Date of Conferral

4-17-2024

Date of Award

April 2024

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Lori Salgado

Abstract

According to district and state achievement metrics, low-performing public schools must make adequate yearly progress. Deficiencies in the preparation, training, and support of Black female principals who routinely lead low-performing schools can contribute to complexities in these challenging environments. Little is known about what Black female principals believe they need to successfully lead improvement in low-performing schools. The purpose of this study was to give voice to the experiences of Black female principals leading low-performing schools so that educational and political leaders understand what is needed to prepare them to lead amid complexity. Research questions focused on the training and support needs of Black female principals and were crafted to inform policy efforts to enhance preparation programs to support school improvement. Buckley’s complex adaptive systems theory was used to support the context of school improvement through an understanding of complexity management. The voices of seven Black female school principals were examined through interviews using a general qualitative approach and the data were analyzed using a thematic analysis. Results included four themes which indicated that lack of sufficient preparation, training, support, and resources impeded the improvement efforts facilitated by Black female principals leading in this context. Participants expressed specific needs related to preparation, training, and support to manage complexities experienced in their roles. The implications for positive social change include informing education officials and policy makers of the need for targeted preparation and comprehensive support of these leaders to increase effectiveness in improving educational outcomes for students and the communities in which they reside.

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