School-Based Leadership and Professional Socialization of the Assistant Principal

Abstract

Under the cooperative sponsorship of a university, school district, and local chapter of a professional organization for educational administrators, the Super-Center is designed to develop and implement continuing professional development programs for new assistant principals. In this study, 72 assistant principals, participating in a center activity, and their principals were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire on perceptions of assistant principal job time spent in seven administrative functions. Analysis of responses indicated that assistant principals and principals agreed in their perceptions of actual on-the-job and ideal time distribution. However, differences appeared between assistant principal and principal perceptions of each other's ideal assistant principal role. The principal's insight into assistant principals' thinking was accurate; assistant principals' insight into principals' thinking was not.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Austin, D. B. , & Brown, H. L., Jr. (1970). Report on the assistant principalship. Washington, DC: National Association of Secondary School Principals.

Calabrese, R. L. , & Adams, C. F. (1987). A comparative analysis of alienation among secondary school administrators. Planning and Changing, 18, 90-97.

Clements, Z. J. (1980, May). Enriching the role of the assistant principal. NASSP Bulletin, pp. 14-22.

Duke, D. L. (1987). School leadership and instructional improvement. New York: Random House.

Fulton, O. K. (1987, October). Basic competencies of the assistant principal. NASSP Bulletin, pp.52, 54.

Gips, C. J. (1988). Selection of secondary school assistant principals. High School Journal, 17, 167-177.

Gorton, R. (1987, October). Improving the assistant principalship: The principal's contribution. NASSP Bulletin, pp. 1-4.

Gorton, R. , & Kattman, B. (1985). The assistant principal: An underused asset. Principal, 65(2), 36, 39-40.

Greenfield, W. D. (1985a). Developing an instructional role for the assistant principal. Education and Urban Society, 18, 85-92.

10.

Greenfield, W. D. (1985b). Studies of the assistant principalship: Toward new avenues of inquiry. Education and Urban Society, 18,7-27.

11.

Greenfield, W. D. , Marshall, C. , & Reed, D. B. (1986). Experience in the vice principalship: Preparation for leading schools? Journal of Educational Administration, 24, 107-121.

12.

Hess, I. (1985). The socialization of the assistant principal: From the perspective of the local school district. Education and Urban Society, 18, 93-106.

13.

Howley, P. (1985, January). The assistant principalship: Changes, speculations offered. NASSP Bulletin, pp. 88-89.

14.

Iannaccone, L. (1985). Vice-principal research: A window on the building. Education and Urban Society, 18, 121-130.

15.

Iannaccone, L. , & Podorf, F. (1984, May). Assistant principals: Who they are and what changes can they expect in the position? NASSP Bulletin, pp. 116-118.

16.

Kelly, G. (1987, October). The assistant principalship as a training ground for the principalship. NASSP Bulletin, pp. 13-20.

17.

LaRose, L. (1987). Professional development for new assistant principals. Educational Leadership, 45(1), 49-51.

18.

Marshall, C. (1985). Professional shock: The enculturation of the assistant principal. Education and Urban Society, 18, 28-58.

19.

Marshall, C. , & Greenfield, W. D. (1987). The dynamics in the enculturation and the work in the assistant principalship. Urban Education, 22, 36-52.

20.

Mertz, N. T. , & McNeely, S. R. (1988). Secondary schools in transition: A study of the emerging female administrator. American Secondary Education, 17(2), 10-14.

21.

Norton, M. S. , & Kriekard, J. A. (1987, October). Real and ideal competencies for the assistant principal. NASSP Bulletin, pp. 23-30.

22.

Olsen, D. (1985). A helping colleague for teachers. Education and Urban Society, 17, 341-346.

23.

Panyako, D. , & Rorie, L. (1987, October). The changing role of the assistant principal. NASSP Bulletin, pp. 6-9.

24.

Paskey, R. J. (1989, April). The principal as mentor, partner of assistant principals. NASSP Bulletin, pp. 95-98.

25.

Peterson, K. D. , Marshall, C. , & Grier, T. (1987, October). The assistant principal's academy: Technical training and socialization of future leaders. NASSP Bulletin, pp. 32-38.

26.

Reed, D. B. , & Himmler, A. H. (1985). The work of the secondary assistant principalship: A field study. Education and Urban Society, 18, 59-84.

27.

Smith, J. A. (1987, October). Assistant principals: New demands, new realities, and new perspectives. NASSP Bulletin, pp. 1-12.

28.

Spady, W. G. (1985). The vice-principal as an agent of instructional reform. Education and Urban Society, 18, 107-120.

29.

Tyler, L. E. (1969). The work of the counselor (3rded.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

30.

Van Maanen, J. , & Schein, E. H. (1979). Toward a theory of organizational socialization. In B. M. Staw (Ed.), Research in organizational behavior (Vol. 1, pp. 209-264). Greenwich, CT: JAI.