The first year in the life of a new principal: An accelerated transition plan
Abstract
This study is a dissertation written as a journal representation of a personal story. The First Year in the Life of a New Principal: An Accelerated Transition Plan characterizes one school year, with a specific focus on the first 90 days, during the transition of a novice principal to a middle school in Connecticut. Educational research highlights the unrealistic expectations of the role of a modern day principal, as well as the lack of efficient preparation in graduate education schools and district-based administrator inductee programs. When a new leader fails, it can have a career-ending affect on the individual, but every leadership failure is costly for the organization as well. The research explores the applicability of a 90-day accelerated transition plan for corporate CEOs, to a new administrator in an educational setting. Portraiture as a method of qualitative research and the process of imbedding relevant literature within the journal were employed. The research investigates the methodical use of a transition plan's critical success strategies and framework to accelerate adaptation during the succession of a new principal. The tale is presented from my viewpoint as I experienced the successes and failures associated with being a novice principal. After the narrative is complete, the results of following a business-oriented accelerated transition plan are analyzed to determine the application of this cohesive approach to the field of education. This is explored by examining the effects of its use on the individual leader and on the organization (school) as a whole. The First Year in the Life of a New Principal: An Accelerated Transition Plan argues for the power of implementing a formal accelerated transition plan for novice principals, districts, individual schools, and, most importantly, for students.
Subject Area
Educational administration
Recommended Citation
Gross, Stacey Gail, "The first year in the life of a new principal: An accelerated transition plan" (2008). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI3312057.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI3312057
