Principal Behaviors:

How do Principals Best

Support Classroom

Teachers in efforts to

improve student

achievement?

EDRS 801—Brett Wilson

Understanding my educational landscape:

9 of 25 schools have had new principals assigned since April, 2013

In the summer of 2013 the following observation was made: Of 25 schools in the county, only 4 have kept the same principal for more than 3 years.

Just under half of our principals have less than 5 years experience.

We’re still great, just largely inexperienced.

Teacher turnover at my school is approx. 5% over the past 3 years.

How did I get here…

Until about 4 weeks ago, I was moving toward factors impacting teacher morale, motivation, and attitude. Further, how do these influence student achievement?

However, there are many confounding variables:

School MoraleProfessional MoralePersonal Morale

What’s my problem?

I can’t do everything.

No really, that’s my problem. So since I can’t do everything, what should I do?

How do I best support classroom teachers in efforts to improve student achievement?

Surveys show (there were also interviews, observations, correlational studies….)

Influencing Factors such as:

Existing School Culture & Climate

-Differentiating between the two Frequency versus Quality of

behaviors Self-ratings, peer-ratings, teacher

ratings & state ratings. Does the support teachers

describe as needing actually support student achievement?

Categorizing what Principals do into 5 skills:

Administration

Instruction Management

Organizational

Management

Human Resource Activities

External Relations

What’s missing?

There is little research on the change process involving administrative support needs focusing on student achievement.

The research is shallow in areas of ability development, training and mentoring of principals.

Very limited narrative, action research in this area.

How do Principals Best Support Classroom Teachers in Efforts to Improve Student Achievement?

Begley, P.T. (2006). Self-knowledge and sensitivity: Prerequisites to authentic leadership by school principals. Journal of Educational Administration, 44(6), 570-579.

Blase, J. and Blase, J. (1999) “Effective instructional leadership: Teachers’ perspectives on how principals promote teaching and learning in schools.” Journal of EducationalAdministration. 38(2) 130-141.

Bond, J. (2011) “Thinking on Your Feet: Principals’ Reflection-in-Action” National Council of Professors of Educational Administration. Connexions module: m41608

Donaldson, M. (2013) “Principals’ Approaches to Cultivating Teacher Effectiveness: Constraints and Opportunities in Hiring, Assigning, Evaluating, and Developing Teachers.” Educational Administration Quarterly. 49(5) 838-882.

Gallagher, M.A. (2012) “How Principals Support Teacher Effectiveness.” Leadership: Association of California School Administrators. Pages 32-37

Grissom, J. and Loeb, S. (2011) “Triangulating Principal Effectiveness: How Perspectives of Parents, Teachers, and Assistant Principals Identify the Central Importance of Managerial Skills.” American Education Research Journal. 48(5) 1091-1123.

Gruenert, Steve (2008) NAESP. “School Climate, School Culture: They are not the same thing.” Principal. March, 2008. 56-59.

Quinn, David M. (2002) “The impact of principal leadership behaviors on instructional practice and student engagement.” Journal of Educational Administration. 40(5), 447-467.

Salazar, P. (2007) “The Professional Development Needs of Rural High School Principals: A Seven-state Study.” The Rural Educator. 28(3) 20-27.

Soehner, D. and Ryan, T. (2011) “The Interdependence of Principal School Leadership and Student Achievement” Scholar-Practitioner Quarterly. 5(3) 274-288.

Waters, T., Marzano, R., and McNulty, B. (2003). McREL. “Balanced Leadership: What 30 years of research tells us about the effect of leadership on student achievement.” Pages 1-19.