Instructional Leadership <i>Plus</i> : Central Office Leaders Rethink the Principalship

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore how central office leaders have reconceptualized the role of the principal in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigate central office leaders’ perspectives on the practices needed for principals to be effective in a post-pandemic context. We draw on semi-structured interviews with 155 central office leaders across school districts of varying sizes, demographics, and locations in 2021 and 2022. We identify the principal practices central office leaders believed to be salient in the post-pandemic context. Findings: Central office leaders reported that instructional leadership alone was no longer sufficient, and that principals must now take on the role of instructional leadership plus five domains of principal practice: 1) establish resilience, 2) implement problem-solutions, 3) center equity, 4) foster wellbeing, and 5) develop political savviness. Implications: These findings suggest a possible need for new types of principal training, professional development, and standards that align with these domains of principal practice. The findings also suggest a possible need for new central office practices to support principals in a changing educational landscape.