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The intent of the data analysis is to determine if there is a significant difference in the perception among building supervisors on interns' performance. The building supervisors used variables from the Washington State Standard V--Knowledge and Skills to evaluate the interns. Although the groups involved in the study were evaluated by their building principal at different times in their internship experiences, little difference was found in performance as reported. The perceptions of the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 building supervisors were not different between the two cohorts., Introduction Over the past decade, educational administration programs and faculty members have paid increased attention to the clinical aspect of principal preparation programs. The institution of a more structured set [...]

Halifax County Schools in North Carolina worked with the National Assn of Secondary School Principals and East Carolina University to improve principal training programs within the school system. Their objective was to provide solutions to the problems encountered by new principals who are trained theoretically and find difficulties when confronted by real world problems. Results indicated that the Potential Administrator Development Program was an effective tool in the practice of educational leadership.

Researchers investigated the effectiveness of a mentoring program introduced by Minnesota schools to aid new principals. The investigation revealed that benefits for the protege included emotional support, professional advice, and opportunities for introduction to other professionals. Benefits perceived by the mentor included service to the profession, friendly contact and learning from the protege. Participants' recommendations for further mentoring programs included the need to match personal characteristics of proteges and mentors, and the need to formalize the program.

The training of experienced principals needs to be addressed afresh in order to equip them for tackling administrative issues of schools. The National Policy Board for Educational Administration identified 21 areas where the principals need to have skills. A survey of school principals in South Carolina indicates that they need training in curriculum design and learning environment. The needs remain the same, despite different demographic characteristics of schools. Principals identified five areas that need improved training,including problem analysis and public relations.

The Principals' Executive Program (PEP) of the North Carolina University is designed to train principals for leadership roles and takes its cue from the Harvard leadership training program. Principals need to have management skills, computer skills, and knowledge about federal laws regarding education. Apart from these, principals should have an understanding of self and others. The PEP has a faculty of 10 members and a support staff of nine. More than 2000 school administrators have graduated from PEP in its first 12 years.

The School Leadership Initiative (SLI) of 1996 and the Texas Education Collaborative (TEC) of 1992 are operational frameworks designed to accomodate learner characteristics and improve teacher preparation. The aim of the programs is to develop schools as leadership laboratories and use the laboratories as training grounds for future principals. A possibility of the projects' failure exists if external funding stops. Building interpersonal networks and developing an efficient collaboration are required to sustain the project after stoppage of funds.

Principals should consider some developmental issues to prepare schools for the approaching millenium. The traditional hierarchical leadership has to give way to collaboration and site-based management. Ethics and moral values should be emphasized and principals should gather together to form a well-planned strategy for the future. Principal development includes educating principals about change, and building networking and mentoring activities. Focus should be on development of skill, and examples of development should be rewarded to ensure further development activities.

The National Association of Secondary School Principals and the National Association of Elementary School Principals have formulated ten strategies to groom future principals. Five of the strategies deal with improvement in program content and the remainder with strategies of delivery. The emphasis is upon development of reflective skills and teaching and learning processes. Authentic assessment of students, preservice preparation of potential principals are also important. The models are credible and demonstrate that reform in higher education is possible.

Cluster approach to principal training seeks to increase the role of principals as instructional leaders and communicators with a sense of shared vision. Under the cluster plans, principals are grouped according to common ideologies and concerns, rather than by rule. The inter-geographical clustering helps trans-district problem recognition, and the approach helps principals emerge as catalysts for change and leaders of educational improvements.

The program for professors at the Danforth Foundation reflects the need for including articles on ethics and values and transformational leadership. The National Alliance between the NASSP and the Danforth Foundation chose four universities for implementing these new ideas. The universities were to disperse the new concepts after they were assimilated. The Alliance has enhanced the image of the institutions which participated in the programs, and the complete revision of the Masters' Program in Educational Administration has dramatically improved its vitality and effectiveness.

Mentoring programs that train potential school principals involves active cooperation between the school administration, the education ministry and the school. The mentoring program makes use of an experienced principal to train an understudy and guide the understudy's career. The program is structured, and compares the performances of the mentor with that of the understudy.

Principals act as instructional and communicational leaders while fulfilling assessment responsibilities that have changed dramatically to include a large number of areas. Principal training programs need to remedy assessment competency, training and resources to correspond to the changed role of principals. Licensing requirements should include assessment competency training for principals as a prerequisite for the job.

Mentor-protege programs can work well in training and preparing future school principals with the nitty-gritty of their jobs. These administrative internships work because of a positive and creative relationship between mentor and protege. School administrators who volunteer to be mentors experience a revitalizing of energy and gain new insights to old problems while mentor principals report heightened self-confidence when they finally take on the job of school administration.

The preparation of school administrators is an area in which there is a recognized need for reform, but reform efforts have brought few positive results. The problems encountered in restructuring Virginia's principal preparation programs are described.

School principals need continuing education and development opportunities to prepare them to strengthen their school and its teachers. Other strategies used by good principles include encouraging feedback from teachers, learning about challenging new ideas and making contacts with administrators

The principal preparation program at Virginia Tech involves the Southwest Virginia Regional Assessment Center and uses the NASSP model for administrator assessment procedure incorporating preassessment of the potential candidates. School administrators are also trained as mentors, to simulate them in context of a preparatory program for principals. The participation of faculty members and students at the masters' and doctoral levels in unusual situations gives them the experience required to encounter any untoward situation.

The Dayton (Ohio) City School District worked with the University of Dayton Department of Educational Administration in establishing an assistant principals' academy. One of the academy's eight objectives was to provide well-trained and capable principals for schools in Dayton City. Academy students were required to submit a personal/professional development plan, however, they first learned how to collaborate and do self-assessments for plan development.

The study examines the impact of electronic communication on school leadership and the principal's role. Twelve themes are identified in relation to computer-mediated communication, including volume of information exchanged, time spent at the computer and training for aspiring principals. Findings of the study are discussed.

Guidance to young principals who will take over from retiring baby boomers for better interaction with staff is presented. Principals are reminded that power moves through the horizontal and vertical rather than from top to bottom.

A study examining the increased training of principals in different school districts in southern California for its purpose in the area of special education during enrollment in preservice administration programs and while on the job is presented.

The school board of Dallas County, Texas, is requiring its principals to learn to speak Spanish within three years or face the loss of their jobs. Though the August 25 [...]

The addition of a real-life aspect to principal training is one of several recommendations to make the administrator preparatory programs, which fall far short of requirement, more effective. Professional development away from school is another way of fostering a higher-functioning professional.

Survey findings show that teachers do not pursue careers as principals because they feel the disincentives associated with the position outweigh the incentives. Among the incentives mentioned were administrative licensure and appreciation of the methods in which teachers are groomed for leadership positions.

An overview of the principal shortage is presented and an approach that addresses this issue, namely the Aspiring Leaders Academy, is discussed. Many benefits of the Aspiring Leaders Academy are observed, which consist of an increased understanding regarding the role played by an administrator in a school, the importance of good communication, and use of these skills for improving the school's strength.