Leading STEM Opportunity: A National Comparison of Public and Private High School Principals' Support for STEM Education
Abstract: School principals shape the organizational conditions through which students encounter science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) opportunities. This study examined school-level supports for mathematics and science reported in the first follow-up of the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09), a nationally representative longitudinal study sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics. The analysis focused on nine dichotomous indicators organized into three domains: after-school support, mentorship and enrichment, and teacher professional development. Descriptive percentages were used to characterize the prevalence of these supports, and logistic regression models examined differences between public and private school settings. Across school types, mentorship and enrichment activities were more common than several after-school and teacher-development supports. Public schools reported higher levels of partnership with college or university summer programs, sponsorship of mathematics or science after-school programs, use of guest speakers, dissemination of information about STEM opportunities, and professional development intended to increase student interest in mathematics and science. Private schools reported higher levels of mathematics or science fairs, workshops, or competitions and STEM-relevant field trips. The findings demonstrate meaningful differences in the ways public and private high schools organize opportunities intended to strengthen students' engagement with mathematics and science. Because the HSLS:09 first follow-up represents a 2009 ninth-grade cohort observed in 2012, the results should be interpreted as historical evidence about school practices rather than as estimates of current national practice. The study highlights the continuing importance of principal leadership, organizational capacity, and professional learning in building coherent STEM-support systems.
Keywords: STEM education; principal leadership; instructional leadership; high schools; public schools; private schools; HSLS:09
How to Cite?: Dr. Emmanuel Nwagwu, Fiyin Owoseje, "Leading STEM Opportunity: A National Comparison of Public and Private High School Principals' Support for STEM Education", Volume 15 Issue 10, October 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 946-950, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26930002017, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26930002017