Date of Award

Summer 2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Committee Chair

Stephen Laws

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative study was threefold: first, to measure high school principal preparedness to meet the increased mental health needs of students; second, to determine principal perceptions of mental health frameworks and needs; and third, to assist with creating a better understanding of what high school principals may need to meet the mental health concerns of their students. The study was completed using a survey titled Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Students: High School Principal Survey. The survey was designed from the Project Cal-Well Statewide Principals Survey Template utilized in California. Additional survey questions were created to assist with measuring the research’s connection to social cognitive theory. Through this study, a total of 14 of 32 public high school principals from five counties located in central and eastern North Carolina responded to the survey. Three themes emerged from the survey results: (a) High school principals need additional training and professional development to meet the mental health needs of their students; (b) there is a need for expansion of mental health supports and resources within schools; and (c) high school principals could benefit from the establishment of mental health frameworks from their school districts.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

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