Socialization of School Improvement Grant Principals during the First Year of Forced Leadership Change: A Retrospective Phenomenological Study
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Authors
Kehoe, Susan
Issue Date
2012
Type
Dissertation
Language
Keywords
Forced Leadership Change , Organizational Socialization , Phenomenology , Principal Succession , School Improvement Grant , School Reform
Alternative Title
Abstract
In 2009, President Barack Obama and the federal government allocated funds for the School Improvement Grant (SIG) initiative to significantly raise the achievement of students in the lowest performing schools in the United States. As a requirement of receiving SIG funding, school district leaders must choose one of four intervention models to implement at SIG designated schools. Each intervention model requires the removal and replacement of the principal. The process of principal replacement is known as succession. In order to plan for effective and sustainable principal succession, it is significant to understand the organizational socialization process at school sites, where existing principals are removed and replaced by new principals appointed by district leaders. The purpose of the study was to gain insight into the lived experiences of seven principals chosen to lead at SIG schools in two adjacent school districts in the western United States. The research questions guiding the study were: (1) What were the socialization experiences of principals at SIG schools during the first year of SIG implementation, and (2) What did SIG principals perceive school district leaders' role to be in the socialization process during the first year of SIG implementation? Utilizing phenomenological research protocols to collect and analyze data, semi-structured interviews were conducted in the spring of 2012 in order to allow the seven SIG principals to individually describe their socialization experiences, from a retrospective perspective, during the first year of forced leadership change. Data analysis of SIG principals' perceptions of their socialization during the first year of SIG implementation yielded three major themes: (a) Frenetic Effort to Establish Stability; (b) Swimming Alone in the English Channel; and (c) Reality Hits Home. Stages of socialization also emerged: (a) Initial Appointment/Mental Preparation; (b) Entering the Setting; (c) Settling In; and (d) I'm Here. A conclusion that surfaced from the study was that the culture present in school settings largely determined SIG principals' ability to affect change during their first year of school turnaround efforts. The findings in this study illustrate the importance of the organizational socialization process in planning for effective principal succession, especially with the occurrence of forced leadership change. In 2009, President Barack Obama and the federal government allocated funds for the School Improvement Grant (SIG) initiative to significantly raise the achievemenyt of students in the lowest performing schools in the United States. As a requirement of receiving SIG funding, school district leaders must choose one of four intervention models to implement at SIG designated schools. Each intervention model requires the removal and replacement of the principal. The process of principal replacement is known as succession. In order to plan for effective and sustainable principal succession, it is significant to understand the organizational socialization process at school sites, where existing principals are removed and replaced by new principals appointed by district leaders. The purpose of the study was to gain insight into the lived experiences of seven principals chosen to lead at SIG schools in two adjacent school districts in the western United States. The research questions guiding the study were: (1) What were the socialization experiences of principals at SIG schools during the first year of SIG implementation, and (2) What did SIG principals perceive school district leaders' role to be in the socialization process during the first year of SIG implementation? Utilizing phenomenological research protocols to collect and analyze data, semi-structured interviews were conducted in the spring of 2012 in order to allow the seven SIG principals to individually describe their socialization experiences, from a retrospective perspective, during the first year of forced leadership change.Data analysis of SIG principals' perceptions of their socialization during the first year of SIG implementation yielded three major themes: (a) Frenetic Effort to Establish Stability; (b) Swimming Alone in the English Channel; and (c) Reality Hits Home. Stages of socialization also emerged: (a) Initial Appointment/Mental Preparation; (b) Entering the Setting; (c) Settling In; and (d) I'm Here. A conclusion that surfaced from the study was that the culture present at school settings largely determined SIG principals' ability to affect change during their first year of school turnaround efforts. The findings in this study illustrate the importance of the organizational socialization process in planning for effective principal succession, especially with the occurrence of forced leadership change.
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