Inducting School Leaders

If experienced principals find their jobs to be exhausting and stressful-and most surveys indicate they do-then what is it like for newcomers? Not surprisingly, words such as "lost," "overwhelmed," and "shell-shocked" pervade the literature on firstyear 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 little direction beyond bland encouragement or an occasional practical tip #ut that attitude is changing as schools reali$e that a scarcity of high-%uality principals means promising leaders should not only be energetically recruited but carefully nurtured once they&re on board 'ormal induction programs are too new to have generated a significant body of empirical research, but there is a growing literature that articulates a rationale for such programs, describes the efforts of districts to nurture new leaders, and provides early testimony that induction efforts are well-received !his (igest examines the challenges faced by new administrators and the steps that districts can take to provide a smooth entry into the principalship WHAT PROBLEMS DO FIRST- EAR ADMI!ISTRATORS FA"E# #y all accounts, new administrators experience intense, unrelenting stress as they try to adjust their textbook understanding of leadership to the real world of practice !hey have to master technical skills, learn to deal with a variety of constituents, and wrestle with doubts about personal ade%uacy, all in a fast-paced environment that leaves little time for reflection and thoughtfulness )*arkay and +hodes ,--./ !hey are fre%uently haunted by the fear that a moment of inattention will blossom into a crisis In the words of one beginning assistant principal, "0ou can&t turn your back on something, &cause that might be the thing" )"art$ell and colleagues ,--1/ 'irst-year stress comes not just from task overload, but from the need for %uick assimilation into a new culture 2very school is a uni%ue organi$ation, with its own history, environment, and cast of characters New principals not only have to learn "how things are done," but "how things are done here" )3row and 4athews ,--5/ !hey must go from "stranger" to "insider," %uickly discerning the unwritten rules and identifying the real movers and shakers )6iken .77./ 4any new administrators also find it disconcerting to deal with teachers as supervisors rather than peers 8perating for the first time from a schoolwide perspective, some are shocked to see the parochialism of some teachers& behavior )"art$ell and colleagues/ 'inally, many beginners report a strong sense of isolation 9nlike new teachers, who can 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 little feedback from supervisors WH DOES I!D$"TIO! MATTER#

:iven the stress faced by first-year leaders, simple compassion would be reason enough 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 dispositions of 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 in university 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$ation are likely to outweigh the norms ac%uired during training !his offers districts a uni%ue opportunity to influence the goals and behaviors of new leaders )Normore/ In adapting to the school, newcomers often experience role conflict between the immediate demands of the job and the district&s reform agenda 'or example, early career principals interviewed by 6iken described a tension between the "custodial" and "innovative" dimensions of the job< they felt they had to effectively run the school as it was before taking it in a new direction 6 well-designed induction program can help novices articulate such dilemmas and find a way of achieving balance 6lthough direct empirical evidence is scarce, some researchers have speculated that formal induction programs improve retention ?inda 4orford ).77./, after interviewing ten new rural principals who had no access to any kind of induction program, found two years later that nine of them had either moved on to other positions or returned to teaching HOW DOES ME!TORI!% ASSIST I!D$"TIO!# Induction has become almost synonymous with mentoring, and understandably so 'ew newcomers will fail to benefit from having an empathetic, experienced colleague who 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 shape their 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 and colleagues .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 assistance to new principals@ , !hey provided instructional support by keeping newcomers& attention focused on learning issues and offering models of successful practice !hey provided administrative and managerial support not just by giving practical tips but by helping their proteges set

priorities !hey provided emotional support by listening carefully and being 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 the mentor, and selection of mentors who have a record of success and who are "reflective, compassionate, good listeners, good communicators, and able to speak the hard truth " WHAT ARE THE "HARA"TERISTI"S OF %OOD I!D$"TIO! PRO%RAMS# Increasingly, districts are taking a "grow your own" approach to provide newcomers with a smooth entry tailored to the context of the district 6lthough almost any assistance would be beneficial to new principals, early experience with induction programs suggests some basic principles that can guide district efforts , 6lthough new administrators often worry the most about technical skills, induction programs should help candidates stay focused on the big picture 6iken recommends that induction should "support principals through paradox, help to demystify leadership practice, and provide opportunities for collaborative and reflective learning " 6t the same time, programs must respect the immediate needs of the new administrators "owley and colleagues found that new principals in a leadership academy expressed a strong preference for focusing on what one called "practical, hands-on, get-me-through-the-first-year-so-I-can-survive stuff " !hey were much less interested in reflective portfolio activities centered around the I;??3 standards ;triking the right balance is a key challenge . Induction involves more than one-to-one mentoring (istricts can use a wide array of strategies, including portfolios, professional development plans, study groups, leadership academies, focus groups, peer coaching, workshops, and retreats )*eterson .77,/ Induction is especially powerful when it is embedded in the culture of the district, not just a one-shot "extra" activity for newcomers 'or example, New 0ork 3ity&s (istrict !wo incorporates day-long principal conferences on instructional topics, study groups, support groups, visits to other schools, and intensive "walkthroughs" by central-office supervisors )2lmore and #urney .777/ In their discussions with new principals, the researchers were struck by the degree to which new principals had internali$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#

4any districts, especially those in rural areas, have difficulty finding the personnel or money 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 include programs designed for new leaders 'or example, 8hio has developed an entry-year leadership academy built around mentoring and portfolio development 6s part of the initiative, 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./ 'or example, Aentucky and ?ouisiana use two-tiered licensure systems in which full certification comes only after successful experience as an administrator ;chool leaders are provided mentoring and other forms of assistance, leading to full-fledged certification after a successful first year !hese programs provide a natural structure into 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 weeks and 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 using assessment 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" !hrust for 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 *rincipal 4entor *rograms@ !he 2xperiences of ;ix New 0ork 3ity 3ommunity ;chool (istricts

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$ell, :ary N < +ichard 3 >illiams< and Aathleen ! Nelson New Goices in the 'ield@ !he >ork ?ives of 'irst-0ear 6ssistant *rincipals !housand 8aks, 3alifornia@ 3orwin *ress, ,--1 2( =51 -,C "owley, 6imee< Aristine 3hadwick< and 3aitlin "owlee Networking for the Nuts and #olts@ !he Ironies of *rofessional (evelopment for +ural *rincipals *aper presented at the 6nnual 4eeting of the 6merican 2ducational +esearch 6ssociation, New 8rleans, .77. .E pages 2( CD= -75 4orford, ?inda 4 "?earning the +opes or #eing "ung@ 8rgani$ational ;ociali$ation Influence on New +ural "igh ;chool *rincipals " *aper presented at the 6nnual 4eeting of the 6merican 2ducational +esearch 6ssociation, New 8rleans, .77. .7 pages 2( CDC E5= Normore, 6nthony " "*rofessional and 8rgani$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 and 8pportunities " *aper presented at the first meeting of the National 3ommission for the 6dvancement of 2ducational ?eadership *reparation, +acine, >isconsin, .77, .C pages 2( C1- 1== +icciardi, (iane "2xperiences of Aentucky *rincipal Intern *rogram *articipants@ Bob 6ssistance *rovided in the 2ntry 0ear " *aper presented at the 6nnual 4eeting of the 6merican 2ducational +esearch 6ssociation, New 8rleans, .777 .- pages 2( C1, 1-E ;outhern +egional 2ducation #oard 6re ;+2# ;tates 4aking *rogress? !aping, *reparing, and ?icensing ;chool ?eaders >ho 3an Influence ;tudent 6chievement 6tlanta@ 6uthor, .77.