Exploring my leadership practice in connection to the support system for second- to fourth-year non-tenured teachers.

摘要

This autoethnography study offers a personalized story of an elementary school principal's leadership growth and application to practice as a result of the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership program at Rowan University. Specifically, this study explored leading change to support second- to fourth-year non-tenured teachers. It is connected to the larger issue of new teacher attrition that continues to plague public schools across the nation. It is also aligned with the recent mandate of AchieveNJ that every public school in New Jersey must establish a School Improvement Panel (ScIP). Through reflective practice, I conducted a self-analysis of my leadership progress over the past five years to document my growth in leading change to support second- to fourth-year non-tenured teachers.;Data were collected through a reflective journal, interviews with second- to fourth-year non-tenured teachers, and an interview with the ScIP. A content analysis of documents including faculty, ScIP, and professional development agendas was also conducted. After data analysis, the findings are then presented in Chapter 4 aligned to three phases of my leadership journey. A discussion follows in Chapter 5 including implications for my professional growth, practice, policy, and research. I concluded with a self-reflection, which offers new insights and next steps as an educational leader.