Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Bonnie Ronson
Committee Member
Jodi Lamb
Committee Member
Maryellen Maher
Keywords
assistant principals, beginning administrators, Chesapeake Public Schools, curriculum development, descriptive research, educational administration, elementary assistant principals, elementary education, elementary schools, human resource development, implementation, instructional leaders, instructional leadership, leadership theory, networking, nonexperimental research, preparation, principalship, principals, professional development, professional support, program evaluation, promotion, questionnaire, school-based training seminar, student learning, survey methodology, task delegation, training, understanding, workforce development
Abstract
The purpose of this project was to supply first or second year elementary assistant principals with a school-based training seminar that would strengthen their instructional leadership skills and provide a network of professional support to beginning administrators. The product was a human resource development activity. The goal of the seminar, while providing leadership theory and practical strategies, was to advance the understanding of the connection between effective leadership and improved student learning.
A nonexperimental, descriptive research design that incorporated survey methodology to collect the data needed to identify common areas of concern and to develop the curriculum for a seminar aimed at strengthening those areas of concern was used for this project. The questionnaire was distributed to principals and assistant principals in the Chesapeake Public Schools. The data collected provided information regarding the preparation of the assistant principal for their role as an instructional leader. The research also contributed to the field of educational administration by expanding the information base relative to the assistant principal’s instructional leadership role.
The results of this study suggested valuable information related to elementary school assistant principals as instructional leaders and the tasks they perform. It is recommended that a future study be conducted to determine the outcome of the implementation of this human resource activity and to examine whether future assistant principals who participate in the program feel better prepared for promotion to the principalship than those surveyed for this study. A study should also be performed to examine the instructional leadership tasks principals perceive they delegate to their elementary school assistant principals.