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What can districts do to retain high school assistant principals?
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What can districts do to retain high school assistant principals?
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Content
What can districts do to retain high school assistant principals?
Amy Price
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
A dissertation submitted to the faculty
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Education
May 2024
1
© Copyright by Amy Price 2024
All rights reserved
2
The Committee for Amy Price certifies the approval of this Dissertation
Dr. David Cash, Committee Chair
Dr. Joelle Greene, Committee Member
Dr. Maria Ott, Committee Member
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
2024
3
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to provide insight into the perceptions of high school
assistant principals regarding the barriers that exist to remain in their role and how school
districts can support them. A total of 10 high school assistant principals were interviewed for
this study. The participants represented a range of experience from 1 month to 15 years from a
variety of school sizes. Findings indicated that a heavy workload associated with the role is the
primary reason why assistant principals leave the role. Other factors that were identified as
barriers included negative interactions with educational partners and future career aspirations.
Assistant principals described that their relationship with district office personnel can be
perceived as a barrier or support. If district personnel are accessible and collaborative with
assistant principals this creates a supportive culture within the district. Additionally, assistant
principals described feeling supported by their school district when provided with professional
development opportunities to support their growth as leaders.
4
Acknowledgements
The support I have received from my family and the USC Rossier community has been
instrumental while working through the dissertation process. The dedication to education that
was instilled in me by my parents inspired me to pursue a doctoral degree. My partner, Gus,
provided unwavering support and encouragement throughout this process. Thank you to my
sisters, Megan and Charlotte for being my biggest cheerleaders.
I would also like to acknowledge my research partner Jeannie Eamnarangkool . I could
not have completed this dissertation without your collaboration. Thank you to my committee
chairs Dr. Cash, Dr. Greene and Dr. Ott for your thoughtful feedback and academic support
throughout this process.
5
Table of Contents
Abstract 3
Acknowledgements 4
Table of Contents 5
List of Tables 8
List of Figures 9
Chapter One: Overview of the Study 10
Statement of the Problem 12
Purpose of the study 13
Significance of the study 13
Limitations and delimitations 14
Definition of terms 14
Organization of Study 15
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature 17
Administrator Role and Impact on Schools 17
General Role of Assistant Principal 17
School Administrator Impact on Schools 19
Instructional Leadership and Curriculum 20
Teacher Relationships: Hiring and Retention 22
Barriers to Retention 24
Administrator Turnover Statistics 24
Working Conditions 26
Lack of Support and Resources from District 28
Job Transitions 29
6
Compensation 29
Impact of School Administrator Turnover on School & Equity Issue 30
Supports for Administrators 31
General Leadership Support 31
Evaluation Practices 32
Professional Development Opportunities 33
Mentoring 35
Theoretical Framework: A Phenomenological Approach 36
Chapter Three: Methodology 38
Statement of the Problem 38
Purpose of Study 39
Selection of Population 40
Design Summary 41
Methodology 41
Instrumentation and Protocols 42
Data Collection 42
Data Analysis 43
Validity & Reliability 44
Researcher Positionality 44
Summary 45
Chapter 4: Results 46
Participants 47
Demographic Information 47
Reasons for becoming an Assistant Principal 48
Results 50
Results Research Question 1 50
Difficulties with Adult Educational Partners 51
Parents 52
School Staff 54
Upper Level Administrators: Principals & District Personnel 55
Conflict of Interest 55
Lack of Supportive Culture 55
Heavy Workload 56
Time commitment 57
Volume and Pressure of work 58
Career Aspirations 59
Discussion Research Question 1 59
Results Research Question 2 62
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Accessibility of District Personnel 62
Shared Understanding of School Sites 62
Direct Lines of Communication 63
District Culture 64
Professional Development 66
Mentoring 68
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Summary 70
Chapter Five: Discussion 72
Overview of Study 72
Discussion of Findings 73
Research Question
1 Findings: Barriers 74
Research Question
2 Findings: Supports 76
Limitations 78
Implications for Practice 79
Future Research 81
Conclusions 82
References 83
Appendix 89
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List of Tables
Table 1: Demographics of Participants ………………………………………………… 47
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List of Figures
Figure 1: Barriers to Assistant Principals Persisting in Their Roles …………………… 50
Figure 2: Types of Educational Partners ……………………………………………….. 52
10
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Chapter One: Overview of the Study
School administrators have a schoolwide influence on student outcomes at their school
sites (Honig & Rainey, 2020; Superville, 2021). The primary work of a school leadership team
in improving student learning is centered around their interactions with adults in the community
(Hitt & Tucker, 2016). Specifically, school administrators play a key role in the development of
teachers (Honig & Rainey, 2020). Research has established that quality of teaching is the most
important school related influence on student learning (Honig & Rainey, 2020). School
administrators have the ability to build the capacity of staff members and cultivate positive
working conditions (DeMatthews et al., 2023). These factors are needed to create the conditions
necessary to promote student achievement (Hitt & Tucker, 2016).
The school administrative team includes the principal and assistant principals (Goldring
et al., 2021). The assistant principal role and responsibilities is often dependent on the school
site and not standard across districts (Barnett et al., 2012; Barnett et al., 2012; Goldring et al.,
2021). The principal has a large influence on the main responsibilities of the assistant principal
(Hilliard & Newsome, 2013). The assistant principal role often includes three main components:
student experience and affairs, instructional leadership, and operations (Barnett et al., 2012;
Bartanen et al., 2021; Hitt & Tucker, 2016; Oleszewski et al., 2021). An assistant principal often
spends the majority of their time addressing student behavior and management compared to
instructional leadership and school operations (Moyer & Goldring, 2022; Oleszewski et al.,
2012). However, there has been a shift in the role of the assistant principal to be more focused
on instructional leadership (Bartanen et al., 2021; Goldring et al., 2021).
The assistant principal has a significantly higher turnover rate compared to their principal
and teacher counterparts (Bartanen et al., 2021). This is particularly true for assistant principals
12
serving in urban schools or schools in high poverty communities (Bartanen et al., 2021).
Assistant principals have cited that working conditions associated with heavy workload and
tension at the workplace are contributing factors to them choosing to leave their jobs (Barnett et
al., 2012). The heavy workload is often described by school administrators as extensive time
spent at their jobs, pressure from educational partners to perform, and volume of responsibilities
that fall on them to complete (Levin et al., 2020). Assistant principals also have described that a
lack of support and resources from their school districts are challenges in their positions (Barnett
et al., 2012; Levin et al., 2020). Finally, the role of an assistant principal is often thought of as a
stepping stone to moving into a principal position (Goldring et al., 2021; Marshall & Phelps
Davidson, 2016). This idea that they are in the position to prepare them for the next step could
be a contributing factor to the higher mobility of assistant principals (Bartanen et al., 2021).
When administrators feel supported they are more likely to remain in their position
(Levin et al., 2020). The district's ability to create safe spaces for administrators where they feel
comfortable problem solving contributes to administrators feeling supported in their position
(Chadwick, 2020). Additionally, school administrators need to feel they have the authority to
make decisions for their schools (Carpenter et al., 2016). Assistant principals are more likely to
feel support from their district if they are getting professional development based on their day to
day responsibilities and development needs (Keating et al., 2017). Formal mentoring programs
have also created spaces of support in districts for assistant principals (Barnett et al., 2017).
The job responsibilities of school administrators can bring a large emotional and mental
toll on the person in the position. The lack of sustainability built into the role can be problematic
for schools, as leaders are key players in building school wide systems, instructional planning,
and accountability at a school site. This research study seeks to further understand what support
13
from the district level contributes to the retention of high school assistant principals as well as
the main barriers that lead to administrators leaving their jobs. The study will focus on supports
at the district levels and barriers that impact a high school assistant principal's decision to remain
at their school.
Statement of the Problem
Assistant principals have a higher turnover rate than both teachers and principals
(Bartanen et al., 2021). The turnover rate for assistant principals is even higher in high poverty
environments (Bartanen et al., 2021). An assistant principal can positively impact student
outcomes through their work as instructional leaders and key partners who address student
behaviors (Goldring et al., 2021). There is a limited amount of research about assistant
principals regarding retention, support, and impact on the school (Goldring et al., 2021). Though
there is limited research done about assistant principals, the principal and assistant principal roles
overlap greatly (Goldring et al., 2021). When a principal leaves there is a negative impact on
student outcomes (Bartanen et al., 2021; Goldring et al., 2021; Grissom et al., 2021). These
negative outcomes include decline in student achievement, interruption of program or reform
implementation, low teacher morale, and the development of a school culture that is resistant to
change (Farley-Ripple et al., 2012). This means that there is likely a correlation between high
turnover of assistant principals and negative student outcomes.
The limited amount of research about assistant principals means that districts cannot
make informed decisions about how to best support key members of schools (Bartanen et al.,
2021). Current research has not thoroughly investigated the conditions that predict persistence,
exit, or advancement of individuals in the assistant principal position (Bartanen et al., 2021).
There is limited research to help districts and state policy efforts to address turnover issues in
14
schools (Farley-Ripple et al., 2012). This study will focus on understanding barriers that exist for
assistant principals when deciding to stay in their job and supports provided by districts that help
them stay.
Purpose of the study
The purpose of this study is to provide insight into what high school assistant principals
perceive as barriers to remaining in the position and needed support from the district. Interviews
were conducted to determine the experiences and perceptions of assistant principals.
The following research questions were used to guide this study:
1. What do high school assistant principals perceive as barriers to staying in their role?
2. What supports at the district level do high school assistant principals perceive as
necessary to persist in their role?
This study takes a phenomenological approach to highlight the experiences of the
participants to influence the support districts provide to their high school assistant principals.
Significance of the study
There is a lack of research about assistant principals and how to best support them
(Barnett et al., 2012; Goldring et al., 2021; Oleszewski et al., 2012). This research study will add
more insight into the field about how school districts can support high school assistant principals
and barriers to assistant principal retention. By adding to the research in this area it will be
helping practitioners and policy makers make more informed decisions when working to address
leadership retention in schools (Grissom et al., 2021).
The school leader plays a central role in the achievement of students and success of a
school (Honig & Rainey, 2020). The intention of this research study is to help inform school
district decision making when considering the hiring, ongoing development, and necessary
15
support of assistant principals in remaining at their school site. Past research on school
leadership turnover has served a similar purpose by helping district and school policy efforts to
address turnover issues in schools (Farley-Ripple et al., 2012). This research study will provide
an added insight to the factors that lead to an assistant principal's decisions to stay at their school
which can be used by districts in their strategic planning when thinking about how to retain
administrators (Farley-Ripple et al., 2012).
Limitations and delimitations
The study was limited to high school assistant principals at public schools in Los Angeles
County in California and their self-reported personal narratives in the assistant principal role.
Interview questions related to choice to remain in their role, including questions about support at
the district level, were limited to the relevance of the research participants’ personal experiences.
The delimitations of this study were limited to the role at the school (Assistant Principal),
type of school (Public High School), geographic region (Los Angeles County), and number of
Assistant Principals surveyed and interviewed (25 surveyed and 10 interviewed).
Definition of terms
● Assistant Principal is a school staff member who is responsible for supporting the
principal in conducting all academic programs as well as the business and daily
operations of the school (Goldring et al., 2021).
● Principal is a school staff member who reports to the superintendent and uses leadership,
supervisory, administrative, and management skills to promote the educational
development of each student in a school (Goldring et al., 2021).
● School administrator is a school staff member who has the title of assistant principal or
principal (Goldring et al., 2021)
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● School District personnel is a person who is employed by a school district and does not
work at a specific school site but instead collaborates with educational partners at
multiple schools. This can include: superintendents, area superintendent, associate
superintendents, curriculum specialist, and human resources
● Educational Partner The members of a school community that includes students, staff
members, parents, community members, and district personnel
● School District a unit for administration of a public school system often comprising of
several towns within a state (Merriam -Webster)
● Barrier factors perceived by administrators that would potentially lead to turnover from
their school site; barriers are looked at within the three levels: personal, school site, and
district
● Retention an administrator remains at their school site
● Support actions, strategies, and or climate perceived by school administrators to
contribute to their retention at their school site; supports are looked at within three levels:
personal, school site level, and district level support
● Turnover when an administrator leaves their school site
● Persistence when an administrator remains at their school site
● Heavy workload - number of school- related work hours inside and outside of the school
(Levin et al., 2020)
● Job complexity - having multiple roles and responsibilities (Levin et al., 2020)
Organization of Study
This research study is organized into five chapters. Chapter 1 provides an overview of
the study and introduces information about the impact of school administrators on student
17
achievement, administrator turnover, and frames the purpose of the study. Chapter 2 presents a
literature review in the following areas: role of assistant principals, impact of school
administrators, barriers for administrator retention, and district supports that help with retention.
Chapter 3 describes the methodology selected for this research study and includes: sample and
population selection, interview questions, and survey questions. Chapter 4 provides the results
of the research findings. Chapter 5 includes a summary of findings, potential next steps for
practitioners, and conclusions drawn from the study. The study is meant to inform future support
for high school assistant principals that can be provided by school districts to encourage the
retention of assistant principals.
18
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature
Administrator Role and Impact on Schools
General Role of Assistant Principal
The number of assistant principals have been steadily increasing over the last twenty five
years (Goldring et al., 2021). Even with the increase, there has been a lack of consensus by
policymakers, practitioners, and researchers about the role of the assistant principal or how to
best support them (Barnett et al., 2012; Goldring et al., 2021; Oleszewski et al., 2012). This
literature review will include resources that have researched both assistant principals and
principals given that the majority of states and districts do not have separate professional
standards for the roles (Goldring et al., 2021). The roles are often interconnected and experience
similar job pressures, meaning that there is a likely overlap in findings about principals and
assistant principals (Barnett et al., 2012; Bartanen et al., 2021).
Many schools have shifted to a model in which leadership responsibilities are shared
among principals, assistant principals, and teacher leaders (Goldring et al., 2021; Hilliard &
Newsome, 2013). As a result, assistant principals work closely with students, teachers, and
families and have a direct impact on students academic outcomes (Goldring et al., 2021; Hilliard
& Newsome, 2013). The role of an assistant principal generally includes addressing student
behavior, school operations, and instructional leadership (Barnett et al., 2012; Bartanen et al.,
2021; Hitt & Tucker, 2016; Oleszewski et al., 2012). Depending on the school and district,
some assistant principals roles include a broad range of responsibilities while others are more
specialized (Goldring et al., 2021). While the focus of the assistant principal is generally on
student behavior and instructional leadership, the amount of time spent in these roles is
dependent on the way principals distribute leadership responsibilities (Goldring et al., 2021;
19
Hardesty, 2021).
The role of the assistant principal is designed with the purpose of supporting positive
outcomes for students (Goldring et al., 2021; Hardesty, 2021; Hilliard & Newsome, 2013).
Assistant principals must collaborate with their leadership teams in order to influence student
achievement through their roles in instructional leadership and addressing student behaviors
(Hardesty, 2021; Hilliard & Newsome, 2013). The ability of the assistant principal to have a
broader impact on the school is based on how the principal shares the leadership roles at the
school site (Hilliard & Newsome, 2013). When a principal learns the strengths of the assistant
principal as an educator they are able to make intentional decisions about how to utilize those
skills when determining the responsibilities of the assistant principal to have a greater impact
(Hilliard & Newsome, 2013). For example, if the assistant principal was previously an English
teacher they would be an instructional leader supporting English teachers and likely have a more
positive impact on student outcomes compared to if they were supporting Science teachers
(Hilliard & Newsome, 2013).
When compared to a school principal, the assistant principal spends more of their time
addressing student behavior (Barnett et al., 2012; Bartanen et al., 2021; Moyer & Goldring,
2022; Oleszewski et al., 2012). In one study that surveyed 56 assistant principals in Kentucky, it
was found that 95 percent of the participants reported that discipline and student management
took more than 20 percent of their time (Ricciardi & Petrosko, 2001). Another study found that
19 percent of assistant principals reported spending 20 hours or more on student discipline
(DiPaola & Tschannen-Moran, 2003). Since assistant principals spend the majority of their time
addressing student discipline, their expertise as instructional leaders and ability to have a broader
impact on the school can be underutilized (Hilliard & Newsome, 2013).
20
Districts and schools have shifted the responsibilities of assistant principals to include
more instructional leadership (Bartanen et al., 2021; Goldring et al., 2021). Assistant principals
in urban schools and high poverty schools report they spend more time on instructional
leadership compared to their colleagues (Moyer & Goldring, 2022). Instructional leadership
responsibilities include leading professional development, individual teacher coaching, and
working to cultivate a positive learning environment for all students (Barnett et al., 2012; Hitt &
Tucker, 2016). When an assistant principal is engaging in individual coaching with a teacher
they are often conducting classroom walkthroughs and facilitating data meetings (Goldring et al.,
2021; Hardesty, 2021). Assistant principals will sometimes be focused on content specific
instructional leadership while others will focus on general instructional practices depending on
their expertise and past experiences (Hardesty, 2021). A content focused leader is when the
assistant principal does instructional coaching on a specific subject or set of subjects; for
example coaching math teachers at a high school (Hardesty, 2021). When assistant principals are
content focused they must have the self confidence to be a content focused leader and support
from the district to be effective content focused leaders (Hardesty, 2021).
School Administrator Impact on Schools
An assistant principal is uniquely positioned to promote the success of a school because
of their work with various educational partners in the school (Barnett et al., 2012; Bartanen et al.,
2021; Hitt & Tucker, 2016; Oleszewski et al., 2012). There is limited evidence about the
relationship between assistant principals and school outcomes (Goldring et al., 2021). Therefore,
the focus of this section will include the influence of both assistant principals and principals due
to the connectedness of the roles (Goldring et al., 2021).
School leaders help to create the conditions necessary to promote student achievement
21
(Barnett et al., 2012; Bartanen et al., 2021; Hilliard & Newsome, 2013). These conditions are
created through a leader's influence on building capacity of staff members and cultivating strong
relationships that retain staff members (DeMatthews et al., 2023; Grissom et al., 2021; Honig &
Rainey, 2020). School administrators play an important role in setting the vision for and driving
the professional development of teachers as instructors at their schools (Barnett et al., 2012; Hitt
& Tucker, 2016; Honig & Rainey, 2020). The effectiveness of a teacher drives student
achievement and outcomes at the school (Honig & Rainey, 2020). School leaders play an
essential role in developing teachers instructionally which then can lead to better student
outcomes (Barnett et al., 2012; Hitt & Tucker, 2016; Honig & Rainey, 2020).
School administrators also have an influence on the culture of the staff, hiring, and
teacher retention (Beckett, 2018; Grissom et al., 2021; Guthery & Bailes, 2022). Administrators
are often the ones hiring new staff members (Beckett, 2018; Guthery & Bailes, 2022). The
longer that an administrator has worked at a school the more likely they are to hire a staff
member that will stay (Beckett, 2018; Guthery & Bailes, 2022). Additionally, school
administrators have a large influence on teacher satisfaction which is directly correlated with
staff retention (Parylo et al., 2013). High teacher retention and satisfaction has been directly
linked to positive outcomes for student achievement (Griffith, 2004).
Instructional Leadership and Curriculum
A school administrator's influence is schoolwide compared to teachers whose main
impact is on the students in their classrooms (Grissom et al., 2021; Honig & Rainey, 2020).
Teaching is the most important school related influence on student learning (Honig & Rainey,
2020). A schools leadership team plays an essential role in teachers success through their
support in instructional development (Barnett et al., 2012; Hitt & Tucker, 2016; Honig & Rainey,
22
2020). An administrator is able to effectively build the instructional capacity of staff members
when they facilitate a collaborative work environment that includes peer learning communities,
trust, and teamwork (Grissom et al., 2021).
Grissom et al. (2021), found that replacing a below average principal with someone in the
above average category can add the equivalent of 2.9 more months of learning in math and 2.7
more months of learning in reading during a single school year. This study quantified principal
impact based on the relative improvement of students in their English and Math standardized test
scores compared to what was expected of how students would perform (Grissom et al., 2021). If
the students outperformed the expected improvement then it was determined that the principal
had a positive influence on student performance (Grissom et al., 2021). If the students
performed under the expected improvement then it was determined that the principal had a
negative impact. It also quantified the type of principal into percentiles of effectiveness with
below average in the 25th percentile of effectiveness and above average in the 75th percentile
and above (Grissom et al., 2021). The study found that by replacing a below average principal
with an average principal there was almost the same amount of positive effects on student
learning compared to individual teacher effects (Grissom et al., 2021). Other studies have
supported the connection between principal ratings and student achievement (Grissom et al.,
2021). For example, in New York City schools there were higher math gains in years where
teachers rated leadership practices as effective (Kraft et al., 2016). In a study byJohnson et al.
(2012) in Massachusetts, there was a positive correlation with improved Math and English
language arts growth when teacher surveys had high ratings of principal leadership.
A strong learning climate is present when staff members hold each other accountable for
the success of all students, staff members continually examine student data, high and consistent
23
expectations are held for all students, and there are universal systems of support for all students
(Allensworth & Hart, 2018). The facilitation of a strong learning climate is one of the biggest
drivers of how leaders can impact student achievement in schools (Allensworth & Hart, 2018;
Hitt & Tucker, 2016). School administrators also support the instructional growth of teachers by
supporting teacher leaders and helping foster a collaborative environment for teachers
(Allensworth & Hart, 2018). Unlike time devoted to student management, time spent on
instructional leadership tasks can directly lead to positive student achievement results
(Oleszewski et al., 2012).
When assistant principals spend time on instructional leadership tasks it can directly lead
to positive student achievement results (Master et al., 2020; Oleszewski et al., 2012).
Instructional leadership tasks include the monitoring and support of teachers, as well as the
designing, implementation, and monitoring of curriculum (Parylo et al., 2013). In a study by
Master et al. (2020), when assistant principals had training on instructional leadership there was
a positive impact on students' English Language Arts achievement. A study by Keesor (2005)
found that when an assistant principal at a middle school had greater visibility in the classroom
from observations, there was a 25 percent reduction in detentions and referrals for classroom
behaviors. This reduction in time spent on student discipline enabled the assistant principal to
focus more on instructional leadership and teachers felt that the assistant principal was visible
and supportive in the school setting (Keesor, 2005).
Teacher Relationships: Hiring and Retention
School administrators are responsible for building strong relationships with many
different educational partners including students, parents, teachers, and district leaders (Parylo et
al., 2013). They play a key role in building relationships among and between these partners,
24
specifically staff members (Griffith, 2004; Grissom et al., 2021; Parylo et al., 2013). When staff
members feel that they have strong relationships at their schools this can have a positive
influence on job satisfaction and decrease turnover of staff (Griffith, 2004; Grissom et al., 2021).
Principals are able to retain teachers at a higher rate when they offer proactive support to new
teachers and are committed to the success of all teachers on staff (Brown & Wynn, 2007). When
caring leadership is implemented by principals, students and staff members feel a greater sense
of support and teachers feel more invested in the community (Grissom et al., 2021).
Additionally, high job satisfaction of teachers is associated with smaller achievement gaps
between minority and non minority students (Griffith, 2004). Teachers feel more supported by
elements implemented by principals such as effective communication, “open door” policies,
sending weekly emails with important information, and recognition of staff contributions
(Grissom et al., 2021). If teachers feel they can trust their school leaders then they are more
likely to remain in their position (Grissom et al., 2021). An effective school teacher and school
leader retention can be a key predictor of school stability and success over time (Guthery &
Bailes, 2022).
Assistant principals are a part of the administrative leadership team that makes key
decisions about schools including the hiring of teachers and teacher development (Allensworth &
Hart, 2018; Stockard, 2019). The building of this strong community starts with the hiring of
effective teachers that will fit into the school's culture (Grissom et al., 2021). Principals who
have been at a school for five or more years are more likely to hire teachers who stay at their
schools (Beckett, 2018; Guthery & Bailes, 2022). When compared to a school that experiences
typical school leader turnover (new leader every 3-4 years), the principal who stays at one school
will hire 38.5% more teachers who will stay at least three years (Guthery & Bailes, 2022). The
25
principal reaches their peak hiring potential by year five (Guthery & Bailes, 2022) When a
principal has been a part of the school for multiple years they are able to make informed
decisions about the type of teachers that will fit the specific school site (Guthery & Bailes, 2022).
Additionally, when a principal remains in the school for longer they are able to better place
teachers in the classes that will fit their skills and plan professional development that will support
teachers instructional growth (Guthery & Bailes, 2022; Stockard, 2019).
The majority of school leaders will leave their position at a specific school after four
years (Guthery & Bailes, 2022). Many school district systems are not set up to support the long
term tenure (more than 4 years) of a principal which is associated with positive hiring practices
(Guthery & Bailes, 2022). Some districts even promote turnover of principals on a frequent
basis within the district by giving principals with more experience the option to move to schools
where they have a higher salary and better working conditions (Guthery & Bailes, 2022).
Alternatively, if a principal is working at a school that is not meeting expectations then districts
are more likely to move them or the principal is more likely to leave because of job related stress
(Guthery & Bailes, 2022). This means that many schools never experience the level of hiring
stability that could occur if the principal stayed for five or more years (Guthery & Bailes, 2022).
The barriers to school administrator retention will be further explored in the next section.
Barriers to Retention
Administrator Turnover Statistics
There has been limited research about assistant principal mobility or predictors of
persistence (Bartanen et al., 2021). Given the similarity in role between assistant principals and
principals this section will discuss studies that looked at both principal and assistant principal
turnover (Goldring et al., 2021). On average about 18-20% of school principals leave their
26
position each year, with about half of new principals leaving after three years (Guthery & Bailes,
2022; Parylo et al., 2013). In a study in Colorado, Beckett (2018), determined that only 23.7%
of principals stayed at their schools for 5 years with most schools experiencing a change in their
leadership every 2.5 years. According to a study by Beckett (2018), 18% of principals left their
school to become employed at another school in the same district while 58.3% left the district in
general.
There is a difference in the pathway of the principal when leaving their position
depending on their effectiveness (Grissom et al., 2021). Low performing principals tend to leave
the education system or get demoted to a lower school level position while high performing
principals are promoted to central office positions (Beckett, 2018; Grissom et al., 2021). Given
that principals and school administrators tend to have few job protections they are more likely to
be at risk of being moved by the district than teachers (Grissom et al., 2021). In fact, demotions
to other school level positions, constitute nearly one fifth of principal turnover (Grissom et al.,
2021).
Assistant principals have an even higher turnover rate (25-30% in a year) compared to
principals and teachers (Bartanen et al., 2021). In a study conducted by Bartanen et al. (2021) in
Tennessee and Missouri, it was found that of the 25-28% of assistant principals who left, 10%
left school leadership, 7.5% changed schools, and 7.5-10% became principals. Assistant
principals who left leadership often returned to teaching or moved to positions outside of schools
(Bartanen et al., 2021). Assistant principals who became principals were more likely to become
principals at a different school than the one they were working at (Bartanen et al., 2021).
There is an association between principal turnover and assistant principal mobility
(Bartanen et al., 2021). The probability of assistant principal mobility doubles in the year of a
27
principal transition (Bartanen et al., 2021). This can be partially explained by the assistant
principal replacing their departing principal (only 15-20%). Other assistant principals left school
administration or transferred schools after the principal of their school left (Bartanen et al.,
2021). Assistant principals are more likely to leave administration in the same year as their
principal if their principal is demoted or leaves the education system (Bartanen et al., 2021). If
their principal is transferring schools then assistant principals are also more likely to transfer
schools (Bartanen et al., 2021).
There is a higher mobility rate for assistant principals in high poverty environments
(Bartanen et al., 2021). In Tennessee, assistant principals working in high poverty schools had a
turnover rate of 33% per year compared with 21% in low poverty schools (Bartanen et al., 2021).
The higher mobility of assistant principals could be directly tied to the high mobility that occurs
for principals in high poverty schools (Bartanen et al., 2021; Grissom et al., 2021). The
disparities in the mobility of assistant principals between high and low poverty schools can be
partially explained by assistant principals entering a principalship. However, there are also
substantially higher rates of assistant principals leaving school leadership and changing schools
who work in high poverty environments (Bartanen et al., 2021).
Working Conditions
The working conditions of a school leader can influence if they chose to remain in their
position (Levin et al., 2020). Levin et al. (2020) used results from a survey conducted by the
National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and the Learning Policy Institute
(LPI) to study why principals plan to leave or stay in their position. The study surveyed a
random sample of 424 secondary school principals (Levin et al., 2020). The study identified that
working conditions including heavy workload, unresponsiveness from the district or other
28
support teams, and job complexity all contributed to a principal's decision to leave (Levin et al.,
2020). Heavy workload, which is the number of school related work hours inside and outside of
the school, was reported by 63% of the principals as a reason they would leave their position
(Levin et al., 2020). Principals in the study described that time commitments during the
weekend and evenings as contributing factors to the heavy workload (Levin et al., 2020).
In a study by Barnett et al. (2012), assistant principals described a similar challenge in
feeling overwhelmed with workload. The Barnett et al. (2012) study interviewed 103 novice and
experienced assistant principals about the challenges that exist in their job. The heavy workload,
specifically managing the time commitment and amount of tasks, was reported as the top
challenge by the assistant principals in the study (Barnett et al., 2012). The assistant principals
described the time and task management difficulties regarding having to consistently attend
meetings, respond to constant email and phone messages, and expectation to strive to meet
unrealistic deadlines (Barnett et al., 2012). A study by Craft et al. (2016), found similar results
when interviewing new assistant principals about their transition into the position. The assistant
principals described the difficulties of filling the requirements of various campus stakeholders at
the same time (Craft et al., 2016). Assistant principals also felt like it was difficult to manage
their time and complete all tasks in a timely manner because of the unpredictability of the job
and volume of demands (Craft et al., 2016).
The second component of their working conditions that assistant principals described as a
challenge was experiencing contentious issues when working with students, parents, and staff
(Barnett et al., 2012). Assistant principals reported that the most difficult issues they face with
students are related to student discipline (Barnett et al., 2012). They described student discipline
issues as complex because students might not tell the truth about their role in a situation and
29
administrators have to make a decision based on facts that could be inconclusive (Barnett et al.,
2012). Assistant principals reported that they experienced contention when dealing with staff
members who were resistant to change (Barnett et al., 2012). In the study, assistant principals
did not feel ready to work with people when conflicts arose specifically when confronting anger
or emotional outbursts from people (Barnett et al., 2012).
Lack of Support and Resources from District
Both principals and assistant principals describe lack of support and resources from their
school districts as a challenge in their position (Barnett et al., 2012; Levin et al., 2020). In a
study by Levin et al. (2020), principals who were considering leaving their schools reported at
significantly higher rates that they did not feel supported by their districts. When compared to
principals who wanted to stay (28%) over half of the leaders who considered leaving (53%)
reported that their districts do not use effective strategies to retain strong leaders (Levin et al.,
2020). The effective strategies reported by principals needed to retain leaders included providing
resources and support to their schools as well as supporting their own growth as leaders (Levin et
al., 2020). Specifically, principals reported that their districts did not provide them with the
necessary resources to support students, fiscal flexibility for their schools, or adequate student
services personnel (such as nurses and counselors) (Levin et al., 2020). Principals reported that
their school districts did not give them ample opportunities to access in-service training,
mentoring, or opportunities to attend professional development opportunities (Levin et al., 2020).
Meanwhile, assistant principals felt like they did not receive the necessary professional
development to be successful in their role. Assistant principals reported that they did not feel
ready to work with people in conflict, did not understand certain job expectations, and did not
possess the skills to accomplish tasks (Barnett et al., 2012).
30
Job Transitions
There is an underlying assumption that many assistant principals will transition out of
their role to move into a principalship (Goldring et al., 2021; Marshall & Phelps Davidson,
2016). There are many assistant principals who see the role as a stepping stone to principalship
while others plan to be assistant principals for the remainder of their career (Bartanen et al.,
2021; Goldring et al., 2021; Marshall & Phelps Davidson, 2016). In a study in Miami-Dade
County, 80 percent of assistant principals indicated that they wanted to become a principal, and
63 percent of first time principals had been assistant principals (Loeb et al., 2010). Many
assistant principals see the job as an opportunity to develop connections within the school district
and the skills they need to be competent principals (Marshall & Phelps Davidson, 2016).
In general, school districts have not defined the assistant principal role as either a
stepping stone role for a principalship or a completely separate career path (Goldring et al.,
2021). Some school districts have pipeline programs where people start as teacher leaders
progress to an assistant principal position and end up as a principal (Goldring et al., 2021).
However, these programs have mixed success and reviews from the participants because of the
need to balance the day to day activities of their current role with the demands of preparing them
for a future role (Goldring et al., 2021). Since the success of an assistant principals upward
mobility is often based on promotions within the district, the success of an individual's
promotion is mixed with some being rejected despite performing their job duties successfully
(Marshall & Phelps Davidson, 2016). .
Compensation
Principal compensation is a barrier that contributes to their decision to leave the position
(Levin et al., 2020). In a study by Levin et al. (2020), principals felt that their compensation did
31
not match the effort that was required for the job. Additionally, principals felt that the salaries
were not competitive when compared to the rest of the job market (Levin et al., 2020). The
investment and loans that many principals had to take on in order to become a principal in
relation to their salary was also cited when considering compensation (Levin et al., 2020).
Impact of School Administrator Turnover on School & Equity Issue
Oftentimes, when an effective school leader leaves there are higher rates of teacher
turnover and lower student achievement gains in subsequent years (Bartanen et al., 2021;
Grissom et al., 2021)Bartanen et al., 2021; Grissom & Bartanen, 2019). The impact of a change
in leadership can be seen in declines in student achievement, interruption of program or reform
implementation, low teacher morale, and the development of cultures that resist change
(Farley-Ripple et al., 2012). These effects are magnified in schools that have large numbers of
low income and low achieving students (Grissom et al., 2021).
In a Colorado study, findings indicate that when a school has a higher percentage of
students of color there is higher principal turnover (DeMatthews et al., 2021). Other student
characteristics of the school such as percentage of ELL students and students with disabilities
were not predictive of principal turnover (Beckett, 2018). Low performing schools with high
percentages of students of color often have inexperienced and ineffective principals because of
high principal turnover (DeMatthews et al., 2023). Even though the experience at these schools
can benefit new principals, when they leave quickly this means that schools consistently have
new and less experienced leaders (DeMatthews et al., 2023). When the school is constantly
receiving inexperienced and ineffective leaders then this limits the outcomes that can occur for
students (DeMatthews et al., 2023). The same impact on a school that has high assistant
principal turnover could be implied.
32
Assistant principals have a higher mobility rate in high poverty and urban schools, further
perpetuating equity issues in performance of those schools (Bartanen et al., 2021; DeMatthews et
al., 2021; Grissom et al., 2021). Given the important role that assistant principals play at a
school, turnover can have a negative impact on school performance (Bartanen et al., 2021).
There is a direct correlation between assistant principals leaving their positions and turnover
among teachers (Bartanen et al., 2021). This turnover likely occurs because of the relationships
that assistant principals build with teachers through instructional coaching, collaborating about
student needs, and managing operations of the school (Bartanen et al., 2021).
Supports for Administrators
When administrators feel supported they are more likely to stay at their school site. In a
study by Levin et al. (2020) principals reported that they felt their districts did not have effective
strategies for retaining strong leaders or meet their needs as leaders. Mandates from school
improvement reform policies coupled with a lack of support from their district office can often
lead to assistant principals feeling unsupported (Carpenter et al., 2016). Professional
development opportunities, mentoring, and other district support have been cited in literature as
contributing to the longevity of an assistant principal (Carpenter et al., 2016; Honig & Rainey,
2020). However, there is a lack of research about the support that administrators need to remain
in their role (Carpenter et al., 2016).
General Leadership Support
District leaders are expected to support their principals with the goal of supporting
excellent classroom teaching and student achievement at their school sites (Hilliard & Newsome,
2013; Honig & Rainey, 2020). Chadwick (2020) describes a “leadership stimulus package” that
school districts could use as a model for supporting school administrators. The first component
33
of this package is creating safe spaces where administrators can talk about their areas of growth
without being chastised or judged (Chadwick, 2020). When leaders feel that they are in a safe
space to discuss areas of growth they are more likely to get out of their comfort zones and
become better leaders (Chadwick, 2020). Secondly, districts need to create a space where
leaders can be authentic, this occurs if the district personnel are authentic about their own
struggles as leaders (Chadwick, 2020). Finally, when district personnel pay attention to what
school leaders are saying they need they are better able to support the leaders (Chadwick, 2020).
School principals also need to feel that they have the authority to make decisions for their
schools (Carpenter et al., 2016). Given the prescriptive nature of school reform policies, school
administrators can feel that they are stripped of their autonomy to make decisions based on the
needs of their specific school sites (Carpenter et al., 2016). Although school leaders are often
viewed as having autonomy to make decisions for their schools, this is often limited by
educational mandates, district policies, and school reform practices (Carpenter et al., 2016).
Evaluation Practices
Assistant principals expressed that when they feel their evaluations align with their role
they feel more supported by their district (Moyer & Goldring, 2022). School leadership
evaluations tend to stress instructional leadership (Moyer & Goldring, 2022). Meanwhile,
assistant principals tend to spend the majority of their time addressing student discipline issues as
well as operations and other school programs (Barnett et al., 2012; Bartanen et al., 2021; Moyer
& Goldring, 2022; Oleszewski et al., 2012). This misalignment in the evaluation of assistant
principals with their roles can cause assistant principals to feel they are not evaluated for the
work they are doing on a regular basis (Moyer & Goldring, 2022). In a study by(Barnett et al.,
2012; Bartanen et al., 2021; Moyer & Goldring, 2022; Oleszewski et al., 2012), findings
34
indicated that assistant principals engaged in instructional leadership perceived the evaluation
process as more fair, helpful, and critical to their development compared to assistant principals
engaged in other roles.
Professional Development Opportunities
One of the responsibilities of district leaders is to make sure that leaders are growing
(Keating et al., 2017). By focusing on growing leaders, districts are able to promote the success
of schools and student outcomes (Keating et al., 2017). Assistant principals are often not given
the same professional development opportunities as teachers and principals (Barnett et al., 2012;
Oleszewski et al., 2012). There is a need for additional research on the necessary professional
development to support assistant principals (Oleszewski et al., 2012). When given professional
development the experience can be mixed and does not always align with the needs of the
assistant principal (Barnett et al., 2012).
If current and aspiring APs are provided with clearly defined professional development
this can help ensure their continual growth and effective leadership (Barnett et al., 2017; Keating
et al., 2017; Oleszewski et al., 2012). According to Oleszewski et al. (2012), professional
development should fulfill two purposes: skill development or career advancement. Skill
development focused professional development should be centered around daily tasks that
assistant principals encounter such as instructional leadership, school operations, and student
discipline (Oleszewski et al., 2012). Career advancement focused professional development
should be centered around equipping assistant principals with the skills they need to be principals
(Oleszewski et al., 2012).
One benefit of providing effective professional development to assistant principals is
that it could help better prepare them if they transition into the role of principal (Barnett et al.,
35
2012; Mcclellan & Casey, 2015; Oleszewski et al., 2012). School leader preparation programs
often do not provide development opportunities that prepare assistant principals for this
transition (Mcclellan & Casey, 2015). In theory, if assistant principals were given professional
development opportunities to prepare them for principalship this could help with the high
turnover of school leaders and provide an experienced group of leaders to pick from when a
school leader is leaving (Barnett et al., 2012; Mcclellan & Casey, 2015). In a study by Gurley et
al. (2015), 24 assistant principals in a district based professional development program to prepare
them for a role as a principal were interviewed. Participants reported the program was effective
in strengthening their leadership skills and preparing them for a principal role (Gurley et al.,
2015). Specifically, they felt the program strengthened their instructional leadership skills,
institutional perspective, and collaborative practice (Gurley et al., 2015). There has been a lack
of research on preparation programs and educational leadership growth to inform how to
properly prepare assistant principals from their role to a principalship (Mcclellan & Casey,
2015).
Many school leaders cited a desire for professional development to support them with
instructional leadership and addressing student social emotional needs (Goldring et al., 2021;
Honig & Rainey, 2020; Levin et al., 2020). The school district should be one of the parties that
provides this type of professional development in addition to universities and third party
organizations (Barnett et al., 2017; Oleszewski et al., 2012). Professional development for
assistant principals should be focused on developing their skills for daily tasks they encounter
including instructional leadership, school operations, and school culture (Goldring et al., 2021;
Honig & Rainey, 2020; Oleszewski et al., 2012). The development experiences should be
personalized to meet the individual needs of each assistant principal and be sustainable (Honig &
36
Rainey, 2020; Oleszewski et al., 2012). Instead of providing the needed professional
development, school districts often provide operational or compliance oriented professional
development to school leaders (Honig & Rainey, 2020). As a result of the lack of professional
development, school leaders leave their position because they do not feel like they have the
adequate growth opportunities (Levin et al., 2020).
The way that professional development is delivered has an impact on the effectiveness of
professional development (Chadwick, 2020; Oleszewski et al., 2012). Professional development
should create safe spaces for the leaders, use authentic approaches to support, and respond to
feedback from assistant principals (Chadwick, 2020; Oleszewski et al., 2012). When districts are
deciding how to best support leaders they must create spaces where leaders feel they can share
their areas of growth without judgment or fear of getting in trouble (Chadwick, 2020). Districts
often ask leaders to step out of their comfort zones but do not create safe spaces where they can
be vulnerable about what they need. Additionally, after creating these safe spaces for leaders
districts but then listen to their needs to respond accordingly when creating professional
development (Chadwick, 2020).
Mentoring
Mentoring is a key component of support and development for assistant principals
(Oleszewski et al., 2012). Assistant principals are often appreciative of the learning
opportunities that come with a mentor, specifically opportunities to attempt new tasks and
discuss different ways to handle difficult situations (Barnett et al., 2017). Mentors can also
provide professional development opportunities to assistant principals in both formal and
informal ways (Barnett et al., 2017). For example, a mentor could connect an assistant principal
to a professional association (Barnett et al., 2017).
37
Principals often fulfill the role of a mentor for assistant principals (Barnett et al., 2012;
Oleszewski et al., 2012). This mentoring relationship can have an even greater impact when an
assistant principal is on track to become a principal (Barnett et al., 2012; Marshall & Phelps
Davidson, 2016). When being mentored by a principal who believes in them assistant principals
are able to build higher self efficacy, confidence and motivation in their role (Barnett et al.,
2012). Formal mentoring relationships are important to establish although informal mentoring
can and will likely occur over the course of an assistant principal's career (Barnett et al., 2017;
Marshall & Phelps Davidson, 2016).
Formal mentoring is when an organization pairs a mentor with an assistant principal and
provides space and time for formal coaching meetings to occur. An informal mentoring
relationship can be impactful but does not always provide the same skill and professional
development of a formal mentoring relationship (Barnett et al., 2017). When an assistant
principal is being formally mentored typically they get the most support in being able to work
with people, understanding the expectations of their role, and building the necessary skills to
perform the job (Barnett et al., 2017; Barnett et al., 2012). For example, skills in teaching
effective instructional practices, observing classrooms, and providing teachers with feedback for
improvement can be taught in a formal mentoring relationship (Barnett et al., 2017). Assistant
principals often prefer these formal mentoring relationships to be established with other school
administrators because they understand the context and responsibilities of the job (Barnett et al.,
2017). Mentors need to have a deep understanding of the stressors of assistant principals and
acknowledge the complex orientation to the career (Marshall & Phelps Davidson, 2016).
Theoretical Framework: A Phenomenological Approach
This study will use a phenomenological approach to address the research questions. A
38
phenomenological approach is used in qualitative research and focuses on the personal
experiences of the people being studied (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Since this research will be
focused on the perceptions of assistant principals this means that I will be going directly to the
source of information by using interviews as the primary instrument (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
When a phenomenological approach is used it is to understand the basic structure of an
experience (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Before interviews can begin, the researcher must reflect
on their own experiences with the phenomenon in order to understand their biases, viewpoints,
and assumptions (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). As an assistant principal, I have to be aware of how
my own experiences could influence how I interpret what assistant principals say about their
experience in the role. Then I need to put the biases or assumptions that I have aside to the best
of my ability and focus on analyzing the experiences of the assistant principals interviewed
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). A second component of the phenomenological approach that will be
applied in this study is horizonalization. This is the process of looking at all of the data as if it
has equal value at the initial analysis stage and then organizing it into clusters or themes
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). I will use this approach when coding the interview transcripts with
the assistant principals.
The goal of this study is to better understand the perspective of assistant principals in
their role. The phenomenological approach will be used throughout the process of this study as I
reflect on my own experiences, conduct interviews, and coding transcripts. The purpose of
gathering these perspectives is to give school district leaders a better understanding of the lived
experiences of assistant principals in their role. If school districts can understand the
perspectives of an assistant principal they can make informed decisions about how to support
them. This study seeks to acquire information directly from its participants to gain
39
understanding of their views, experiences, and perceptions of how effective district supports are
to their retention.
Chapter Three: Methodology
Statement of the Problem
School administrators help to create the conditions necessary to promote student
achievement (Superville, 2021). When administrators are present at a school they are able to
build capacity, cultivate relationships and foster positive working conditions that contribute to a
school's improvement (DeMatthews et al., 2023). When administrator turnover is present at high
levels this can disrupt the work being done to improve a school (DeMatthews et al., 2023).
40
According to Parylo et al. (2013), about 20% of public school principals in the United States
leave their positions each year. The rate of turnover is higher for assistant principals (Bartanen et
al., 2021).
Assistant principals have cited that barriers such as a heavy workload, lack of support
from the district, and job transitions all contributed to their decision to leave their positions
(Bartanen et al., 2021; Levin et al., 2020). However, the research is limited when determining
the barriers that exist for assistant principals in persisting in their role at a school site (Goldring
et al., 2021). Additionally, there are limited studies that look into the support that school districts
provide for assistant principals. Since assistant principals have a high impact on schools it would
be beneficial to school districts if they can understand the barriers that exist for and effective
support for keeping assistant principals at their schools. This study examines the perspectives of
10 public high school assistant principals about the barriers that exist in their job and how
districts can/are supporting them in their role.
Purpose of Study
The purpose of this study is to provide insight into perspectives of assistant principals.
This study will look at the barriers that assistant principals perceive about staying in their role. It
will also look into the supports at the district level that assistant principals perceive as beneficial.
Interviews will be conducted to determine the experiences and perceptions of assistant
principals.
The following research questions were used to guide this study:
1. What do high school assistant principals perceive as barriers to staying in their role?
2. What supports at the district level do high school assistant principals perceive as
necessary to persist in their role?
41
Selection of Population
The study participants were public high school assistant principals employed in school
districts across Los Angeles County. There are currently 80 different public school districts in
Los Angeles County (LACOE). This study used non-probability sampling, meaning that the
results of the study cannot be used to make broader conclusions about the experiences and
perception of high school assistant principals (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The study used
convenience sampling by reaching out to as many high school assistant principals as possible in
Los Angeles County and then interviewing the assistant principals that were willing to
participate (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). In this study, I sent a survey to high school assistant
principals in Los Angeles County asking them to indicate the number of years they have been in
their current roles, rating various supports that could be provided by their district in perceived
effectiveness, and their interest in participating in an interview for the study. I found the contact
information of the high school assistant principals by looking at all of the districts in Los
Angeles County that have public high schools and then looking on school websites to find the
email addresses of the assistant principals (LACOE). If I was able to find the contact
information of the high school assistant principal I sent them an email. I sent the survey to a
total of about 150 high school assistant principals in Los Angeles County.
From the survey, 23 participants indicated interest in participating in an interview. I
reached out to the participants in the survey who indicated their interest in participating in an
interview, hence convenience sampling was used in this study (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Due
to scheduling issues and lack of response after follow up, I was able to conduct 10 semi
structured interviews. The assistant principals I interviewed had a range of experience from 1
month to 15 years.
42
Design Summary
Qualitative methods was used in this study with the goal of understanding the
experiences and perspectives of assistant principals in their role (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). A
qualitative study focuses on understanding a person's experience in their natural setting and uses
the researcher as the primary instrument for data collection (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Interviews will be the primary instrument used in this qualitative research study (Merriam &
Tisdell, 2016). A phenomenological approach was used because of its emphasis on the lived
experience of the participants (Lester, 1999).
The study will be structured in the following way: chapter one will include the research
problem and purpose of study, chapter two will include a research of the literature, chapter three
will address the methodology and sample of the study, and chapter four and five will focus on
analyzing, interpreting, and reporting the data.
Methodology
The methodology in this study includes qualitative data from open ended semi structured
interviews. Open-ended semi-structured interviews are helpful in understanding participants’
perspectives (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). A semi-structured interview protocol was used to help
allow for flexibility in questioning depending on how participants responded to better understand
their perspective (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The interviews allowed the researcher to
understand the assistant principal’s perspectives of barriers to retention as well as district support
(Appendix E). The interviews were used to address both research questions for this study.
Participants were initially sent a survey to indicate interest in participating in the study
and gather demographic information. The survey was not used in the analysis of the results
because of the small sample size that filled out the survey and the focus on interviews in the
43
phenomenological framework of the study (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The interviews met the
criteria of the framework because they allowed participants to share their own lived experiences
(Lester, 1999)
Instrumentation and Protocols
An initial survey was sent to recruit participants for the study (see Appendix A). Then
qualitative data was collected using an open-ended semi–structured interview protocol. The
interview protocol included 10 questions and was designed to uncover perspectives of
participants about the research questions (see Appendix E). The first four questions were
introductory questions, questions five and six addressed the perception of barriers to retention,
and questions seven through ten targeted available support from the school district and
perceptions of each support. Follow up questions were asked throughout the interview at the
discretion of the researcher. According to Merriam and Tisdell (2016), follow up questions are
key to clarifying important information in an interview.
Pilot testing was conducted with members of a cohort of doctoral students at the Rossier
School of Education at the University of Southern California. Pilot testing is important because it
is the most rigorous way to pretest the content, design, and process of an instrument (Johnson et
al., 2012). The pilot test was able to help me determine if my questions were clear and properly
ordered.
Data Collection
An initial survey was sent out to high school assistant principals in Los Angeles County.
The contact information of the assistant principals was found on the websites of public high
schools in Los Angeles County. An email was sent to the assistant principals requesting their
participation in this study (Appendix B). The email indicated that an assistant principal could
44
indicate their interest in participation by filling out the survey. An initial email was sent out and
if an assistant principal did not respond to the survey within one week a second email was sent as
follow-up (Appendix C). The survey included in the email asked demographic information of the
assistant principals including years of experience, ranking of supports from the district for their
position, and if they would be open to participating in an interview. The participants who
indicated they are interested in an interview were then emailed to set up an interview time using
Calendly (Appendix D). Participants were given flexible time and date options when signing up
for the interviews.
The interviews were conducted via video conferencing to maintain the confidentiality of
participants and convenience for the participants. When beginning the interview I explained the
purpose of the study and the confidentiality agreement for the study, and built rapport. Informed
consent was obtained during the interviews to ensure that participants understood their responses
would be held confidential (Maxwell, 2013). I also asked for permission from the participant to
record the interview to ensure that I accurately capture their perspective (Maxwell, 2013).
Throughout the interview I actively listened to the participants' answers and asked follow up
questions to try to fully understand their perspectives. The interviews took between 25-40
minutes. At the end of the interview I asked participants if I could contact them for clarifying
questions and to ensure that I have interpreted their perspectives accurately. After the interview I
transcribed and reviewed the transcripts. I then deleted the recordings and stored the
transcriptions on a password protected device.
Data Analysis
Data analysis is the process of making meaning out of the data (Merriam & Tisdell,
2016). During the interviews, I took notes about key ideas that were arising from participants to
45
develop tentative ideas about categorization and themes (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). I created
categories to be used for coding using my interview and research questions, as seen in Appendix
F (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Once the interview was completed I used Otter.ai to transcribe
each interview. Then, I read through each interview transcript and categorized key ideas and
quotes. These key ideas and quotes are included in the analysis of the data in chapter four.
Validity & Reliability
I am an assistant principal who studied the experiences of other assistant principals. This
means that I inherently have biases based on my own experiences as to how I interpret what they
said or what I believe is the answer to the questions I am asking. These biases could impact my
study since I am the primary instrument of data collection, as interviews are the way I gather
information. I used field testing of instruments to ensure validity of my interview questions. I
used peer review as a part of my research process in order to reduce the biases that could occur
in the interpretation of results. I worked with a peer to review my analyzes and check for biases
that I believe could be present because of my identity. By having a peer review how I interpreted
the data this helped remove biases in interpretation that will inevitably exist (Merriam & Tisdell,
2016).
Researcher Positionality
The research questions asked administrators to identify barriers to them staying in their
current positions and support from their school districts. Researchers often pick their questions
based on their experiences and must be careful not to let personal experience influence how data
is collected or interpreted (Maxwell, 2013). My personal experience as an administrator played a
role when deciding my research questions. As a white woman I must always be aware of how my
race and gender can impact my research. I interacted with participants who do not share the
46
same identity markers as myself. This difference in identity could impact how I interpreted what
other people are saying or how my questions were interpreted. Since my positionality is ever
present as a researcher, if relevant I addressed it head on with the participants and acknowledged
it. In the analysis of data, chapter four I acknowledged my positionality and how it could
influence the way I analyze results. For example, I was cognizant that what I might view as a
negative could be viewed as a positive support for a different administrator and that their views
are valid and acceptable even if it does not align with my own (Milner, 2007).
Summary
This study used a qualitative approach with open ended semi -structured interviews being
the main data source. The data collected from interviews with high school assistant principals
across public schools in Los Angeles County were analyzed to address the research questions:
1. What do high school assistant principals perceive as barriers to staying in their role?
2. What supports at the district level do high school assistant principals perceive as
necessary to persist in their role?
These findings are presented in chapter four with a discussion of the findings in chapter five.
47
Chapter 4: Results
The aim of this study was to understand the perceptions of assistant principals about
barriers to remaining in their role and support from their school district. The study was
conducted using semi-structured interviews where 10 high school assistant principals were asked
about the most difficult part of their job and why they believe people leave the position.
Additionally, assistant principals were asked about their perceptions of support and experiences
with their school district that encourage them to remain in their position.
As a high school assistant principal, my positionality as the researcher could influence
my analysis of the interviews. When analyzing the interview answers I was cognizant of my
48
own views about the difficulties of being an assistant principal and the support I believe districts
should provide. As I coded the interviews and identified key themes I tried to make sure I was
focusing only on the views shared by administrators regardless of if they aligned with my own
(Milner, 2007). Additionally, I had a peer review the data and check my themes as a way of
checking my biases (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Participants
Demographic Information
The participants in this study were high school assistant principals in Los Angeles
County. There are eighty public school districts in Los Angeles County (LACOE). In this study,
ten high school assistant principals were interviewed from seven different school districts. The
districts were categorized into three different types: small (1-3 schools); medium (4-7 schools);
large (8+ schools). Three assistant principals were from the same medium sized district. Two
assistant principals were from the same large district. The other five assistant principals work in
five different small districts. The assistant principals interviewed ranged in experience from one
month to fifteen years in their position. The participants included four assistant principals who
had two years of experience or fewer, three assistant principals with six to ten years of
experience, and three who had twelve or more years of experience. See Table 1 below for a
breakdown of the participants and pseudonyms that will be used in analysis for the remainder of
the study analysis.
Table 1: Demographics of Participants
Assistant Principal Years of Experience District District Size
Leader A 7 yrs District 1 Large
Leader B 15 yrs District 2 Small
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Leader C 2 yrs District 3 Small
Leader D 12 yrs District 4 Small
Leader E 1 yr District 5 Large
Leader F 9 yrs District 6 Medium
Leader G 10 yrs District 5 Large
Leader H 1 yr District 6 Medium
Leader I 6 yrs District 6 Medium
Leader J 1 month District 7 Small
The study used semi structured interviews to gain an understanding about the
perspectives of the participants. The participants for the study were selected using convenience
sampling (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). An email was sent to about 150 high school assistant
principals at public schools in Los Angeles County. The email included a survey to be filled out
to indicate their interest in participating in the research study. A total of 25 assistant principals
filled out the survey. An email was then sent to the assistant principals who filled out the survey
to set up a time for a zoom interview. A total of 10 assistant principals responded to the interview
request and interviews were conducted on zoom.
Reasons for becoming an Assistant Principal
The first question assistant principals were asked was what led you to become an
assistant principal? This question was meant to build rapport and gain better context when
considering their answers about barriers and needed support by the school districts. The majority
of assistant principals said that they wanted to have a greater impact school wide and reach more
students. One assistant principal explained they entered the role “based on the premise of I’m
going to serve students, obviously, in the classroom, and serve students broadly at a school site,
and then eventually on a district level”. The theme of being able to make an impact they were not
50
able to as teachers arose when speaking to the assistant principals. One participant stated “I just
figured I could impact more students as an assistant principal.” Another participant stated
“There were things that I as a teacher was unable to make an impact on certain systems and
procedures and just little things.”
Assistant Principal Role
The role of an assistant principal varies greatly depending on the school and district
(Barnett et al., 2012; Oleszewski et al., 2012). The lack of consistency in role and
responsibilities was reflected in the answers from the participants in this study. One assistant
principal said “being an assistant principal means really focusing on supporting other people in
doing their job really well. I think that being an assistant principal, oftentimes means you're
wearing so many different hats”. Multiple assistant principals said their role is to implement the
vision and mission of the district and principal.
The roles and responsibilities of assistant principals ranged from being solely focused on
instruction and curriculum (two assistant principals) to focusing on a multitude of responsibilities
including student discipline, security, facilities, and athletics. Most assistant principals were
responsible for at least two to three of the above components at their schools. In each of these
roles the assistant principal is required to work with a variety of people including students,
families and staff members. As one assistant principal said “you've got to be able to like to work
well with lots of different people and support them towards being their best for students and
families.” The experience of working with so many different people was a theme that arose when
discussing barriers and supports for assistant principals in the interviews.
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Results
The results are presented below and organized by research question. For each of the
questions the results are presented in three themes with sub themes. A summary of the results
related to each question is presented in the discussions, with a summary at the end of the chapter.
The research questions were as follows:
1) What do assistant principals perceive as barriers to staying in their role?
2) What supports at the district level do assistant principals perceive as necessary to
persist in their role?
Results Research Question 1
Research question one focused on assistant principals' perceptions of barriers that exist
for them to persist in their roles. During the interviews two questions were asked to address this
research question a) Describe the most difficult parts of your job. b) If you know assistant
principals who have left their roles, what are the reasons why you think they left their job? If you
don’t know anybody, what parts of the role do you think might cause an assistant principal to
leave? During the interview, a question was asked about their current career goals. The answers
to this question presented an additional reason why an assistant principal might leave their role.
The figure below highlights the main themes that arose when speaking with the participants
about their roles as difficult aspects and/or reasons for leaving the role. Each theme is then
explained in the sections below.
Figure 1: Barriers to Assistant Principals Persisting in Their Roles
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Difficulties with Adult Educational Partners
Every assistant principal described that one of their favorite parts of their job was
working with students. The participants described the joy they found in guiding students through
a key part of their lives in high school, supporting them through difficult situations when
mistakes have been made, and experiencing positive interactions on a daily basis with students.
When Leader C described working with students they said, “they’re warm and welcoming, they
smile everyday, they come to you for support.” When talking about student discipline, Leader E
said “I get to interact with the kids in a positive way even though sometimes I’m just
disciplining. I think I try to keep it positive and like a learning lesson for them.”
When describing difficult parts of their job or reasons for leaving the position, 9 assistant
principals described difficulties with adult educational partners. The adult educational partners
named were parents, school staff, and upper level administrators. Four assistant principals
described difficulties with parents, specifically around questioning decisions that they make
regarding students. Three assistant principals describe difficulties with staff. When describing
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negative interactions with staff the assistant principals mostly described difficulties managing
staff members who were resistant to change or “didn’t want to do their jobs.” As one assistant
said “managing difficult adults is the biggest challenge for me.” Six assistant principals
described difficulties with upper level administrators. The emotional toll of these interactions
was described by many leaders as reasons they have left districts themselves or they have seen
others leave the role. Figure 2 breaks down the different types of educational partners and
number of assistant principals who shared having difficulties with those partners.
Figure 2: Types of Educational Partners
Parents
Leaders with six or more years of experience (A,B,D,I) described a shift in their
experiences with parents as a result of the current climate post pandemic. Leaders described
having negative interactions with parents specifically when they had to deliver difficult news to
families related to student discipline decisions or difficult student situations. Leader A described
new difficulties of dealing with parents in their community after coming back from the pandemic
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“I can see it, you know, around the country, there's a lot of anger. And parents take it out on us.”
Leader I described parents physically threatening them or using profanity towards them when
delivering difficult news. They described the shift over the last six years:
“I think just looking in the last six years, it's become more difficult coming out of the
pandemic, like, people just seem, in general to be a little bit angrier, a little bit shorter
tempered with people. So I mean, I know personally, I've been on the receiving end, like,
I've had, like a parent, like physically threatened me, because they were upset about the
news I was delivering, I've had people cuss, again, parents use profanity toward me you
know, the last couple of years, and it didn't happen my first couple of years”
Leader D described that in recent years some parents and families have become more angry
when they are delivering news about student discipline. They said “there will always be that
phone call that you make, in which the parent questions what you've done. My child didn't do
this, right? Or why are you suspending my child, that's over the top. So dealing with the
challenging families, the role, the job really has gotten very much more difficult.” Leader I
explained that they felt they had the tools to deal with the emotional toll of negative interactions
with parents but empathized with why someone would leave the role as a result of the
interactions. They said “if I were fresh out of the classroom, and had people get really upset with
me, and not get to work directly with kids, that I could absolutely see the desire to not stay in the
role.” Barnett et al. (2012) suggested that assistant principals do not feel ready to work with
people when conflicts arise, specifically when confronting anger or emotional outbursts. The
assistant principals highlighting difficulties when confronting the anger or emotional outbursts
from parents aligns with the findings in the study by Barnett et al. (2012).
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School Staff
The assistant principal is often the manager of staff members whether it is through
instructional coaching or managing other school staff/operations (i.e. athletics, security,
counseling) (Goldring et al., 2021). Given the unique role of the assistant principal as a middle
man among staff, students, parents, and upper level leaders they often must spend time investing
staff in new initiatives or changes to better the school community (Goldring et al., 2021). When
interviewing the assistant principals in this study, three leaders described difficulties when
working with certain staff members. In a study by Barnett et al. (2012), assistant principals
identified tension and resistance that can occur when working with staff members who have low
morale or are not student centered as a contributing factor to difficult working conditions.
Leader E, who has 1 year of experience, said “the part of the job that makes it really difficult is
when I’m interacting with adults who don’t want to do their jobs.” This difficulty was
highlighted by two other assistant principals with 3 or fewer years experience, Leaders C and H.
When discussing this barrier, the assistant principals described the difficulty of managing
staff members who are resistant to change. Leader H describes their experience with this barrier
“ there's a lot of different personalities, like some people have been there a really long time and
are used to things being a certain way so they can be you know, really resistant to even the
slightest change, even if you can justify why it's in the best interest of like our school
community.” Leader C describes their difficulties with dealing with staff who have been at the
school for an extended period of time. They said “you have people that have been in their roles a
long time and have different struggles. They may be disgruntled. That’s probably the most
difficult part of the job is dealing with employees that are there just to kind of stand around but
they’re not happy in their jobs.”
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Upper Level Administrators: Principals & District Personnel
Conflict of Interest
When describing their role, multiple leaders stated that they are there to help support the
mission and vision of the school, even if they do not agree with it. As Leader D said, “even if
you have an issue with a piece of the mission or vision that the principal has, you still support it,
as long as you're the assistant principal, under that principal, and for that school site, you're
making sure that things happen in line with what the principal wants” The internal conflict of
implementing policies or directions that the school is going in when they do not agree with it was
described as reason for leaving or difficulty by three different leaders. Leader E described this
internal conflict “So I think when I feel like my integrity, and my character is not aligning with
what's around me, that's so difficult for me when I'm asked to do things that I don't think is
right.” Leader B described a similar difficulty “sometimes you don’t necessarily agree with
some of the policies or direction that the school is going in, and so maybe as an assistant
principal, you have a difficult time getting those to kind of align to how you like to say things.”
As described by the leaders, it can be difficult when they feel like they have to implement
someone else's vision or policy when they do not feel they believe in it personally.
Lack of Supportive Culture
Many leaders described feeling a lack of support from their principals and district level
administrators as a reason for leaving the position. When asked about difficulties that they face
as an assistant principal, the first barrier mentioned by Leader E was “sometimes I don’t feel
supported by upper-level administration, sometimes their lack of resources is frustrating.”
Specifically they said, “I don’t feel comfortable reaching out to the district office, I think it's
partly the culture that doesn’t invite me to reach out” when describing why they did not feel
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supported. The fear of being judged by district administration or getting in trouble by their
principal for reaching out for support was cited by multiple leaders as reasons they would leave
their position or district. Some described this culture as “very dog eat dog kind of world
approach” in the position of an assistant principal as they would get blamed for not being able to
handle a situation if they had to seek out help from their principal or district level personnel.
One leader who had changed districts described the environment as their previous district as
discouraging leaders from seeking support by upper level administration. They said that “things
were presented in a way that reaching out to the district was something you were reluctant to
do”. The culture of not being encouraged to seek help occurred at both the district and school site
levels for leaders. Leader B said they know peers who have left the position because of a “lack of
feeling supported by the district, by the administrative team, and a lack of progress in their
professional growth.”
Heavy Workload
Heavy workload is defined as the number of school related work hours inside and outside
of the school (Levin et al., 2020). In a study by Levin et al. (2020), 63% of the principals
identified heavy workload as a reason they would leave their position. Assistant principals have
described similar difficulties with the workload, specifically struggles with time and task
management (Barnett et al., 2012; Craft et al., 2016). In this study, every assistant principal
identified the time commitment associated with their job as a barrier to remaining in the position.
As Leader D stated, “the job has gotten much more difficult. When I started 14 years ago, I could
close out shop around 5 o’clock. Now the role is really 24/7.” It was also a reason that almost
every assistant principal said they knew a peer had left the position. The participants also
identified the volume of work and pressure to perform as a difficulty in their role or a reason a
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peer has left. As one leader described the reason a peer left saying “they wanted a simpler life.
There have been more duties, more responsibilities placed on our plates, so they returned either
to the classroom or their previous role as a counselor.” Overall, the toll of working long hours in
a high pressure environment was described as the main reason that participants said they knew
people left their role.
Time commitment
Every assistant principal interviewed named the time commitment of the role as a reason
why they knew someone had left or a barrier for them. The addition of after school athletics and
event supervision creates long work days on a consistent basis coupled with high work demands
is not sustainable for high school assistant principals. As Leader F describes “for supervision you
are waiting in a parking lot at 11:30 on a Friday night for that one kid whose parent hasn't picked
them up yet, from whatever event you're at.” One leader described “I basically am expected to
work like 12 hours a day, sometimes more if I’m supervising athletics after school, I’m expected
to work on Saturdays just because of the sheer volume of things that are coming in.” Many of the
participants described people they knew going back into the classroom or counseling as a result
of the heavy workload. One leader described a conversation he had with a peer who said “this is
not for me, because too much time is spent where you're working 10-12 hour days and you're not
being compensated for it. You know, that was her thought process. I am going back to
counseling.”
The amount of time that needs to be spent at work because of supervision can create a
barrier, especially for people who have young children or families. One leader said “they were
working 60 to 80 hours and did not have time for their family.” While another said they knew
someone who left because “he had a growing family and he wanted to spend more time with
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them. So he made the decision at that point to leave administration and go back to the
classroom.” Leader J said “I know three who have gone back into the classroom in the last year.
And in all three of them it was too much time away from their families. And it was just there was
no balance, that balance of time didn’t work for them.”
Volume and Pressure of work
One leader simply said “the job is huge.” This statement encompasses the feelings of
many who described the pressure to perform in conjunction with the amount of duties and
responsibilities that high school assistant principals hold. Multiple leaders described the push
pull between unexpected things that arise and consistent responsibilities of the role as creating a
large amount of work that never seems to be done. Leader J said
“So that you're kind of split in your day, your day, or your responsibilities are split
between that very specific kind of individualized, like student support, but also then that
whole operations piece. And so and so, you know, if there's, if it's a day of high student
need, then there's not time to do kind of the operations piece. If you kind of get the
operations and you get through your emails, and you go out and you do those other
sidewalks and things that you need to do, then the student piece is lagging a little bit.”
Leaders B, D, and H described similar examples of this happening on a regular basis in their jobs
that can cause a person to feel ineffective and overwhelmed. Leader D gave an example of what
often happens to them:
“So you're sitting at your desk, trying to devise a professional development day for your
teachers on improving instruction. And next thing, you know, door knocks, a child comes
in, they're being bullied on social media, and to address that consumes your entire day. So
then what do you do, you end up either pushing it to the next day, or having to work at
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night, or on the weekend to take care of the things you can't take care of during your
regular workday”
The constant need to perform and quickly solve problems for a lot of people can make the job
feel overwhelmingly large. Leader H explained “there’s a lot of pressure. There are a lot of
people that are looking to you for answers for solutions for prompt turnarounds, and responses.
And sometimes that can be really overwhelming.”
Career Aspirations
During interviews, four leaders stated that they knew assistant principals who left their
positions to become a principal or higher district position. Additionally, the question was asked
of them: In the next three to five years, if you're exactly where you want to be in your career,
what would you be doing? Seven of the participants stated that they plan to pursue a principal
position with nine participants stating they want to be working at the district level or in a
principal role. Leader A said, “I would be a principal at a comprehensive high school.” While
Leader C said “In three to five years I'll probably be the principal at the same school.” Leaders B,
D, E, F, and J all shared that they want to be principals in the next 3 to 5 years. Only one
participant stated that they would still be an assistant principal and they had only been in the role
for one year. They said “I would still be an assistant principal. This is only year two for me as
an AP and I switched districts.”
Discussion Research Question 1
Research question one sought to explore the barriers that exist for assistant principals to
remain in their positions. Ten different high school assistant principals were interviewed and
asked about the most difficult parts of their jobs and reasons why they know colleagues have left
their positions. Principals and assistant principals have cited poor working conditions that stem
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from working with difficult adults, the heavy workload, and lack of support from the school
district (Barnett et al., 2012; Levin et al., 2020).
Leader I, knew an assistant principal who left specifically because of constant negativity
and the emotional impact of the job. They said the leader felt like they “didn't get that bucket
filled up working directly with students, and felt like they were dealing with a lot of negativity
all day.” Every single leader stated that their favorite part of their job was working with
students. Yet the conflict when dealing with parents, staff members, or upper-level
administrators was described as reasons for leaving their position or changing districts. School
administrators do not feel they have been given the proper training or support to deal with
conflicts of difficult emotional experiences when they arose (Barnett et al., 2012; Levin et al.,
2020). The major emotional impact was described by multiple leaders. As Leader H described:
“People that have left it all together, I feel like maybe don't have the ability to, like not
take things personally. And that's critical. Like when you're an AP, you can't take things
personally, because people are going to talk to you crazy, people are going to be really
passionate about things that you may not agree with, or simply cannot support them
towards, like you might actually agree with them on a personal level, but like district
policy or laws like will not allow you to really let them do what they want to do so to
speak.”
The amount of time, volume, and pressure of work were barriers cited by every assistant
principal in this study. A heavy workload was cited by Levin et al. (2020) in a study conducted
about principals' choice to remain in their position as a main barrier. When speaking with
experienced assistant principals (5+ years) many said that the workload and pressure has
increased over the years. Leader D said: “ It's really a lot more, if an individual wanted to pursue
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this role, I would really have a long heart to heart conversation with them. Just letting them
know, are you sure, because it's not getting any easier. It's actually getting more challenging.” A
similar sentiment was shared among multiple leaders at all different school districts and with
different years of experience.
According to Bartanen et al. (2021) there are groups of assistant principals who see the
position as a stepping stone to becoming a principal or district administrator while others view it
as a long term position. During interviews, almost every participant shared that in three to five
years they plan to be in a principal or district administrator position. This means that the
participants interviewed for this study only really reflect the viewpoints of people who see the
position as a stepping stone. However, one assistant principal shared an interesting perspective
about how barriers such as heavy workloads and tense interactions with parents and staff
members is a reason that people become principals because they perceive those barriers will go
away. They explained this rationale:
“The assistant principal is like the day-to-day boots in the ground role. So you're going to
be the one having to deal with a fight that just happened at your school, right? It's not
going to be the principal, you're going to be the one who's going to be dealing initially
with that irate parent. And you're, you are the one because it has to start at your stratified
lower level, to see if they can be addressed and squashed or completed.”
This sentiment was not shared by any other interviewees, however, brings a new perspective to
how an assistant principal views their role in relation to a principal. Overall, the research that
has been conducted in the past regarding barriers to assistant principals remaining in their roles
was reflected in the interview answers in this study.
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Results Research Question 2
Research question two asked: What supports at the district level do assistant principals
perceive as necessary to persist in their role? During the interviews three questions were asked
to address this research question a) What do you believe is the role of a district office in
supporting administrators? b) How much interaction do you have with your district office? c)
What support do you receive from your district office? Four themes arose in participants'
answers to these questions that addressed the research question. Below the beliefs of assistant
principals about the role of district office in supporting assistant principals as well as their actual
interactions and experiences are described for each theme.
Accessibility of District Personnel
Shared Understanding of School Sites
Leaders in this study described that they felt it was important for district personnel to
understand their needs and their schools' needs. The participants described that this felt
particularly relevant after returning from the pandemic due to the shift that has occurred in
schools. This feeling that district administrators are far removed from what is happening at
schools makes assistant principals feel unsupported because they feel like the district personnel
cannot provide what is needed. As Leader A said, “I would have liked them to have the lens of
what it currently is like if they could come and shadow us, or be here with us on the site to really
get an idea of how things are now and what our day looks like.” Meanwhile, Leader G described
feeling supported by frequent visits saying “by the district administration, they come out to the
sites a few times in a semester, sometimes to visit classrooms, formal stuff, or to come out to do
that master schedule.”
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Direct Lines of Communication
Many leaders described that they feel most supported when they feel they have a direct
line of communication with district personnel. Leader I stated “that in an effective district I
should be able to call really anyone, and, or support and that if they don't know the answer, that
they'll be like, Hmm, okay, call this person, let me get back to you so that I can consult with
them.” Every assistant principal in smaller districts described having this type of support and
feeling like they have a direct line of communication with anyone they need and know who to
call for different types of support. Leader B said “In my current district, it's very small. So it’s
intimate and that’s very good because you have a direct line of communication to anybody you
need.” In fact, one leader said in the interview that if they called the superintendent during the
call they were confident that they would pick up. They said, “I could call the superintendent
while we're talking. He'll pick up the phone. I'm not going to put him on this but you get what
you're saying. Yeah, you can't do that everywhere where people who are supportive are going to
pick up your line and help you out whatever you need.”
When describing direct lines of communication, multiple assistant principals in small
districts described that the structure of their districts lends itself to direct lines of support. In the
district, there is a specific layer of personnel who support assistant principals in their roles.
Leader D explained the structure:
“So the district office typically has different departments, there's the curriculum, or
educational services department, which has to do with curriculum. So that person at the
district office supports the AP, in helping them become more of an instructional leader.
Then we have the student services division or department that deals with things like a
special ed or students with special needs. The assistant principals typically are the ones
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who handle special education at their school site. They work with instructional aides who
work with special needs students, so that department helps in that particular aspect.”
Leader B described a similar structure in their district, “their roles are to make sure that
campuses are functioning. So they have roles just like we do. Last year, I was over student
services and there was a specific district person I went to if we had higher level discipline issues,
the student services, and you can call them directly at any time, anytime day or night, and you
know they will pick up the phone and support you.” The people at the district level are designed
to specifically be a layer of support for assistant principals with a different layer of support
available for principals. “The principals actually work, they work with the directors, of course,
but they also work quite a bit with, they work more directly with the assistant, the executive
cabinet, the assistant superintendents and superintendents. So they have that's their layer of
support.” One leader describes the benefits of the structure “So that structure lends itself really,
really nicely to, to finding support and identifying support when you actually need it.”
District Culture
The majority of assistant principals believed that the role of a school district is to support
the school administration in their work to support teachers and students. One leader described
the role using four concentric circles; the center circle being the students; second layer being
teachers; third level site administrators; and fourth layer the district:
“The district's role is to support me whose job is to support the teacher in doing what
they're doing. So ultimately, it comes down to students supporting that interlayer in order
for them to do their jobs, ultimately impacting student achievement, and, you know,
social emotions, and all those other things, if that makes sense. So, at the district level,
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their job is to support me to do the things I need to do to support the teachers who are
supposed to be students.”
These layers reflect the sentiment shared by other assistant principals that a district culture needs
to be centered around support and collaboration for the school administrators as they are the ones
with the boots on the ground at schools. Assistant principals described varying experiences with
their district cultures of support during the interviews. There was a difference in the experience
described by assistant principals in the large districts (District 1 & District 5) compared to both
small and medium districts.
In the large districts leaders described the culture of support as being very site specific
and there being a culture of discouraging leaders from reaching out to district personnel for
support. One leader described if a leader reaches out for support they can be “looked upon as
less than if we are struggling.” Another leader said that it is very principal dependent if they are
allowed to interact or seek support from their district office. The reason it is site specific is
because of the chain of command that exists in the larger district. A leader stated that they have
to first clear it with their principal before they can seek out support from the district office. They
said
“First, go to your then go to your principal. And then if your principal gives you
permission, like, I feel like I have to ask for permission, I've never been told that, but it
just kind of feels like the culture like, I would have to ask for permission to ask the
district office personnel for support. I feel like I will be like, if the principal found out
that I reached out and over him, like, maybe he wouldn't like that.”
The need for them to feel that their principal is supportive of them collaborating with the district
and the district encouraging support and collaboration was shared by both leaders in the large
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district. The accessibility of personnel in small districts made all leaders in smaller districts feel
like there was a strong district culture of support. Specifically, one leader said “support from the
district is less about top down management or micromanagement but collaboration.” Leaders in
smaller districts felt valued by their districts because they felt there was a culture of support and
collaboration between school site administration and district personnel. Leaders in the District 6
(medium sized) district felt similarly supported because of the structure of their district
(discussed in the section above).
Professional Development
Professional development was a support from the district that assistant principals
described as necessary. As Leader H said “So I feel like the district has a responsibility towards
making resources and supports available and accessible. And not just like one time, like, I feel
like if a district wants their schools to be, you know, top performing premier schools, then you
need to invest in your staff.” One piece of this investment is professional development for
assistant principals.
When describing the types of professional development they receive, every assistant
principal describes monthly or bi-monthly meetings they attend centered around specific aspects
of their roles. For example, one leader described “all the people with my job are called APCs,
AP curriculum. So all the APCs we've met once to twice a month, depending on the month.” In
these meetings, every leader said that district personnel often communicate about new
procedures and protocols and initiatives being rolled out by the district. Leader C described “We
meet as an admin and district admin team, we go over what our initiatives and what our issues
are, and we have conversations, but they support you in whatever you're doing at your school
site.” Additionally, some leaders described that during these meetings there are opportunities for
68
assistant principals to discuss issues they are having at their school sites, bounce ideas off each
other, and collaborate. Leader C described these meetings: “We go over what our initiatives and
what our issues are, and we have conversations, but they support you in whatever you’re doing
as your school site.” Leader I said “they send out the agenda ahead of time, like what do you
want to add to this? What things can we support you with right now? And then they're bringing
to our attention, things that need to be on our radar timelines, you know, all of that. So there's
some formal stuff set up in the sense that we have these like collaborative meetings.”
In general, the assistant principals did not describe being presented with many
opportunities to develop leadership skills within their school districts. Two out of ten assistant
principals described additional professional development opportunities they have received
through their districts including the opportunity to attend conferences and outside professional
development. Leader B described a conference they attended “I've been in districts where, like I
presented at the National Secondary Students, principals, whatever the the long acronym is,
where we presented some of the some of the programs that we had, and some of the new
developments that we were able to create.” Leader D described their experience being sent to
external training “sometimes what they'll do is they'll send us to a training externally, we may go
to the County Office of Education, and get a training over there. So that's called LACOE, the Los
Angeles County Office of Education. Sometimes they'll send us to another type of training that
may not be sponsored by the county, but sponsored by a particular training group.”
One assistant principal described their district offering retreats over the summer as a time
for their school site administrators to build community, create coherence, and develop priorities
for the year. When describing the retreat they said “I experienced a school site administrative
retreat, where myself and other administrators came together for two days off campus with the
69
sole purpose of building community, creating that coherence, capturing ideas from folks. It was
beneficial for me as far as being able to have dedicated time to really learn about the school
culture, teachers, and student needs.” When describing these types of opportunities, the leader
valued the uninterrupted time and investment from the district in supporting their development.
The leader who experienced the retreat said “I think having that dedicated and uninterrupted time
that the district pays you for is amazing. Dedicated protected time off campus because they get it
that if you try to do something on campus people are inevitably going to interrupt you and so
they make it a point to provide that intentionally off campus.”
The remaining seven leaders shared that they felt school districts invest more time and
money into developing strong teachers and do not invest in the professional development of
administrators. This balance can be difficult as described by one leader “it's a hard balance for
districts because if you’re gonna invest money into different programs you want it as close to the
classroom as possible.” However, the need for development for leaders, especially new ones was
stressed by one leader saying “you need to have a system in place that supports new
administrators towards getting that consistent feedback and being guided through some reflective
thinking so that we can grow and be better for our school site teams.” Given that school
administrators have a large impact on the success of a school, the need to invest in their
professional development was stressed by many of the assistant principals interviewed (Keating
et al., 2017).
Mentoring
During the interviews, two assistant principals described informal mentoring from their
principals or district personnel as a beneficial support. One leader described “I’ve been lucky
enough that I’ve developed a fairly strong network of colleagues that are also in administration,
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that we regularly talk, connect, bounce ideas off of one another.” When asked if they felt a more
formal mentoring program would be beneficial to assistant principals, interviewees had differing
views. Leader A said, “I think it would be great. If there were a way to have a district
administrator assigned to each administrator, maybe they'd have a few knowing how large our
district is.” However, other leaders agreed with Leader C who said “your principal is supposed to
serve in that role.” A few leaders shared hesitations about the logistics of a formal mentoring
program. Leader B said “I think that's something that the districts can do. I don’t know what it's
really about. It's definitely something that is on the backburner if anything else because the
school, the school year moves so there not that sort of time to sit back and kind of say okay, so
how should we handle this?”
Discussion Research Question 2
In the literature review, professional development, accessibility, and mentoring were main
themes that arose as support that districts should provide for assistant principals. The
participants in this study shared similar sentiments to what has been found in research about their
experiences in professional development in their districts. For example, a few shared that they
feel like assistant principals are not given the same professional development opportunities as
teachers and principals which is supported by research findings (Barnett et al., 2012; Oleszewski
et al., 2012). Additionally, the feeling that current AP’s should be receiving professional
development that supports the growth as leaders was shared both in past research and this study
(Oleszewski et al., 2012). While assistant principals in this study described regular professional
development meetings centered around their roles and responsibilities, these meetings did not
seem to develop their skills as leaders. This personalized development for leaders was cited as
important for assistant principals persisting in their roles and being successful ((Oleszewski et
al., 2012).
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Mentoring has been found to be an important component in the support and development
of assistant principals (Oleszewski et al., 2012). A few assistant principals in this study
described informal mentoring experiences due to relationships they have built within their
districts over time. While informal mentoring can be beneficial for assistant principals, formal
mentoring programs have been found to have a greater impact on their development (Barnett et
al., 2012; Marshall & Phelps Davidson, 2016). Only four participants in this study brought up
mentoring as a potential support for them. The biggest support and role they described for the
district was in accessibility and culture of support from the district. Given that there is limited
research about the role that the district plays in supporting assistant principals, this concept was
not discussed at length in the literature (Carpenter et al., 2016).
Summary
This study aimed to gain insight into the perceived barriers by assistant principals in
remaining in their roles and district supports to help assistant principals persist. Research
question one sought to gather the perceptions public high school assistant principals saw as
barriers to remaining in their role. Three different barriers arose as themes in the interviews
conducted of ten assistant principals. First, difficult interactions with educational partners was
described as a barrier. These interactions included interacting with difficult parents, managing
teachers, and conflicts with upper level administrators. The other major barrier that arose was
the heavy workload: time commitment, volume of work, and pressure associated with being an
assistant principal. Finally, many participants shared career aspirations of leaving their roles to
become principals or work at the district level. While this is not a direct barrier, it is a reason
why an assistant principal may decide to leave their role.
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The second research question sought to gain insight into what district supports assistant
principals perceived as necessary to remain in their roles. The culture and accessibility of
personnel in the district was the main support that was shared by all participants in the study.
Secondly, participants shared the need for professional development that supports their growth as
leaders by the district. Finally, the wish for formal mentoring as a support provided by the
district was shared by a few administrators.
Chapter 5 will discuss the implications of this study for how districts approach retaining
and supporting their assistant principals. Additionally, the limitations of this study and future
studies will be discussed.
73
Chapter Five: Discussion
Overview of Study
Chapter 5 summarizes the findings of this study and implications for practice within the
educational community. Key research findings are discussed with the intention of informing
current and future district office leaders about the support they can provide to better retain high
school assistant principals. The findings discussed are based on 10 high school assistant
principals' perceptions about barriers to retention in their role and how they are best supported by
a school district. The chapter also includes recommendations for future research that are made
within the context of this study.
This study focused on the barriers to retention and support from school districts for high
school assistant principals. Assistant principals have an impact on student outcomes from their
leadership in instructional practices, student culture, and school operations (Barnett et al., 2012;
Bartanen et al., 2021; Hitt & Tucker, 2016; Oleszewski et al., 2012). When an effective school
leader is present in a school for an extended period of time this can have a positive impact on
student academic achievement, teacher retention, and school culture (Grissom et al., 2021;
Guthery & Bailes, 2022). Assistant principals have a higher turnover rate compared to principals
74
and teachers (Bartanen et al., 2021). The lack of research about the role of assistant principals
and the support they need means that districts are not able to make informed decisions about how
to retain them (Goldring et al., 2021). The purpose of this study is to better understand the
barriers that exist for high school assistant principals to remain in their positions and the support
that districts can offer to promote retention of assistant principals. The following questions
guided this research:
1. What do high school assistant principals perceive as barriers to staying in their roles?
2. What supports at the district level do high school assistant principals perceive as
necessary to persist in their role?
A qualitative approach was taken for this study with semi-structured interview used as
the instrument (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). A total of 10 high school assistant principals were
interviewed from public schools in Los Angeles County. The assistant principals were chosen
using convenience sampling. The interviews were conducted on zoom and recorded to ensure
that I was able to gather accurate information about the perceptions of the assistant principals
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The transcripts from the interviews were then coded using the
interview questions as categories and key themes emerged from the process.
Discussion of Findings
The findings of this study suggest that the relationship between an assistant principal and
the school district is important to an assistant principal’s retention. Assistant principals in the
study identified barriers to remaining in their roles that included negative interactions with adult
educational partners, heavy workload, and career aspirations. When discussing support they
need from the district, assistant principals described the need for accessibility of district
personnel, a district culture of collaboration, and professional development. The section below
75
presents a summary and discussion of the key findings for each research question in this study.
Six themes emerged related to the study’s two research questions.
Research Question 1 Findings: Barriers
The first research question in the study was, what do high school assistant principals
perceive as barriers to staying in their roles? The interviews of 10 high school assistant
principals produced three key findings. The first finding indicated that a heavy workload is a
major barrier to remaining in the role. This barrier was cited by all participants in the study as a
primary reason they know someone has left the assistant principal position. The second finding
was that negative interactions with educational partners including parents, staff, and upper level
district personnel is viewed as a difficulty in the position The third finding was that the role of
the assistant principal is viewed as a stepping stone position and could be a reason someone
decides to leave the role.
During the interviews, all participants noted the heavy workload of a high school
assistant principal as a difficulty for them and a reason they knew a peer left the role. The time
commitment after school was one of the main contributing factors to the heavy workload
described by participants in the study. Assistant principals described a part of their role to
supervise afterschool programming such as athletics, parent meetings, and school events which
leads to long hours outside of the normal school day. Assistant principals in this study described
the difficulties of working 10 to 12 hour days where they need to balance a high volume and
pressure of work. In the literature, the high volume of tasks coupled with the unpredictability of
the job has been described by assistant principals as contributing to a heavy workload (Barnett et
al., 2012). In this study, participants described difficulty in balancing the regular expectations of
their roles such as creating professional development, overseeing school activities, and managing
76
teachers with the unexpected crises that occur on a regular basis. Participants explained that
peers left the role because they were starting a family or had young children and they could not
commit to the long hours and high demands required of them.
Participants in this study described working with certain adult educational partners as a
difficulty in their role. Assistant principals have challenges when experiencing contentious
issues with students, parents, and staff in their role (Barnett et al., 2012). In this study, assistant
principals all stated that interacting with students is their favorite part of their role, even in
situations where they are being the disciplinarian. They described having difficulties with
parents when faced with difficult conversations around student discipline or student crises. The
participants also described having difficulties with staff who are resistant to change, a trend that
was also found in a study by Barnett et al. (2012) .Barnett et al. (2012) found that assistant
principals often do not feel prepared to deal with tense or difficult interactions with parents or
staff members. In this study, assistant principals felt that the district's role was to support them
in their role, whether that is through professional development or providing accessible personnel
to discuss difficult situations on a day to day basis. Some participants in the study indicated that
they have not experienced this type of support from their districts and know peers who have left
as a result of lack of support.
The role of the assistant principals can be viewed as a stepping stone to principalship
(Goldring et al., 2021; Marshall & Phelps Davidson, 2016). In this study, participants described
knowing peers who had left the position to move into a principal position. Additionally, some
participants described having aspirations of becoming a principal in the next three to five years.
Although this is not a barrier to remaining in the position, it is a reason that someone might leave
their role as assistant principal.
77
Research Question 2 Findings: Supports
The second research question explored in this study was what supports at the district
level do high school assistant principals perceive as necessary to persist in their role? The
interviews revealed three key findings. The first finding was related to the accessibility of
supports within the district. Assistant principals described that they felt supported when district
personnel visited their school sites to better understand the needs and context of the school.
They also felt supported when they knew who to reach out to in the district depending on their
needs. When they knew someone would answer their questions and support them in problem
solving assistant principals felt supported. Second, assistant principals described that the culture
of the district around support can play a role in if they feel comfortable seeking out support from
district personnel. Third, assistant principals described a desire for the school district to provide
them with professional development that met their individual needs and grew them as leaders.
Assistant principals interviewed in the study described that when district personnel are
easily accessible to them they feel supported by their district. Specifically, participants felt that
district personnel better understood the needs of their schools if the personnel visited the school
on a regular basis. Interviewees also described that direct lines of communication to district
personnel was important in supporting them in their role as an assistant principal. In multiple
districts a structure of creating this type of accessibility was described. In this structure, there
are different departments or leaders in the district responsible for different components of
schools such as instruction and curriculum, athletics, and student services. Additionally, leaders
described that knowing who to call and that a person from the district will pick up the phone
when they need help made them feel supported and valued. Due to the limited literature on
78
support for assistant principals, accessibility of district personnel was not something that was
documented as a challenge in the literature review (Goldring et al., 2021).
Districts should create a culture where leaders feel there are safe spaces to discuss
difficulties they are having and they have authentic relationships with district staff (Chadwick,
2020). In this study, assistant principals described that districts have a responsibility to support
them in their roles. In larger districts, assistant principals did not feel there was a culture of
support seeking or autonomy to do so. They described a strict hierarchy where they had to go to
their principal for approval before reaching out to the district for support. Assistant principals
described that because of the hierarchy their experiences with district support was dependent on
their relationship with their principal. Participants in large districts described that they felt as
though they would be judged by their principal or district personnel for reaching out for support.
The hierarchy of depending on their principal to allow them to reach out for support made
assistant principals in larger districts feel a lack of supportive culture in the district. On the other
hand, leaders in small and medium districts described feeling supported by their district because
of a culture of support and collaboration. In smaller and medium sized districts, assistant
principals described that they had specific district departments or leaders who supported them in
different ways depending on their roles. For example, assistant principals who were over
athletics had a district person who they collaborated with on a regular basis for support with
athletics at their school site. Participants in this study described that in their meetings and
interactions with district personnel there was a collaborative approach to problem solving and
implementation of new initiatives or policies. The structure of the district combined with the
collaborative culture of the district meant that the assistant principals felt comfortable seeking
79
support from district leaders. This type of collaborative culture was not described by assistant
principals in large districts.
Assistant principals in this study described the importance of professional development in
supporting them as leaders. Multiple leaders described the need of the district to invest in them
as leaders in order to help their schools (Keating et al., 2017). The assistant principals describe
meetings with district leaders where they learn about new initiatives or protocols and collaborate
with other assistant principals about difficulties they are having at their school sites. The
participants described not receiving the same amount of professional development as teachers
(Barnett et al., 2012; Oleszewski et al., 2012). They said that teachers receive regular ongoing
professional development to improve their practices while assistant principals do not receive
professional development to grow in their leadership skills. A few leaders described their
districts investing in their development by sending them to conferences or facilitating leadership
retreats. Assistant principals should be provided with professional development that is centered
around their needs as a leader (Oleszewski et al., 2012). Professional development could also be
used as an opportunity to prepare assistant principals for a role as principal (Barnett et al., 2012;
Mcclellan & Casey, 2015; Oleszewski et al., 2012).
Limitations
The limitations of this study were in the generalizability of the study given the small
sample size and internal validity given the reliance on self reported data and positionality of the
researcher. The small sample size of this study means that its conclusions cannot be generalized
to the experiences of all high school assistant principals in Los Angeles County Schools. Given
the qualitative nature of the study, the purpose was not to be generalizable (Merriam & Tisdell,
2016). The purpose of the study was to dive deeper into the perceptions of high school assistant
80
principals to better understand the barriers to their roles and support they feel they need from
their school district. Even though the findings are not generalizable across all educational
contexts, they can still be used by districts due to the depth of the findings.
By using interviews as the primary instrument in the study the internal validity is affected
because findings are based on self reported data (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). However, the
research questions are focused on the perceptions of assistant principals and not on figuring out
if the perceptions match reality. Additionally, as the researcher my positionality as a high
school assistant principal could impact the analysis of the data. I used peer review during the
analysis process to attempt to address my potential bias given my positionality.
Implications for Practice
This study examined the perceptions of assistant principals about the barriers that exist in
their roles and supports they need from their school district. The findings of this study can be
used by district leaders to inform the practices they use to support assistant principals.
Specifically, the barriers that assistant principals describe could be used to inform new practices
from the school district. Additionally, school district personnel can interpret the findings about
supports that help assistant principals to inform what they continue to do and changes they want
to make within the district.
The first implication is the need for school district personnel to consider how to better
support high school assistant principals with the heavy workload of their role. The heavy
workload of high school assistant principals was identified as a barrier by every participant in
this study. Specifically, every participant said they knew someone that had left the role because
of the time commitment. The other aspects of the heavy workload that were described by the
assistant principal was the volume and pressure of the work. These findings indicate the need for
81
school districts to consider how they can address the heavy workload of assistant principals. For
example, school district personnel could arrange a system in which they sign up to attend after
school events, such as sports games, in replacement of the assistant principal. Given that
assistant principals also stated they feel supported and understood when district personnel visit
their campus, this system could address both concerns. Another way school districts could
address the heavy workload is by reconsidering the roles and responsibilities of assistant
principals to spread out the volume of the workload to other members of the school or district
community. For example, districts could designate specific personnel in their home office to
take on responsibilities associated with student services such as English Language Learner
testing, supporting special education teachers with compliance and IEP meetings, or maintaining
school budgets.
The second implication for practice by school districts is considering how they create a
culture of support and accessibility of district supports for assistant principals. Assistant
principals in small and medium districts described feeling supported because of the structure of
the district. The structure leant itself to support because there are specific people assistant
principals could call for any issue they were having. Meanwhile, assistant principals in large
districts felt like there was not a culture of support. Specifically, the hierarchical nature of how
they should seek support meant it was difficult for them to access any support they needed in
their role. School districts should consider how they make themselves accessible to support
assistant principals and how to create a culture of support within the district. One way to do so
could be to eliminate the hierarchical nature of assistant principals needing to seek approval from
principals to ask for support from their district. Instead, a larger district could mimic the structure
that assistant principals found supportive in smaller districts that could improve accessibility and
82
support. This could look like large school districts splitting schools into cluster groups based on
similar needs, geography, or other demographics and assigning a district support team to those
smaller clusters. The second layer to implementing this type of structure would be to build a
culture of support within the clusters. This could occur through culture building meetings,
collaborative problem solving sessions, and building trust between the assistant principals and
district support team.
The third implication for practice by school district leaders addresses the importance of
professional development for assistant principals. Assistant principals described that they felt
supported in professional development spaces where they could collaborate with and learn from
other leaders. However, many described that school districts have not invested in professional
development to support their growth as a leader. Findings in this study suggest the need for
assistant principals to have professional development spaces that prepare them to deal with
difficulties they may encounter with educational partners such as parents and staff members.
Additionally, given that the majority of the participants said they plan on moving into a principal
role, school districts should consider how to use professional development to prepare them for
their next role. The school districts could create professional development pathways or
internships for assistant principals to support with this preparation.
Future Research
This study’s review of literature noted a need for further research on the role of assistant
principals and support they need in the role. The findings of this study assisted by adding
contextual information about the difficulties of the high school assistant principal role.
Additionally, it provided insights on support needed for high school assistant principals by
83
school districts. Additional research is recommended to further deepen the understanding of the
role of assistant principals and how to support assistant principals in their role.
The research question aimed to understand the perceptions of high school assistant
principals regarding barriers and supports in their position. The first recommendation for future
research is to apply the research questions to understand the perceptions of people who have held
the assistant principal role in the past. This would include people who moved up to roles such as
principals or district personnel, people who moved back into the classroom or a counseling
position, and people who have left education. By seeking to understand the perceptions of
people who have left the position, this would enable school districts to have a deeper
understanding of why they left the position and how they could have been better supported while
in the position.
The second recommendation for future research is to incorporate quantitative data
collection to strengthen generalizability of the study’s findings. While the study used a survey
when recruiting participants, the findings of the survey were not analyzed. By expanding the
survey to include more pointed questions about the barriers and supports needed for assistant
principals, the findings of this study could be triangulated and further strengthened. By using
quantitative data in the collection piece the findings can be generalized for use by school
districts.
The final recommendation for future research is to further investigate the professional
development experience of assistant principals. This study’s findings identified the critical role
that professional development plays in supporting assistant principals in their role. Further
investigation of the professional development practices in school districts could add to the body
84
of knowledge by deepening understanding about the support needed by assistant principals to be
successful in their role.
Conclusions
The research questions in this study aimed to explore the perceptions of high school
assistant principals about barriers that exist in their roles and support they need from school
districts to persist. The findings emphasized that high school assistant principals have a heavy
workload that can result in their decision to leave the role (Barnett et al., 2012; Goldring et al.,
2021). The relationships between the assistant principal and personnel in the district office can
be a support or barrier depending on if it is perceived as collaborative and supportive or negative
and judgemental. Findings suggest that school districts can support assistant principals by
creating a supportive culture where district personnel are visible and accessible. Additionally,
findings suggest that districts are responsible for the professional development of assistant
principals to support their growth as leaders. This study offers school districts additional insights
into how they can better support high school assistant principals in their roles with the goal of
increasing retention.
85
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Appendix
Appendix A - Preliminary Survey
USC Dissertation Study: Administrator Retention Survey
Hello!
We are a team of researchers working on our dissertation at USC Rossier School of Education.
We are interested in learning about the barriers to school leader retention as well as supports that
districts provide to support school leader. We would love to learn more about your experience as
a school leader.
If you are interested in being a participant in our study please fill out the form below and we will
contact you for a virtual interview with one of us.
Thank you,
Jeannie and Amy
Survey:
Email:
Please select the position that most applies to your current role:
- Principal
- Assistant Principal
How many years have you been in your current role?
Please rank how impactful you believe each district support is to your decision to remain in your
current position: (1 = not very impactful; 5 = very impactful)
92
Would you be willing to participate in a follow up interview about your experiences in your
current role?
- Yes
- No
If yes, what is the best way to contact you? (Please enter the contact information here)
93
Appendix B - Initial Email Sent to Assistant Principals
Hello,
My research partner, Jeannie, and I are doctoral students at USC and Assistant Principals at
schools in Los Angeles. We are conducting a dissertation study about the retention of school
administrators and district supports that support school leaders in remaining in their positions.
During the study, we will be interviewing current school administrators to learn more about their
experiences with school district supports and why they chose to remain in their current role.
We would love to speak with you as a part of this study because of your current role. If you are
interested in participating in our study please fill out this quick survey and we will follow up
with you to schedule a 30-45 minute virtual interview.
Thank you for your time and consideration!
Best,
Amy Price and Jeannie Eamnarangkool
Appendix C- Follow up Email Sent to Assistant Principals
Hello,
I reached out to you last week to inquire about the possibility of you participating in my research
partner, Jeannie, and I's USC dissertation study. We are both Assistant Principals at schools in
Los Angeles and are conducting a dissertation study about the retention of school administrators
and district supports that support school leaders in remaining in their positions. During the
study, we will be interviewing current school administrators to learn more about their
experiences with school district supports and why they chose to remain in their current role.
We would love to speak with you as a part of this study because of your current role. If you are
interested in participating in our study please fill out this quick survey and we will follow up
with you to schedule a 30-45 minute virtual interview.
If you have already filled out this survey, thank you for your interest and you will be contacted
by one of us soon.
Thank you for your time and consideration!
Best,
Amy Price and Jeannie Eamnarangkool
94
Appendix D - Initial Email sent to Assistant principals for interview
Hello,
Thank you for participating in our survey. You have indicated on your survey that you are willing
to participate in a follow-up interview about your experiences in your current role.
The interview will take 30-45 minutes and it will be via Zoom. Please click on the following link
to schedule an interview time that works best for you. If none of these times work for you please
reach out to me and we can arrange a time.
Looking forward to connecting with you.
Best,
Amy
95
Appendix E Interview Protocol
Introduction
Thank you for agreeing to participate in my study. I appreciate the time that you have set aside
to answer my questions. As I mentioned when we last spoke, the interview should take about 30
-45 minutes, does that still work for you?
Before we get started, I want to share a bit more with you about the study. I am a student at USC
and am conducting a study on the aspects of school leadership. Assistant principals play a key
role in the success of the school because of their influence on all of the different stakeholders.
Given the importance of their role, I am particularly interested in learning the barriers that exist
for assistant principals and the district's role in supporting them to stay. I am talking to multiple
assistant principals to learn more about this, and to gain further information from their
perspectives.
I want to assure you that I am strictly wearing the hat of researcher today. What this means is
that the nature of my questions is not evaluative. I will not be making any judgments on how
you are performing as a school leader. My goal is to understand your perspective.
Do you have any questions about the study before we get started? Before we begin I would like
to ask for your permission to record our zoom conversation so that I can accurately capture what
you share with me. The recording is solely for my purposes to best capture your perspectives
and will not be shared with anyone outside the research team. May I have your permission to
record our conversation? I will erase the recording once it has been transcribed.
Questions (with transitions)
The first few questions I will be asking are more general questions around your job as an
assistant principal in general.
Intro questions:
1) What led you to become an assistant principal?
2) If you had to explain your role as an assistant principal to somebody, how would you
describe it?
3) Describe your favorite parts of your job.
4) In 3-5 years, if you are exactly where you want to be in your career, what would you be
doing?
The next set of questions are regarding some of the barriers you face as a school principal. I want
to remind you that the hat I am wearing is only of a researcher and that all of your answers are
confidential. However, please know that if you do not feel comfortable answering any of the
questions, you can skip or pass it.
Barriers:
5) Describe the most difficult parts of your job.
96
6) If you know assistant principals who have left their roles, what are the reasons why you
think they left their job?
a) If you don’t know anybody, what parts of the role do you think might cause an
assistant principal to leave?
Now, I would like to move into asking you about your district. Again your answers and this
interview is completely confidential and I am solely wearing the hat of a researcher.
Supports:
7) What do you believe is the role of a district office in supporting assistant principals?
8) How much interaction do you have with your district office)?
9) What support do you receive from your district office?
10) What didn’t I ask you that I should have?
Closing
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me today! I really appreciate your time and
willingness to share. Everything that you have shared is really helpful for my study. If I find
myself with a follow-up question, can I contact you, and if so, if email is ok? Again, thank you
for participating in my study.
97
Appendix F - Coding Categories
Interview Question CODING
CATEGORY
1) What led you to become an assistant principal?
2) If you had to explain your role as an assistant principal to
somebody, how would you describe it (hypothetical)?
RAPPORT BUILDING
1) Describe your favorite parts of your job. FAVORITE PART
1) In 3-5 years, if you are exactly where you want to be in your
career, what would you be doing?
CAREER PLAN
1) Describe the most difficult parts of your job (barriers to
retention; interpretive).
DIFFICULT PART
1) If you know assistant principals who have left their roles, what
are the reasons why you think they left their school principal
jobs (barriers to retention)?
REASONS FOR
LEAVING
1) What do you believe is the role of a district office in supporting
administrators (district supports; opinion/values)?
BELIEF OF DISTRICT
ROLE
1) How much interaction do you have with your district office
(district supports; knowledge/experience)?
2) What supports do you receive from your district office (district
supports; knowledge)?
INTERACTIONS
WITH DISTRICT
Other things that didn’t fit well into other domains that should be added;
this should be used sparingly and only for things highly relevant to your
work.
OTHER
Abstract (if available)
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What can districts do to retain high school assistant principals?
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Educational Leadership
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2024-05
Publication Date
04/09/2024
Defense Date
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