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Inducting School Leaders

If experienced principals find their jobs to be exhausting and stressful-and mostsurveys indicate they do-then what is it like for newcomers? Not surprisingly, words

such as "lost," "overwhelmed," and "shell-shocked" pervade the literature on first-year principals

!raditionally, rookie principals have been left to sink or swim aving completed a

university training program, they are presumed to be prepared, and get littledirection beyond bland encouragement or an occasional practical tip #ut that attitude

is changing as schools reali$e that a scarcity of high-%uality principals meanspromising leaders should not only be energetically recruited but carefully nurtured

once they&re on board

'ormal induction programs are too new to have generated a significant body ofempirical research, but there is a growing literature that articulates a rationale for

such programs, describes the efforts of districts to nurture new leaders, and providesearly testimony that induction efforts are well-received !his (igest examines the

challenges faced by new administrators and the steps that districts can take toprovide a smooth entry into the principalship

WHAT PROBLEMS DO FIRST-EAR ADMI!ISTRATORS FA"E#

#y all accounts, new administrators experience intense, unrelenting stress as they try

to adjust their textbook understanding of leadership to the real world of practice

!hey have to master technical skills, learn to deal with a variety of constituents, andwrestle with doubts about personal ade%uacy, all in a fast-paced environment that

leaves little time for reflection and thoughtfulness )*arkay and +hodes ./ !hey

are fre%uently haunted by the fear that a moment of inattention will blossom into a

crisis In the words of one beginning assistant principal, "0ou can&t turn your back onsomething, &cause that might be the thing" )art$ell and colleagues 1/

'irst-year stress comes not just from task overload, but from the need for %uickassimilation into a new culture 2very school is a uni%ue organi$ation, with its own

history, environment, and cast of characters New principals not only have to learn"how things are done," but "how things are done here" )3row and 4athews 5/

!hey must go from "stranger" to "insider," %uickly discerning the unwritten rules andidentifying the real movers and shakers )6iken .77./

4any new administrators also find it disconcerting to deal with teachers as

supervisors rather than peers 8perating for the first time from a schoolwide

perspective, some are shocked to see the parochialism of some teachers& behavior)art$ell and colleagues/

'inally, many beginners report a strong sense of isolation 9nlike new teachers, whocan usually find an empathetic colleague just down the hall, principals literally have

no peers in their building !he isolation can be magnified when they receive littlefeedback from supervisors

WH DOES I!D$"TIO! MATTER#

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:iven the stress faced by first-year leaders, simple compassion would be reasonenough to ease their transition into the field owever, well-designed induction

programs can also enhance the well-being of the district

;ociologists have pointed out that the first year is a crucial period in administrators&

sociali$ation, the process by which they internali$e the skills, values, and dispositionsof the profession )6iken< 3row and 4athews< Normore .77=/ >hile newcomers will

enter the job with both informal and formal preparation, they still face the crucial

task of "organi$ational sociali$ation," in which the simple abstractions learned inuniversity classrooms must be adapted to the messy realities of real schools

(uring this period, beginning principals are strongly motivated to fit in to their new

environment, and the norms of the organi$ation are likely to outweigh the normsac%uired during training !his offers districts a uni%ue opportunity to influence the

goals and behaviors of new leaders )Normore/

In adapting to the school, newcomers often experience role conflict between theimmediate demands of the job and the district&s reform agenda 'or example, early

career principals interviewed by 6iken described a tension between the "custodial"and "innovative" dimensions of the job< they felt they had to effectively run the

school as it was before taking it in a new direction 6 well-designed inductionprogram can help novices articulate such dilemmas and find a way of achieving

balance

6lthough direct empirical evidence is scarce, some researchers have speculated thatformal induction programs improve retention inda 4orford ).77./, after

interviewing ten new rural principals who had no access to any kind of inductionprogram, found two years later that nine of them had either moved on to other

positions or returned to teaching

HOW DOES ME!TORI!% ASSIST I!D$"TIO!#

Induction has become almost synonymous with mentoring, and understandably so

'ew newcomers will fail to benefit from having an empathetic, experienced colleaguewho can provide coaching in technical skills, guide them through the political

minefields, and provide a perspective that encourages reflection owever, there are

also pitfalls 4entors may become too controlling or overprotective, may try to shapetheir protege into a clone of themselves, or may present only a narrow perspective on

the newcomer&s situation )3row and 4athews/

Nonetheless, mentoring programs are generally welcomed by beginners )owley andcolleagues .77.< +icciardi .777/ aura (ukess ).77/, after interviews with

mentors, proteges, and supervisors of mentoring programs in six New 0ork 3ity

community districts, concluded that good mentors rendered three forms of assistanceto new principals@

!hey provided instructional support by keeping newcomers&

attention focused on learning issues and offering models ofsuccessful practice

. !hey provided administrative and managerial support not justby giving practical tips but by helping their proteges set

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priorities

= !hey provided emotional support by listening carefully andbeing present at particularly stressful moments

(ukess also concluded that good results did not automatically come just by putting a

mentor and protege together Aey steps included careful matching of mentors and

proteges, clear expectations and guidelines for participants, ade%uate time for thementor, and selection of mentors who have a record of success and who are

"reflective, compassionate, good listeners, good communicators, and able to speakthe hard truth"

WHAT ARE THE "HARA"TERISTI"S OF %OOD I!D$"TIO! PRO%RAMS#

Increasingly, districts are taking a "grow your own" approach to provide newcomers

with a smooth entry tailored to the context of the district 6lthough almost anyassistance would be beneficial to new principals, early experience with induction

programs suggests some basic principles that can guide district efforts

6lthough new administrators often worry the most abouttechnical skills, induction programs should help candidates stayfocused on the big picture 6iken recommends that induction

should "support principals through paradox, help to demystifyleadership practice, and provide opportunities for collaborative

and reflective learning"

6t the same time, programs must respect the immediate needs

of the new administrators owley and colleagues found thatnew principals in a leadership academy expressed a strong

preference for focusing on what one called "practical, hands-on,

get-me-through-the-first-year-so-I-can-survive stuff" !heywere much less interested in reflective portfolio activities

centered around the I;3 standards ;triking the right balanceis a key challenge

. Induction involves more than one-to-one mentoring (istrictscan use a wide array of strategies, including portfolios,

professional development plans, study groups, leadershipacademies, focus groups, peer coaching, workshops, and

retreats )*eterson .77/= Induction is especially powerful when it is embedded in the

culture of the district, not just a one-shot "extra" activity fornewcomers 'or example, New 0ork 3ity&s (istrict !wo

incorporates day-long principal conferences on instructional

topics, study groups, support groups, visits to other schools,and intensive "walkthroughs" by central-office supervisors

)2lmore and #urney .777/ In their discussions with new

principals, the researchers were struck by the degree to whichnew principals had internali$ed the district&s culture of

continuous learning and improvement

WHAT E&TER!AL RESO$R"ES "A! S$PPORT DISTRI"T I!D$"TIO!

PRO%RAMS#

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4any districts, especially those in rural areas, have difficulty finding the personnel ormoney to develop comprehensive induction programs 'ortunately, districts can

leverage their efforts through partnerships with states or professional associations

4ore states are offering school leadership academies that sometimes includeprograms designed for new leaders 'or example, 8hio has developed an entry-year

leadership academy built around mentoring and portfolio development 6s part of theinitiative, the state has produced a curriculum for training mentors and contracted

with 2ducational !esting ;ervice to design reflective %uestions for the portfolio)#eebe and colleagues .77./

;ome states have realigned their certification re%uirements to better support the

developmental needs of leaders );outhern +egional 2ducation #oard .77./ 'orexample, Aentucky and ouisiana use two-tiered licensure systems in which full

certification comes only after successful experience as an administrator ;choolleaders are provided mentoring and other forms of assistance, leading to full-fledged

certification after a successful first year !hese programs provide a natural structureinto which districts can integrate their local priorities

9niversities offer another source of support 'or example, the New !eacher 3enter at

the 9niversity of 3alifornia, ;anta 3ru$, provides trained coaches to give

individuali$ed guidance to new administrators *articipants meet every two weeksand also maintain contact by email and phone ;ervices include observation and

coaching in authentic work dilemmas )#loom /

*rofessional associations offer a variety of professional development resources !he

National 6ssociation of 2lementary ;chool *rincipals conducts numerous workshops,assessments, and training opportunities N62;* also partners with Nova

;outheastern 9niversity to offer intensive mentor training and certification !he

National 6ssociation of ;econdary ;chool *rincipals has long been a leader in usingassessment center methods to promote principal development

RESO$R"ES

6iken, Budith 6 "!he ;ociali$ation of New *rincipals@ 6nother *erspective on *rincipal

+etention" 2ducation eadership +eview =, )>inter .77./@ =.-C7 2B D1 C

#eebe, +obert B< (aniel offman< 'red indley< and 3arole *restley "!he 8hio*rincipals& eadership 6cademy@ 2ntry 0ear *rogram" *aper presented at the 6nnual

4eeting of the 6merican 2ducational +esearch 6ssociation, New 8rleans, .77. C=

pages 2( CD5 DEE

#loom, :ary "8ne-on-8ne ;upport for New *rincipals@ ;ink or ;wim No 4ore" !hrustfor 2ducational eadership ., );eptemberF8ctober /@ C-E 2B 1. DC

3row, :ary 4, and Boseph 4athews 'inding 8ne&s >ay@ ow 4entoring 3an ead

to (ynamic eadership!housand 8aks, 3alifornia@ 3orwin *ress, 5

(ukess, aura ' 4eeting the eadership 3hallenge@ (esigning 2ffective *rincipal4entor *rograms@ !he 2xperiences of ;ix New 0ork 3ity 3ommunity ;chool (istricts

http://www.acsa.org/publications/pub_detail.cfm?leadershipPubID=1337http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search/102-6895824-6874562?keyword=Finding+One%27s+Way%3A+How+Mentoring+Can+Lead+to+Dynamic+Leadership&tag=parentingthenexthttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search/102-6895824-6874562?keyword=Finding+One%27s+Way%3A+How+Mentoring+Can+Lead+to+Dynamic+Leadership&tag=parentingthenexthttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search/102-6895824-6874562?keyword=Finding+One%27s+Way%3A+How+Mentoring+Can+Lead+to+Dynamic+Leadership&tag=parentingthenexthttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search/102-6895824-6874562?keyword=Finding+One%27s+Way%3A+How+Mentoring+Can+Lead+to+Dynamic+Leadership&tag=parentingthenexthttp://www.acsa.org/publications/pub_detail.cfm?leadershipPubID=1337

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New 0ork@ New Gisions for *ublic ;chools, .77 == pages 2( CDC =.

2lmore, +ichard '< and (eanna #urney eadership and earning@ *rincipal

+ecruitment, Induction and Instructional eadership in 3ommunity ;chool (istrict H.,New 0ork 3ity *ittsburgh@ 9niversity of *ittsburgh, earning +esearch and

(evelopment 3enter, .777

art$ell, :ary N< +ichard 3 >illiams< and Aathleen ! Nelson New Goices in the

'ield@ !he >ork ives of 'irst-0ear 6ssistant *rincipals!housand 8aks, 3alifornia@

3orwin *ress, 1 2( =51 C

owley, 6imee< Aristine 3hadwick< and 3aitlin owlee Networking for the Nuts and#olts@ !he Ironies of *rofessional (evelopment for +ural *rincipals *aper presented

at the 6nnual 4eeting of the 6merican 2ducational +esearch 6ssociation, New8rleans, .77. .E pages 2( CD= 75

4orford, inda 4 "earning the +opes or #eing ung@ 8rgani$ational ;ociali$ation

Influence on New +ural igh ;chool *rincipals" *aper presented at the 6nnual4eeting of the 6merican 2ducational +esearch 6ssociation, New 8rleans, .77. .7

pages 2( CDC E5=

Normore, 6nthony "*rofessional and 8rgani$ational ;ociali$ation *rocesses of;chool 6dministrators@ 6 iterature +eview" *aper presented at the awaii

International 3onference on 2ducation, onolulu, awaii, .77=

*arkay, 'orrest >, and Bohn +hodes ";tress and the #eginning *rincipal" In#ecoming a *rincipal@ !he 3hallenges of #eginning eadership,edited by 'orrest

*arkay and :ene all 7=-.. #oston@ 6llyn and #acon, .

*eterson, Aent "!he *rofessional (evelopment of *rincipals@ Innovations and8pportunities" *aper presented at the first meeting of the National 3ommission for

the 6dvancement of 2ducational eadership *reparation, +acine, >isconsin, .77 .Cpages 2( C1 1==

+icciardi, (iane "2xperiences of Aentucky *rincipal Intern *rogram *articipants@ Bob6ssistance *rovided in the 2ntry 0ear" *aper presented at the 6nnual 4eeting of the

6merican 2ducational +esearch 6ssociation, New 8rleans, .777 . pages 2( C1

1E

;outhern +egional 2ducation #oard 6re ;+2# ;tates 4aking *rogress? !aping,*reparing, and icensing ;chool eaders >ho 3an Influence ;tudent 6chievement

6tlanta@ 6uthor, .77.

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