Preparing Administrators for Leadership in the Rural Context

PREPARING

ADMINISTRATORS FOR

LEADERSHIP IN THE

RURAL CONTEXTBy: Michael David McNeff

December 2, 2014

MICHAEL MCNEFF

SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, RUGBY, ND

Family

Michael, Husband &

Father

Mandy, Wife & Mother

Mya (daughter), Eli

(son), and Ann

(daughter)

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

1999, Graduated from Pahrump Valley High School

located in Pahrump, NV

2004, B.S. in Social Science Education from Valley

City State University located in Valley City, ND

2010, Masters in Educational Leadership from

University of North Dakota located in Grand Forks,

ND

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

High School Social Studies Teacher, Assistant

Football Coach and Head Basketball Coach at

Dakota Prairie High School located in Petersburg,

ND, 2004-2006

High School Social Studies Teacher, Assistant

Football Coach and Assistant Basketball Coach at

Devils Lake High School located in Devils Lake,

ND, 2006-2009.

High School Principal at Velva High School located

in Velva, ND, 2009-2012.

Superintendent at Rugby Public Schools located in

Rugby, ND, 2012-Present.

PURPOSE OF STUDY

This purpose of this study was to identify

advantages and disadvantages rural principals in

North Dakota face when performing their job duties.

Emphasis was placed on identifying barriers, such

as scarcity of resources rural principals must

overcome to effectively perform their duties.

I chose phenomenology as a methodology and

explored the perceptions of six North Dakota rural

principals through an interview process.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will help prepare administrators for

working in a rural context.

This study provides recommendations for principal

prep programs, rural principals, and rural districts.

The study identified issues that principals

specifically face in rural North Dakota.

The literature review identified best practices found

in rural settings.

SUBJECTS

Six rural school principals were selected and

interviewed for this study. The six individuals chosen to

be interviewed had to meet the following criteria.

Their school district had to have a district enrollment between

250 students and 450 students, with 325 students or less in

Grades 9-12.

The rural principal had to have served at least one or more

years within their current school to be interviewed. It was

assumed that tenure would play a key role in understanding

the rural principal.

Their school district had to be at least 45 miles or further from

a regional hub, which is defined as having a Class A school in

an urbanized community. I wanted to focus on rural schools

that were geographically isolated.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1.Describe advantages that principals face in rural areas?

2.What are the challenges that principals face in rural areas?

3.What types of support(s) do you have as a rural principal?

4.Describe your perceptions about professional development for the principal?

5.Describe the resources that are available.

6.Tell me why is it that you have chosen to stay in this position?

7.In terms of your personal life, what’s it like to live in this area?

8.In terms of your professional life, what’s it like living in this area?

9.How does a superintendent support you?

10.How do you stay up to date and current with professional development?

11.Based on your own administrative leadership preparation, what are your recommendations about the needs of the

rural principal for instructional leadership?

12.Throughout your career in administration, describe effective professional development in which you have engaged.

13.Is there anything else that you would like to add to our discussion about rural principals or the position?

RESEARCH QUESTION #1

How does a rural environment impact principals in

North Dakota?

THE RURAL CONTEXT AND ITS IMPACT ON

THE PRINCIPAL

Why principals choose to stay in rural schools

Familial connections, and ties to the community

Built close relationships with students, parents, and

community – easier due to size

Invested - most served long tenures as teacher, then as

leader

Impact of the Rural Principalship on Personal Life

In the spotlight at all times

Found solace in getting away from their communities

Isolated – distance and travel was a barrier to self

improvement

THE RURAL CONTEXT AND ITS IMPACT ON

THE PRINCIPAL

Staying Current in a Rural Setting

Rural principals are beginning to use social media to

gain access to professional resources (Twitter,

Blogging, Google + and etc.)

Virtual principal networks

The ED Lead Listserv was identified as a way to

connect and grow


What are the advantages and disadvantages

associated with the rural principalship in North

Dakota?

RESOURCE AVAILABILITY, NETWORKS, AND

SCARCITY

Resource Challenges

Distance and travel

Lack of access to quality professional learning, and highly specialized staff

Multiplicity of the position

Regional Education Association

REAs were viewed as resources that could provide the missing pieces (Staffing, quality PD)

REAs tended to focus on broad one-size-fits-all programming for member schools

Established Networks

Principal professional learning communities are becoming the norm


SCARCITY

Established Networks

Interviewees viewed Principal PLCs as ways to

establish a network

Leaned on neighboring colleagues for support

New principals found it difficult to get into established

networks

Building Issues

Lack of adequate building facilities

Difficult to pass bond issues due to demographics

Access to Specialized Staffing

Depended on consortiums and REAs to provide highly

specialized staff – long wait times


SCARCITY

Dependent on Class Size

School enrollment fluctuates greatly – which impacts

overall funding

Impact of oil boom in western North Dakota


How do rural principals increase their knowledge

and ability to build school and district capacity?

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES

IN RURAL SCHOOLS

Decision Making

Administrators established professional development

processes and activities

Some REAs set the direction for all PD

PD planning appeared to lack direction

“Sometimes, somebody [an administrator] will just have an

idea.”

Data was used to establish goals for PD – often based

on summative assessments

Input for PD processes was rarely gathered from

teachers


IN RURAL SCHOOLS

Early-Out Professional Development

Rural schools are taking advantage of four early outs per year for PD

Unclear if these days were impacting student learning outcomes

Impact of Teacher Turnover

High turnover rates were prevalent according to the principals interviewed

Lack of organizational memory

Follow Up

Lack of follow-up for professional development offered at the beginning of the year

Unclear initiatives and shifting focuses


IN RURAL SCHOOLS

Financial Incentives

Rural districts often use stipends in exchange of work

Lack of motivation if stipends weren’t provided

Administrative Involvement

“Being there”

Professional Development Challenges

Distance and travel to quality PD

Individualizing needs

Cost of experts

DATA ANALYSIS – EXAMPLE FROM THEME 1 IN

CHAPTER IV

CODES CATEGORIES THEMES ASSERTIONS

SPED consortium

Support From Stakeholders

Theme 1: Areas of Support for the

Rural Principal

Rural principals seek out teachers in

their building for support.

Rural principals depend on people –

business leaders and ministerial

leaders – in their community for

support.

Superintendents support principals

in three ways – they provide

autonomy, foster trust, and listen to

principals.

Sometimes, principals flounder from

lack of directions from their

superintendents.

Mutual trust between a principal and

superintendent is a two way street

and is extremely important.

Listening is an important trait of a

superintendent.

Teachers support principals

Rely on people in the community

– business people, ministerial

associations

Can go to REA

Secretaries are great supports

Superintendent is supervisor

Superintendent Support

Superintendent key to district

and effective administration

Trusts superintendent

Supt. supports principal

Supt. let’s principals try things

Supt. & Principal have good

working relationship

Principal trusts superintendent

Supt. helps with professional

development

Supt. does not micromanage

Supt. helps principal find

answers

LIMITATIONS

The study did not include urban principals in North

Dakota.

The sample included north central and northeast

rural principals only. It is possible that perceptions

would be different in other areas.

CONCLUSION

Rural principals seek support outside of their school

districts due to isolation

Rural principals found it challenging to find enough

resources. REAs and other consortiums provided

access to specialized staff they lacked.

Administrators made most PD decisions without

input. Challenges of PD in rural schools included:

high teacher turnover, lack of follow up, financial

incentives for motivation, distance of travel to high

quality professional development, and high cost of

bringing expert presenters to rural schools.

CONCLUSION

Familial connections were important to retaining

school leaders in rural areas.

Rural principals struggled with the spotlight that

occurs in a small town.

Rural principals are beginning to use technologies

like Twitter to break down the barriers of isolation.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Establish a state mentorship program for new

administrators

Support superintendents in developing principals

Develop teacher partnerships

Improve professional development practices in rural

schools

Prepare principals for the rural context

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY

Conduct a comparison between rural principals and

urban principals and focus on advantages and

disadvantages of the two jobs. Such research

would be critical in determining if there is a

difference between rural and urban environmental

impacts on principals.

One way to create a comparison between rural and

urban principals would be to duplicate the study in

this report in an urban setting. This would provide

an urban perspective and results of the two studies

could be compared.

Questions?