Date of Award

Spring 6-12-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Organizational Unit

Morgridge College of Education, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

First Advisor

Kristina Hesbol

Second Advisor

Doris Candelarie(a)

Third Advisor

Starla Pearson

Fourth Advisor

Amy He

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved.

Keywords

PK-12 educational leadership, Principal preparation programs, Resilience, School leadership, Social justice

Abstract

This qualitative case study examined how a social justice-informed principal preparation program fostered the development of socially just school leaders and how graduates perceived their capacity for resilience as educational leaders in the contemporary PK–12 context. The Mountain Range Principal Preparation Program (MRP3), a university–district partnership designed to prepare educational leaders to be transformative leaders equipped to improve student achievement and address challenges in low-performing schools, served as the site of inquiry. The study explored how principals made meaning of their preparation experiences and how those experiences shaped their enactment of equity-focused leadership and their ability to sustain such work. Data collection methods included 10 interviews with MRP3 graduates and faculty, as well as iterative reviews of program documents and artifacts. The study was guided by Capper, Theoharis, and Sebastian’s (2006) framework for preparing leaders for social justice and informed by contemporary scholarship conceptualizing resilience as a developmental and practice-based capacity cultivated through equity-focused leadership. Findings revealed that participants perceived several programmatic features as influential in shaping their leadership development, including cohort-based learning communities, inquiry projects, experiential learning opportunities integrated into the program, and opportunities to develop intercultural competence and critical consciousness. Graduates described resilience as an evolving capacity strengthened through navigating resistance, uncertainty, and the emotional demands associated with leading for equity in increasingly politicized educational environments. Participants emphasized the importance of reflective practice, collaborative relationships, and sustained professional networks in supporting their continued commitment to social justice leadership. This study contributes to the growing body of scholarship on educational leadership preparation by offering insights into how principal preparation programs may cultivate both socially just leadership practices and leaders’ capacity to sustain equity-focused work over time. The findings have implications for educational leadership stakeholders, principal preparation program administrators, and policymakers seeking to prepare resilient school leaders who can advance equitable outcomes for increasingly diverse PK–12 student populations.

Copyright Date

6-2026

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Katie Golieb

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

English (eng)

Extent

284 pgs

File Size

2.6 MB

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