The Role of the Cyber School Principal: A Mixed Methods Study

The educational landscape of the United States is changing. Educational opportunities for students and families are increasing with increased technological capabilities. At every level in the educational process, information is being delivered to students in new and faster ways. Cyber education is one of those new modes of information delivery for students. Just like traditional schools, cyber schools require sound leadership to assist stakeholders in the educational process. Knowing that the principal is a vital position in a successful educational system, the purpose of this study is to define the role of the cyber school principal. This research is focused on discovering the tasks, traits, and attributes of cyber school principals. This is accomplished through a mixed methods approach that implements interviews and surveys. The core findings include themes of communication, training, collaboration, vision, relationships, understanding, and management. The findings also indicated high self-assessment scores on the Leadership Practices Inventory – Self