Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Doctor of Education

Major

Educational Practice

Date of Defense

4-10-2026

Graduate Advisor

Dr. Melinda Bier

Committee

Dr. Thomas Hoerr

Dr. Anthony Lasley

Abstract

Principal turnover remains a persistent challenge in American education, yet limited research has examined the long-term cultural consequences of chronic leadership instability or the mechanisms through which schools recover. This convergent mixed-methods case study investigated how leadership stability and intentional relationship-building practices influenced the transformation of school climate and culture at Boone Middle School, a suburban middle school in Missouri with a sustained history of administrative turnover. Between 2001 and 2022, the school experienced seven principals and fifteen assistant principals, contributing to normalized instability, diminished relational trust, and skepticism toward organizational change. This study examined the period of leadership stabilization from 2023 to 2026 and explored how sustained leadership presence shaped staff perceptions of trust, morale, collaboration, and organizational coherence. Data were collected through a survey instrument integrating Likert-scale measures and open-ended narrative prompts, followed by semi-structured interviews to deepen emergent themes. Seventeen current and former staff members who had experienced multiple principal transitions participated in the initial survey, and eight participated in follow-up interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were examined through a three-cycle coding process to identify themes related to trust, communication, initiative sustainability, and cultural change. Findings indicate that repeated principal turnover significantly influenced staff perceptions of stability and willingness to invest in long-term initiatives. Participants described developing adaptive coping strategies characterized by cautious engagement and guarded optimism toward new reforms. In contrast, sustained leadership presence was associated with increased clarity of vision, improved communication, strengthened relational trust, enhanced collaboration, and reduced organizational anxiety. Leadership stability functioned as a temporal and relational precondition for cultural renewal, enabling trust to deepen and collective efficacy to emerge. This study extends existing scholarship by examining the long-term cultural effects of chronic administrative turnover and identifying leadership continuity, when paired with intentional relational practices, as a foundational mechanism for organizational transformation. Implications suggest that districts seeking sustainable improvement must prioritize leadership stability alongside effectiveness to disrupt cycles of mistrust and foster enduring cultural change.

Download

Share

COinS