Upward Mobility Determinants for the Elementary Principalship

UPWARD MOBILITY DETERMINANTS FOR THE ELEMENTARY PRINCIPALSHIP by Lynda Sue Gr e en e The p r i m a r y o b j e c t i v e o f t h i s s t u d y was t o i d e n t i f y d e t e r m i n a n t s o f upward m o b i l i t y f o r i n d i v i d u a l s who s u b s e q u e n t l y a c h i e v e e l e m e n t a r y p r i n c i p a l s h i p s . S i n c e many e d u c a t o r s a s p i r e t o e l e m e n t a r y p r i n c i p a l s h i p s , a w a r e n e s s of t a n g i b l e and i n t a n g i b l e d e t e r m i n a n t s i s i m p o r t a n t t o p r i n c i p a l s h i p c a n d i d a t e s i n t h e i r upward movement t o t h e e l e m e n t a r y p r i n c i p a l s h i p . The b a s i c r e s e a r c h t o o l was a q u a l i t a t i v e r e s e a r c h i n t e r v i e w . A p u r p o s i v e s a m p l e was used i n v o l v i n g i n d i v i d u a l s w i t h i d e n t i f i e d e x p e r t i s e and w i t h a c c e s s to c e r t a i n d e s i r e d i n f o r m a t i o n . T h e r e f o r e , t h e s t u d y i n v o l v e d two l e v e l s o f a d m i n i s t r a t i v e p e r s o n n e l s u p e r i n t e n d e n t s who recommend and e l e m e n t a r y p r i n c i p a l s who h av e been a p p o i n t e d t o p o s i t i o n s w i t h i n s c h o o l s y s t e m s . The s ampl e i n c l u d e d 21 s c h o o l s u p e r i n t e n d e n t s who had recommended e l e m e n t a r y p r i n c i p a l s i n t h e l a s t t h r e e y e a r s and 33 e l e m e n t a r y p r i n c i p a l s h i r e d b e c a u s e o f t h e i r r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s . S u p e r i n t e n d e n t s i n t h e F i r s t and E a s t T e n n e s s e e Deve l opment D i s t r i c t s , and e l e m e n t a r y p r i n c i p a l s h i r e d i n t h o s e d i s t r i c t s wer e i d e n t i f i e d a s t h e s a m p l e . F i n d i n g s o f t h i s s t u d y r e v e a l t h a t s u p e r i n t e n d e n t s and p r i n c i p a l s were g e n e r a l l y i n a g r e e m e n t c o n c e r n i n g t h e e x i s t e n c e o f s e l e c t i o n i n f l u e n c i n g d e t e r m i n a n t s . S u p e r i n t e n d e n t s r e p o r t e d t h e y r e l i e d h e a v i l y on an a s p i r a n t ' s t r a c k r e c o r d , p r o f e s s i o n a l a p p e a r a n c e , p r o f e s s e d l o y a l t y , d i r e c t t h o u g h t p r o c e s s e s , e x t r a work w i t h o u t c o m p l a i n t , p r o f e s s i o n a l g r o w t h , c u r r i c u l u m e x p e r i e n c e , c o n f i d e n c e , l e a d e r s h i p a b i l i t i e s , v i s i b i l i t y i n t h e s c h o o l s e t t i n g and communi ty , and " f i t . 11 E l e m e n t a r y p r i n c i p a l s r e p o r t e d s e l e c t i o n d e t e r m i n a n t s a s an e x c e l l e n t t r a c k r e c o r d , v i s i b i l i t y i n a s c h o o l s e t t i n g and t h e communi t y , d i r e c t t h o u g h t p r o c e s s e s , c o n f i d e n c e , p o s i t i v e w i t h p e o p l e and p a r e n t s , p r o f e s s i o n a l d r e s s , k n o w l ed g e on a d m i n i s t r a t i o n , p o s i t i v e a t t i t u d e , e x t r a work w i t h o u t c o m p l a i n t , l o y a l t y , l e a d e r s h i p , c u r r i c u l u m e x p e r t i s e , a b i l i t y t o c o m m u n i c a t e , and h a v i n g a m e n t o r r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h one p r e s e n t l y i n an a d m i n i s t r a t i v e o r s u p e r v i s o r y p o s i t i o n w i t h i n t h e s c h o o l s y s t e m . Even t h o u g h s u p e r i n t e n d e n t s and p r i n c i p a l s were