Concerned about improving beginning principals' professional development, the Minnesota Administrators' Academy initiated an administrative mentoring program in the early 1990s. A recent evaluation found that successful mentoring relationships involved mutually respectful pairs that met at least monthly and participated in various activities…

Hewlett Packard has led the telementoring field with its Telementor Program, begun in 1995. The program creates one-to-one mentor relationships between HP employees and grade 5-12 students. Via e-mail, employees currently motivate 1,500 students to excel in math and science and improve communication and problem-solving skills. (MLH)

Induction programs should be designed to reflect school administrators' unique learning needs. Effective induction programs have three critical components: preprogram planning, mentoring, and program evaluation. Planning involves establishing a school board policy, conducting a preliminary needs assessment, specifying goals, identifying needed…

The Princeton Peer Leadership Program, which evolved from Sharon Rose Powells' doctoral research in the 1970s, trains seniors to serve as mentors to high school freshmen. The program involves the freshmen in school life and with students outside their social cliques, breaks down social and cultural barriers, and exposes the universality of many…

In 1987, the College of Education at Virginia Tech restructured its principal preparation program. Internships are conducted by principal-mentors expected to be teachers, models, and supportive colleagues. The program allows mentors, central office staff, and professors to meet with graduate students in an environment where all are learners. Any…