The status of recent research on staff development and inservice education for teachers, administrators, and other school personnel was reviewed in studies completed between 1977 and 1984. More than 400 articles from 23 professional journals and 507 doctoral dissertations were analyzed. For each study, the research design and procedures, purposes…

Greater attention is now being directed at issues associated with the professional development of new school leaders. This paper identifies some of the major concerns of beginning school leaders across different nations, some of which include needs for knowledge about basic managerial skills, adequate socialization to the job, and a sense of self.…

This paper explores three models of professional development--from medicine, law, and the Catholic priesthood--to assess the extent to which these approaches may improve the ways in which aspiring school administrators are prepared for their new positions. The review is based on an examination of research and literature in three areas: the needs…

In an effort to compare five models used in delivering inservice instruction to administrators, a survey questionnaire was developed. The goals were to identify the principals' evaluations and perceptions of these models, to summarize the findings of the study, and to present the implications concerning the design of inservice education and the…

Educational reformists have asserted that collaborative relationships between universities and local education agencies must be firmly established if improvements are to occur in the preservice preparation of school administrators. One collaboration format involves practica and other field-based learning opportunities for aspiring administrators.…

This paper discusses the integration of four research projects that focus on educational leadership in El Paso, Texas. Each study raised the following critical issue: It is widely recognized that the quality of school leadership correlates with the quality of a particular campus's educational activities. However, traditional methods of leadership…

America faces a crisis of not being able to attract or retain individuals to serve as professional educators. Fewer people want to devote their lives to service in the classroom. Commonly cited reasons include salaries too low and too much stress associated with the job. These reasons are not new, considering they have been part of the reality of…

Previous research on principals as instructional leaders has been confined mostly to elementary schools and has disclosed little information regarding the specific behaviors used by principals in instructional leadership roles. This study focuses on high school principals' behaviors and attempts to determine the behavior differences between…

To help policymakers plan for higher quality education despite increased productivity demands and decreased financial support, this paper briefly reviews trends and issues related to three important areas: school size, grade level organization, and school management practices. Research has yet to discover the perfect school size. Arguments are…

As this monograph shows, information exists regarding mentoring's value in private business and benefits experienced by mentored school administrators. However, the literature contains few descriptions regarding benefits realized by individuals serving as mentors in programs designed to prepare educational leaders. A recent study involved the use…

A method for matching leadership mentors with beginning teachers is described in this paper, with emphasis on personality types and psychosocial characteristics. A review of literature on guide matching concludes that research is inconclusive and that matching is often based on availability. Five fundamental assumptions of the personnel matching…

Findings of a study that determined the benefits of mentoring as part of an administrator preparation program are discussed in this paper. In-depth interviews were conducted with nine practicing administrators, who worked directly with aspiring administrators who served as candidates in one cycle of the Danforth Foundation Program for the…

In this paper critical skills needed by beginning principals are identified in order to guide mentors as they support and assist novice principals by indicating effective ways of dealing with critical responsibilities. A review of related literature and research-based information is presented followed by a description of the study. Findings were…

Recent research has suggested that administrator preparation programs based exclusively on university courses are not very effective. Individuals progressing through innovative programs allowing greater opportunities for reflection and collaborative school/university activities should be better prepared to deal with the complex issues facing…