Evaluation of a secondary principals' preparation program

The purpose of the study was to investigate what crucial tasks are performed by secondary school principals. Crucial tasks were identified as those validated by the practicing principals as being necessary for an effective principal to perform the job well. First the crucial tasks were identified and then validated by practicing principals. Once the crucial tasks had been validated by practicing principals as relevant to the effective job performance of a secondary school principal, a sampling of principals who had graduated from Ball State University principal preparation program between 1972-1982 were surveyed to determine if they performed the crucial tasks and where they learned how to perform the tasks. Finally the identified tasks were correlated with the curricular offerings of the Department of Educational Administration and Supervision, Teachers College, Ball State University in order to evaluate the current principals' preparation program.The sample of 65 principals surveyed to validate tasks performed by effective principals were randomly selected from practicing secondary (9-12) principals. The sample was stratified so 50 principals were Ball State University graduates and 15 principals were non Ball State graduates. The second sample of 20 principals were surveyed to determine which of the effective tasks were performed by principals, frequency of performance, consequence of inadequate performance and place tasks were learned. The 20 principals were those principals from the first sampling who had graduated from Ball State University's principals preparation program between 1972-1982.The instruments used for the surveys were developed by the author. The original tasks for Questionnaire I were generated from nine categories established from the national research study published by the National Association of Secondary School Principals Association in 1978. A purge committee of five practicing principals provided input to the appropriateness of the tasks for Questionnaire I before it was sent. The second survey, using Lickert scales, was designed to obtain information from Ball State graduate principals. The third survey was sent to the professors of the EDAD program to identify which of the 64 tasks identified as performed by effective principals were taught in the six courses required by the university for an Indiana principals' licensure. Professors were interviewed to further identify curricular content of the required courses.Nine research questions were generated for the study. Each question pertained to a specific phase of the evaluation of the Ball State University's principals' preparation program. Data was collected and reported for all nine questions. The data was presented using descriptive statistics. Raw scores were used to determine central tendencies, degree of variability, relative standings and/or correlation of the available data.Of the 64 tasks identified as performed by effective principals, 61 of the tasks were performed by Ball State graduates. A definite disparity existed between where principals perceived learning tasks and where professors perceived teaching the tasks. The principals perceived the Ball State principals' program addressing 44 out of the 64 identified tasks. Of the 64 tasks performed, the principals identified learning 16 of 64 from the university principals preparation program, 28 from university program and on the job, and 20 from only on the job.The current Ball State University, Teachers College, Department of Educational Administration and Supervision, principals' preparation program addresses the majority of tasks validated as performed by effective principals, but the faculty should review the validated tasks, group them into appropriate courses, and then develop the curriculum of each course so that the courses, combined, address the tasks in sufficient depth to adequately prepare the principals to perform them.Thesis (D. Ed.