African American High School Principals’ Perceptions of Academic Tracking and its Influence on Instructional Decisions and Student Outcomes: A Double-Edged Sword.

This qualitative study explored African American high school principals' perceptions of academic tracking and how academic tracking influenced school principals’ instructional decisions. The study sought further understanding of the perceptions of African American high school principals concerning academic tracking as a school practice and how academic tracking impacts student learning and self-efficacy. The study revealed that African American principals perceive that academic tracking affects their instructional leadership decisions and students' learning outcomes and self-efficacy. For this qualitative exploratory case study, the researcher's data source included a semi-structured, one-on-one virtual interview with six (6) African American high school principals in North Carolina. Results of this study indicate that the principals' perceived that the beliefs of their school staff and their own racial identity are significant contributors to how academic tracking practices impact their instructional decisions. They also indicate that the principals perceived that academic tracking practices in their schools lead to different learning outcomes and levels of self-efficacy for different student groups by race, track level, and socio-economic status. Implications included the need for educational leaders to mandate professional development to educate school staff using empirical data about the effects of academic tracking in schools, school-based information sessions for students and their families about school academic tracks, and additional research. This study was significant because it was able to inform high school principals and policymakers further about academic tracking practices in United States schools.