, and open-ended survey responses were coded to explore key terms that would be used to identify themes within and across all data sets. Findings from qualitative data analyses revealed themes related to program goals, content, processes (i.e., program delivery, elements), and outcomes. Program directors’ and program completers’ perceptions of the identified themes (e.g., practitioner-oriented, real life) were found to both differ and have similarities. Instructional content received minimal discussion from most program directors; program completers generally perceived needs for more content instruction in school law, special education, and finance. Practitioner-oriented program processes were perceived as valuable by both groups. Mentorship, portfolio projects, and SLLA test preparation were perceived as critical. Diverse perceptions were found particularly in the personal interactive component of the eight elements. Program directors and completers shared the same outcome goal; both groups were focused on fully prepared, highly qualified principals. Both groups wanted a definition of standards for acceptance into district-based principal preparation programs. Outcomes of the 10 programs included unintended consequences as well as challenges, particularly the ongoing need to balance theory and practice to reform principal preparation programs. Three of the 10 programs have continued with redefined partnership roles. Universities provide the preparation and involved school divisions annually select their cohort of students and provide some funding.

This study examined the conceptual framework of ethical reasoning of public elementary school assistant principals during decision-making. An ethical framework not only provides a descriptive way of thinking during ethical decision-making, but also provides a rationale for decisions. The purpose of this study was to determine which ethical reasoning framework, including the ethics of justice, critique, care, and the profession, elementary school assistant principals' use during decision-making. Additionally, the study determined other resources assistant principals' consult during decision-making. This study incorporated descriptive survey research through purposeful sampling with specific participant criteria. A researcher-developed survey of hypothetical dilemmas was deployed electronically to public elementary school assistant principals. Thirty-seven participants responded to four hypothetical scenarios, involving either staff or students, through a Likert scale and open response questions. Each hypothetical scenario included one of the ethical frameworks of justice, critique, care, or the profession embedded in one of four potential solutions. The findings suggest that elementary school assistant principals use an ethical framework during decision-making, whether they refer to the framework specifically by name or not. The data suggest the assistant principals in this study most frequently selected the ethic of care framework for their decision-making. Lastly, the evidence in this study suggests the most frequently consulted resource during decision-making by the assistant principals in this study was that of their principal. There is much research on ethics, teachers, and school leaders, but there are few studies on ethics and the assistant principal. Additionally, there are few studies on the assistant principal and ethical decision-making. The literature suggested that the assistant principalship is a stepping-stone to the principalship. If the assistant principalship is truly a stepping-stone for future principals, assistant principals need to have developed their personal and professional code of ethics, as well as, have an understanding of the ethical reasoning frameworks for implementation during ethical decision-making.

The purpose of this research was to explore how Nunavut Educational Leadership (ELP), a school principal preparation program in Nunavut Territory, Canada, fulfills Inuit (the indigenous people of the territory) educational aspirations. In accordance with this purpose, the study focuses on answering four specific questions: (1) what are Inuit educational aspirations? (2) What is the context for Inuit education? (3) How is the Nunavut Educational Leadership Program organized to meet its objectives? (4) How do the activities of the Nunavut Educational Leadership Program (ELP) fulfill Inuit educational aspirations? Adopting an exploratory case study design grounded in qualitative approaches and undergirded by critical interpretative perspective, the research triangulates both primary and secondary sources of data. The primary data sources come from individual semi-structured interviews of 35 respondents (18 community members, 3 program development members, 3 presenters/facilitators, 7 program participants, and 4 educational officials) selected across Nunavut Territory. These sources are complemented with relevant secondary documents from 1987 to 2010. Using constant comparative and word-in-context as the main data analysis methods, concepts and themes were delineated from the data sources to form categories, with the research questions and conceptual framework guiding the process. The research results revealed, among many other things, that the Nunavut ELP partially fulfills Inuit educational aspirations as defined in the research. Issues arising from the data analysis and interpretation are also discussed under (1) Inuit culturally appropriate education/ self-determination in education, (2) Issues associated with Inuit and mainstream relationship, (3) The relationship between context and principal preparation and development programs, (4) Preparation programs for fulfilling local educational aspirations, (5) Framework for principal leadership practice, (6) Educational Governance Related-Issues, (7) University contribution to principal leadership preparation and development programs, (8) Nunavut ELP goals, and (9) Leadership Conceptualizations. Along with these are recommendations, theoretical implications and directions for future or further research. Though the research does not purport to design an educational leadership program for Nunavut school leaders, its evidence-based analysis and results may assist in any conversations toward the restructuring, improvement or enhancement of the Nunavut ELP as well as any educational leadership development programs in post-colonial societies.

The purpose of this research was to explore how Nunavut Educational Leadership (ELP), a school principal preparation program in Nunavut Territory, Canada, fulfills Inuit (the indigenous people of the territory) educational aspirations. In accordance with this purpose, the study focuses on answering four specific questions: (1) what are Inuit educational aspirations? (2) What is the context for Inuit education? (3) How is the Nunavut Educational Leadership Program organized to meet its objectives? (4) How do the activities of the Nunavut Educational Leadership Program (ELP) fulfill Inuit educational aspirations? Adopting an exploratory case study design grounded in qualitative approaches and undergirded by critical interpretative perspective, the research triangulates both primary and secondary sources of data. The primary data sources come from individual semi-structured interviews of 35 respondents (18 community members, 3 program development members, 3 presenters/facilitators, 7 program participants, and 4 educational officials) selected across Nunavut Territory. These sources are complemented with relevant secondary documents from 1987 to 2010. Using constant comparative and word-in-context as the main data analysis methods, concepts and themes were delineated from the data sources to form categories, with the research questions and conceptual framework guiding the process. The research results revealed, among many other things, that the Nunavut ELP partially fulfills Inuit educational aspirations as defined in the research. Issues arising from the data analysis and interpretation are also discussed under (1) Inuit culturally appropriate education/ self-determination in education, (2) Issues associated with Inuit and mainstream relationship, (3) The relationship between context and principal preparation and development programs, (4) Preparation programs for fulfilling local educational aspirations, (5) Framework for principal leadership practice, (6) Educational Governance Related-Issues, (7) University contribution to principal leadership preparation and development programs, (8) Nunavut ELP goals, and (9) Leadership Conceptualizations. Along with these are recommendations, theoretical implications and directions for future or further research. Though the research does not purport to design an educational leadership program for Nunavut school leaders, its evidence-based analysis and results may assist in any conversations toward the restructuring, improvement or enhancement of the Nunavut ELP as well as any educational leadership development programs in post-colonial societies.