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Principals' Role Perception and Implementation of Educational PRINCIPALS’ ROLE PERCEPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF EDUCATIONAL REFORM Jesse A. Hotmire A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION May 2018 Committee: Patrick Pauken, Advisor Stephen Demuth Graduate Faculty Representative Jamison Grime Tracy Huziak-Clark Paul Johnson © 2018 Jesse A. Hotmire All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Patrick Pauken, Advisor A theme in education stems from comparing international students’ scores on standardized tests with sub-par American students’ scores. The gap between the scores of international students and American students has prompted educational reforms to be passed by state and federal legislatures in the United States. This study begins with an investigation in the A Nation at Risk report and includes No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top, Common Core, and the Every Student Succeeds Act. States and school districts across the United States have struggled with adapting these educational reforms over the last few decades. Therefore, research on educational leadership over the decades has provided insight into strategies educational leaders can utilize to successfully implement educational reform. Additionally, the National Policy Board for Educational Administration (NPBEA) established the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (2015) to provide a set of updated standards for educational leaders. Often tasked with implementing educational reform, principals routinely bear the brunt of guiding the people in their buildings through the maze of changes. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to discover how six principals see their role and what those six principals do to implement educational reforms. The intended method of coding and data analysis is an existing method by Moustakas (1994). The research questions guiding the study are (1) What do principals from secondary schools in Northwest Ohio perceive to be their role as instructional leaders concerning the implementation of Ohio’s Learning Standards and assessments? and (2) What leadership strategies do principals utilize to carry out implementation of Ohio’s Learning Standards and assessments in their school environment? iv Themes from this study that revealed principals’ role perspective included their desire to practice distributed leadership and build relationships to foster a culture of collaboration. The emergent themes regarding leadership strategies included principals’ facilitation of teacher preparation and instruction to implement Ohio’s Learning Standards and assessments. Another major theme was challenges of rural high school principals. The implications for principals include to: maintain a positive attitude, search for solutions to challenges that predictably arise during times of change, utilize proven instructional leadership practices, and leverage their rural community characteristics to care for people. These qualities will help principals effectively lead their buildings through educational reforms. v This dissertation is dedicated to: First and foremost to Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Psalm 25:4-5 My parents, for their ever-present love, support, and encouragement. Your intentional teaching of work ethic, dedication, and respect have shaped my life and helped me on this journey. You said I should do this years before I did - I just had to get the coaching bug out of my system first. My wife, Kristen, I could not have completed this journey without you. Words cannot express how much I appreciate the innumerable sacrifices you have made. You have taken on additional responsibilities in the household so that our family could run smoothly. Thank your continual support and encouragement throughout this journey. My girls, Ava and Claire, you both are truly miracles from God. You bring so much joy every day. I look forward to seeing you both continue to grow, mature, and impact the lives of those around you. vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thanks are due to many people that have impacted this journey. It is impossible to thank everyone because I am sure some would be left out. However, I do want to acknowledge those that played a major role as I walked through this journey. Thank you to all of the professors in the program; Drs. Goedde, Huziak-Clark, Johnson, Kutz, Litten, May, Pauken, Reinhart, Sondergeld, and Willis. I learned something from each of you. To my advisor, Dr. Pauken. I truly appreciate the way you meld a high standard of academia with a consistent message of encouragement. You infused confidence and validation for me throughout the process of this study. I will be forever grateful for your assistance, guidance, and encouragement through this journey. To the rest of my dissertation committee members; Dr. Huziak-Clark, Dr. Grime, Dr. Demuth, and Dr. Johnson. I truly appreciate the time, effort, and guidance you provided. This process has been worthwhile and I trust beneficial for educational leaders. Finally, to my brothers and their wives. Dr. Ben Hotmire and Lindsay Hotmire, for asking thought-provoking questions and especially Ben for helping me sort out my thoughts and offering solid guidance along the way. Erik Hotmire, Erica Hotmire, and Kurt Hotmire for your support and genuine interest through this undertaking. I especially thank you for your encouragement and the small celebrations along the way - they truly helped. Soli Deo Gloria – To God alone be the Glory vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1 Background of the Problem ....................................................................................... 1 Purpose of the Study .................................................................................................. 8 Research Questions .................................................................................................... 9 Theoretical Framework .............................................................................................. 9 Significance of the Study ........................................................................................... 12 Working Definitions .................................................................................................. 13 Delimitations ............................................................................................................ 16 Limitations ............................................................................................................ 16 Organization of the Remaining Chapters ................................................................... 16 CHAPTER II. LITERATURE REVIEW ...……………………………………………….. 18 The Expectations of Principals Today ......…………………………………………. 18 Modern Education Reform in the United States …………………………………… 21 The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ................................ 22 A Nation at Risk, 1983................................................................................... 23 America 2000 ................................................................................................. 24 Goals 2000: Educate America ....................................................................... 25 No Child Left Behind Act, 2001 .................................................................... 27 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, 2009 ......................................... 29 Common Core State Standards Initiative ................................................................... 30 Every Student Succeeds Act, 2015 ............................................................................ 32 viii Ohio’s Learning Standards ........................................................................................ 33 Professional Standards for Educational Leaders ........................................................ 39 Instructional Leadership............................................................................................. 43 Effective Schools Movement ......................................................................... 44 Instructional Management Role of the Principal Model ................................ 47 PIMRS Instructional Leadership Model ........................................................ 50 Transformational Leadership ......................................................................... 56 Leadership for Learning ................................................................................. 57 Values Leadership .............................................................................. 58 Leadership Focus ............................................................................... 61 Context for Leadership ...................................................................... 65 Sharing Leadership ............................................................................ 66 Summary ............................................................................................................ 68 CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................... 70 Research Questions .................................................................................................... 71 Phenomenology.......................................................................................................... 71 Researcher Subjectivity ............................................................................................. 75
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