Inspired by the publication of "Leaders for America's Schools" (1987), a guide for improving administrator preparation, this paper identifies program components to be reformed, examines general problems associated with each component, and encourages thinking about solutions to some of these problems. Assessment centers to test administrator skills…

New principals are often ill-prepared to assume the increasingly complex responsibilities of the principalship. An assessment process could eliminate some of the frustration experienced by prospective principals who discover they do not enjoy the duties and responsibilities of school administration. Mentoring and coaching can help beginning…

As participants in an annual survey, most school executives rated their graduate preparation as impractical, and few had found mentors among their professors. Mixed reviews were given on-the-job training through internships, assessment centers, workshops, seminars, and staff development programs. Lack of sufficient funding affected participation…

Administrator selection is of increasing importance due to the critical relationship between administration and school success. To determine the extent of incorporation of the assessment center method--a source of skill information used for administrator selection and development--into administrator preparation programs, sets of data-gathering…

Assessment center principles can be used not only to identify effective school administrators, but also to prepare potential administrators during graduate school programs. Five administrator preparation components could benefit from applying the assessment center method: curriculum, instruction, personnel, standards, and research. (MLH)

Describes a plan to assess 27 administrator candidates, drawing on a partnership between the Southwest Virginia Regional Assessment Center Leadership Academy and Virginia Tech's principal preparation program. Participants completed a reduced-item inbasket exercise, participated in leaderless-group and fact-finding exercises, and submitted a…

In 1988, the Department of Educational Leadership at Western Kentucky University (WKU) established the Western Kentucky Assessment Center, sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). This document provides an overview of the history and methods of NASSP assessment centers, followed by a discussion of costs to…

To address the issues raised by the possible expansion of administrator competency testing, a survey was sent to each state education agency in late 1988. Using survey data and a literature review, this paper discusses the development of administrator competency testing, explores pertinent issues, makes recommendations for policy makers opting to…

Describes the operation of assessment centers for determining administrators' strengths and weaknesses, identifies managerial competencies, and discusses the implications of using assessment center technology in university programs for preparing educational administrators. (PGD)

The Teacher Training Agency's National Professional Qualification for Headship is a (nearly mandatory) initiative leading to a threshold qualification for headship. This article examines NPQH, contrasting it with recent school management provision history in England and Wales and with international practice. With modifications, NPQH may contribute…

Assessment centers, used in business, industry, and government for the selection and development of promising individuals, have been used for school administrator selection only since the mid-1970s. Currently the Assessment Center Project of the National Association of Secondary School Principals is the only one in widespread use. To gather data…

Developing, launching, and maintaining an assessment center plan requires continuous attention to three essential ingredients: communication, education, and politics. The four key considerations in developing a master plan are costs, scheduling, sources of funding, and terms of the agreement required by NASSP. A sample agreement is provided. (TE)

Describes Assessment Center (AC) programs that are used in Germany to prepare university business graduates making job applications to large companies. The simulation of real-life application procedures is explained, problems associated with the validity of the AC are addressed, and the roles and attitudes of students and experts are discussed.…

This monograph summarizes three research projects on competency-based administrator preparation that were undertaken by the National Association of Secondary School Principals' University Consortium. An extensive Texas study surveyed principals' attitudes toward preparation programs, and two replication studies were conducted in Michigan and New…

With 50 percent of all principals planning to retire in the 1980's, hiring good principals should be a matter of planning rather than chance. This pamphlet notes the strategies that can help to ensure that a district hires effective educational leaders as principals. Developing effective job descriptions and interviewing techniques, though…