Selected Principals\u27 Perceptions of the Importance of the National Policy Board for Educational Administration\u27s Initially Recommended Foundational Areas of Learning for Principal Education

This study was undertaken to determine selected principals\u27 perceptions of the importance of the NPBEA\u27s initially recommended seven foundational areas of learning and associated topics to be included in doctoral programs for preservice preparation of principals. A secondary purpose of the study was to determine the amount of coverage of the foundational areas and associated topics in the preparation programs of the selected principals. National samples of U.S. public elementary and secondary school principals were surveyed over a 14 week period. Except for four topics, both groups of principals perceived the areas and topics to be important. Both groups perceived an additional eight topics to be less important than the other topics. There was no significant difference between the elementary and secondary school principals\u27 perceptions of the importance of the areas and topics. Except for two areas and one topic, both groups of principals did not perceive the seven foundational areas and associated topics to have been covered in their preparation programs. Both groups perceived an additional seven topics to have been covered more than the other areas and topics. Generally, the principals perceived the areas and topics to be important, but a corresponding high degree of coverage for the areas and topics in the principals\u27 preparation programs had not been perceived. Conclusions of the study indicated that NPBEA had correctly identified a large number of topics that practicing principals perceive to be important and that should be included in one core curriculum for preparation of principals. Additionally, more detailed investigations should be completed to determine why principals perceive the topics concerned with demographic changes, organizational theory, and research to be of lower importance than the other NPBEA topics. In support of claims in the literature, preparation programs of both elementary and secondary school principals are not relevant and are inadequate in many instances because the programs do not cover to the required degree the NPBEA\u27s foundational areas and associated topics that the principals perceive to be important