Presents field study research focused on (1) the socialization processes that the assistant principal undergoes as an aspiring administrator and (2) the processes that make an assistant principal effective and mobile within the organizational structure. Reports that roles and tasks are often poorly defined and that assessments of job performance…

The position of assistant principal has been virtually ignored and sometimes maligned. Based on perspectives that arise from administrative theory, career development research, and school administration studies, this document describes the special nature of the assistantship, daily work, rewards, and frustrations. Five chapters include: (1) "What…

Introduces special issue on the role of the assistant principal. Briefly reviews the contents of a series of articles which examines research on assistant principals, describes their experiences and major functions, and discusses their potential contributions to managing and improving instruction. (KH)

The assistant principalship holds a critical position in education organizations because it is an entry-level position for administrative careers. Assistant principals maintain the norms and rules of school culture and handle the conflicts arising among teachers, students, and the community. Principals who work as administrative teams with their…

Describes research in the process of decision making and socialization in the careers of women administrators. Shows how organizational policies and career norms affect women's incentives and opportunities for training. Suggests that contraditions of feminine and administrator roles and norms often lead to strain, and sometimes failure.…

This paper describes research that attempted to discover and describe the socialization process in school administrative careers that support or hinder women's decision-making for a career in school administration. After a theoretical framework was set up, twenty-five successful women administrators were interviewed and the data were analyzed. One…

Common views of the assistant principal (AP) as the "Marine Corps sergeant type" with nowhere better to be are outdated. Career APs have diverse roles in school administration, often including, but not limited to, discipline. Many career APs find rewards in working with children and put high value on having a balanced personal life. Two…

Women's participation in school administration is low and actually declining, despite legislation, affirmative action, and special programs. This article views the research guiding educational policy as useful, but concerned with ancillary issues. After a literature review of sex discrimination, administrator gender differences, role conflicts,…

This paper identifies four models of educational administration--the rational, mechanistic, organic, and bargaining models--and argues that a fifth model of leadership--a caring model--is needed. The ethic of caring (Nodding, 1986) is reciprocal, natural, and ethical and emphasizes connection, responsibilities, and relationships. Creating a model…

Analyzes the assistant principalship in terms of socialization, the enculturation process, and the actual work activity of assistant principals. Training and work of assistant principals should be restructured to avoid a trend toward development of a custodial, non-risk taking, noninstructional leader orientation. (PS)

This book presents an in-depth look, from entry to retirement, at all aspects of the administrative career. It uses the case-method teaching approach to discuss critical issues in education, specifically, cases of entry, equity, and endurance dilemmas. A total of 133 fictional cases are presented, based on interviews with school administrators and…

Findings of a study that examined the teacher-administrator relationship from a micropolitical perspective are presented in this paper. Data were derived from interviews with 12 new administrators from school districts within a 50-mile radius of a major metropolitan area in the eastern United States. The micropolitical analysis identifies power…

Studies school-site administrators' understanding about ways of gaining/maintaining power, control, and predictability. Multisite study data concerning assistant principals identify rules of the game for four micropolitical (site-level assumptive world) domains. Assumptive worlds create avoidance of value conflicts and risky change, group-think…

School administrators' uses of subjective understandings and common language to gain and maintain power and predictability in their environments are described. Micropolitical theory, with a focus on language, is utilized to understand administrators' knowledge of the assumptive worlds of their subculture, and how these assumptive worlds constrain…