Supporting Principals as Instructional Leaders: Exploring a Supervisory Model That Empowers and Removes Barriers

Author

Dale UselmanFollow

Degree Date

9-17-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Education

First Advisor

Dr. John Braun

Abstract

In recent years, an increasing amount of pressure has been placed on K-12 school principals to engage as instructional leaders to increase student achievement. Historically, however, principals were expected to operate as school managers instead of instructional leaders, and therefore, often felt unprepared as instructional leaders. Many principals also faced barriers, such as time constraints, that impeded their ability to be effective instructional leaders. To remedy this problem of practice, school districts repurposed the principal supervisor role to provide both supervision and coaching for principals. Existing research on this principal supervisor-coach model identified practices that supervisor-coaches used to support principals but did not explore how principals perceived those practices to effectively help them overcome barriers to instructional leadership. In this qualitative case study, I interviewed nine K-12 school principals in an urban Midwest school district that used the principal supervisor-coach model to examine their perceptions of the model's benefits. I aimed to reveal supervisor-coach practices that supported the principals’ instructional leadership and overcoming the barriers to this work. The findings from the study show that principals perceived the principal supervisor-coach model supported them in overcoming the instructional leadership barriers they experienced. Data analysis also provided a list of coaching activities and other supports that principals believed their supervisor-coach can use to strengthen their instructional leadership. Based on these findings, recommendations are provided for practice, policy, and scholarship. Considerations are offered to state and district leaders seeking to improve student achievement and principal supervisors seeking to support principals as instructional leaders. Additionally, recommendations are offered for future research to further explore the principal supervisor-coach model.

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