Volume 3 - Issue 1 - DBU Journal for K-12 Educational Research - Page 55

Journal of K-12 Educational Research 53 principals left the principalship during the 2012-13 school year (Goldring & Taie, 2014). The current study utilized qualitative research and semi-structured interviews to explore principal leadership development plans and the perceived impact on school culture from the perspectives of the building principals and the assistant principals who serve with them. Overall, the research findings support principal leadership development plans as an effective means to positively impact school culture. The current research revealed a significant finding in that all of the participants indicated they believed leadership development plans to be a valuable tool to assist principals in leading campuses. Most participants in the current study felt as though the principals who utilized leadership development plans implement leadership strategies that positively impact the campus culture. This supports research by Marzano et al. (2005), Sanders (2008), Noe (2012), and Kirtman (2014) who reported that leadership development plans provide a means for principals to monitor leadership strategies that most positively impact school culture and student achievement. An additional significant finding is the three major areas whereby school culture was positively impacted as a result of principals who utilized leadership development plans. The majority of participants perceived principals who utilized leadership development plans most impacted school culture in the following three areas: 1) positive relationships, 2) systems and procedures, and 3) communication. This finding supports research by Fullan and Stiegelbauer (1991); Schmoker (1999); Conzemius and O’Neill (2001); Bryk and Schneider (2002); Halverson, Grigg, Prichett, and Thomas (2005); Leithwood, Patten, and Jantzi (2010); DuFour and Marzano (2011); Guramatunhu-Mudiwa and Scherz, (2013); Park, Hironaka, Carver, and Nordstrum (2013); Fullan (2014); Gülsen and Gülenay (2014); Kirtman (2014); and Gruenert and Whitaker (2015). The researcher interpreted the results by creating the image in Figure 2. The researcher’s The researcher interprete the results by cr ating the image in Figure 2. The researcher’s interpretation can be further supported by choice theory (Glasser, 1998). Glasser (1998) suggests education is a continual process and quality can always be improved through self-evaluati n. When campus leaders utilize leadership development plans to self- evaluate efforts to build positive relationships, establish effective systems and procedures, and effectively community, the school culture is positively impacted. Figure 2 . Leadership development plans and the impact on school culture. Figure 2. Leaders elopment plans and the impact on school culture.