Candidate Name: Brian Keenan
Program: Educational Leadership
Committee Chairs: Dr. Walter Hart​​​​​​​
Committee Members: Dr. Joan Lachance, Dr. Debra Morris, Dr. Jamie Kudlats
Abstract:

In order to respond to declining Catholic school enrollment, Catholic leaders began to experiment with creative school governing models that allowed schools to stay open and financially viable. As a result, Consolidated Catholic School Systems, in which resources from multiple schools are pooled and managed in one office, became common throughout the US, as did the principal-president model of school leadership in which a principal manages the academic demands of a school while the president handles the business and management aspects of the school. This study intended to contribute to the research on how these governing changes affect the principal’s ability to make decisions within the school. Using Herbert Simon’s theory of administrative decision-making, this study researched the perceptions of Catholic school principals' decision-making when working in either a Consolidated Catholic School System or an independent Catholic school. It also studied the perceptions of Catholic school principals' decision-making when working within a principal-president model. Results from the semi-structured interviews with seven Catholic school principals show that principals from the two different governing models both see their respective governing models as beneficial to their decision-making. Both sets of principals receive positive support from the Catholic Schools Office and the clergy. Independent Catholic school principals value the autonomy of the independent nature of their schools, as well as the lack of bureaucracy in making decisions. Consolidated Catholic School System principals see the consolidated system as supportive of them as principals, and they appreciate that the consolidated system removes some of the responsibilities that would otherwise distract them from their immediate priorities. The principals within a principal-president model reported that when the principal and president have a good working relationship and both are comfortable with collaboration, the model supports and reinforces the principal’s decision-making power. Implications of the study suggest that Catholic school leaders at the diocesan level should focus on the governance model of the school when onboarding new Catholic school principals. They should also be creative when supporting the principals within different governing models so that all principals have the tools they need to effectively serve their community.