School Leaders or School Managers? Examining the Daily Realities of Principals and Assistant Principals

 Research Title: School Leadership: The Conflict between Instructional Leadership and Organizational Management

Link: https://digitalcommons.spu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1086&context=soe_etd

Author: Kevin Rupprecht
Degree: Doctor of Education
Institution: Seattle Pacific University

Year: 2024

Analyze and present by: Punnarat Chinnapha, Ph.D.           Student ID: 244511003

Introduction: The Leadership Dilemma

School leadership is a complex balancing act. Principals and assistant principals are expected to be instructional leaders, guiding teachers and improving student outcomes, while also serving as organizational managers, handling student discipline, school safety, and resource allocation.

But how do school leaders actually spend their time?

A recent dissertation by Kevin K. Rupprecht (2024), "School Leadership: The Conflict between Instructional Leadership and Organizational Management," sheds light on this ongoing struggle. Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach, the study examines how much time school leaders dedicate to instructional vs. management tasks, offering valuable insights for policymakers, district administrators, and leadership preparation programs.

 

Research Objectives

1)    Quantify how much time school leaders spend on instructional vs. management responsibilities.

2)    Determine if leadership roles impact time allocation (principals vs. assistant principals).

3)    Identify the most time-consuming leadership tasks.

4)    Examine how school size, setting (urban/rural), and level (elementary/secondary) affect leadership priorities.

5)    Capture school leaders’ experiences and challenges through qualitative reflection.

 

Research Questions & Hypotheses

Questions:

1️. How much time are school leaders involved in instructional leadership vs. school management work?
2. Is there a relationship between principals and assistant principals and how they spend their time?
3. Is there a relationship between position, setting, size, and school level and leadership time allocation?
4️. What do principals and assistant principals identify as the most significant issue in a school day?

Hypotheses:

• H1: Principals and assistant principals spend time equally in instructional leadership and organizational management.
• H2: School leadership position influences time spent on instructional vs. organizational tasks.
• H3: School size, setting, and level impact leadership time allocation.

 

Research Scope & Design

The study analyzed 39 school leaders (23 principals, 16 assistant principals) in Washington State from urban and rural schools of varying sizes and levels. It employed a sequential explanatory mixed-method design, where quantitative time logs were collected first, followed by qualitative responses, to compare real-time data with leadership perceptions.

School leaders tracked their daily activities in 30-minute increments using the AWSP Leadership Framework, which includes:
1️. Instructional Leadership (Creating a Culture, Planning with Data, Aligning Curriculum, Improving Instruction, Engaging Families, Closing the Gap)
2️. Organizational Management (Ensuring School Safety, Managing Resources)

Leaders also responded to an open-ended reflection question, sharing their most significant leadership experience of the day.

 

Statistical Testing Used

Descriptive Statistics

·       Used to analyze frequency, means, and percentages of time spent on leadership activities.

Binary Logistic Regression

·       Examined whether position (principal vs. assistant principal) influenced time allocation.

·       Findings: No statistically significant relationship.

Linear Regression

·       Findings: Student population size predicted time allocation during early morning hours (F = 5.829, p = 0.008) but not in other time blocks.

Chi-Square Test

·       Findings: No statistically significant differences in time allocation between school levels.

Reliability Analysis

·       Interrater Reliability: 95% agreement in coding qualitative responses.

·       Cronbach’s Alpha: 0.274, indicating limitations in using the AWSP framework for precise time-tracking.

 

Findings: Where Do School Leaders Spend Their Time?

1️. Instructional Leadership vs. Organizational Management

Time Allocation Breakdown:

Leadership Domain	Principals (Avg. Hours)	Assistant Principals (Avg. Hours)
Instructional Leadership	6.65 hours	4.34 hours
Organizational Management	4.23 hours	5.90 hours

·       Assistant principals spend more time on school safety, discipline, and resource management.

·       Principals focus more on instruction but still dedicate significant time to management tasks.

2️. Time Distribution by Leadership Activity

Leadership Activity	Principals (Avg. Hours)	Assistant Principals (Avg. Hours)
Creating a Culture	1.43	1.06
Ensuring School Safety	2.65	3.06
Planning with Data	0.91	0.93
Aligning Curriculum	0.26	0.34
Improving Instruction	2.02	1.13
Managing Resources	1.58	2.25
Engaging Families & Community	1.36	1.44
Closing the Gap	0.65	0.59

·       Assistant Principals spend more time on school safety (3.06 hours vs. 2.65 for principals).

·       Principals dedicate more time to improving instruction (2.02 hours vs. 1.13 for assistant principals).

·       Managing resources takes up significant time for both roles, with Assistant Principals spending more time on this task (2.25 hours vs. 1.58 for principals).

·       Both roles allocate little time to aligning curriculum (less than 0.5 hours).

3️. Leadership Experiences (Qualitative Analysis)

Frequent themes in responses include:
1) Student behavior & discipline
2) Classroom observations & teacher support
3) Emergency response & crisis management
4) Equity initiatives & instructional strategies
5) Community engagement & family communication

The key Insight is that school leaders aim to focus on instruction, but daily emergencies, safety concerns, and management tasks often take priority.

 

Strengths & Weaknesses of the Study

Strengths

1)    First empirical study quantifying school leadership time using AWSP’s framework

2)    Mixed-methods approach provides both statistical & qualitative insights

3)    Findings are relevant for leadership preparation programs & professional development

4)    Clear breakdown of time allocation between instructional and management responsibilities

Weaknesses

1)    Small sample size (39 participants), limiting generalizability

2)    Self-reported time logs may introduce bias (leaders may overestimate or underestimate their instructional time)

3)    Study examines only one-day snapshots (long-term trends unknown)

 

Conclusion: Are School Leaders Truly Instructional Leaders?

1)    School leaders intend to be instructional leaders, but organizational demands frequently take over.

2)    Leadership preparation programs should train school leaders in time management and task delegation.

3)    Schools need additional support staff to handle logistics, allowing principals to focus on instruction.