Date

12-4-2025

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Tony Ryff

Keywords

low socioeconomic status, Title I schools, academic achievement, principals

Disciplines

Education

Abstract

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to explore the lived experiences of principals fostering the academic achievement of students in grades six through twelve who attend public secondary, Title I schools. The theory guiding this study was Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. Maslow’s theory posits that if a person’s lower-level deficiency needs are not met, ascension to higher levels cannot happen. The central research question is: “What are the lived experiences of principals that lead secondary Title I schools and how do they foster academic achievement of their students?” Purposeful sampling was used in this study, and participants in this study were secondary school principals that work in Title I public schools, grades 6-12. Data was collected from ten middle and high school principals using individual interviews, focus groups, and a document analysis of improvement plans from schools participating in this study. The data was analyzed using van Kaam and Moustakas’ transcendental phenomenological approach. The results of this study revealed two main themes that emerged from participant responses and analysis of the school improvement plans include: lack of family resources and barriers to academic achievement prevent academic success to students that attend secondary Title I schools. As the human instrument, I identified several sub-themes, which included equity, community relations, relationship building, leadership styles, and attendance. Recommendations are also provided that propose policy changes to increase funding for Title I schools with the goal of increasing the academic achievement amongst students that attend secondary Title I schools.

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