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…

Despite rich and growing school choice and school marketing literatures, little is known about if and how principals of zoned public elementary schools engage in marketing. We address this gap by drawing on in-depth interviews with principals of nine schools--in different neighborhoods--in the Baltimore school district. We find that principals…

In Barbados, there has been an increase in violence and disruptive behavior among students at urban secondary schools. The problem is that some Barbadian urban secondary principals struggle to implement the Schools' Positive Behavior Management Program (SPBMP), while other principals successfully reduce disruptive behaviors. This basic qualitative…

Principals' instructional leadership has been the focus of research for decades. Research shows that principals' impact on student achievement is second only to teachers (Grissom et al., 2021; Herman et al., 2017). Student literacy achievement concerns that continue trending nationwide, and specifically in North Carolina, indicate the need for…

This dissertation presents a phenomenological qualitative study that examines the lived experiences of six Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Directors representing county, urban, and suburban school districts. The study aims to explore the perspectives, challenges, and strategies of SEL Directors in implementing SEL programs district-wide. The…

The study was applied in the context of scholarly literature guided by the framework of social cognitive theory (SCT) to examine the role of urban elementary school administrators in school programming to support students with exceptionalities. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of an administrator in a teacher's ability to support…

This qualitative study examines leadership challenges and lessons learned from 27 months of crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic as described by educational leaders in an urban public school district. Interviews were conducted with sixteen public school administrators: the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Principals, Assistant Principals…

Today, technology plays a crucial role in the daily lives of young children, even in their pre-kindergarten education. In an explanatory sequential mixed methods study, I addressed the following guiding question: "What are urban pre-kindergarten directors' self-reported behaviors associated with the International Society for Technology in…

School discipline disparities for African American students in urban schools continue to be a topic of contention. While research has rightfully called into question the practices and preparation of teachers and principals, the role that assistant principals serve as disciplinary gatekeepers has gone relatively unnoticed in the literature. The…

Smart Board Technologies (SBTs) are prevalent in K-6 schools and teachers are expected to use them to enhance student learning. The Smart Board (SB) may not be used effectively in the classroom. The effective use of the SB increases student engagement and performance. To ensure the effective use of the SB, the principal's role is crucial. The…

Since the formation of schools, schools have developed ways of understanding discipline and ensuring a safe and orderly environment. Governmental personnel began to influence local school policies beginning in 1989, with United States President Ronald Reagan's "War on Drugs" campaign. This led to the creation and development of…

School principals are essential to the implementation of culturally relevant practices in schools. The need for culturally relevant, responsive, and competent leadership is significant given the increase in the number of children representing a diversity of racial, ethnic, and linguistic populations (Horsford et al, 2011). Schools are becoming…

This dissertation study explores the lived experiences of Black women leaders of public school districts across the United States. Black women superintendents comprise roughly 2% of urban superintendencies in the United States, so understanding their journeys to and experiences in the position is critical to understanding ways that these systems…

The school accountability system in the Dominican Republic (DR) involves the use of several national assessments, the reporting of such data, and the training of principals on how to use such data as part of school improvement efforts. While this type of indicator accountability system does not include specific consequences, there is still…

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine educational leaders' experiences in leading behavioral crisis intervention and crisis team management with at-risk students in Title I K-5 elementary schools. The theoretical and conceptual framework that guided this study was Northouse's (2019) Behavioral Approach in concert…