The relationship between principal leadership skills and school-wide positive behavior support: an exploratory study

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to (1) identify key principal leadership skills associated proactive school environments, (2) examine the relationship between SW-PBS implementation and increased evidence of those skills, (3) examine the relationship between evidence of those skills and improved staff job satisfaction, and (4) examine leadership variables associated with SW-PBS and recommendations from the field. In Phase I, descriptive analysis of the literature resulted in the identification of 31 key principal leadership skills. In Phase II, a questionnaire developed for the study was administered. Findings indicated certified staff and principals from all schools rated the importance of each of the 31 skills highly, principals in SW-PBS schools received significantly higher ratings associated with behavior management effectiveness and principals from SW-PBS and non-PBS schools received relatively equivalent ratings in regard to transformational and managerial skills. In Phase III, SW-PBS certified staff respondents indicated statistically significant greater rates of job satisfaction than did those in non-PBS schools. In Phase IV, the predictive ability for job satisfaction in relation to principal behavior management skills and SW-PBS status were simultaneously examined. Principal behavior management skills were found to be the most statistically significant indicator of certified staff job satisfaction.