Dissertation
LEADING FROM THE MIDDLE: PRINCIPAL PERSPECTIVES ON NAVIGATING COMPETING PRIORITIES
Doctor of Education (EdD), Washington State University
2025
Abstract
Principals are uniquely positioned to impact the climate and culture of the school through leadership focused on continuous school improvement. Principals are held accountable for student outcomes and are responsible for supervising and supporting teachers while engaging families and community members. While principals are leaders of the school, they hold a middle leadership position within the school district. One significant challenge facing school principals is navigating competing school-level and district-level priorities. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of five principals as they describe navigating competing school-based improvement efforts and district office expectations. Findings highlight four important considerations for principals and district leaders: competing priorities are a common occurrence; leadership identities and experience influence actions; and principals use the tools of strategic prioritization and communication when navigating the challenges of competing priorities. The findings indicate that this is a recurring, pervasive, complex, and challenging dilemma facing principals. Implications for practice, policy, and future research focus on preparing principals and district office leaders to work more collaboratively to create coherence through system alignment and shared accountability.
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Details
- Title
- LEADING FROM THE MIDDLE: PRINCIPAL PERSPECTIVES ON NAVIGATING COMPETING PRIORITIES
- Creators
- Michele Ricci
- Contributors
- Katherine C. Rodela (Advisor)Kathleen M. Cowin (Committee Member)Jessica Masterson (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Department of Educational Leadership, Sport Studies, and Educational/Counseling Psychology
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Education (EdD), Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 173
- Identifiers
- 99901356784601842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation