As this monograph shows, information exists regarding mentoring's value in private business and benefits experienced by mentored school administrators. However, the literature contains few descriptions regarding benefits realized by individuals serving as mentors in programs designed to prepare educational leaders. A recent study involved the use…

This article looks at the problems and issues characteristic of the beginning years of principalship. Recommendations for strengthening the potential leadership contributions of incoming administrators are proposed. (MT)

This book is intended to serve as a practical guide to developing, implementing, and appraising mentoring programs for school and district leaders. It describes mentoring and discusses why it is an important issue in professional development. A three-phase model is presented to help lead school districts and individual school personnel through the…

Identifies six steps that an effective mentor/principal should follow in face-to-face sessions with a protege, including framing issues, identifying goals, promoting self-directed learning, establishing limits, empowering for action, and summarizing mutual agreements. (MLH)

This is a highly practical book for the first-year principal or for the assistant principal looking ahead to promotion. In place of abstract generalities, it offers real-life vignettes and scenarios that may be faced by typical first-year principals. The skill checklists are intended to be realistic and unintimidating. Step-by-step explanations…

This article notes five specific conditions that require school administrator mentorship programs to be designed differently from teacher mentoring activities. Differences involving the research base, collegiality, school familiarity, and leadership and competition issues are discussed. Includes 10 references. (MLH)

Certain characteristics qualify individuals to serve as mentor principals, including experience as practicing school administrators, demonstration of positive leadership qualities, ability to question beginning administrators appropriately, acceptance of alternative management methods, desire to promote exceptional performance, ability to model…

Since beginning principals have increasingly complex responsibilities, collegial support for these administrators should be encouraged through "buddy" systems, principal centers, and structured inservice activities designed to promote interaction with district colleagues. Includes 14 references. (MLH)

Examines three past conceptualizations of school administration and leadership (scientific or efficiency approaches, the human relations approach, and human resources development), outlines assumptions of each approach, and discusses implications for administrators' professional development. Current restructuring and school-based management…

Two trends have become issues for school management in recent years. One is that educational leadership is becoming increasingly a more complex and difficult job to carry out and the other is that an increasing number of people with little administrative experience are moving into educational roles. The implementation of local, school…

Describes a recent study of principals' evaluations and perceptions concerning the quality of inservice learning experiences based on five alternative models. Findings disclosed participants' preferences for short-term institutes sponsored by a professional association and informal networking. More work is needed to design effective inservice…

Discusses merit pay as a school improvement idea, focusing on drawbacks of providing monetary incentives for superior teachers. Before jumping on the merit pay bandwagon, superintendents are advised to consider school purpose, alternative or equally effective reward systems, financial implications, and fairness of merit ratings. (MLH)

Summarizes a study to determine the job skills needed by beginning U.S. principals. Data were collected from both practicing and aspiring principals. The two groups disclosed major perceptual differences. Whereas aspiring administrators believe that demonstrating technical skills is most important, their experienced colleagues believe it is more…

Reviews and describes some major issues associated with implementing effective mentoring schemes to support educational leaders, drawing on the authors' experiences with developing such programs in the United States. Although significant differences exist practically and philosophically in U.S. and British educational management systems, mentoring…

Describes results of a study using indepth interviews with practicing administrators working directly with aspiring administrators enrolled in the Danforth Foundation Program for the Preparation of School Principals. Mentoring activities benefit both proteges and mentors. Encouraging experienced administrators to serve as mentors may be a powerful…