Identifying the Professional Development Needs of Public School Principals Based on the Interstate School Leader Licensure Consortium Standards

This study explored the role public school principals play in implementing teamwork among K-12 teachers. A sample of 636 U.S. principals completed an online survey rating the importance of teamwork, identifying the barriers teachers face when working in teams, and listing the initiatives they have taken to promote teamwork among teachers. The findings suggest that principals consider teamwork to be very important. They also showed that time constraints, relationship concerns, and differences in teaching and experience are the leading barriers to teamwork. The findings also indicated that principals take initiatives—such as modifying schedules, team-building activities, and professional development—to foster teamwork among teachers.

Download Full-text

Perceptions of Beginning Public School Principals

Journal of School Leadership ◽

10.1177/105268469300300207 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 186-202

Author(s):

James E. Lyons

Keyword(s):

Public School ◽

Time Management ◽

School Principals ◽

Beginning Principals ◽

New Principals ◽

Local School ◽

Principal's Role ◽

Public School Principals ◽

School Operations

This study was designed to determine the level of competency that beginning principals perceived they had in their primary areas of responsibility when appointed to the position. Secondarily, the study determined what beginning principals perceived to be their greatest challenges and frustrations, most familiar and most unfamiliar areas of responsibility, and who was most and least helpful to them as new principals. The findings indicated that beginning principals are challenged by the following: delegating responsibilities and becoming familiar with the principal's role, the local school, and school operations. Their major frustrations were role adjustment, the (large) amount of responsibility, and time management.

Download Full-text

Stress and Coping Among Public School Principals in a Midwest Metropolitan Sample

SAGE Open ◽

10.1177/2158244019829549 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 215824401982954 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jason A. Kaufman

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Public School ◽

Elevated Level ◽

School Principals ◽

Coping Skills ◽

Stress And Coping ◽

Future Research ◽

Public School Principals ◽

Leading Schools ◽

And Coping

The present study sought to investigate perceptions of stress and coping among public school principals. School principals are daily called upon to make decisions regarding a range of unscripted events. The position can be stressful, and stress is known to interfere with sound decision making. It was predicted that present samples of school principals would report a mean level of elevated stress. Contrary to expectations, school principals did not report an elevated level of stress. They instead reported an ostensibly effective reliance on problem-focused and emotion-focused coping skills. It remains unclear how the school principals developed such adaptive means for coping with the stress of leading schools. It is recommended that future research explore this question so that such skills may be transmitted to principals-in-training.

Download Full-text

US principals’ sensemaking of the future roles and responsibilities of school principals

Educational Management Administration & Leadership ◽

10.1177/1741143219896072 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 174114321989607

Author(s):

David B. Reid

Keyword(s):

Public School ◽

School Improvement ◽

School Principals ◽

School Principal ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Public School Principals ◽

Future Role ◽

Roles And Responsibilities ◽

The Future

School principals are fundamentally important to school improvement. Due in part to this importance, the roles and responsibilities of school principals are constantly evolving. To explore leader sensemaking about this phenomenon I conducted 30 interviews with 10 public school principals in the US state of New Jersey during the 2018–2019 school year. Specifically, in this study I asked: (a) What are current public school principals’ predictions of the future role of school principals? and (b) In what way(s) do these predictions shape principals’ thinking about remaining in the profession? The findings of this work indicate: (a) principals believe the future of the school principal will focus heavily on safety and security; (b) principals believe the future of the role will include an increased emphasis on supporting student and teacher emotion and mental health; and (c) principals believe their future role as a school leader will evolve in how they interact with parents/guardians. Finally, an analysis of data shows in some cases how principals make sense of the future of the profession shapes their thinking about remaining in or exiting the role of school principal. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Download Full-text