Volume 4 - Issue 1 - DBU Journal of K-12 Educational Research - Page 42

40 Focus on Instruction and Adult Management Participants in the current study agreed on a number of consensus statements that aligned with instructional practices and adult development or management, and members of both Factor 1 and Factor 2 had high-ranking elements within the instructional leadership and adult and team leadership domains. Instructional leadership is seen as the central role of the principal and leaders are expected to improve educational outcomes (Cumings & Coryn, 2009; Leithwood, Anderson, & Walstrom, 2004). Instructional leadership was the prominent finding in Factor 1 participants. Their preference for these elements was abundantly clear. Increase Principal as Culturally Responsive Leader Development Principals have long been seen as cultural leaders within their building. However, an underswell of how that is defined has permeated through the findings of the current study. A portion of participants in the current study was advocating to see culture expanded more to fully include diversity, equity, and inclusivity. Charter schools are increasingly shifting from a No Excuses model to a more culturally responsive model (Shapiro, 2019). The Factor 2 group outlines a significant subset of participants who see the role of the principal to be one that focuses on school culture. Thus, new principals will need to have skills developed within that role. While literature has reviewed aspects of school leaders as culture leaders, most point toward the development of a culture of instruction, learning, or high expectations. These findings point toward the principal being in charge of the diversity, equity, and inclusivity needs of a school, as well as creating belonging and connectedness. Many charter school principals are leading instructional teams that did not experience the No Excuses model. In charter schools, the average teacher experience level and age is lower than the nation as a whole, and the defining zeitgeist of the latest generation of workers is that of more consensus building to achieve culture goals in schools. Many new principals will need this element included in their programs in order to build skill, even if their underlying wish may be to pivot back to more instructionally focused activities. Divergent Areas of Preparation There were clear areas of both consensus and disagreement among participants on preparation for charter school leadership. The current analysis showed a clear picture of aspects of charter preparation programs that were most beneficial to emergent leaders. Specifically, one group of principals asserted the need for training on connectedness with stakeholders and cultural leadership of their respective learning organizations. Another group of principals asserted a strong focus on instruction and team development best prepares charter school leaders. Principal preparation programs may need to consider the proportion of these divergent elements in order to meet the perceived needs of future principals. Conclusions The current study sought to understand the perceptions of principals who had completed residency programs regarding which elements of those program best prepared them to be principals. The participants came to a consensus agreement that solving real-world problems, developing culturally responsive instructional practices, building effective strategic planning skills, and creating mission aligned hiring practices were important elements for preparing principals for charter schools. They also came to a consensus that elements focused on campus operations, budgeting, and external affairs should be deemphasized, as they are considered less helpful than other elements. The current study further broke the participant responses into two factors. The first factor was instructional strategies and team development focused. The second factor preferred elements that sought connectedness within the program, provided the opportunity for the resident to focus inwardly on strengths and areas of growth, and developed a culture responsive to the needs of students and staff. These divergent emergent themes may create the need for administrators of current and future charter school principal preparation programs to examine the proportionality of elements in order to ensure the needs of all future principals are being met. The current study provides a roadmap for current programs and future programs to consider as it relates R. Cody Yocom, EdD