Assessment of School Heads’ Development Programs and Leadership Performance in Samar: Basis for a Strategic Improvement Plan

This study examined the effectiveness of development programs for school heads in relation to leadership performance, program implementation, and challenges encountered. Specifically, it described the school heads’ demographic profile; assessed the implementation of development program parameters; determined their performance across key leadership domains; examined the relationship between profile and performance; analyzed the relationship between development program parameters and leadership performance; and identified challenges encountered in program implementation. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed, integrating quantitative data from structured questionnaires and qualitative data from semi-structured interviews. Findings revealed that school heads demonstrated a very high level of leadership performance, particularly in instructional leadership, resource management, and stakeholder engagement. Development program parameters were likewise rated very highly, with content relevance and practical applicability identified as the most valued components. Correlation analyses showed that demographic characteristics had minimal to no significant relationship with leadership performance, whereas development program parameters demonstrated a significant positive relationship with school head performance. Qualitative findings corroborated these results, indicating that development programs provided essential support for leadership transition, role clarification, and confidence-building. Participants particularly valued training on instructional supervision, financial management, and policy implementation. However, time constraints, limited resources, and the need for more contextualized training were identified as key challenges. The study concludes that development programs are vital in strengthening school leadership effectiveness. A strategic improvement plan was proposed emphasizing sustained professional development, contextualized training, and strengthened support mechanisms for school heads.