THE IMPACT OF PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION’S PRINCIPAL EFFECTIVENESS FRAMEWORK FOR LEADERSHIP
Open Access
- Author:
- Kirkpatrick., Daphne
- Graduate Program:
- Educational Leadership
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- October 07, 2019
- Committee Members:
- Deborah Lynn Schussler, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Deborah Lynn Schussler, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Tiffany M Squires, Committee Member
Marsha Elizabeth Modeste, Committee Member
John Ewing, Outside Member
Kevin Kinser, Program Head/Chair - Keywords:
- Principal Effectiveness
Framework for Leadership
Principal Evaluation
Superintendent Roles and Responsibilities
Superintendent's Professional Development
Principal Supervisors
Pennsylvania - Abstract:
- The recent focus on principal effectiveness, and in particular the development of the Framework for Leadership instrument to measure a principal’s effectiveness, provides cause to investigate the impact of this implementation on district superintendents in Pennsylvania. Currently, a modest amount of research exists regarding superintendent roles and responsibilities around effective district leadership; however, little is available that focuses the superintendent’s responsibility specific to the evaluation and support of the principal to become a better instructional leader. This qualitative research study explored the perceptions of 44 superintendents working in school districts across three Intermediate Units in the central region of Pennsylvania. The two primary means of collecting data included surveys and interviews. Surveys were completed by 44 superintendents, and from the survey data, 19 superintendents were selected to participate in a brief interview. The findings show that the Framework for Leadership provides superintendents with a tool that can be used to guide conversations about effectiveness, provide feedback on particular areas of need, and promote the growth of principals where necessary; however, findings also reveal that superintendent roles and responsibilities are often so overwhelming that instructional leadership is often not a thought that is first and foremost in their thinking. There were three primary implications revealed in this study. First, this study contributes to recent research in support of principal supervisor positions, particularly as these positions related to school districts located in rural Pennsylvania. This is a significant area of need when considering how superintendents in this region of the state are responsible for covering a multitude of responsibilities as leaders in their positions. Second, this study confirms the importance of superintendents’ involvement in professional learning. This professional learning is especially important when considering implementations of new supervisory and evaluation tools. Finally, this study contributes to the literature in support of the importance of superintendents as essential for supporting principals to become more effective school leaders.