Exploring Secondary Principals’ Perspectives of the Secondary Vice-Principal Role

What is this research about?

Recent Canadian studies have documented the increased workload and growing complexity of the principal role (Alberta Teachers’ Association, 2014; Leithwood, Azah, Harris, Slater, & Jantzi, 2014; Pollock, Wang, & Hauseman, 2014, 2015; Pollock & Hauseman, 2015). To fulfill their role, principals need a combination of leadership, management, and shared authority (Leithwood, 2012). Vice-principals are assigned to schools to assist principals with fulfilling operational and leadership tasks. My study explored how secondary principals understand and negotiate the secondary vice-principal role. There is no standard description for the vice-principal role as duties are assigned by the principal (Ontario Ministry of Education, 1990).

What did the researchers do?

Using an interpretive qualitative study approach, 13 secondary principals from four Ontario district school boards participated in a one-time individual 60-90 minute semi-structured interview. To participate in my study, secondary principals needed to have at least two years in the principal role and have a secondary vice-principal at their current school. Interpretative qualitative research seeks to describe, understand, and interpret the multiple realities and perspectives of the participants using rich and thick description (Merriam, 2009; Patton, 2015). Secondary principals in the study shared what they believe the vice-principal role to be, how they determine the secondary vice-principals’ role, how they support their secondary vice-principals on daily and long-term bases, and challenges with working with vice-principals and of the secondary vice-principal role.

Data analysis and interpretation were on-going (Gay, Mills, & Airasian, 2012; Merriam, 2009; Miles, Huberman, & Saldana, 2014; Patton, 2015). After conducting each interview, the researcher transcribed the interview verbatim, assigned codes, and then organized the data in a summary table with salient points and participant quotes for each research sub-question. The verbatim transcript and data summary table were shared with the participant to address credibility (Merriam, 2009; Patton, 2015). After six interviews, the researcher compared the codes (from each of the six interviews) to allow for themes and sub-themes to emerge. Each subsequent interview was analyzed to compare the codes for that interview with the themes that emerged from prior interviews, which either converged or diverged to revise existing themes. Intensive data analysis occurred after 11 interviews to solidify the themes and sub-themes so there were no overlap. An additional two secondary principals participated after intensive analysis and interpretation to clarify and deepen the findings.

What did the researchers find?

  • Findings indicate that secondary principals expect their secondary vice-principals to fulfill both operational and instructional tasks, although the school day remains predominantly about supporting students with discipline, attendance, and conflict resolution; the vice-principal role is about developing relationships with students, staff, and parents. Secondary vice-principals perform instructional leadership by leading and facilitating staff professional learning as well as performing operational tasks with an instructional lens (e.g., strategically placing teachers and courses in the master school timetable to positively influence students’ instructional year).
  • Each school administrator’s portfolio is determined collaboratively as an administrative team by taking into consideration strengths, interests, and areas of growth. Duties are determined with consideration to time of school year (e.g., graduation and creating the master school timetable would not be assigned to the same administrator since they occur at the same time of year).
  • The secondary principals provide their secondary vice-principals with short-term supports through mentoring, consulting, and regular communication for collaborative problem solving and decision-making.
  • The secondary principals provide long-term supports for their secondary vice-principals through cognitive coaching conversations, opportunities to perform all the vice-principal duties, and using the Ontario Leadership Framework (The Institute for Education Leadership, 2013) as a self-assessment tool to identify strengths and areas of growth.
  • A challenge of working with vice-principals, as reported by the secondary principals, is differing philosophies and personalities in the school administrative team. A challenge of the vice-principal role is increased workload and growing complexity of the role.

Consistent with the recent studies on principal workload (Alberta Teachers’ Association, 2014; Leithwood et al., 2014; Pollock et al., 2014, 2015; Pollock & Hauseman, 2015), the secondary vice-principal role has become increasingly complex with increased workload. Both the principal and vice-principal roles are about compliance to Ministry of Education policies; external accountability through large-scale assessments; and internal accountability through planning, implementing, and monitoring the school improvement plan.

How can you use this research?

At the school level, this study is of interest to secondary principals, secondary vice-principals, and those aspiring to become secondary vice-principals. Based on the secondary principals’ perspectives, principals can reflect if the duties they assign their vice-principals support them to lead change and manage school operations, while simultaneously providing growth opportunities for their vice-principals. This study can also encourage secondary principals to reflect on how they support, mentor, and cognitively coach their vice-principals. Teachers aspiring to become secondary vice-principals can learn what secondary principals can expect of them in the role; that is timely for school administrator succession planning, since after 2018, 39% of Ontario secondary vice-principals will be eligible to retire (The Institute for Educational Leadership, 2008). Further, current secondary vice-principals can reflect on their practices as they learn about secondary principals’ perspectives of the role.

This study is also of interest to system administrators at the district school board level. The secondary principals want the opportunity to provide input into their incoming vice-principal as the increasing complexity of school administration requires the principal and vice-principal(s) to work as a collaborative team. Also, the secondary principals would like to have the frequent transferring of school administrators revisited as time is spent creating a functional team at the expense of focusing on deep and sustainable implementation of change initiatives. Further, the secondary principals are asking for an additional vice-principal for their school, which will allow more time for instructional leadership.

Original research article:

Lim, L. (2016). Understanding and negotiating the secondary vice-principal role: Perspectives of secondary principals (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from

About the researchers:

Dr. Louis Lim completed his Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership from Western University. His thesis was supervised by Dr. Katina Pollock. Louis is in his 21st year in education and is currently a secondary vice-principal with the York Region District School Board.

Other references:

Alberta Teachers’ Association. (2014). A week in the life of Alberta school leaders. Edmonton, AB: Alberta Education. Retrieved from Documents/ATA/Publications/Research/PD-86-28%20A%20Week%20in%20the %20Life%20of%20Alberta%20School%20Leaders.pdf

Gay, L., R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. (2012). Educational research: Competencies for

analysis and applications, 10th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill.

Leithwood, K. (2012). The Ontario leadership framework 2012 with a discussion of the research foundations. Retrieved from The Ontario Institute for Education Leadership website:

Feb_4_2013.pdf

Leithwood, K., Azah, V. N., Harris, T., Slater, C., & Jantzi, D. (2014). Secondary principals’ and vice-principals’ workload study: Final report. Retrieved from the Ontario Principals’ Council website:

Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. San

Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. N., & Saldana, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A

methods sourcebook, 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Ontario Ministry of Education. (1990). Education act: Regulation 298 operations of schools general. Retrieved from http://www.elaws.gov.on.ca/html/regs/english/elaws_regs_ 900298_e.htm

Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research and evaluation methods, 4th ed. Thousand

Oaks, CA: Sage.

Pollock, K., & Hauseman, C. (2015). Principals’ work in contemporary times. Retrieved from the University of Western Ontario website: http://www.edu.uwo.ca/faculty_profiles/

cpels/pollock_katina/documents/OME-Report-Principals-Work-Contemporary-Times.pdf

Pollock, K., Wang, F., & Hauseman, C. (2014). The changing nature of principals’ work: Final report. Retrieved from the University of Western Ontario website: http://www.edu.uwo. ca/faculty_profiles/cpels/pollock_katina/OPC-Principals-Work-Report.pdf

Pollock, K., Wang, F., & Hauseman, D. C. (2015). Complexity and volume: An inquiry

into factors that drive principals’ work. Societies, 5, 537-565.

The Institute for Education Leadership. (2008). Final report – Succession planning:

Schools and school boards. Retrieved from http://www.education-leadershipontario.

ca/en/ resource/SP-full-report/

The Institute for Education Leadership. (2013). Ontario leadership framework. Retrieved

from http://www.education-leadership-ontario.ca/storage/6/1380680840/

OLF_User_Guide_ FINAL.pdf

Keywords:

principal; vice-principal; role; work; duties; responsibilities; operations; instructional leadership

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