Successful Leadership in Rural
Schools: A Review of the
Literature
By: Kristopher E. R. Barnes & Jane P. Preston
University of Prince Edward Island
21st National Congress on Rural Education in Canada
Name the most important
quality of a successful rural
principal?
Agenda
 Purpose and Details of Research
 Findings
 Future Research
 Personal Checklist
Purpose & Details of Study
 To identify personal and professional skills, qualities,
practices, and competencies of successful rural
principals.
o Literature published from 2005–2015, primarily from
rural American, Canadian, & Australian settings.
Definition of
Rural
• Included
literature that
referred to
communities
with a
population of
10,000 or less.
Significance
 Successful leadership is a catalyst for improved student
achievement and wellbeing
 A lack of research within this specialized focus
 Rural students represent a large percentage of school
enrollment numbers (20–25%)
 Studies reveal a marked discrepancy between the
educational outcomes of urban and rural students
Research Design:
Document Analysis
 “Interpreting the written productions of a society or
social group” (Marshall & Rossman, 2011, p. 161).
 “The process of analysing any cultural product to
provide data for or insights into a research issue”
(Harvey, 20122015, para. 1).
 Compiling and analyzing published data for the
purpose of uncovering and/or understanding
patterns and thematic consistencies.
Data Retrieval & Analysis
 University of Prince Edward Island's (UPEI) library
database system
 Collection of over 100 sources
 Findings  41 research studies, which directly
addressed our purpose
 Earmarked themes and gaps in the research, a
process similar to thematically analyzing or coding
interview transcripts
Findings
1. Successful rural principals promote people-focused
relationships with staff, students, parents, and
community members.
2. Rural principals have the opportunity to be an
agent of change through:
•
•
•
staff professional development
instructional leadership
balancing local needs and district policies
PeopleCentered
Leadership
• “A power with
rather than a power
over” staff (Bartling, 2013,
p. iii)
(Green,
2015)
Among and With Staff
 Encourage teachers to share instructional knowledge and
experiences via peer-teacher observation and oral
communication during staff meetings
 People-focused rural leadership generates self-pride, job
satisfaction, personal wellbeing for teachers
 98% of principals found informal, impromptu meetings with
teachers as highly valuable for understanding staff
professional development needs. Teachers found such oneon-one meetings supportive, too.
 Rural principals appear to be more accessible, as compared
to urban principals
Parents and
Students
• Rural principals know
every student and
parent
• Role of teacher-leader:
close relationship with
students and increases
job satisfaction
• Effective leadership is
about welcoming,
listening, and
responding to parental
groups.
(Rashoff, 2013)
Parent Communication Ideas
Student diaries
and student
led newsletters
Emails &
SMS
Report and
parent evenings
Principal
welcome call
to every
family by
mid-October
VLE
Dashboards,
weekly ezines, & FAQs
Leader
Notice boards
& TV screens
Registration
& Receptions
Meetings,
associations, &
FAQs
Social Media,
FB, Twitter,
YouTube, &
Instagram
Share your parent
communication ideas that have
worked for you.
Community
Stakeholders
• Build trusting
relationship with
community members
and value the
community
• Community to use the
school infrastructure
• Successful rural
principals are active
citizens and leaders
within the rural
community
Social Capital
• Various types of informal
and formal social bonds
and networks between
people within personal
and/or professional
communities
• E.g., family networks,
friendship ties,
business associations,
and links with
influential people
within various formal
organizations
Social Capital
 When a group of connected people establish a goal
and work toward achieving that common aim.
 The effect of active social capital among principal,
parents, and community member reflected in school
environment  community grants, volunteer
support, sponsorship, awards, prizes, and various
donations
 Successful rural principals use social capital to
embellish school resources, community
involvement in school, and student achievement
Principal as
Change Agent
• A change agent is a
person who, intentionally
or unintentionally,
supports and accelerates
educational, social,
cultural, and/or behavior
change in an
organization.
• Rural principals are in an
ideal position to lead
change and to be an
instructional leader.
Leader of Change
Rural principals:
 need to understand the community’s value system
 need to be visible, accessible, and approachable
 influence promotion of higher professional standards of
teaching
 improve student achievement
 find a middle ground by addressing local context and
simultaneously validating school district policy
Instructional Leader
Rural instructional leaders:

empower teachers to try new ideas and take well-calculated risks

build trust among staff

promote collaboration among staff

support student achievement goals

can provide firsthand curricular and instructional guidance (teaching
principal)

consistently recognize teacher achievements via awards and positive
communications

lead through role modelling (e.g., principal personally conducts
professional development for teachers)
Future Research
 What specific leadership practices, behaviors, and beliefs
increase student achievement and wellbeing in a rural school?
 How can the social capital imbued within school leadership
and the personal and professional networks within rural
communities be effectively utilized to constructively inform
student learning?
 What types of personal and professional supports might assist
rural principals promoting the place-based needs of students
and community while simultaneously advocating the
mandates outlined by school districts?
What is one thing you have
learned or found interesting
with regard to this
presentation?
Checklist
References

Bartling, E. M. (2013). Female high school principals in rural Midwestern school districts: Their lived
experiences in leadership. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee,
Milwaukee, WI.

Dyke, L. (1998). The Little Red Schoolhouse [Painting]. Retrieved from
https://www.christcenteredmall.com/stores/art/dyke/little_red_schoolhouse.htm

Green, J. (2015). Unwritten Rules [Animation). Retrieved from https://start2finish.org/unwrittenrules/

Harvey, L. (2012–2015). Social research glossary: Document analysis. Retrieved from
http://www.qualityresearchinternational.com/socialresearch/documentanalysis.htm

Marshall, C., & Rossman, G. B. (2011). Designing qualitative research (5th ed.). Los Angeles, CA:
Sage.

Rashoff, K. (2013). Making Connections [Diagram]. Retrieved from http://highschooland.com

Rural Georgia. (2015). Retrieved from
http://en.r8lst.com/Easily%20Bonny%20photos%20of%20Rural%20Georgia