A qualitative multi-case study of supervision in the principal evaluation process in the United Arab Emirates

The Roles, Challenges, and Needs of Principal Supervisors: A Case Study

“…These results confirmed findings in the literature that supervisors who did not routinely set aside enough time to check on, observe, and evaluate the performance of their assigned principals ran the risk of undermining the efficacy of a procedure designed to give those principals the support they need to develop as leaders [6,7,21]. Regular meetings between principal supervisors and principals help the latter create a blueprint to define specific goals and objectives for their schools.…”

“…There are many references in the literature that highlight the importance of principal supervisors in the leadership development of principals [6,21,22]. Therefore, it is critical that principal supervisors possess a high level of expertise in pinpointing areas of need and creating customized training programs to help principals improve in those areas.…”

“…As the findings in the literature suggest, supervisors have the right to carry out the assessment process and ultimately rate principals on their leadership abilities. The assessment process is more about creating a path for principal leadership development rather than just providing comments and reports [6,37]. In addition, supervisors can use the evaluation results to provide principals with a chance for professional growth, either individually or in groups, with other principals who have similar needs.…”

“…The literature is replete with the assertion that if supervisors are only concerned with the administrative responsibilities of principals, they afford minimal benefits to schools [39]. Researchers concur that it is crucial to bind instructional leadership to supervision and prevent administrative duties from being shrouded [6]. Honig and Rainey, who researched the behavioral patterns of principal supervisors for nearly 10 years, further contended that it would be preferable for principal supervisors to delegate the managerial and logistical concerns to other capable individuals so that they could fully concentrate on assisting principals as they ensured high-quality instruction and learning for all students [22].…”

“…Alkaabi made the case for reliable principal assessments that may weed out ineffective school leaders and help effective administrators mold their instructional leadership practices [6]. Principal evaluations are frequently used as a way to measure the impact of instruction on student achievement.…”