Ethical Leadership in the Age of Accountability: Principals' Perceptions of Ethical School Accountability

Abstract

This dissertation explored the intersection of ethical leadership theories and the economic neoliberal underpinnings of school accountability processes through the lens of middle school principals in Virginia. A synthesis of Shapiro and Stefkovich's ethics of the profession framework was applied to evaluate the history of accountability legislation in terms of ethical decision making. A comprehensive literature review of school accountability and state assessment was synthesized into a novel framework, the Critical Associative Factors of Ethical Accountability (CAFEA), which served as the analytical foundation for the study. Qualitative research was conducted with a diverse array of middle school principals across Virginia that examined principals' perceptions of ethical school accountability using a coding system grounded in the CAFEA framework. Data analysis was conducted using a combination of a priori coding, second cycle coding, and theming the data to identify common themes and patterns. The findings reveal the ethical values of principals, the conceptualization of their role as ethical administrators in accountability, and a pattern in their perception based on their school's socio-economic status (SES). An argument is presented in this study for the integration of four key ethical components (context, veracity, clarity, and empowerment) as essential elements of a student-centered school accountability model. By prioritizing these components, policymakers can demonstrate ethical leadership that places students' well-being at the forefront of educational policy and practice.