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The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine perceptions of East Tennessee State University (ETSU) cohort members on the experience of redesigning the leadership preparation program requirements. Particularly, cohort participants in the Greene-King cohort were chosen by an admission process to participate in a grant program as governed by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) in partnership with ETSU and local school agencies in Greeneville and Kingsport. The ETSU Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA) in the Claudius G. Clemmer College of Education collaborated with Kingsport City and Greeneville City school districts to redesign educational leadership programs. The SREB partnership initiative was eventually part of a broader effort designed to improve the quality of principal training throughout the state of Tennessee. This research was designed to document the Greene-King cohort member experience of redesigning leadership program expectations and outcomes. Moreover, the descriptive case study was an attempt to assimilate student perceptions of the effectiveness of cohort participation and the emergent design aspect of program expectations as they relate to leadership preparation. This research reinforced the view that the emergent design can provide for more meaningful participation on behalf of learners. Six research questions guided this study and qualitative data derived from the focus group interview and document reviews of cohort member reflection journals were analyzed. Results indicated that Greene-King cohort members were provided more meaningful school-leadership development experiences due to the following: emergent design of curriculum, meaningful and relevant internship experiences, mentoring, and collaborative learning within the cohort.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate East Tennessee State University graduate student perceptions on the effectiveness of internship experiences as students explored the implementation of ISLLC Standards and the role of mentor support as they prepared for the principalship. The participating university for this study is located in Johnson City, Tennessee. Participants obtained their administrative license from 2005-2010 and worked in one of 19 northeast Tennessee, North Carolina, and southwest Virginia school districts. Specifically, this research assessed the perceived value of the 540 hour internship experience, implementation of ISLLC Standards, and the perceived value of the site based and university based mentors as interns completed their activities in multiple settings. Research reinforced the view that internship experiences supported through site based and university mentors are necessary components of an effective aspiring principal preparation program. Two data measures were analyzed: 25 survey questions measured on a 4 point Likert scale and 3 open-ended questions. Nine research questions guided this study and quantitative data were analyzed using one-sample t tests. Results indicated that ETSU program completers from 2005-2010 agreed internship experiences and mentor support received through the ETSU Administrative Endorsement Program facilitated real world application of the ISLLC Standards while preparing for the principalship.

The purpose of this study was to measure the extent to which school leaders who completed the preparing new principals program in School District A perceived the program’s effectiveness in preparing them to demonstrate Florida’s principal leadership standards as adopted in November 2011. This study also identified the components of the preparing new principals program that influenced the professional practice of the program completers in their current leadership roles within School District A. This study was conducted at the request of the professional development services designee in School District A and is a companion study to research conducted by Eddie Ruiz and Wesley Trimble. The Preparing New Principals Program Completer Survey was sent to 90 administrators in School District A who completed the preparing new principals program between 2008 and 2011. Follow-up interviews were conducted with six volunteers in order to further clarify responses to the survey and to gather additional input from program completers. Survey results as well as interview data were analyzed in order to give the professional development services designee information for designing a new principal preparation program for School District A. The literature review and the results of this study supported the premise that preparing principals for school leadership in 2013 involves more than developing management skills and knowledge of the functions of a school. Principals must be instructional leaders with an unwavering focus on student achievement. Overall, results of the study found the PNPP in the urban school district supported the participant’s awareness of the FPLS and also showed they perceived they were prepared to demonstrate the majority of the standards. However, the individual requirements and experiences of the PNPP had varying levels of perceived value to iii the professional practice of the participants. Results of the study recommended the PNPP experiences perceived to be invaluable or not practical should be evaluated for applicability, revised accordingly or possibly eliminated to improve the effectiveness of the PNPP. Although the structure of principal preparation programs in the state of Florida are unique due to laws that created a two leveled principal certification process, the findings and conclusions of this research study could be useful to any school district working to develop future principals. Suggested improvements to the PNPP included a longer principal internship, a strengthened mentor relationship, an application process for initial program entry, differentiated experiences, and an emphasis on increasing teacher effectiveness

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No description available.

The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to describe experiences of building-level administrators in one urban school division in Virginia regarding preparation for having a role in retaining teachers and their perceptions of how well prepared they feel for that role. The researcher conducted one-on-one interviews with 15 administrators, representing 21.4% of all administrators in the subject-site division. The study investigated three research questions: (1) What beliefs do building-level administrators have regarding their role in the retention of teachers? (2) What experiences have building-level administrators undergone to prepare them for a role in retaining teachers? and, (3) How well prepared do building-level administrators perceive themselves to be for their role in retaining teachers? The study asked participants to consider principal preparation programs, principal professional development, and on-the-job experiences. Findings indicated that participants believed their role in teacher retention to be important; however, they tended not to have experienced explicit preparation for teacher retention. Though participants reported experiencing some preparation for creating workplace conditions favorable to retention, there was a notable diversity in viewpoint and few workplace conditions listed by participants aligned with those noted in prior research. Participants reported that their preparation had been acquired primarily through on-the-job experiences. Findings indicated that participants did not feel they had been well prepared for a role in teacher retention. This study proposed implications to be considered by those who develop and provide principal preparation and principal professional development, state and local educational agencies, and building-level administrators who seek skills and knowledge that promote the retention of teachers in their buildings. / Doctor of Education / The purpose of this study was to describe preparation experiences of school administrators in one urban school division in Virginia relevant to having a role in retaining teachers, as well as their perceptions of how well prepared they believe they have been for that role. The researcher interviewed 15 administrators, representing 21.4% of all administrators in the division, to answer three research questions: (1) What beliefs do building-level administrators have regarding their role in the retention of teachers? (2) What experiences have building-level administrators undergone to prepare them for a role in retaining teachers? and, (3) How well prepared do building-level administrators perceive themselves to be for their role in retaining teachers? The study found that participants believed their role in teacher retention to be important; however, they tended not to have experienced explicit preparation about retaining teachers. Though participants reported experiencing some preparation for creating workplace conditions favorable to teacher retention, there was little agreement among participants about which workplace conditions do so. Few of the workplace conditions listed by participants in this study matched those noted in previous studies by other researchers. Participants reported that their preparation for having a role in teacher retention had been acquired primarily through on-the-job experiences. Participants reported that they did not feel they have been well prepared for a role in teacher retention. This study proposed implications to be considered by those who develop and provide principal preparation programs and principal professional development, state and local educational agencies, and building-level administrators who seek skills and knowledge that promote the retention of teachers in their buildings.

The role of the school principal is second only to classroom instruction in terms of its impact on student achievement. Due to the evolving needs of students, schools, and school districts, the training of new principals should not end once they assume their first position. Research shows that while preparation programs designed to accredit new principals are critical, a growing body of literature is calling attention to the importance of professional growth opportunities that will further the development of educational leaders and address the day-to-day challenges of the role. To support this need, a number of research-based programs that are aligned with national educational leader standards create potentially valuable opportunities for ongoing professional development for principals. This qualitative study was designed to describe the perceptions and experiences of the recently appointed principals who participated in the Virginia Tech School Leaders Institute Recently Appointed Administrator Program (RAAP) and to examine how the RAAP contributed to their leadership development as a principal. Specifically, two questions guided this study: 1) How did principal participants indicate the RAAP contributed to their role as a principal? 2) What were the perceptions of principal participants regarding the impact of the RAAP on their leadership development? Three sources of data were used to generate findings: a demographic survey, primary data in the form of the transcription from a single focus group interview, and secondary data in the form of reflective synopses from 16 participants who took part in either the 2017, 2018, or 2019 program year. Four major findings supported by participant statements arose from this study: (a) participation in the RAAP informed them of the benefits of self-reflection and the awareness of self-care and balance as a principal, (b) by participating in the RAAP they found value in networking and building collegial relationships to overcome challenges as a recently appointed principal, (c) participation in the RAAP strengthened their leadership skills and increased their confidence, and (d) participation increased their knowledge and their ability to create actionable steps to support and implement new initiatives and programs in their schools. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are discussed. / Doctor of Education / This qualitative study was designed to describe the perceptions and experiences of the recently appointed principals who participated in the Virginia Tech School Leaders Institute Recently Appointed Administrator Program (RAAP) and to examine how the RAAP contributed to their leadership development as a principal. Two questions guided the development of this investigation: 1) How did principal participants indicate the RAAP contributed to their role as a principal? 2) What were the perceptions of principal participants regarding the impact of the RAAP on their leadership development? Three sources of data were used to generate findings: a demographic survey, the transcription from a single focus group interview, and secondary data from the reflective synopses of 16 participants who took park in either the 2017, 2018, or 2019 program year. Four major findings arose from this study: (a) participants indicated that participation in the RAAP informed them of the benefits of self-reflection and the awareness of self-care and balance as a principal, (b) participants indicated that by participating in the RAAP they found value in networking and building collegial relationships to overcome challenges as a recently appointed principal, (c) participants indicated that participation in the RAAP strengthened their leadership skills and increased their confidence, and (d) participants indicated that participation increased their knowledge and their ability to create actionable steps to support and implement new initiatives and programs in their schools. The findings from this study reinforce cited research on the importance of ongoing leadership development training and professional learning experiences beyond principal preparation programs for the recently appointed principal.

In many parts of the country principal candidates are being licensed through alternative pathways. Some view this movement as a plausible solution to the shortage of principals and inadequacy of principal preparation programs (Hess, 2003; Southern Regional Education Board, 2006; Thomas B. Fordham Institute, 2003). Others are insulted and threatened by the prospect of a person from a non-traditional background leading a school (Fenwick & Pierce, 2001). The debate as to whether or not these candidates possess the prerequisite skills and knowledge to effectively lead a school continues. But, will superintendents, as gatekeepers to school districts, afford these individuals the opportunity to prove their worth as principals? In this study, superintendents’ attitudes toward alternative licensure of school principals; past behaviors related to hiring alternatively licensed school personnel; attitudes toward specific alternatively licensed personnel; perceptions of the conditions in their school districts; anticipated concerns about hiring alternatively licensed principals; and the presence or absence of a clearly articulated induction program for new principals are used as predictors of superintendents' willingness to recommend hiring alternatively licensed principals to their school boards. The composite model of attitude-behavior consistency and data from a qualitative study of 18 superintendents were the bases for the development of a theory. To test the theory, an on-line questionnaire, using Likert and Thurstone scaled items, was administered to 1200 randomly selected superintendents who were members of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) in 2005. Multiple regression analysis was used for the analysis of the quantitative data. Five of the 19 predictor variables were significant predictors of superintendents’ willingness to recommend hiring alternatively licensed principals. The strongest relationship existed between superintendents’ willingness to recommend hiring alternatively licensed principals and their perceptions of the instructional leadership ability of alternatively licensed principals. Other significant predictors were superintendents’ past experiences hiring alternatively licensed principals, perceptions of the community acceptance of alternatively licensed principals, general attitude toward alternative licensure, and willingness to hire under the given definition. Superintendents displayed a low neutral (more unfavorable) score on the Thurstone scale, which means they view the employment of alternatively licensed principals slightly unfavorably. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this study was to investigate East Tennessee State University alumni's perceptions of the effectiveness of internship experiences as students learned the PSEL and TILS standards and the role of mentor support as they prepared for principalship. The participants obtained their administrative license and worked currently with an administrative license that is current in the state they reside. This research focused on the perception of the PESL and TILS standards, the effectiveness of the 540-hour internship experience, and the value of the site based and university mentor as the participants completed their activities in multiple settings. Findings supported that 16 out of the 17 ideas investigated had a strong positive significance, indicating they were highly supported by the data. These findings highlight the effectiveness of various aspects within aspiring principal preparation programs. Particularly noteworthy is the significance of internship experiences, which are guided by mentors from both the educational institution and the site of practice. This underscores the pivotal role these mentorship arrangements play in shaping future educational leaders. Findings revealed that participants in the program facilitated the practical application of the PESL and TILS Standards in preparation for assuming the role of a principal. Findings also supported the positive experience when participating in the 540 hours of internship hours required by the program.