School Leader Tenure and Discipline in Texas: A Quantitative Study

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Department

Educational Administration

Date of Award

Fall 2025

Abstract

Leadership turnover, one of the many challenges faced by rural schools, has the potential to impact student outcomes, including student discipline (Robinson et al., 2008). Principal tenure has been shown to have positive impacts on school culture, climate, and student achievement (Brockmeier et al., 2013; Xu, 2018). However, minimal research exists on how assistant principal (AP) tenure factors into those outcomes, especially school discipline—a primary part of their duties. This gap is even more pronounced in rural settings where leadership teams are small, duties are shared, and turnover is high (W. Edwards et al., 2023; Pendola & Fuller, 2018). To address this gap, this study examined the relationship between principal and assistant principal tenure and in-school suspension (ISS) rates in rural Texas school districts.A quantitative, cross-sectional correlational research design was used to analyze publicly available leadership tenure and discipline data from 340 rural school districts collected during the 2023-2024 school year from the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Regression analyses were employed to determine the relationship between leadership tenure and ISS outcomes. Principal tenure was not a significant predictor of total in-school suspension rates. Assistant principal tenure, on the other hand, had a statistically significant relationship with in-school suspension rates. The relationship between principal tenure and race/ethnic ISS rates became stronger which indicates patterns of discipline disproportionalities exist while the relationship between assistant principal tenure and race/ethnic ISS rates became stronger only for African American students—suggesting that discipline patterns for African American students are deeply engrained into school culture over time. The result of this study suggests that an increase in leadership tenure is associated with a reduction in overall ISS placements. However, leadership tenure alone is not sufficient to combat disproportionate discipline patterns. Principals appear to impact school discipline culture while assistant principals influence the daily enforcement of discipline, particularly for African American students. This study emphasizes the value of strategies aimed at retaining and recruiting school leaders while also providing equity-driven leadership development and mentoring. Similarly, this study provides direction for rural school leaders and policymakers looking to create equitable discipline practices.

Advisor

Sharonda Pruitt

Subject Categories

Education

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