The purpose of this study was to describe the role that mentors played in the development of school principals. This study focused on the role of mentors as described by retired school principals on the informal mentoring process. It also identified and discussed differences the retired principals found in mentoring relationships among males and females. Qualatative methodology was used in this study. Principals who retired between 1960 and 1997 were interviewed and described the role that mentors played in their professional development and what role, if any, they played in a formal mentoring process. The mentors of the retired principals contributed significantly to their career development. During the time that they were serving as principal the nature of the mentor network was primarily informal. Most of the retired principals made no application for the principalship but were invited to serve in that position. Most participants believed that women were more likely to climb the career ladder with the help of a mentor. As their careers were nearing an end, some of the participants were involved in the development of formal mentoring programs. Whether engaged in formal or informal mentoring processes, all of the participants made contributions. Those participants who had mentors all chose to mentor others. Ultimately, the retired principals described mentoring as having made an important contribution to their development as school principals. They encouraged continued use of mentoring in both formal and informal venues. / Ed. D.

There is increasing recognition of an impending shortage of educational leaders to fill vacant administrative positions. Consequently, interest in finding ways to support, guide, and retain novice principals has emerged. Mentoring is a popular and effective means of transferring knowledge from an experienced principal to a newly appointed one. Little attention, however, has been given to the process of formal administrative mentorships and how they can be shaped to meet the varied needs of new school principals. The purpose of this study was to explore the personal experiences of novice and veteran principals and the underpinnings of the formal administrative mentoring program in one local school district in Virginia. Seventeen principals were interviewed as participants in this case study. The study was implemented through the use of qualitative research methods of inquiry, including interviews with an administrator of the mentoring program, in-depth interviews with principals, and examination of available documents. This research presents the perspectives of both novice and veteran principals regarding the extent to which their formal mentoring experiences helped them. The data that emerged from this study demonstrated that the formal administrative mentoring experience provided the participants with a greater clarity of role, developed their understanding of the organization, thus facilitating their socialization into it, and helped with diminishing their feelings of isolation. The participants reported that mentoring helped increase their understanding of three major roles of the contemporary principal: (a) instructional leader; (b) school visionary; and (c) team builder. According to the novices, mentors helped them learn how to integrate into the school system through interaction with their communities and how to negotiate their needs within the school division. Novice principals' responses reflected ambivalence about this particular area of their mentoring experience and the help it afforded, however; their responses appeared to be related to their years of experience and the positions they had previously held in the division. Mentees and mentors alike reported that mentoring helped reduce their feelings of isolation through the development of camaraderie with one another as well as a network of colleagues. Most of the participants in the study reflected overall positive perceptions related to their formal administrative mentoring experiences. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this study was to determine how well current students and graduates of principal preparation program cohorts in one large school district in the Mid-Atlantic perceived their program was preparing them, or has prepared them, to be school-based administrators. Current cohort students and graduates were studied to determine their perceptions regarding how well their principal preparation program prepared them to be school-based administrators as well as how well they believed their program was aligned with the current (2015) Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSELs). To ascertain if any significant differences appeared in the data, a two-tailed t test was used to compare participant groups (graduates with administrative positions and graduates without administrative positions) and an ANOVA was used to compare universities. Statistical analysis revealed that graduates with administrative positions perceived they were better prepared to be school-based administrators than graduates without administrative positions on most of the current PSELs. Additionally, graduates with school-based administrative positions believed their programs were better aligned the current PSELs than graduates without administrative positions. Furthermore, graduates and current students perceived that one of the universities under study did not prepare them as well and was not as well aligned as the other two universities under study based on some of the current PSELs. Focus group discussions revealed that significant differences in the data may be due to different administrative experiences/internships, curriculum, professors, and personal responsibility. A document review indicated that the standards taught were, in general, not well aligned with the current PSELs. / Doctor of Education / This study sought to determine the perceptions of preparedness of current students and graduates of principal preparation program cohorts in one large school district in the MidAtlantic. Additionally, this study sought to determine how well current students and graduates believed their programs were aligned with current Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSELs). A review of accreditation documents revealed that the standards taught in the principal preparation programs were not, in general, aligned with the current PSELs. A survey of current students and graduates of three principal preparation cohorts in the school district under study indicated that graduates with school-based administrative positions (principals, assistant principals, associate principals, deans) perceived they were better prepared than graduates without school-based administrative positions. Furthermore, graduates with school-based administrative positions indicated their programs were more aligned to the PSELs than did graduates without administrative positions. When comparing universities, current students and graduates perceived that one of the universities under study did not perform as well as the other two universities regarding perceptions of preparedness and PSEL alignment on some of the PSELs. A focus group determined that the possible reasons for the differences in the data were due to administrative experiences/internships, curriculum, professors, and personal responsibility. This study is significant because it informs the universities and school district of any perceived programmatic strengths and weakness. The school district and universities may want to gather more data to improve their program effectiveness.

This study presents a qualitative analysis of principals' perceptions of the relationship among principal preparation programs, professional development and instructional leadership confidence in one urban school division in Virginia. Levine (2005) argued that the principal has a salient effect on the instructional programs within schools, and the preparation and professional development of the principal affects the degree to which they maintain and improve instruction. To examine principal perceptions on feelings of confidence toward instructional leadership, four research questions were investigated: What are principals' perceptions concerning the instructional confidence needed to lead schools in one school division? What are principals' perceptions regarding the coursework undertaken in their preparation program and the associated confidence developed for instructional leadership in one school division? What are principal perceptions concerning post-graduate professional development and the associated confidence developed for instructional leadership in one school division? What type of additional training do principals believe would enhance their confidence toward instructional leadership in one school division? The researcher sought to ascertain principal perceptions concerning the construct, instructional leadership efficacy, based on their academic training and professional development. The findings were as follows: a) interviewed principals in one urban school division described instructional leadership efficacy in terms of one's capacity to provide instructional leadership and one's know how to foster home-school relations; b) interviewed principals in one urban school division believe that the principal must act as an instructional leader to facilitate learning in the building; c) interviewed principals from one urban school division reported that the course of greatest significance to instructional leadership was school law; d) interviewed principals from one urban school division were unable to identify the most beneficial professional development in terms of that which is needed to be the instructional leader; e) there was no recommendation for specific coursework in the principal preparation program that was supported by the majority of the interviewed principals. / Ed. D.

This study sought to determine to what extend completers of School District A’s Preparing New Principals Program (PNPP) are prepared to meet the 2011 Florida Principal Leadership Standards (FPLS). Major questions addressed (a) the perception of principals regarding how well prepared completers of School District A’s principal preparation program were to meet the 2011 Florida Principal Leadership Standards, (b) if the perceived importance of the 2011 Florida Leadership Standards varied by leadership level, (c) if the perceived importance of the 2011 Florida Leadership Standards varied by a school’s free/reduced lunch percentage, and (d) the 2011 Florida Principal Leadership Standards perceived as the most beneficial to increasing student achievement. This mixed method study employed an online survey. The participants in this study included 46 supervising principals of Preparing New Principals Program completers from an urban school district in central Florida. Findings indicated that principals believed that Preparing New Principals Program completers were prepared to meet the 2011 Florida Principal Leadership Standards. Principals also believed that the following experiences would enhance the program: (a) more meaningful experiences that require participants to solve identified deficiencies, (b) an 18 to 24 month principal internship as opposed to the current eight-week principal internship, and (c) differentiating principal preparation based on participants’ experiences and school district needs.

A lack of knowledge about the usefulness of a field experience component within the associate principal preparation program for assistant principals drove this study. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the beliefs of system leaders and past participants regarding the usefulness of the field experience component and to examine archival end-of-course survey data from past participants. Constructivism and adult learning theory constituted the conceptual framework. Twelve leaders who were participants or administrators of the program within a large mid-Atlantic school district in the United States were participants. Qualitative data sources included interviews and archival data from the associate principal preparation program. A combination of descriptive and in vivo coding was used to support interpretive analysis. Results indicated the most useful components of the principal preparation program were the experiential nature of the program, opportunity for reflective thinking for participants, benefits of mentoring throughout the field experience, and empowerment felt by participants as they practiced skills learned during the field experience in their first year as principals. Recommendations based on these findings included a lengthened field experience and greater focus on the criteria used to match aspiring principals with mentor principals. Participants also noted fiscal and human capital resources were needed. A related recommendation could be to extend the field experience over 2 years to provide opportunities for associate principals to participate in experiences in the beginning and end of the school year in addition to the middle of the school year experiences provided. This research could provide support for districts interested in assessing the usefulness of their principal preparation programs.

This dissertation builds upon stress and burnout research on school leaders by exploring the beliefs and practices regarding well-being and self-renewal of principals identified as successful. This study utilized a 3-fold framework that consisted of mind, body, and spirit, falling under the all-encompassing umbrella of thriving, asserting the three domains work together to support the optimal well-being of the leader. The research questions were as follows: (1) In what ways are principals' well-being and self-renewal supported by principals' personal beliefs and practices, district policies and practices, and educational programs and organizations? (2) To what extent does attentiveness to well-being and practices of self-renewal impact professional success and work satisfaction, and well-being and flourishing? This study included a diverse group of six principals, all identified as successful and all with three or more years of experience as administrators. The case study consisted of mostly interviews with some survey inquiry. The primary method of analysis was holistic descriptive and in vivo coding with loose applications of formal protocols provided by Saldaña (2009). In my final analysis the participant responses were organized into categories and layered into my pre-existing framework of mind, body, and spirit. The findings from the study revealed the current successes and challenges in the personal and professional renewal of principals. The findings yielded implications for research and practice specific to principals, school districts, and principal preparation programs.

Linking classroom instruction and theory to relevant practice in principal training programs is a problematic issue. Much like preparation programs in teacher education, university programs designed to prepare aspiring administrators have been under scrutiny because of a perceived lack of relevance to the complex nature of the principalship. University professors and researchers, as well as principals in the field, have continually sought ways to solve this problem. The dilemma for university professors as they seek innovative instructional techniques is striking the balance between academic knowledge and practical experience. How is the gap bridged in a meaningful manner for candidates in principal training programs? The alignment of objectives and field experiences in all core courses in the principal preparation program provides the opportunity for students to construct experiences that provide relevant learning grounded in theory. This alignment allows learning to continue through course transitions unimpeded by time restrictions or the end of one semester. Ten aspiring administrators participated in a process of constructing their learning experiences based on the concept of emergent design during their two-year principal preparation program. Opportunities to observe, participate, and lead were developed within the parameters of the aligned course objectives and with consideration to individual needs assessments. The evolution of this professional learning community is documented in the culminating activity of the program. The instructional strategies utilized thoughout the principal preparation program were evident in the product of work and reflective activities of the students.

East Tennessee State University, Southern Regional Educational Board, Greeneville City Schools, and Kingsport City Schools formed the Greene-King Partnership to redesign principal preparation in Tennessee. This paper tells the story of that redesign and implications for the future of principal preparation.

The literature contains repeated claims that most aspiring principals have limited academic knowledge and exposure to special education related issues. However in this same literature there is substantial discussion that, for prospective administrators to be prepared to deal with the ever-increasing demands of special education, principal preparation programs need to increase the amount of instructional time and structured experiences related to special education issues. This qualitative study gives voice to faculty directly involved in the preservice training of principals in this ongoing call to reform principal preparation programs and increase the attention paid to issues concerning special education. In addition, this study offers insight into the nature of the supports and barriers that influence faculty in their decisions to include or exclude special education issues in course curricula and among departmental requirements for students in principal preparation programs. The results indicated that faculty often are untrained, inexperienced, or disinterested in special education and, because of academic freedom, may freely exclude special education topics from the courses they teach. Faculty often inadvertently assume that special education is a topic that can be delegated to another department member who is more knowledgeable, better trained, or has a passion for addressing special education issues. Findings also indicated that faculty members often perceived a belief among their colleagues that special education-related topics can be delegated to others. In addition, students enrolled in principal preparation programs were noted to often be as untrained, inexperienced, or disinterested in special education issues as the faculty who prepare them.