Obstacles and Opportunities for Principals' Professional Development in Small K--8 School Districts

The role of the principal is a demanding one. Many principals report that they don't believe they have the necessary training to act as a manager, instructional and transformational leader. Yet many principals do not avail themselves to ongoing professional development. It is for that reason that this study was undertaken: to discover the obstacles and opportunities for principals in small K-8 school districts in their pursuit of professional development.;Qualitative methods were chosen in order to fully understand the participants' unique experiences. This included 90-120 minute interviews of 14 principals and three superintendents in three small, urban-like elementary school districts. These interviews yielded a rich narrative and five findings that can be used by superintendents as they develop a responsive professional development plan. The findings were grouped into five categories; principals don't always feel prepared for the work they do; there are opportunities for professional development in small school districts; particular strategies for PD were identified as effective; barriers exist when trying to access PD; principals identified some of their PD needs and provided suggestions for how those could needs could best be met.;Although each voice was unique, they shared common concerns. It was also discovered that they had much in common with their peers in larger school districts.