Independent schools face a head of school problem, as sitting heads of schools approach retirement at a high rate. The head of school role is complex, all-encompassing, and the newly appointed head of school is likely ill equipped to manage the role without mentorship. There is a gap in the literature regarding what challenges a newly appointed…

Women in the field of education are strongly represented in the classroom but are much less likely to become school district superintendents. For decades, women have continued to attain the top district leadership role at a rate of slightly less than one to four, compared to their male counterparts. The purpose of this study was to understand how…

Exploring principals' experiences with early career mentorship is relevant to the overall success of schools. However, scholars explain there is more to understand about mentorship for school leaders. Guided by Kram's (1983) Theory of Mentoring, this qualitative descriptive phenomenological study explored how principals with recent mentorship…

This applied dissertation was designed to increase the understanding of novice principals' perceptions of mentoring to support and improve the professional abilities of new principals. Although the advantages of principal mentoring are acknowledged, it is not widespread. There is a dearth of literature discussing the perspectives of mentees on…

Assistant principals typically begin their careers as teachers and transition to the role of assistant principal after completing a certification program that characteristically focuses on the principalship. Once they move into the role of assistant principal, many feel unprepared as the job responsibilities, assigned by the principal, usually…

The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine how mentoring support systems, race and gender intersectional challenges shape the pathway for five African-American women principals in a South Texas urban school district. The researcher used a semi-structured interview question protocol, audio-recorded, and professionally transcribed…

This phenomenological research study was based on elementary school teachers who felt unsupported by their principals, due to lack of frequent reviews and pertinent evaluations. In previous research studies, researchers stated that many elementary teachers were frustrated, changed schools frequently, retired early, or left the teaching profession…

The purpose of this multisite phenomenological case of study of elementary principals was to describe the essence of leadership of novice principals, studying themes of leadership attributes and conditions within the school community and preparation that reinforce the success of the school. While many studies have focused on the leadership…

The significance of this study was to give an active voice to the experiences of women superintendents. By giving voice to the lived experiences of women superintendents, the study sought to further understand the phenomenon of women dominating the teaching profession and other entry-level positions in education yet having a noticeably limited…

The purpose and goal of this quantitative method, causal-comparative study was to explore the impact of a year-long mentorship program on the self-efficacy, collective efficacy, perceived support, retention plans, and effectiveness of novice (i.e., 1st-3rd year) teachers in a rural, public school district in Mississippi. The mentorship program…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to investigate how novice rural principals in the Southwest United States describe mentorship as providing career and psychosocial support that influences their work as leaders. This study used Kram's mentor theory as its foundation. Two research questions regarding how novice rural principals…

Schools are complex and dynamic systems that require innovative leaders who are willing to invest in classroom teachers by giving them opportunities to lead beyond the four walls of the classroom. Because principals play an integral role in the academic achievement of students in their schools, it is incumbent upon principals to invest in teacher…

The purpose of this study was to understand the extent to which novice department leaders believe they have been supported in their roles. Previous research has suggested that department leaders have unique needs due to the lack of clarity in their roles and responsibilities. The literature further reflected the inconsistent support provided to…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the ways in which LGBTQ+ students at the University of Miami make meaning of their shared experiences in the LGBTQ+ Mentorship Program that the university offers, in order to explore ways in which higher education institutions might consider better supporting this key group of students.…

The purpose of the quantitative, descriptive, correlational study was to determine the influence of the first-year teacher induction program on the retention of teachers within the first five years of their careers. The study was conducted by surveying 70 teachers from elementary, middle, and high schools in a large school district in the upstate…