The problem addressed by this qualitative case study is that many principals do not understand special education law and policy after completing administrator programs, which may affect their ability to conduct proper or effective implementation of special education law, policy, and instruction. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to…

Through a structured "grow your own" model, the Capistrano Unified School District in California is focusing on developing leaders from within. Strong teachers with leadership potential are actively recruited to enter the administrative arena as elementary-teaching assistant principals. Assistant principals are given principal-level…

Most principals believe their job includes identifying and developing future school leaders. Expectations for principals as teachers of adults are increasing. The 4MAT instructional model provides a user-friendly, research-based structure for principals to design powerful retreats and workshops aimed at increasing leadership behavior among all…

Effective schools research indicates that principals heavily influence student achievement and school improvement. Although principals are responsible for administering special education programs and ensuring appropriate evaluation and placement of handicapped students, their university preparation and professional training have been minimal and…

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…

Los Angeles USD's Academy for Management and Organizational Development serves the training and development needs of the district's certificated and classified management staff. This article describes the Academy's beginnings, its governance structure, and its four pre- and inservice training strands. (SJL)

Without proper background, education, guidance, and on-the-job training, a principal can create havoc within the school community. To safeguard against this potential problem, during the 1986-87 school year, the Polk County (Florida) Public Schools introduced a "principal intern" program to fully prepare its future school administrators.…

Leadership Experience Opportunity for Teachers is a career ladder program that offers a variety of administrative work experiences to qualified teachers who are interested in becoming principals. (MLF)

One advantage to an interim administrative position is that the public cuts short-timers a little slack. Temporary administrators can learn on the job and become experts on specialized subjects. Personnel issues demand more time than interims possess. Such positions usually do not turn into long-term contracts. (MLH)

The paper takes a critical view of current approaches to training administrators or managers in education in the United Kingdom. Criticisms focus mainly around the hands-on approach whereby the trainee learns the best techniques from colleagues and dismisses most academic studies of management practices. The paper summarizes the thinking behind a…

Case studies, interviews, letters, and nationwide questionnaire responses from hundreds of administrators constitute the data for this report. The first chapter discusses the meaning of and the reasons for staff development; the effect of staff development on school and community; the increasing role of teachers, principals, and school boards; the…

This handbook is intended to aid principals and professors in supervising interns, and to guide the interns themselves in fulfilling (Alaska) state requirements for certification as a principal. The primary purposes of the internship are (1) to provide students with the opportunity to gain experience applying the theories, procedures, and skills…

This annotated bibliography reviews 12 publications on preparation of principals. Of these, three (entries 1, 7, and 11) concern internships: essential elements thereof, a proposed "critical incident" technique for internships, and a practicum program in South Carolina. Three of the articles (2, 5, and 9) focus on models or approaches to…