Download or read book Perceptions of Principal Leadership and Its Influence on Student Achievement in Rural Middle Schools written by Tekeysha L. McCown and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: School districts across the country are working to close achievement gaps and improve student outcomes. The primary focus of this study was to explore perceptions of principal leadership and its influence on student achievement. A vast majority of research addressing this content targets urban school districts. This research was intended to contribute to the literature focused on school leadership in rural school districts. The findings of this study provided insight on which strategies and/or practices utilized by middle school principals were considered to have the greatest impact on student outcomes.

Download or read book Study of the Attributes and Behaviors of Middle School Principals in Successful Title I Schools written by Aneka Bolden-Vancourt and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: School leadership is being urged to change in order to meet the needs of societal and school demographics. By increasing our efforts to bridge the gap for our youth in transition between elementary and high school, we are modeling a unified system that sends the message that all youth matter (Balfanz, 2007; Ogbu, 1987). Middle school principals are now responsible for providing effective leadership in a wide variety of specific subjects. Principals today are encouraged to restructure a school by possessing and providing idealized attributes, idealized behaviors, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration, all while creating a school climate that will yield successful academic improvement. The purpose of the study was to study the attributes and behaviors of middle school principals in successful Title I schools. This study explored the leadership styles and best practices reportedly used by the principals in order to meet the diverse needs of all students and increase academic achievement. The study examined the attributes and behaviors of Middle School Principals in Title I Schools. The role of the leader in shaping and directing the school towards academic success was also examined. The leadership style and practices of a principal play an important part in student achievement. Grasping the leadership practices and the effect of the practices on middle school achievement provides a wealth of knowledge that will advance our understanding of middle school students and improve student achievement. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) was used to determine strengths and areas of improvement and a face-to-face interview was conducted to explore principals’ perceptions of their leadership practices. The MLQ measures a broad range of leadership types. In this study, principal leadership seemed to play a significant role in the success of the campus. All of the principals in the study exhibited attributes and behaviors that coincide with Transformational Leaders. Idealized Influence was included in the Top 3 for all of the Title I principals. The researcher searched for commonalities and differences. The findings from this study revealed that each of the four Title I middle school participants engaged in various initiatives and actions that contributed to their campus success. The first common initiative that all of the principals implemented was the alignment of curriculum to state standards. Secondly, all of the participants were highly visible in the classrooms. The principals believed they needed to be visible to parents, teachers, and students, and consistently communicate the vision for student success. Thirdly, the principals felt strongly about creating ways to empower teachers and staff to build leadership capacity and positive relationships. Finally, principals consistently communicated their vision to all stakeholders. These common behaviors were (a) ongoing monitoring and evaluation of programs, (b) visibility, (c) building relationships, (d) building leadership capacity, and (e) shared vision. Recognizing the attributes and behaviors shared by leaders who are successful in Title I schools will help school districts to identify those who would be effective in creating a climate of success within such a challenging environment.

Download or read book Balanced Leadership written by Sheryl Boris-Schacter and published by Teachers College Press. This book was released on 2006 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Alarmed by mounting evidence of a national shortage of qualified and willing principals, the authors surveyed or interviewed over 200 school principals from across the country to find out why so many are leaving the profession and how those who stay manage their work. They discovered that regardless of a principal's race, gender, school level, geographic region, or tenure, there was a remarkable consistency in the challenges identified and suggestions given for revamping the role of the American principal. Featuring stories shared by practicing principals, this timely volume: offers fresh insights on ways to both attract and retain good principals; shows how successful principals reconcile their expectations and hopes with the realities and disappointments encountered in their work; examines issues common to all principals, such as time management, staff evaluations, keeping the focus on instruction, community expectations, and pursuing a balanced life; presents strategies that principals have used to make their role more effective and more attractive; and provides practical ideas for coping with the present and envisioning the future, including alternative principal models.

Download or read book The Correlation of the Perceived Leadership Style of Middle School Principals to Teacher Job Satisfaction and Efficacy written by Jack Dale (Jr) and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This quantitative study addressed the idea that a middle school principal could possibly impact teacher effectiveness in the classroom through the relationship of the teacher- perceived leadership style of the principal to teacher job satisfaction and efficacy. The sample consisted of 142 certified teachers from 8 public middle schools in an East Tennessee school district. Teachers completed the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, (Bass & Avolio, 2004) and the Job Satisfaction Survey, (Spector, 1994). Findings from this study suggest that the middle school teachers' perceptions of their principal's leadership did not have a statistically significant relationship to teacher job satisfaction. A new insight from this study suggests that principals should find ways to lead beyond teacher perceptions to address the needs of teachers in order to promote and encourage higher levels of teacher job satisfaction. Furthermore, findings from this study suggest that the middle school teachers' perceptions of their principal's leadership style had a statistically significant relationship to teacher efficacy. Findings from the exploratory question at the end of the surveys further validated this study by indicating teachers perceived their need for principal leadership to help them become more effective in the classroom by incorporating elements of both transformational and transactional leadership. This research may assist in developing leadership style training for principals desiring to indirectly influence academic achievement by influencing teacher job satisfaction and efficacy within their schools.

Download or read book Principal Leadership Style and Student Achievement in Rural Secondary Schools in Lagos Nigeria written by Odinakachi Lilyan Onwuzuruike and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2023-01-30 with total page 73 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Master's Thesis from the year 2023 in the subject Pedagogy - The Teacher, Educational Leadership, , language: English, abstract: The Leadership styles adopt by school principal plays an important role in raising the students' academic achievement in Nigeria. This study investigates whether the principal’s leadership styles influence student achievement in rural secondary schools in Nigeria. Firstly, the study determines the overall type of leadership style adopted by upper and lower rural secondary schools in Nigeria. Secondly, it establishes the principal leadership style behavior in both upper and lower secondary schools. Finally, the study intends to investigate the influence of the Nigerian principal leadership style on student achievement in upper and rural secondary schools. The research design used is a quantitative descriptive sectional survey research design. The theoretical or educational gap, locational gap, and the approach gap were identified. In the research process, the researcher utilized two survey questionnaires, "Leadership Orientation Survey" from Bolman and Terrence E. Deal which has three sections, leadership styles, leaders' behavior, and overall rating respectively. The second survey contains one section “principal leadership survey”. Forty-six teachers in upper and forty in lower rural secondary schools were asked, but only 20 in upper and 20 in lower responded during the research. Frequency, percentage, and mean were used.

Download or read book Teachers Perceptions of the Roles of Principals as Instructional Leaders in distinguished high Performing and needs Improvement low Performing Middle Schools in Urban Metropolitan Atlanta Georgia written by Wanda Powe Greenwood and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A total of 278 teachers participated in this study. This study was designed to examine how teachers from "distinguished" (high performing) and "needs improvement" (low performing) middle schools perceived the roles of their principals as instructional leaders who could provide schools with the necessary leadership characteristics for school improvement. This study also examined if differences existed among teachers' perceptions of their principals' roles based on school type and demographics (gender, age, years of work experience, and educational attainment). The principal leadership questionnaire (PLQ) was used to collect data based on the five factors: identify and articulate vision and provide inspiration, foster acceptance of group goals, provide appropriate model, provide intellectual stimulation, and provide individualized support. Cronbach alpha was used to establish the internal consistency of the instrument. Data were analyzed using mean scores, percentages, t-tests and ANOVA. The findings indicated that the participants had positive perceptions with strongly agreed to agreed responses on most of the questionnaire items indicating that teachers perceived their principals should possess the characteristics associated with instructional leadership. Female participants consistently agreed with higher mean scores on all five PLQ factors than did male participants. The researcher recommended that further research and a longitudinal study be conducted on this topic to examine and compare leadership preparation programs in Georgia and other states across the nation and to determine the long-term effects of instructional leadership roles on student achievement.

Download or read book Leadership Responsibilities and Student Achievement written by Jennifer Severson Bean and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This qualitative study examined principal and teacher perceptions of leadership behavior which influenced the achievement of students, particularly those living in poverty. The students attended a high achieving elementary school where a majority were eligible for free and reduced lunch. This study also examined the principal responsibilities which the principal and teachers in this elementary school perceived to decline as a result of changes designed to increase student achievement. The study took place in a school district in Central Pennsylvania. The participants were a school principal and 10 teachers serving in a Title I distinguished high achieving, high poverty, elementary school. A questionnaire adapted and based on the findings of Marzano; Waters; and McNulty (2005), relating to principal leadership responsibilities linked to student achievement, and an interview were used in this study. These were administered to the principal and teachers in the school district. Analysis of the data suggested that use of the 7 responsibilities associated with second-order change were implemented by the principal in the participating district. Four of these, Monitoring and Evaluating; Optimizer; Intellectual Stimulation; and Ideals/Beliefs, were evidenced to a greater degree than others. Four responsibilities were seen to decline; these responsibilities were: Culture; Communication; Order; and Input. Some other responsibilities, although not targeted in the study, surfaced as strong characteristics or actions of the principal. These responsibilities were Affirmation, Focus, Situational Awareness, and Visibility.

Download or read book Teacher Perceptions of the Influence of Principal Leadership on Student Success written by Leslie Ashlock and published by . This book was released on 2013-03-11 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this study was to determine if a difference exists between teacher perceptions of principals' leadership behavior in low-performing schools and teacher perceptions of principals' leadership behavior in high-performing schools.

Download or read book The Relationship Between Teacher Perception of Principals Leadership Behaviors and Student Achievement written by Monte Damon Ladner and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 84 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this research study was to determine whether a relationship exists between student achievement, as measured by school Quality of Distribution Index score, and school leadership based on staff perceptions of school leadership, as measured by the Survey of Supervisory Behavior. The leadership of seven schools was assessed by staff members in five different sub scales of leadership domains: human relations, trust/decision making, instructional leadership, control, and conflict. The seven schools sampled were comprised of four rural or county schools and three city schools. The subjects for this study were principals of standalone schools containing grades five, six, seven, and eight or some combination of the four grade levels. All 60 respondents to this study were teachers from a rural southern state. Of the respondents, 48.33% held a Bachelors degree, 71.66% had been at their schools six years or more, 81.66% had taught for six or more years, 95.00% were white, and 91.66% of participants were found to be teaching in their subject area. The survey instrument was comprised of five domains. All five domains and the instrument were correlated with QDI to determine whether relationships exist. None of the five domains were found to be statically significant in relation to QDI. Additionally, the Survey of Supervisory Behavior Instrument was not found to be statistically significant in relation to QDI.

Download or read book TEACHERS PERCEPTIONS OF THE ROLES OF PRINCIPALS AS INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERS IN DISTINGUISHED HIGH PERFORMING AND NEEDS IMPROVEMENT LOW PERFORMING MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN URBAN METROPOLITAN ATLANTA GEORGIA written by and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A total of 278 teachers participated in this study. This study was designed to examine how teachers from distinguished (high performing) and needs improvement (low performing) middle schools perceived the roles of their principals as instructional leaders who could provide schools with the necessary leadership characteristics for school improvement. This study also examined if differences existed among teachers perceptions of their principals roles based on school type and demographics (gender, age, years of work experience, and educational attainment). The principal leadership questionnaire (PLQ) was used to collect data based on the five factors: identify and articulate vision and provide inspiration, foster acceptance of group goals, provide appropriate model, provide intellectual stimulation, and provide individualized support. Cronbach alpha was used to establish the internal consistency of the instrument. Data were analyzed using mean scores, percentages, t-tests and ANOVA. The findings indicated that the participants had positive perceptions with strongly agreed to agreed responses on most of the questionnaire items indicating that teachers perceived their principals should possess the characteristics associated with instructional leadership. Female participants consistently agreed with higher mean scores on all five PLQ factors than did male participants. The researcher recommended that further research and a longitudinal study be conducted on this topic to examine and compare leadership preparation programs in Georgia and other states across the nation and to determine the long-term effects of instructional leadership roles on student achievement.

Download or read book From the Desk of the Middle School Principal written by Kathleen Marie Brown and published by Scarecrow Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Brown (educational leadership, U. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) and Anfara (educational leadership, U. of Tennessee, Knoxville) examine education at the middle years level from the principal's perspective, spotlighting the principal's role in school reform and improvement based on the belief that schools should be responsive to the developmental needs of their students. Centered on a study of 98 principals in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and North Carolina, seven chapters explore the strategies used by principals in their responsiveness to students, to faculty and staff, and to their schools and communities. For aspiring and practicing middle school principals, board members, teachers and parents. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Download or read book Perceptions of Elementary Principals Leadership Behaviors written by Carrie Sue Florence and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examines principals' and teachers' perceptions of principals' leadership behaviors and whether leadership behaviors impact student learning viewed through the lens of transformational leadership. Analyzes using mixed methods seven elementary schools in a medium size district in the central region of North Carolina. Addresses the factors that challenge principals as they provide leadership in their schools. Includes principal interviews and focus groups as qualitative data.

Download or read book The Influence of Rural Principal Practices and State Accountability written by Misty Dawn Heiskell and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Purpose: This study investigated the practices of rural school principals in Region 16 that impact student achievement. Research Methods: A mixed-methods design was utilized for this study with evidence provided by 16 principal and 165 teacher responses, along with state accountability data ratings, and five principal interviews. Excel was used determined the degree of alignment in survey data between principal perceptions and teacher perceptions. Observation Oriented Modeling (OOM) was used to determine if there was a relationship between the degree of alignment in survey data and state accountability ratings. Findings: Within schools, principal and teacher perceptions of principal practices that influence student achievement vary; however, both identified the practice of maintaining a positive culture and climate as one of the most influential practices. Principals often rated themselves lower on the survey than their teachers rated them. Data-driven decision-making and technology were important principal practices related to student achievement. Implications: School leaders underestimate the importance of maintaining a positive school culture. The PIMRS, which is 30 years old, did not take into account the impact of data-driven decision-making and technology as a principal practice to improve student achievement. Further research is needed to identify how principals carry out the practices needed to maintain a positive school culture and how that practice and others such as data-driven decision-making and technology improve student achievement.

Download or read book Exploring the Relationship Between the Principal s Self efficacy School Climate and Student Achievement at the Middle Level written by Franklin W. Reese and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 147 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: School principals are assumed to possess strong self-efficacy perceptions, however heightened demands and increased accountability have changed the principals' role in schools. As a result, some principals have claimed that the position has become too complex and stressful. These conditions have caused a growing number of building principals to question their ability to be successful school leaders. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the self-efficacy perceptions of middle school principals, the climate of their schools, and the achievement of their students. The participating volunteers involved in the study included building principals and faculty members from four middle schools located in southeastern Pennsylvania. Data were collected and triangulated by utilizing a principal self-efficacy survey, a school climate index, researcher developed open-ended and interview questions, as well as the schools' recent three-year average of the PSSA results in mathematics and reading. Findings from this study indicated that principals held moderately strong self-efficacy perceptions and reported that time and experience were key factors in helping them develop necessary skills and abilities. Principals believed that their role has become more demanding, time-consuming, and managerial which has hindered their instructional leadership opportunities. While the data provided some evidence to suggest that principals' self-efficacy may have a positive influence on students' PSSA proficiency, this determination remains inconclusive due to a number of potential limitations identified in the study. Data revealed little correlation between the principals' self-efficacy and school climate conditions.

Download or read book Organizing Schools for Improvement written by Anthony S. Bryk and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2010-03-15 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1988, the Chicago public school system decentralized, granting parents and communities significant resources and authority to reform their schools in dramatic ways. To track the effects of this bold experiment, the authors of Organizing Schools for Improvement collected a wealth of data on elementary schools in Chicago. Over a seven-year period they identified one hundred elementary schools that had substantially improved—and one hundred that had not. What did the successful schools do to accelerate student learning? The authors of this illuminating book identify a comprehensive set of practices and conditions that were key factors for improvement, including school leadership, the professional capacity of the faculty and staff, and a student-centered learning climate. In addition, they analyze the impact of social dynamics, including crime, critically examining the inextricable link between schools and their communities. Putting their data onto a more human scale, they also chronicle the stories of two neighboring schools with very different trajectories. The lessons gleaned from this groundbreaking study will be invaluable for anyone involved with urban education.

Download or read book Teachers and Principals Perceptions of Leadership Skills and Attributes that Impact Student Learning written by Jennifer Rinehimer and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 71 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A principal’s leadership ability plays heavily into the success of a school. The multitude of responsibilities that a principal has requires them to manage the building, foster the learning environment, keep everyone safe and maintain relationships with teachers and students. Principals and their ability to lead can be a positive factor in supporting student achievement. Understanding the leadership skills and attributes that are the most effective for supporting student learning can make an impact in the success of the building. This paper aims to provide a deeper understanding of the leadership attributes of principals that support student learning. Teachers and principals were surveyed using Likert-type statements, open-ended questions and in-person interviews, which allowed them to give more insight into leadership attributes impacting student achievement. The findings of this study suggest that principals perceive safety to be of utmost importance in a school. Furthermore, they have found that fostering relationships with both teachers and students are important to supporting student achievement. Teachers’ perceptions mirrored this impact by finding that building relationships was an important factor in supporting them. This study concludes with implications for practice that may be used to assist building leaders in reflecting on their own practice and the leadership choices that are made on a daily basis.

Download or read book Educational Tug of war written by Raymond A. González and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Problem: As the United States Department of Education prepares to reauthorize ESEA once more, it does so in light of the reality that over 80% of schools will be considered in need of improvement by 2014 according to the adequate yearly progress targets (Duncan, 2011). Politicians, educators, and the general citizenry of the United States are concerned with how effective public schools are at educating our children; however, the current measurement of success is based heavily upon performance on high stakes assessments. Unfortunately, responding to NCLB demands are not the only things on the mind of school leaders. On any given day, there are a number of pressures that principals must consider in order to effectively manage the administrative and instructional aspects of running a school. Guided by the following research questions, this study explores how forces that are both internal and external to the principal influence the ways school leaders conceptualize and respond to accountability. * To whom or what do principals feel most accountable? * How do forces internal and external to the principal shape their conceptions of multiple sources of accountability? * How does it happen differently in high and low performing schools? * How does it happen differently in contexts that vary according to SES? * How do principals' conceptions of accountability shape what they do to promote student achievement? Method: This phenomenological collective case study collected data from 25 public middle school principals throughout New Jersey who lead schools that varied in socioeconomic and academic performance contexts. A pre-interview survey and follow up interview provided the basis for the data collection. The transcribed interviews were coded and analyzed according to the conceptual framework and research questions that guided the inquiry. Findings: Accountability to self is the most prominent source of accountability among the middle school principals in this study despite the prevalence of external accountability forces. When adding those who feel most accountable to teachers, it is apparent that most principals from higher achieving schools respond first to an internal accountability mechanism. Principals who identify an external source of accountability as most salient exhibit common attributes according to the school's improvement status, SES, and academic achievement. Significance: Although public and political attention is often focused on test-based accountability, there are other sources of accountability that receive less attention, especially as it relates to school leadership. This study adds to the research on the topic of educational accountability and leadership practices by exploring the concept from the perspective of a principal. As a result of the findings, the study also supports a better understanding of the perceptions of internal accountability among school leaders.