Although there has been a paucity of research on what effective secondary school principals do, two recent studies offer some clues. A 1983 report by William Firestone and Bruce Wilson asserts that a high school principal may best be able to influence the school through bureaucratic and cultural linkages. Bureaucratic linkages are formal enduring…

This bulletin provides principals with tips concerning how to increase their assistant principals' effectiveness. It explains a four-part process to accomplish this task. First, principals must select the right person based on qualifications that meet the school's profile. Second, they must furnish needed training in self-assessment, goal setting,…

Five selections summarize training methods for the principalship from the perspective that cognizance of the complexities of being a principal arises from practice, thus experiential learning should be incorporated into preservice and inservice training programs. The first selection, "Making Sense of Principals' Work," by Kent Petersen, is a…

The University of Tennessee's management training and development efforts are described. The program is designed to improve the performance of academic and nonacademic department heads (middle managers) and includes an 8-day workshop called the Institute for Leadership Effectiveness. In addition to the attention given to the formation of networks,…