Almost a Principal: Coaching and Training Assistant Principals for the Next Level of Leadership

Abstract

Through this study, we examined a university–district sponsored leadership academy to explore the perceptions of assistant principals, who participated in a yearlong professional development and coaching program, on how the program supported them in improving their leadership capacity and advancing their career. Using a single qualitative case study design, we explored the perceptions of 26 experienced assistant principals in a single school district in Texas. These participants were identified by the district as strong and viable candidates for future principal openings within the district. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, focus groups, and observations of class sessions. We used a leadership development and succession planning conceptual framework to guide our data analysis, focusing on identifying leadership talent, assigning developmental activities, and developing pervasive mentoring relationships. The findings illustrate increased confidence in the participants’ leadership abilities, promising practices in leadership development programming, and the importance of the university–district partnership in supporting experienced assistant principals. Although these findings are not necessarily innovative practices in the field of principal preparation, they are significant for understanding how to create meaningful professional development for mid-career assistant principals who have not transitioned to the role of the principal and for recognizing the critical role university–district partnerships have on leadership development.