Supporting principals in building capacity to balance both instructional leadership and managerial competence is an essential task. Recognizing that principals do not directly teach students, their impact on school outcomes is broadly understood to be second only to teacher classroom instruction (Grissom & Loeb, 2011; Grissom et al., 2015;…

Historically, the role of district central offices has been to efficiently execute policy and compliance demands around enrollment, funding, licensure, facilities, and academic standards with little attention to the processes and learning that is needed to promote high-quality instruction. This capstone examines the implications of organizing…

The purpose of this research study was to provide a quantitative approach to the study of induction programs as a means to demonstrate their importance to lessening teacher attrition rates. The collection of quantitative data collected through an online Likert style survey was intended compare multiple induction programs and determine which…

New-to-profession elementary teachers in a large school district may not have the support they need to help them feel proficient and successful in their role. This narrative inquiry qualitative study involved exploring the perceptions of new-to-profession elementary teachers and their mentors of the mentoring program in place in a large school…

The purpose of this quasi-experimental, quantitative study was to examine the effects of implementing a non-evaluative teacher goal setting process to determine if there was an impact on student achievement as measured by MAP growth scores and if there was an effect on teacher job satisfaction. For this study, teacher job satisfaction was measured…

The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Southern California K-12 school districts and understand what district and site administrators have learned from their experiences and their decision-making responsibilities in managing the crisis. This study has brought to light the impact of the pandemic on students,…

The purpose of this qualitative, explanatory, single, case study was to explain how new and experienced principals in one 9-12 school district located in California perceived their transition to the principalship. Data were collected with regard to perceptions of administrator preparation and induction programs, along with their perceptions of…

The purpose of this Action Research study was to investigate and improve teacher retention at Southside Public Schools, an urban public school district in Massachusetts. Participants and data collected in Cycle 1 consisted of an interview with the school district's superintendent, a focus group that included Southside's director of human…

In 2009, district data revealed that new students at Appoquinimink School District (ASD) were struggling academically and socially. Several specific steps were taken to improve the outcomes of these new students. First, an in-depth review of the relevant data regarding new students in the district was conducted. A white paper on relevant research…

Many states throughout our country are faced with hiring teachers who are not certified and do not have any prior teaching experience. There are various factors contributing to states hiring alternatively licensed teachers: low teacher pay, demands of teaching, and a decline in individuals entering traditional teacher training programs at colleges…

School districts across the nation are grappling with the issue of high principal turnover coupled with a decrease in number of experienced applicants to fill vacancies (Guterman, 2007; Hall, 2008; Johnson, 2005; United States Department of Education, 2010; Villani, 2008). In addition, college preparation programs are being called into question as…

The purpose of this study was to determine if the minimum number of observations stated in a district's teacher evaluation plan, observation characteristics described in a district's evaluation plan, and the characteristic of those evaluating teachers had an impact on whether a school would receive a bonus or penalty point for Indiana's A-F…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the degree to which Herren Joint Union School District (HJUSD) was meeting its organizational performance goal of creating and implementing a balanced unrestricted general fund budget for the current year and 2 subsequent years. The study was built foundationally using the Clark and Estes (2008) gap…

This dissertation was a quantitative, correlational study that examined the impact of the mentor component of a mentor-based induction program on three factors of new teacher development and support. The focus of this study was on beginning teachers participating in a district-supported mentoring program designed to support and acclimate teachers…

The purpose of the research was to investigate the leadership skills of rural Minnesota superintendents alongside the academic achievement of the school district. Through the correlates of school leadership espoused by Waters and Marzano, this research analyzed the leadership characteristics of the superintendents in those districts and the level…