Female rural school principals' leadership qualities and the impact on student achievement

Date

2019-08

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Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the leadership experiences of female principals in rural school districts in Texas. The increase in accountability measures, along with increasing workloads have created unique challenges for administrators across the nation, specifically those working in rural school districts. The study sought to uncover the leadership characteristics that female rural school administrators use to improve their schools. Data collection included interviews, observations, and documents from four campus level women in educational leadership positions in rural West Texas school districts. During this study, three questions guided the research: 1. How do female principals in rural West Texas schools describe the influence of environmental and social factors of a rural community on their ability to create positive outcomes for students? For teachers?; 2. How do female principals rural West Texas schools describe their influence on the levels of student performance on state assessments?; 3. How do female principals in rural West Texas schools perceive their gender to be an influence on their leadership practices; and do they perceive their gender as influencing a ‘caring leadership’ style that promotes student success? The theoretical framework that guided this study was the ethic of care. The findings revealed that female principals working in rural school districts serve in a variety of ways which include acting as school-community liaisons, building and maintaining student and faculty relationships, and working with teachers to enhance learning opportunities for their students. All four principals exhibited the characteristics of care-focused leadership, centered around the need to care for the welfare of their students, faculty, and community with their primary goal of supporting student achievement. The principals in this study sought to create campuses designed around a shared leadership style of decision-making that fosters collaboration, supports student learning and improves instructional practices.

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Keywords

Rural, Female, Principal

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