Proposed Guideline for Selecting School Principals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Light of Modern Trends in Educational Leadership and the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL)

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the standards for selecting school principals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in light of recent transformations in educational leadership—particularly the adoption of the updated Supervisory Model for School Empowerment and the newly revised Organizational and Procedural Manual for Public Schools (1446 AH)—and to link these developments with international leadership frameworks, especially the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL). The study employed the descriptive documentary method using George Bereday’s four-step approach: description, interpretation, juxtaposition, and comparison.

The study analyzed a set of official Saudi documents related to the role and selection criteria of school principals, in addition to drawing on several Arab studies that addressed principal-selection standards in the regional context, such as Al-Bisher et al. (2023), Al-Shammari (2007), and Al-Harithi (2019). The study also utilized global literature on effective school leadership, data-informed leadership, and digital leadership (Leithwood et al., 2020; Hallinger, 2022; Fullan, 2020; Mandinach & Schildkamp, 2021; Netolicky, 2023).

The results revealed several strengths in the current Saudi standards, most notably the emphasis on professional integrity and ethical values, the requirement of educational qualifications and teaching experience, and the presence of an updated regulatory framework that expands the role of school principals in alignment with the Supervisory Model and the 1446 Organizational and Procedural Manual. However, the analysis also revealed critical gaps, including the limited inclusion of digital and data-literacy competencies, the absence of a clear standard for “data-driven leadership,” the prioritization of years of service over demonstrated leadership competencies, and the insufficient alignment with principles of educational equity and continuous improvement emphasized in the PSEL framework.

The study concludes with an applied outcome represented in the development of a proposed guideline for school principal selection standards, which can be used by education authorities and selection committees to assess the adequacy of current standards or to evaluate candidates for school leadership positions in light of the updated Supervisory Model and modern leadership frameworks.

Keywords: School Principal Selection Standards; Educational Leadership; Updated Supervisory Model; Organizational and Procedural Manual (1446 AH); Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL).