Date of Award
3-17-2020
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Joseph Nichols
Committee Members
Gwen Neal; Jacques Singleton; Kimberley Davis
Call Number
LD 251 .A566d 2019 D43
Abstract
This study focused on the career paths and perspectives of African American female principals in the state of Arkansas. Data was collected through face-to-face and Skype interviews. Interview questions consisted of open-ended questions that were general, but yet aimed at examining the perspectives of practicing and retired African American female public school principals. The questions were specific to the participants’ personal journey to building level administration. The target population for this study consisted of ten practicing and five retired principals. The study was guided by four research questions: Q1. What factors facilitate or impede African American female attainment of leadership positions in Arkansas? Q2. What strategies do African American female principals employ to overcome adversity in Arkansas? Q3. What effects do mentors have on African American female principals? Q4. What should be done to ensure equal representation amongst male and female administrators in K-12 education? In addition to the four research questions, nine additional questions helped drive this qualitative study. These questions provided the researcher with background knowledge, demographic information, and advice to share with aspiring African American female principals. According to the perspectives of the participants in this study, there are many factors that impede attainment to the principalship. However, cooperative mentorships and mandated hiring practices can assist African American females with becoming public school principals, and utilizing intentional collaborative efforts can help these females sustain the principalship.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Smith Dillin, Brandy R., "A Study on The Career Paths and Perspectives of African American Female Principals in Arkansas" (2020). Student Theses and Dissertations. 422.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/422
