Date of Award
6-19-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Timberly Baker
Second Advisor
Mahauganee Bonds
Committee Members
Allen Boyd; Richard Casey
Abstract
Principals leading schools identified for comprehensive support and improvement face demands related to rapid improvement, instructional reform, and sustaining gains over time. Although districts provide professional learning, limited understanding exists regarding which supports principals perceive as most meaningful in turnaround contexts. This qualitative multiple case study explored how principals in the Florida Panhandle perceived professional learning supports that strengthened leadership capacity, supported exiting improvement status, and sustained school improvement. Guided by a constructivist framework, the study examined how principals constructed meaning from their professional learning experiences. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with six principals who successfully led schools out of improvement status and sustained a school grade of C or higher for at least two consecutive years. Document analysis of improvement plans and professional learning plans was used to triangulate findings, and thematic analysis identified patterns across cases. Findings indicated that turnaround-specific supports and job-embedded learning were central to leadership growth. Instructional leadership-focused learning and real-time coaching strengthened instructional decision-making. Results also revealed misalignment between district professional learning structures and the supports principals identified as most valuable. The findings suggest leadership development systems emphasizing contextualized, job-embedded learning may better support sustained school improvement. Keywords: turnaround leadership, Comprehensive Support and Improvement, professional learning, instructional leadership, job-embedded learning, school improvement
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Fondren, Kristen Hope, "Understanding Principal Perspectives on What Professional Learning Supports Sustained School Improvements: A Qualitative Case Study" (2026). Student Theses and Dissertations. 1192.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/1192
