0.1 Kladifko, r., li, j., and dunlap, j. (october 2011). the school  (Page 8/5)

Education education review, volume 12, number 2 (october 2011)

NCPEA Education Leadership Review is a nationally refereed journal published two times a year, in Winter (April), and Fall (October) by the National Council of Professors ofEducational Administration. Editor: Kenneth Lane, Southeastern Louisiana University; Assistant Editor: Gerard Babo, Seton Hall University; Founding Editor: Theodore Creighton, Virginia Tech.

Introduction

Developing and recruiting high-quality and aspiring school leaders has been recognized as one of the key strategies for improving schools and student learning, since numerous studies demonstrate the impact of effective principals on school culture, organization, teachers’ beliefs and orientation to teaching, which in turn influences instructional practice which then influences student achievement (e.g., Wiley, 2001; Robinson, Lloyd,&Rowe, 2008; Heck&Hallinger, 2009). An ever-challenging and increasing dilemma facing school districts is finding qualified individuals who are willing to take school leadership positions. Research shows that there is no shortage of certified individuals to serve as school administrators, only a lack of willingness to apply for school leadership positions, especially in low-performing and low-SES (socioeconomic status) schools (Gates, Ringel, Santibanez, Chung,&Ross, 2003; Kearney, 2010).

This study extends the current literature by investigating the barriers perceived by eligible candidates to pursuing a school leadership position, and examining the effects of eligible candidates’ background characteristics (i.e., gender, age, race/ethnicity, sub-administrator status, and years of teaching experience) on their decisions to apply for a leadership position. There are two research questions guiding the study: