First-year experiences in administration can color one's perceptions of the job, the career, and life goals. Ineffective socialization and assimilation during this period can also have serious consequences for staff, students, and community. This paper attempts to identify the significant issues, conflicts, and experiences occurring during the transition process undergone by inductees during their first year as school administrators. The study was limited to full-time high school teachers in transition as either assistant principals or as principals in Ohio. Seven participants were chosen for each of the major population categories (urban, suburban, and rural) and two participants were selected from a nonpublic system. Beginning in April 1986, participants were interviewed three times: before school began, after two months in administration, and at the end of the academic year. The first interview focused on expectations; the second on alterations in administrators' life and coping mechanisms; and the third on changes, coping strategies, and ideas for assistance. Interview results were analyzed using the Schlossberg model (a constant comparative approach) for analyzing adults in transition. Research findings will hopefully illuminate the teacher-to-administrator transition process so that a helpful framework for training and inducting new administrators can be developed. Included are 17 references. (MLH)