Principal Preparedness: Superintendent Perceptions of New Principals

National advocacy groups have undertaken significant efforts to define the performance capacities needed by principals to lead schools in this era of continuous improvement and accountability. There has been little articulation between the core skills essential to new principals and the leadership capacities of experienced peers. This study focused on the needs of new principals as noted by superintendents. This study posed an open-ended question to superintendents asking for a list of challenges observed in newly hired school principals. Superintendents identified three discrete areas of deficit: experience with and understanding of the range of demands faced by principals, understanding differentiated instructional practices and best practices, and functional use of personnel management strategies.

Superintendent Perceptions of Quantity and Quality of Principal Candidates

This article presents data from a study of superintendents on their perceptions of the quality and quantity of principal candidates in one state. Through a survey, superintendents were asked to provide information about the quantity and quality of candidates for the principalship, level of satisfaction with mentoring/induction programs, and level of satisfaction with professional preparation programs. The respondents were also asked to provide responses to the factors discouraging applicants for the principalship, and suggestions to increase the pool of candidates for the principalship. Follow-up interviews were conducted with 10 superintendents in the state for more in-depth information about the quantity and quality of candidates for the principalship. Recommendations are offered about methods to increase candidate pools and retain quality individuals in principal roles.

Why Principals Lose Their Jobs: Comparing the Perceptions of Principals and Superintendents

Few studies have compared the perceptions of principals and superintendents regarding the reasons why principals lose their jobs. Perceptual congruence on factors that contribute to principal termination is necessary to ensure accurate, appropriate, and constructive feedback about ineffective leadership behaviors. This study compared the perceptions of 124 California public school principals with those of 99 California public school district superintendents on 22 reasons why principals lose their jobs and on 9 organizational outcomes related to ineffective leadership. Principal and superintendent perceptions varied significantly regarding the primary reasons for termination. Superintendents most often attributed principal failure to internal personal insufficiencies such as poor interpersonal relationships and decision making. In contrast, principals most often attributed failure to external factors such as political interference and conflicts with the superintendent and board of education. An analysis of organizational outcomes found that most superintendents cited a high number of parent complaints as evidence of an at-risk principal, whereas most principals cited poor staff morale.