Influence of a district leadership development program on 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year principals

The purpose of this sequential mixed methods study was to determine the influence of a district leadership development program on 2nd, 3rd and, 4th year principals. A purposeful sample of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year principals in a large urban school district in the southwest region of the United States (U.S.) was solicited to provide responses to the Principal Effectiveness Survey to assess the influence cohort support, instructional leadership, human capital, executive leadership, school culture, and strategic operations had on principal effectiveness as school leaders. The survey data were analyzed using frequencies and percentages, while the focus group and interview data were analyzed using an inductive coding process. Findings obtained from participant responses to the Principals Effectiveness Survey indicated principals tend to feel that the activities related to Cohort Support had “medium” influence on their effectiveness as school leaders; activities related to Instructional Leadership had “medium” influence on their effectiveness as school leaders; activities related to Human Capital had “high” influence on their effectiveness as school leaders; activities related to Executive Leadership had “high” influence on their effectiveness as school leaders; activities related to School Culture had “high” influence on their effectiveness as school leaders; and activities related to Strategic Operations had “high” influence on their effectiveness as school leaders. Findings obtained from the focus groups and interviews identified four themes related to how the leadership development program’s trainings and support influenced principals’ effectiveness as school leaders: (a) principal supervisor and peer support, (b) no recollection of trainings, (c) shortcomings of the program, and (d) ways the program prepared the principals for leadership.