Why Principals Choose to Remain in an Urban District

• In Event: 14.044 - Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: 14.044-8 - Leadership Capacity for Cultural Competence

Abstract

Principal leadership is second only to teacher quality in improving student achievement (Wallace Foundation, 2013). Federal legislation such as NCLB (2001) and RTTT (2009) reinforced the importance of school leaders by increasing accountability and demand to replace principals when adequate student achievement gains were not met. Many studies exist to examine why principals leave, but this qualitative study utilized a semi-structured interview protocol to explore why elementary principals choose to remain in an urban district. It focuses on an urban district where seven out of nine elementary school principals were in their fifth year or beyond of leading the same school. The focus is on elementary school principals because less research has been conducted on these leaders.

Authors

• Ethan Bradley Heinen, Central Connecticut State University

• Jennifer Hills-Papetti, Central Connecticut State University