Value of Coaching in Building Leadership Capacity of Principals in Urban Schools

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by ahduag

Qualitative case study exploring how coaching support structures enable and sustain leadership practices of urban school principals. The research examines coaching as evidence-based, job-embedded professional development aligned with 21st-century accountability requirements for standards and student achievement. Trained coach leaders are assigned by the district professional development director, with data collected through in-depth interviews, direct observations, and archival documents. Thematic analysis highlights supportive conditions, trust-based relationships, confidentiality, reflection, coaching language benefits, co-construction, and coaching as a thinking-partner dynamic.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Leadership Development

Coaching in the Education Setting

Leadership Dimensions and Evidence

Coaching Agreements and Coaching Competencies

Value of Coaching in Building Leadership Capacity of Principals in Urban Schools This manuscript has been peer-reviewed, accepted, and endorsed by the National Council of Professors of Educational Administration (NCPEA) as a significant contribution to the scholarship and practice of school administration and K-12 education. Anita R. Farver Little Rock School District Carleton R. Holt University of Arkansas The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand how coaching support structures enabled and sustained leadership practices of urban principals. The study investigated how the intervention of coaching for academic leaders can serve as evidence based professional development for building leadership capacity. The central focus was on principals’perceptions of coaching engagements over time to identify recurring themes and essential elements of the coach-to-client relationship. With a goal of meeting 21st century school accountability requirements of standards and assessments, the urban district in this study implemented coaching for academic leaders who were selected to participate in the coaching intervention as job-embedded professional development. The district assigned a cadre of trained coach leaders to building principals with the primary goal of coaching academic leaders to attain desired goals. The district’s director of professional development was a certified coach leader and had the responsibility of screening applications from principals and assigning coaches. The data collection process included in-depth interviews, direct observations, and review of archival documents. Holistic analysis captured recurring themes and assertions. Essentials of participants’perceptions of coaching were collected through semi-structured interviews, analysis of textual content, coding, and categorizing by themes. The significant themes revealed the perceptions of coaching as: (1) Supportive Environment,(2) Relationship Built on Trust,(3) Confidential Conversations,(4) Leadership Support,(5) Significance of Reflection,(6) Benefits of Coaching Language in Communication,(7) Co-Constructor,(8) Thinking Partner, and (9) Trust. NCPEA Education Leadership Review of Doctoral Research, Vol. 2, No. 2 – October 2015 ISSN: 1532-0723 © 2015 National Council of Professors of Educational Administration. This manuscript may not be used commercially or edited. When quoting portions of this text, full attribution to the author/s is required. Introduction The growing issues faced by principals to meet 21st century education standards of accountability for student achievement have continued to spiral with demands for greater productivity. One of the reasons for conducting this study was to highlight how schools are organizations that are ever-evolving and this evolution necessitates equipping principals with the skills to successfully lead 21st learning organizations. Grant (2012) suggested education leaders have historically used a diagnostic approach for decision making. He further offered that leaders instead should shift to solution construction which is a component utilized in leadership coaching (2012) . Leadership Development School administrators are engaged in an array of roles, varying from educational visionaries and change agents to leaders of instruction, curriculum and assessment specialists, budget forecasters, facility supervisors, special programs directors, and community planners (Davis, Darling-Hammond, LaPointe, & Meyerson, 2005) . Effective principals work persistently to generate safe and orderly environments for learning, establish clear instructional objectives, anticipate lofty performance through increased time on tasks commencing with teachers to students, and build positive home-school relationships (Jacobson & Bezzina, 2008) . Louis, Leithwood, Wahlstrom, & Anderson (2010) conducted the largest in-depth study in the US to date on education leadership (p. 11) . Reported findings from in

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the study?

The study aims to understand how coaching support structures enable and sustain leadership practices of urban principals over time.

How does the district implement coaching for academic leaders?

A cadre of trained coach leaders is assigned to build principals, and a professional development director screens principal applications and assigns coaches.

What themes describe principals’ perceptions of coaching?

The analysis identifies recurring themes including a supportive environment, trust-based relationships, confidential conversations, leadership support, reflection, benefits of coaching language, co-constructor roles, thinking partner dynamics, and trust.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by ahduag