School Leaders’ Perceptions of Preparation for Rural Southern Schools
Location
PARB 128 (First Floor)
Proposal Track
Research Project
Session Format
Presentation
Abstract
The role of today’s school leader has expanded far beyond managerial tasks, and an emphasis has been placed on both managerial and instructional leadership tasks (Jackson et al., 2021; McBrayer et al., 2018b). Inadequate preparation for this changing role has created gaps in the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to effectively lead 21st-century schools. Closing this leadership gap is critical to preparing school leaders ready to effectively lead schools and supporting practicing principals to lead for continuous school improvement (Pannell & McBrayer, 2020). Further, closing the leadership gap could be critical in reducing leader attrition which Pannell et al. (2022) found to negatively impact every category of Georgia's College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI).
This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of school leaders in a rural Southern region of the United States to better understand their educational leadership preparation program experiences and how training shaped their current leadership knowledge, skills, and dispositions. This phenomenological analysis discovered three overarching research themes that were expressed: (1) practical leadership lessons, (2) meaningful leadership mentorship, and (3) community-centered education needed. Implications for practice will lead to a better understanding of the successes and challenges of current educational leadership preparation to improve programs to ensure school leaders are prepared for today’s educational arena.
Keywords
school leadership, educational leadership preparation, school leadership, principal preparation, rural schools
Professional Bio
Dr. Summer Pannell currently serves as Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Stephen F. Austin State University and as Director of the National Institute for Restorative Discipline. She has over two decades of experience as an educational leadership faculty member and P-12 administrator and teacher. During her tenure as principal, she received a Champion of Change Award for her school closing achievement gaps and served on collaborative committees to develop statewide principal and teacher evaluation systems. Dr. Pannell holds superintendent, principal, and teacher certification in multiple states and is a certified Restorative Discipline Practices trainer of trainers.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Pannell, Summer; McBrayer, Juliann; Dickens, Kristen; and Uriegas, Brian, "School Leaders’ Perceptions of Preparation for Rural Southern Schools" (2022). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 9.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2022/2022/9
School Leaders’ Perceptions of Preparation for Rural Southern Schools
PARB 128 (First Floor)
The role of today’s school leader has expanded far beyond managerial tasks, and an emphasis has been placed on both managerial and instructional leadership tasks (Jackson et al., 2021; McBrayer et al., 2018b). Inadequate preparation for this changing role has created gaps in the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to effectively lead 21st-century schools. Closing this leadership gap is critical to preparing school leaders ready to effectively lead schools and supporting practicing principals to lead for continuous school improvement (Pannell & McBrayer, 2020). Further, closing the leadership gap could be critical in reducing leader attrition which Pannell et al. (2022) found to negatively impact every category of Georgia's College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI).
This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of school leaders in a rural Southern region of the United States to better understand their educational leadership preparation program experiences and how training shaped their current leadership knowledge, skills, and dispositions. This phenomenological analysis discovered three overarching research themes that were expressed: (1) practical leadership lessons, (2) meaningful leadership mentorship, and (3) community-centered education needed. Implications for practice will lead to a better understanding of the successes and challenges of current educational leadership preparation to improve programs to ensure school leaders are prepared for today’s educational arena.
