This study is designed to investigate the possible relationships between principal turnover within K-12 public schools in the State of Texas, and demographic characteristics of school location, principal’s ethnicity, principal’s gender, and principal’s level of post-secondary degree. Data for participating schools was gathered from state-reported educator information specifically for the 2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021, 2021/2022, 2022/2023, and 2023/2024 school years. The longitudinal study reviewed K-12 non-charter public schools in Education Service Center (ESC) 11, which encompasses all public schools in the Fort Worth metroplex of North Texas, allowing this study to analyze a robust and inclusive dataset. The Chi-Square Test of Independence was used to analyze ESC 11 principal data to assess for possible relationships between principal turnover and the demographic variables of school location, principal’s ethnicity, principal’s gender, and principal’s level of post-secondary degree. The result of this study highlights demographic patterns associated with principal turnover, allowing insight to successfully recruit for the principalship, as well as how to provide support and ultimately retain principals. The findings will be beneficial to principals, school districts, and the human resources departments that serve them.
","abstract_html":"<p>This study is designed to investigate the possible relationships between principal turnover within K-12 public schools in the State of Texas, and demographic characteristics of school location, principal’s ethnicity, principal’s gender, and principal’s level of post-secondary degree. Data for participating schools was gathered from state-reported educator information specifically for the 2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021, 2021/2022, 2022/2023, and 2023/2024 school years. The longitudinal study reviewed K-12 non-charter public schools in Education Service Center (ESC) 11, which encompasses all public schools in the Fort Worth metroplex of North Texas, allowing this study to analyze a robust and inclusive dataset. The Chi-Square Test of Independence was used to analyze ESC 11 principal data to assess for possible relationships between principal turnover and the demographic variables of school location, principal’s ethnicity, principal’s gender, and principal’s level of post-secondary degree. The result of this study highlights demographic patterns associated with principal turnover, allowing insight to successfully recruit for the principalship, as well as how to provide support and ultimately retain principals. The findings will be beneficial to principals, school districts, and the human resources departments that serve them.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["True, Jessica D"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Education","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Secondary Education and Educational Leadership","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Barbara Qualls","Dr. Richard Skuza","Dr. Susan Reily"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-10-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2025-10-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:30:49Z","subjects":["Principal turnover","principal recruitment","principal retention","voluntary turnover","educational leadership","K-12 public education","Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration","Other Educational Administration and Supervision"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/618","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Barbara Qualls","Dr. Richard Skuza","Dr. Susan Reily"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["True, Jessica D"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-12-08T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Secondary Education and Educational Leadership"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Education"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Principal turnover","principal recruitment","principal retention","voluntary turnover","educational leadership","K-12 public education","Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration","Other Educational Administration and Supervision"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/618"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This study is designed to investigate the possible relationships between principal turnover within K-12 public schools in the State of Texas, and demographic characteristics of school location, principal’s ethnicity, principal’s gender, and principal’s level of post-secondary degree. Data for participating schools was gathered from state-reported educator information specifically for the 2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021, 2021/2022, 2022/2023, and 2023/2024 school years. The longitudinal study reviewed K-12 non-charter public schools in Education Service Center (ESC) 11, which encompasses all public schools in the Fort Worth metroplex of North Texas, allowing this study to analyze a robust and inclusive dataset. The Chi-Square Test of Independence was used to analyze ESC 11 principal data to assess for possible relationships between principal turnover and the demographic variables of school location, principal’s ethnicity, principal’s gender, and principal’s level of post-secondary degree. The result of this study highlights demographic patterns associated with principal turnover, allowing insight to successfully recruit for the principalship, as well as how to provide support and ultimately retain principals. The findings will be beneficial to principals, school districts, and the human resources departments that serve them.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Hire and Hope: An exploration of principal turnover"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Barbara Qualls","Dr. Richard Skuza","Dr. Susan Reily"],"dc:creator":["True, Jessica D"],"dc:date.available":["2025-12-08T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This study is designed to investigate the possible relationships between principal turnover within K-12 public schools in the State of Texas, and demographic characteristics of school location, principal’s ethnicity, principal’s gender, and principal’s level of post-secondary degree. Data for participating schools was gathered from state-reported educator information specifically for the 2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021, 2021/2022, 2022/2023, and 2023/2024 school years. The longitudinal study reviewed K-12 non-charter public schools in Education Service Center (ESC) 11, which encompasses all public schools in the Fort Worth metroplex of North Texas, allowing this study to analyze a robust and inclusive dataset. The Chi-Square Test of Independence was used to analyze ESC 11 principal data to assess for possible relationships between principal turnover and the demographic variables of school location, principal’s ethnicity, principal’s gender, and principal’s level of post-secondary degree. The result of this study highlights demographic patterns associated with principal turnover, allowing insight to successfully recruit for the principalship, as well as how to provide support and ultimately retain principals. The findings will be beneficial to principals, school districts, and the human resources departments that serve them.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/618"],"dc:subject":["Principal turnover","principal recruitment","principal retention","voluntary turnover","educational leadership","K-12 public education","Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration","Other Educational Administration and Supervision"],"dc:title":["Hire and Hope: An exploration of principal turnover"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Secondary Education and Educational Leadership"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:30:49Z"}