DOCUMENT RESUME ED 369 187 EA 025 831 AUTHOR Elsberry, Cynthia C.; Bishop, Harold L. TITLE Perceptions of First-Year Elementary Principals in Three Southeastern States Regarding Principal Induction Programs PUB DATE Nov 93 NOTE 31p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Mid-South Educational Research Association (22nd, New Orleans, LA, November 10-12, 1993). PUB TYPE Reports Research/Technical (143) Speeches/Conference Papers (150) EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Administrator Attitudes; Curriculum Development; Elementary Education; Inservice Education; *Management Development; Mentors; *Orientation; Planning; *Principals; Surveys; Workshops IDENTIFIERS Alabama; *Beginning Principals; Mississippi; South Carolina ABSTRACT Current literature reveals that induction for beginning principals is often poorly planned or nonexistent. The purpose of this research, which examined induction practices for 112 randomly selected first-year elementary principals in Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina, was to study current induction programs, determine beginning principals' needs, and identify effective induction methods. Respondents ranked 10 areas of responsibility for first-year elementary principals in order of need for inclusion in induction programs. "Goal setting and planning" was ranked first, followed by "instruction and curriculum development." Respondents also identified which of 18 presented induction practices they had personally experienced and rated their effectiveness. Inservice workshops and professional association meetings, the most frequently used practices, were considered two of the least effective. The practices considered most effective (summer induction conference prior to the first year and mentoring with a veteran principal within the same district) were used infrequently. South Carolina principals experienced the greatest number of induction practices, followed by Alabama, then Mississippi principals. Larger school systams offered a significantly greater number of induction practices than did small school systems. Included are recommendations, an author abstract, and 27 references. (MLH) *********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * from the original document. * ***********************************************************************
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DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 369 187 EA 025 831
AUTHOR Elsberry, Cynthia C.; Bishop, Harold L.TITLE Perceptions of First-Year Elementary Principals in
Three Southeastern States Regarding PrincipalInduction Programs
PUB DATE Nov 93NOTE 31p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the
Mid-South Educational Research Association (22nd, NewOrleans, LA, November 10-12, 1993).
PUB TYPE Reports Research/Technical (143)Speeches/Conference Papers (150)
EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS *Administrator Attitudes; Curriculum Development;
ABSTRACTCurrent literature reveals that induction for
beginning principals is often poorly planned or nonexistent. Thepurpose of this research, which examined induction practices for 112randomly selected first-year elementary principals in Alabama,Mississippi, and South Carolina, was to study current inductionprograms, determine beginning principals' needs, and identifyeffective induction methods. Respondents ranked 10 areas ofresponsibility for first-year elementary principals in order of needfor inclusion in induction programs. "Goal setting and planning" wasranked first, followed by "instruction and curriculum development."Respondents also identified which of 18 presented induction practicesthey had personally experienced and rated their effectiveness.Inservice workshops and professional association meetings, the mostfrequently used practices, were considered two of the leasteffective. The practices considered most effective (summer inductionconference prior to the first year and mentoring with a veteranprincipal within the same district) were used infrequently. SouthCarolina principals experienced the greatest number of inductionpractices, followed by Alabama, then Mississippi principals. Largerschool systams offered a significantly greater number of inductionpractices than did small school systems. Included arerecommendations, an author abstract, and 27 references. (MLH)
************************************************************************ Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made* from the original document. *
combining two or more school districts into a single
educational service.unit to offer cooperative programs for
the orientation of new principals.
Almost 50% of the principals in this study worked in
school systems with less than six elementary principals.
Many of the school systems represented would probably find
it necessary to join forces with others to provide quality
induction programs for new principals. Since the largest
percentage of principals in Alabama (37%) came from school
systems with more than 20 elementary principals, providing
quality induction programs without outside help in Alabama
would have been more feasible than in Mississippi or South
Carolina where the majority of the principals were employed
in small school districts.
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Recommendations
The study of induction for first-year elementary
principals has just begun and should continue for many years
to come. Researchers desiring to replicate or expand this
study should be aware of a particular difficulty experienced
by this researcher as well as others cited in the
literature. Fowler & Gettys (1989), Hall & Mani (1989), and
this researcher all experienced great difficulty in
identifying first-year principals. Of the'seven
southeastern states initially to be included in this study,
only three could provide the information to develop a list
of first-year elementary principals.
Based upon information accumulated in this study, the
following recommendations are made:
1. The State Department of Education in each state
should maintain a centralized data base of information on
all new principals appointed each year.
2. The Leadership in Educational Administration
Development Academy or comparable organizations in each
state should also maintain a centralized data base of
information on all new principals appointed each year.
3. Further research should be conducted to identify
specific differences in induction needs of new principals
based on race, age, gender, and previous educational
experience.
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4. The State Departments of Education in both Alabama
and Mississippi should examine the induction programs
currently being offered to determine their effectiveness.
5. Research and study should be conducted concerning
management induction programs in business and industry. The
appropriateness of using these programs in education should
be analyzed.
6. Local boards of education, superintendents, and
personnel directors should examine and analyze-the results
of this study for the purpose of improving beginning
principal induction programs.
7. Local school systems should examine the structure
of the assistant principal's job description for the purrose
of utilizing this position as a training ground for the
principalship.
8. Those responsible at the state level for induction
programs for assistant principals and principals should
examine and analyze the results of this study for the
purpose of improving induction programs.
9. Summer induction conferences prior to a principal's
first year should be considered strongly as a means of
inducting new elementary principals.
10. Further research and study should be conducted to
determine the most effective induction practices for use
with principals of varying backgrounds.
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11. Further research to support and refine the findings
of this study would be beneficial both for its practical
implications for educational administrators and for its
methodological implications for local sch l systems.
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References
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Alvy, H. B. & Coladarci, T. (1985). Problems of the noviceprincipal. Research in Rural Education, 3, 39-47.
Anderson, M. E. (1990). Helping beginning principalssucceed. Oregon School Study Council Report, 30(2),2-9.
Anderson, M. E. (1991). Principals: How to train,recruit, select, induct, and evaluate leaders forAmerica's schools. (Report No. RI88062004).Washington, DC: Office of Educational Research andImprovement. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.ED 337 843)
Bass, G. R. (1990). The practitioner's role in preparingsuccessful school administrators. NASSP Bulletin, 74,27-30.
Cheever, D. S., Jr., Fisher, S. B., Jones, M. H., Kelleher,P., & Wofford, J. W. (1982). Entry. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Daresh, J. C. (1986, October). Coming on board:Characteristics of the beginning principalship. Paperpresented at the annual meeting of the Mid-westernEducational Research Association, Chicago, IL.
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Duke, D. L. (1987). School leadership and instructionalimprovement. Random House: New York.
Ellsberry, J. (1990, Nov.). The Indiana principalleadership academy: A model for professional development.Paper presented at the annual meeting of the NationalCouncil of States on inservice education, Orlando, FL.
Fowler, F. C., & Gettys, C. M. (1989, November). Becominga principal: The first years. Paper presented at theannual meeting of the Mid-South Educational ResearchAssociation, Little Rock, AR.
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Hall, G. E., & Mani, M. N. G. (1989, April). Entrystrategies of first-time high school principals. Paperpresented at the annual meeting of the AmericanEducational Research Association, San Francisco, CA.
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Richardson, M. D., & Prickett, R. L. (1991, April). Acomprehensive evaluation of Kentucky's beginningprincipal intern program. Paper presented at the annualmeeting of the American Educational Research Association,Chicago, IL.
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