m PRINCIPALSHIP IN was man SCHOGLS a? ma
SOUTHERN Assamnon or COLLEGES AND SECONDARY
moms

Thai: iambic?“ cf Ph. D.
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Alan Rufus Toneison
1963

THESIS

     
      

LIBRARY

Michigan gtato
UnivchltY

This is to certify that the

thesis entitled

The Principalship In Large High Schools
Of The Southern Association Of
Colleges and Secondary Schools

presented by

Alan Rufus Tonelson

has been accepted towards fulfillment
of the requirements for

Mdegree in Philosophy

,K/Q/zex/ 1

Major professor

 

 

l 0-169

_ —-v..——._ - ,7 - ,fi

 

 

 

 

ABSTRACT

THE PRINCIPALSHIP IN LARGE HIGH SCHOOLS OF THE
SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND
SECONDARY SCHOOLS

by Alan Rufus Tonelson

Purpose of the Study

This investigation of individuals in the high school
principalship was undertaken to (1) reveal their personal
background, (2) appraise their academic and professional
preparation, (3) identify their responsibilities, (h) identify
their problems, (5) appraise their morale, (6) determine
the allocation of their time at work as well as their pre-
ferred time allotment, (7) study their goals, (8) gauge
their economic status, and (9) discover existing patterns

of promotion.

Limitations of the Study
The study was limited to principals of member high

schools of the Southern Association of Colleges and Sec-
ondary Schools. Only schools with pupil enrollments 1,000

and over were included in the investigation.

2 Alan Rufus Tonelson

Methods and Procedures
A questionnaire was developed and distributed to
the sample group of 306 principals. Data collected from
256 respondents were used as the basis for findings and

recommendations.

Findings

Personal Data

The principals were males, southerners by birth and
tended to remain in this geographic region. The approximate
median age was forty-seven years. Generally, they were

married.

Academic and Professional Preparation

They possessed.Master's degrees and had the equiva-
lent of a semester of graduate work beyond this degree. The
majority held the highest educational certificate issued
in their state.

As undergraduates they majored or minored in the
humanities, science, or mathematics and participated in
under-graduate activities. As graduate students they placed
highest value on courses in administration, and strongly
emphasized the importance of study in supervision and our-
riculum.

The majority taught science, mathematics, or social

studies with 17.5 years of teaching experience.

3 Alan Rufus Tonelson

Qgties_apg_Responsibilities

A comparison of the actual time reported as spent
in carrying out their duties compared with the time they
preferred to spend in an ideal situation generally indicated
a positive relationship. However, duties related to the
improvement of instruction, supervision of teachers, and
curriculum fell within the category of insufficient time
'allotment. In contrast to this too much time was taken up

by office work and disciplinary problems.

Problems
Major problems cited were low teacher salaries,
shortage of well-trained teachers, inadequate physical

facilities, and too much clerical work.

Satisfactions and Dissatisfactions

I Greatest satisfaction was derived in working with
pupils and in the challenge of providing a sound educational
program. Dissatisfactions were created by punitive re-
sponsibility, too many meetings, clerical work, and dealing
with the public.

Goals and Aspirations
Generally, the principals favored a career in public

education and were content to remain in the principalship.

4 Alan Rufus Tonelson

Egpnomic Status

Annual salaries ranged from $5,000 to more than
$9,000 with the median being $8,h00. A third of the prin-
cipals reported they found it necessary to augment their
salaries. Generally, this was accomplished through ex-
tension teaching, investments, or wives working. One-third
favored longer contracts than now held, for reasons of

security.

Patterns_9f Promotion

Principals were nominated by the superintendent with
approval of the school board. They were usually chosen
from the classroom teachers within the school system.
Maturity, experience, executive and leadership ability, and
an understanding of human relations were major considerations

in the selection.

Professional and_09mmu§itygActivities
The majority belonged to professional organizations
and approximately 50 per cent had written articles or books.

Most were active church and civic workers.

Eersgpal Characteristicsrgonppibutinggtopgpccess

Honesty, ability to work with others, willingness to
accept responsibility, interest in pupils, organizational
ability, and intelligence were cited as personal character-

istics contributing to a successful principalship.

5 Alan Rufus Tonelson
Recommendations

There is a need for study to establish more general_
agreement concerning the nature of the principalship and
of the duties and responsibilities involved.

Greater consideration needs to be given to the use
of the assistant principalship as a type of internship.
Superintendents should attempt to identify teachers with
leadership potential and to place them as assistant prin-
cipals.

There is a need to relieve the principal from cleri-
cal duties and to enable him to exercise effective educa-
tional leadership.

Evaluation is needed to determine whether qualified
individuals can continue to be attracted to the principal-
ship without significantly increasing remuneration.

Study should be given to the advisability of graduate
programs in school administration being geared to the needs
of the principalship in the geographic area which the gradu-
ate school serves.

Graduate preparation of principals should include
appreciation and understanding of the pupil personnel pro-
gram.

Procedures should be developed for assisting prin-

czipals in dealing with individual and community pressures.

THE PRINCIPALSHIP IN LARGE HIGH SCHOOLS OF THE
SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND
SECONDARY SCHOOLS

by

Alan Rufus Tonelson

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

College of Education

1963

nvv"‘

3/3/H

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many individuals have aided the writer in this in—
vestigation and it is with a sense of gratitude that this
debt to colleagues and friends is acknowledged.

The writer expresses his sincere thanks to Dr.
William H. Roe for his guidance, constructive criticism, and
patience during the progress of this study. To the other
members of his doctoral committee, Dr. Clyde M. Campbell,
Dr. Walter F. Johnson, and Dr. John Useem, grateful acknowl-
edgment is expressed.

A debt of gratitude is owed to Dr. D. J. Herrmann,
Miss Reina Puckett, Dr. Raymond G. Wilson, Dr. George J.
Oliver, and Dr. George R. Myers, whose continuous prodding
was so necessary for the sustained effort and progress of
this report.

Grateful thanks are due to my wife Sara, and sons,
Louis and Stevie, for their many sacrifices, their patience,
and their sympathetic understanding which made,this study
possible.

ii

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . .
IIIST OF TABIIES C O O O O O O O O O 0
LIST OF APPENDICES . . . . . . . 3 .

Chapter

I. INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT or
Background for the Study .
Statement of the Problem .
Scope of the Study . . . .
Methodology of the Study .
Definitions of Terms . . .
Limitations of the Study .
Plan of Presentation of Data

II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE . .

Introduction . . . . . . .

THE

PROBLEM

Development of the Principalship
Sources of Information on the Principalship
Previous Studies of the Principalship . . .
Reports from Special Committees . . . . . .
Reports on State Studies . . . . . . . . .
Reports on Specific Aspects of the Position
summarYOOQOO'oooooooeooooo

III. PROCEDURES OF THE STUDY . . .

General Methods 0 o o o o 0

Selection of the Instrument

Construction of the Instrume
Selection of the Sample
Conducting the Research
.Method of Analysis . .
SWI‘Yoooooooo

iii

nt

Page
ii
vi

viii

cnsaowd Ia

Table of Contents

Chapter.
IV. THE HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL--THE

E

IntrOdUCtion o o o o o 0

Personal Data 0 o e o o o o o e o o o 0
Educational Background . . . . . . . . .
Background Of Experience 0 o o e o o o 0
Professional Activities . . . . . . . .
FinanCial Status 0 e o o o o o o o o o 0
Educational Goals 0 o o o o o o o o o 0
Community Activities . . . . . . . . . .
Summary 0 o o o o o o o o o o o o o o e

V. THE HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALSHIP--THE POSITION

seleCtion and Entry 0 o o o o o o ; o o
Mability o o o 0'. o o o o o o e o o o 0
Personal Characteristics Contributing to

success 0 o o o o o o o o o o o o

JOb Status 0 o o o o o o o o e o o o o 0
Major PrOblemS o o o o 0,. o o o o o o 0
Sources of Satisfaction . . . . . . . .
Sources of Dissatisfaction . . . . . . .
Summary 0 o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

0.0...

VI. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PRINCIPAL

IHtrOdUCtion o o o o o o o o o o o 0
Scope of Duties and Responsibilities . .

Factors on Which.Many Principals Spend Less

Time Than They Should in an Ideal Situ-
atiqn o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o 0

Factors on Which.Many Principals Spend More

Time Than They Should in an Ideal Situ-
at ion 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O O 0

Factors on Which Principals Lack Agreement

Regarding the Time Allotment in Both
Actual and Ideal Situations . . . . .
Factors Which Are Generally Agreed to Re-
quire a Smaller Percentage of the Prin-

Cipals Time a o o o o o o o o o 0

Factors Which Do Not Appear to be Considered

as a Major Responsibility of the Prin-
cipal of the Large High School . . . .
The Dragon Stady o o o o o o o o o o 0
Summary 0 o o o o o o o o o o o o o 0

iv

109
11h
118
121
12h
127
130
133
133
131+
137
139

1&1

1&2
11.6

Chapter

VII. SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS . . . . . . .

SELECTED B
APPENDICES

Table of Contents

TheStudYOOOOOOOOOOOO
Summary of Findings . . . . . . .
The High School Principal--The Man

The High School Principalship-~The Position

Duties and Responsibilities of High School

PI'iDCipals o o o o o o o o do 0 o o o o 0
Comparison With Results of Previous Studies
or 3 Similar Nature 0 o o o o o o o o o 0

Recommendations 0 o o o o o o o o
The Emerging Principalship . . .

IBLIOGRAPHY O C O O O O O O O O O

Page
149
149
150
151
153
154
155
156
159
162

170

Table
1.

2.
3.
h.

5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.

15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

LIST OF TABLES

Number of principals returning questionnaires
by States 0 o.- o o o o o o o o o o o o o 0

Age Of principals o e o o o o o o o o o o o c

Number of offspring . . . . . . . . .'. . . .

State in which principal was born
serving . . . . . . . . . . . .

Graduate hours in education . . .
Type of college attended . . . .
Undergraduate major . . . . . . .
Undergraduate activities . . . .

Honors aChISVQd o o o o 0.0 o o 0

Graduate courses considered as most

and

is now

0 O C O
C O O O
O O O O
O O O O
O O O 0

helpful .

PrOfGSSional certificate held 0 o o o o o o 0

Range of years taught and level of teaching . _
Subject area taught prior to the principalship

Reasons influencing decision to enter adminis-
tration o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o 0

Membership in professional organizations . .

Annual salary o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o 0
Need to augment salary and additional employment
Amount of additional income . . . . . . . . . .

Community participation . . . . . . . . . . .

Page

6h
68
7O

71
75
77
78
79
80
82
85
87
89

91
92
95
97
97
102

Age at entry into the principalship . . . . . . 108

vi

List of Tables

Table ‘ N Page
210 NMber 0f principalships he 1d 0 o o o o o o o o 109
22. Number of years in present position . . . . . . 110

23. Position held prior to first appointment as
principal..................111

24. Source for filling vacancies in the principal-
Shipooooooooooooooooooeo112

8
25. Reasons for changing position . . . . . . . . . 11A

26. Selected personal characteristics contributing
tosuccess0000.00.00.0000000116

27. Administrative relationships . . . . . . . . . 119
28.Majorprob1ems................122

29. Time allotment of duties and responsibilities
in actual and ideal situations . . . . . . . 135

30. Rho correlations on time spent and principals'
Opinions on how time should be spent . . . . 143

vii

LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix Page

A. The QUBStionnaire o o o o o o o o o o o o o 171

B. Secondary-Schools included in this Study,
by State, City or County, Name of School,
Name of Principal, and Pupil Enrollment 175

C. Cover Letters Accompanying Questionnaire . 191
Fallow-'11!) Letter 0 o o o o o o o o o o 193
Facsimile of First Follow-up Postal Card Re-
quest.................. 19L
Facsimile of Second Follow-up Postal Card
Requestooooooooooooooooo 195

viii

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Background for the Study

The high school in the United States has grown and
developed with general acceptance based upon a foundation
of law and the apparent faith in the belief that public
education provides the means and methods for achieving
effective citizenship in a democracy. As the system of
public secondary schools has developed in the United States,
educators with vision have sought to adapt the school to
the needs of a continuously changing society. While mmlti- I
tudinous factors have undoubtedly had some influence on
the changing nature of the American high schools, a number
of strong influences stand out.

The purpose of the high school has changed from an
institution intended to prepare an elite group for college
work to the comprehensive high school which is designed to
provide appropriate educational opportunities for all
American youth. This change has resulted from a myriad of
factors, among which are the various compulsory attendance
laws which require all youth to attend school until attain-
ing a certain chronological age. The net result has been
the development of a complex curriculum necessitated by the

l

2
heterogeneous needs and abilities of the students in the
comprehensive high school.

The transition of our society from predominantly
rural to predominantly urban has also led to modification
of the secondary schools. This transition coupled with the
much discussed population explosion following Werld War II
has resulted in a tremendous increase in enrollments in
secondary schools, particularly in the rapidly growing urban
centers of population.

A third factor which has resulted in a modification
of the nature and purpose of the secondary school is the
change in the nature of the employment market. Increasing
technological developments, including automation, have re-
sulted in a change in the educational and training require-
ments for available jobs. The public has come to realize
that effective education is essential if the youth are to
be prepared for the type of employment opportunities which
will be available after they leave school.

It may be noted that each of the changes discussed
above has tended to result in school units with larger en-
rollments and more complex curricula. These changes have
also tended to emphasize the need for skilled administrative
leadership for the efficient and effective operation of
these large and complex secondary schools.

The importance of the continually changing nature

of our society is often forgotten in the administration of

3
our schools. ‘There is always the danger that the adminis-

trative organization will follow a pattern that has proved
to be satisfactory for the past without any regard for new
growth and development. American public schools, function—
ing within an increasingly complex setting, with its tech-
nological advances, automation, birth rate increase, and
population migrations from rural to urban life and to
suburban areas would seem to demand administrative leader-
ship based upon professional training, educational experi-
ence, and exceptional personal qualities.

It does not seem likely as we enter the "space age"
that our schools will retain the status quo. Schools are
a means by which technological and sociological progress
will be made. Despite the marked changes that have taken
place in the secondary schools within the past few decades,
more rapid and radical changes are probably yet to come as
these schools change to meet the needs of the times. As
these changes occur, the qualifications and the role of the
educational leaders must also change. Those who will assume
the new type of educational leadership in this complex so-
ciety must adopt a positive role in shaping the personal
and social ideals of youth in an effort to achieve the goals
of our democratic society. In addition they must have in-
sights into other disciplines such as sociology, psychology,
business, law, and political science, for these are closely

related to educational administration.

4
As the concept of educational administration con-
tinues to evolve in this century, it appears that greater
emphasis is being placed upon the responsibility of the.
individual administrator. It is particularly important in
regard to the public school principalship. Such a respon-
sibility is proper as Chandler and Petty state:

The importance of the principalship has increased
significantly in recent years. With larger school
districts and a greater degree of purely administra-
tive responsibility placed upon the school superin-
tendent, the school principal has had to assume a
more direct responsibility for what happens or fails
to happen in a particular school.1

In discussing the concept of dynamic leadership as
it pertains to the principalship Hunt and Pierce have this
to say:

If the principalship is to realize its fullest
potential, its personnel must adopt the concept of
dynamic leadership. There can be no place for the
principal who is a follower or a neutral in the im-
provement of the educational program. He must have
the qualities of a leader, and the insight of evi-
dence shows that these are the result of sound train-
ing and experience built on wholesome, though not
necessarily brilliant personal endowments.2

'The principalship is a vital position in the American
public school system. In describing the key role of the
principal Corbally, et a1. state:

1B. J. Chandler and Paul V. Petty, Personnel Mana e-
A n r n (New York: WOrId Book Company,
1955 . P- 598.

2Harold 0. Hunt and Paul R. Pierce, The Practice of
School Administration (Boston: Houghton MiffIIn Company,

1 5 p P0 5h“-

5

"Principalship” and "leadership" are synonymous
in education. The principal is in a position to affect
attitude, social climate, morale, progress, cooperation,
and direction of effort in the secondary school. He
is the key person charged with the responsibilities of
improving instruction. Despite the frustrations of
administration and demands on his time, the effective
principal realizes that the improvement of instruction
is his most important responsibility. No one expects
him to be an expert in all instructional areas, but
he is expected to be an expert in coordinating, or-
ganizing, stimulating, activating, encouraging, arrang-
ing, planning, and evaluating techniques directed toward
improvement of instruction in all areas and on all
levels.

Studies of role expectancies of the high school prin-
cipal invariably point to leadership as the number one
expectation, partly because of the position's status
factor, but more because the principal is expected to
exhibit leadership with his personal and professional
competencies. Surely a certain amount of prestige
accompanies the office, but it hardly follows that an
individual is a leader merely because he holds a status
position. Nor does it follow that a person is a leader
because he exercises authority.3

French, Hull, and Dodds in discussing the role of
the principal as it affects secondary education and the
community have this to say:

Never before has it been so_important that those
who organize and administer secondary education in the
United States have the fullest degree of professional
competence. Changes in social and economic conditions
have increased the pressure on conventional secondary
education and schools.h

 

3John E. Corbally, Jr., T. J. Jensen, and w. Frederick
Staub, Ed at onal Administration° The Secondar School
(Boston: AIIyn and Bacon, Inc., I96I), pp. Ila-ITS.
hWill French Dan J. Hull and B. L. Dodds Amepican
’ ' (New or :

Hi School dministration: Polic and P actice
RIneHart and Company, Inc., I957), p. 23.

6
And they further state:
Unless a principal is effective in helping a com-
munity, the faculty and the students bring into being
a high school in which the free concepts that his
ability as a social scientist and an educator has
helped them visualize and desire, he has failed in
the most important aspect of the position.5
It appears, therefore, that a more intensive study
of the role and responsibilities of the principalship might
‘ provide a contribution toward the improvement of educational
opportunities for American Youth as the position has been
given but cursory treatment by writers and authorities in

public school administration.

Statement of the Problem

This is a study of men in the position of high school
principal. The purpose of the study is: (1) to reveal
their personal background; (2) to appraise their academic
and professional preparation; (3) to identify their re-
sponsibilities; (A) to identify their problems; (5) to
appraise their morale; (6) to determine the allocation of
their time at work on the basis of their school day as well
as on the suggested time allotment they would prefer if
given a choice: (7) to study their goals; (8) to gauge
their economic status: (9) to discover existing patterns

of promotion. This purpose will be accomplished through

 

5Ibid., p. 25.

7
an analysis of the data provided by principals currently

employed in the selected sample of secondary schools.

I

Scope of the Study
The study is an analysis of existing conditions in
.the member schools of eleven states comprising the Southern
Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. It was made
on a regional basis in order that the data might be as com-
prehensive as possible. The sample was limited to those
high schools having an enrollment of 1,000 or more pupils.
Regional and enrollment limitations seemed advisable for
many reasons:

1. The principals of the member schools of this
regional accrediting association maintain professional
contacts and interact through regional conventions, committee
meetings and study groups.

2. The accrediting association thrOugh its adopted
policies maintains a uniformity of requirements and services.

3. The results of a local situation or of a single
state study might be deemed too narrow in scope and not
valid if used in another locality or in another state. Con-
versely, a national study might be deemed too broad in
scope to accurately reflect the situation in specific areas.

A. There are a limited nhmber of principals employed
in: schools whose enrollments fall within the limits of the
sample outlined in the design of this study. Therefore, it

8
appears desirable to sample the population on a regional
basis in order that a sufficient number of cases might be
included to assure a statistically stable group for processing
data. '

5. Evaluations that might be obtained from a small
geographical area might reflect the point of view of a single
training institution or of a single authority who was in-
fluential in that particular area and thus the evaluations
would not be truly representative of the opinions of prin-

cipals generally.

Methodology of the Study
This study was conducted as a descriptive study
using the techniques of the normative survey.
Good and Scates in discussing this type of research

state:

Much of the significance and importance of descriptive-
survey studies lies in the possibility of investigating
the status of conditions at any given time and of re-
peating the survey at a later date, thus providing de-
scriptions or cross-sections at different periods of
time, in order that comparisons may be made, the direc-
tion of change noted and evaluated, and future growth
or development predicted. Such guidance is of relatively
great importancg in our complex and rapidly changing
modern society.

 

6Carter V. Good and Douglas E. Scates, Methods of
Res arch (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc., I954),
p0 i560

9

And again these authors comment:

Many survey-status studies emphasize present con-
ditions with an implication of the idea that things
will change. This vital interest in trends as the
dynamics of status is in keeping with the general
dynamic emphasis or outlook of present thought on ree
search methodology.7

Barr, Davis, and Johnson in discussing status studies

write:

Without knowledge of status and its adequacy there
is much working in the dark. Not only is a knowledge
of status important in and of itself, but as a founda-
tion‘gor the interpretation of many other kinds of
data. .

Whitney in commenting On this type of descriptive

research states: "To characterize it briefly, it may be
said that descriptive research is fact-finding with adequate
interpretation."9

In an effort to secure the needed data a corres-

pondence method using the questionnaire was utilized and
the instrument that was devised was sent to principals of
high schools with an enrollment of 1,000 or more students.
The instrument was prepared to secure responses to certain
questions concerned with personal and professional char-

acteristics of high school principals and was divided into

 

7Ibid., p. 551.

8Arvii s. Barr, Robert A. Davis and Palmer 0. John-
son, Educational Res arch d A raisal (New York: J. B.
Lippincott Company, I955), p. I55.

9Frederick Lawson Whitney, The Elements of Rose rch
(New York: Prentice Hall, Inc., 1950), p. I50.

10
two categories (1) free response, in which the respondent
supplied the word or words; and, (2) selection type, in
which the respondent selected the response from among those
presented within the items. ‘

The particular cut-off point of 1,000 pupil enroll-
ment was selected because schools of this size tend to have
a full-time administrator. Such schools have been members
of the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools,
for a longer period of time than have schools with smaller
enrollments. Because of this they are generally more widely
accredited by the Association.

The administration of such schools involves readily
discernible features and problems that differ greatly from
those encountered in smaller high schools. ’

The growing tendency in the South toward larger high
schools through consolidation, the classification of high
schools with enrollments of 1,000 or more pupils as large
high schools,10 the suggestion of the Executive Secretary
of the Commission on Secondary Schools of the Southern Asso-
ciation that the study be concentrated on the principalship
of such schools, together with the fact that the writer's
experience has been in schools of this size further deter-

.mined the cut-off point.

 

1OEdmondson, Roemer, and Bacon, 0 . cit., p. 566.

11

In devising the questionnaire, eight major categories
were set up as follows:

1. Personal Data

2. Duties and Responsibilities

3. Major Problems .

A. Personal Characteristics Contributing to Success

5. Morale

6. Financial

7. Professional Activities

8. Community Participation

The respondents were requested to check the appro-
priate answer or to provide appropriate data through free
response techniques. -The data.wenathen analyzed according
to accepted practices. A more detailed account of the
methodology used in this study will be found in Chapter
III.

Definitions of Terms

Sapphern Association of Colleges gpd Secondapy

Schools.--The accrediting agency for colleges and secondary
schools embracing the following Southern States: Alabama,
Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
Secondgpz School.-~The term given to any school
which provides a program of learning for those enrolled in
grades seven through twelve, grades eight through twelve,

grades nine through twelve,_or grades ten through twelve.

12 .
Secongapz Sghool Principa1.--The person designated

as the administrative officer in charge of a particular
school providing a program of secondary education as defined

by Good.11

Limitations of the Study

This study has certain limitations that should be
recognized if the data presented are to be intelligently
interpreted. Certain of these limitations are inherent
in the normative survey technique while other limits were
determined by the sample and by the nature of the data in-
cluded in this particular study.

Limitatipns of the Questionpaire Techpigue.--Certain
limitations of questionnaire research are discussed by Good
and Scates,12 Mildred Parten,13 Whitney,14 and other author-
ities on research methods. Included in these limitations are:

1. It is extremely difficult to state the items in
the questionnaire with sufficient clarity so that each re-
spondent has exactly the same understanding of the inferma-

tion requested.

11Carter V. Good, Dictiona of Education (New York:
McCraw-Hill Book Company, nc., AS , p. .

12Good and Scates, op. pit., p. 683.

13Mildred Parten, Surve Poll and Sam 1es (New
York: Harper & Brothers, I955), pp. 353 et sqq.

11"Whitney, op. cit., pp. 140 et sqq.

g 13 .
2. It is usually possible for the respondent to

express only the information specifically requested by the
items of the instrument without opportunity to give reasons
for the responses, additional pertinent data, possible ex-
ceptions and other data which might give deeper meaning to
the data. '

3. Practical limits on the length of the instruments
prevent intensive ihvestigation of all pertinent aspects
of a complex area such as the secondary school principal-
ship.

4. It is usually impossible to obtain returns from
every member of-a sample contacted through a mailed question-
naire. There is a question, therefore, whether those who re-.
spond are typical of the total sample.

Limitations Unigue to This SpudI.--There are other
limitations in the data which result from the nature of
this particular investigation. Some of these are:

l. The sample was limited to schools of a specific
enrollment from a specific geographical region. Any impli-
'cations drawn from the results of this study for application~
to schools cf smaller enrollment or located outside this
region would have to be drawn with the greatest care and
caution.

2. The population of the sample tended to concentrate
in four of the eleven states included in the study.15 -It

 

lSTexas, Florida, Virginia, and Georgia.

14
is possible, therefore, that the data may reflect unduly
such factors as state school laws and policies and the level
of support for public secondary education in those four
states.

3. The instrument used to gather the data for the
study was constructed around a concept of the school prin-
cipalship drawn from the rather limited statements of
authors of publications in school administration. The val-
‘idity of the content of the questionnaire, therefore, will I
be highly correlated to the validity of the writings of
these authorities. f

A Every attempt has been made in this study to recog-
nize these limitations, to minimize their effect whenever
possible, and to draw conclusions and implications from the

data in view of these limits.

Plan of Presentation of Data

This study is preSented in seven chapters which are
organized in terms of generally related areas of data con-
cerning the secondary school principal. Each of these major
areas becomes a chapter in the presentation. Chapter I
includes a statement of the problem and an introduction to
the study; Chapterll contains the development of the prin-
cipalship and a review of the literature related to the
study; Chapter III consists of a detailed review of the

procedures used in the study; Chapter IV reports on the

15

'personal data of the respondents; Chapter V discusses the
principalship; Chapter V1 is concerned with duties and
responsibilities; and Chapter VII is the final chapter which
includes the summary, conclusions drawn from the study, and

implications for further study. '

CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Introduction
In preparing a study of the high school principal
and responsibilities of his position, it should be of value
to investigate the previous work that has been done by re-
sponsible authorities in this area.
‘ The results of the investigation of the literature
will be presented in two major divisions; a historical
_ development of the principalship and the results of studies
which have been made of significant aspects of the position.

Development of the Principalship

.The rise of the high school in 1820 began the de-
velopment of the public secondary school and the growth
of the modern secondary school principal. Therefore, the‘
high school principalship is the oldest administrative
position in American education and is an outgrowth of the
Master system which had its beginnings in an earlier day.
At this time the practice was to have reading and writing
' schools housed in the same building with a grammar master ‘
in charge of the reading school and a writing master in
charge‘of the other school. The pupils in such schools
divided their time between the two masters. This divided

16

l7

authority hindered the development of local school admin-
istration. The Lancastrian, or monitorial system also
hindered the development of local school administration,
since under this sytem one person was responsible for in?
structing a large class, which made it necessary to employ
a number of monitors to aid in keeping order. Eventually,
these monitors in turn, began to operate in separate rooms
thereby necessitating a need for a head teacher.' This inf
dividual was known as the "principal teacher" or "head-
master." The term headmaster'is in common use today in
.the private school and it designates the administrative
head.1 I i

That the early high school principalship was not a
professional position as it is conceived of today is well
illustrated by the function of this school leader. The
duties assigned to the "headmaster” were quite varied. In
addition to his management of the necessary routines which
consisted of teaching and administering his school, it was
his responsibility to make necessary arrangements for clean-
ing and heating the school building, keeping records, serving
as the town clerk, visiting the sick, ringing the church
bell, and on occasions employing a birch rod in whipping
recalcitrant pupils.

 

1Paul Jacobson, William c. Reavisf’ James D. Logsdon,
r

Duties of School Principals (New York: entice—Hall, Inc.,
5,13073- .

18

The development of the public school system.has been
so rapid that those individuals who have been in charge of
its operation have been so engrossed in developing the
practical side of school administration, that a study of the
evolution of the principalship has been neglected.

In an attempt to trace the evolution of this admin-
istrative office Ensign names James Sturm of Strassburg,
Germany, as the forerunner of great secondary school admin-
istrators. Ensign in writing about this sixteenth century
administrator says:

With wisdom beyond that of his years and period,

and with skill rarely found, even today, he organized
the Strassburg ”Gymnasium? so effectively that it be-
came a model for all those great secondary schools
which Germany produced in a later century. But pre-
liminary to this organization, he apparently inspected
the entire educational equipment of the city or, in a
modern phrase, conducted a genuine survey and in the
light of its findings, builded his school to serve
the higher scholastic needs of that community. In a
short time the school, established on this scientific
basis numbered six hundred boys or more, this at a
time when, as a rule secondary schools were small,
usually a score or two of boys, clustered about a single
master.

I

Sturm did very little actual teaching but busied
himself with those activities such as are engaged in by
the professional principal of today. From.what can be
gathered concerning his activities it can be judged that

he was truly a competent school administrator and an important

 

2Forest 0. Ensign, involution of the High School
{giniépalship," School Review, Vol. XXII (March, 1923), pp.

19
person in education as indicated in the following evalu-
ation.
Sturm was not only a wise administrator, a scholar
and a prolific writer but also a builder of curriculums,
a student of values, an authority among his colleagues,
and a commanding figure in educational leadership in
EurOpe for two score years or more.3
The development of the high school principalship
corresponds closely to the growth of the movement to open
secondary schools of America to all youth. In the eight-
eenth century the Latin grammar school in New England was
a typical small school with one master. The very nature
of this small school was not conducive to the development
of an administrator. It was not uncommon, however, to have
an outstanding teacher in such a school. One of the greatest
of these Latin grammar school teachers was Ezekiel Cheever.
Ensign in writingof the administrative achievements of
Cheever states:
.'. . and while we look to Ezekiel Cheever as a great
schoolmaster and educational authority, he was not,
in the modern sense, an administrator. He taught and
flogged and wrote. He inspired boys; he stood a
worthy type of citizenship in his community, but his
administrative duties were limited to the routine of
a little school and, at most, to an organization re-
quiring but one teacher in addition to himself.h
In the latter half of the eighteenth century and

in the first half of the nineteenth century demands for a

 

3Ibid., p. 183. .
“Ibid., p. 187.

20
less selective and less aristocratic secondary school stimu-
lated the growth of the academy. This school was of a
private or semi-public nature but likewise a small institu-
tion. In its organization there were a number of teachers,
including a designated headmaster or principal who was also
a full—time teacher. This peréon was made responsible
for discipline and administered the routine of the school
as promulgated by Board regulations. (The headmaster of
such a school was given little opportunity to demonstrate
administrative competence. The reason for this was that a
local committee directed and supervised the school program.
Only when two or three persons comprised the faculty was
one appointed "principal teacher" to aid the committee in
administering the school. As headmaster of the academy he
was a keeper- of records, a custodian, and a disciplinarian
orather than an administrator.'

Early school records of Cincinnati, Ohio, indicate
the manner in which the school committee distinguished be-
tween the respective duties of the principal teacher with
those of the teachers in 1839; as reported by Jacobson,
Reavis, and Logsdon: ‘

The principal teacher was: (1) to function as the
head of the school charged to his care; (2) to regulate
the classes and course of instruction of all the pupils,
whether they occupied his room or the rooms of other
teachers; (3) to discover any defects in the school
and apply remedies; (A) to make defects known to the

visitor or trustee of ward, or district, if he were
unable to remedy conditions; (5) to give necessary

21
instruction to his assistants; (6) to classify pupils;
(7) to safeguard school houses and furniture; (8) to
keep the school clean; (9) to instruct assistants; (10)
to refrain from impairing the standing of assistants,
especially in the eyes of their pupils; (11) to require
the cooperation of his assistants. '
The assistant teachers, on the other hand, were
charged:-
(1) to regard the principal teacher as the head
of the school; (2) to observe his directions; (3) to
guard his reputation; (A) to make themselves thor-
oughly acquainted with the rules and regulations
adapted for the government of the school.6
John Philbrick, the principal of the Quincy School
in Boston, Massachusetts, is generally credited with the
achievement of uniting all departments in a school under
one administrative head. Pierce, however, has shown that
the policy of placing all departments in a school under
one administrative head was practiced in Cincinnati, Ohio,
before 1835.7 .
By the middle of the nineteenth century an examina-
tion of the principalship in the large cities would have
- revealed that a teaching male principal was in charge of
the school, that female and primary departments had women

principals who in turn were under the direction of the male

 

5Jacobson, Reavis, Logsdon, op. cit., p. 730.

6Ibid., p. 731.

7Paul R. Pierce The Ori in and Develo ment of the
Public Scpool Principalship (ChIcago: CniversIty of Chicago
r

ass, 35 , p. .

22
principal; and, the principal had certain duties which were
limited to routine administrative acts, discipline, and the
grading of pupils.

As early as 1857 in the schools of Boston, Massa-
chusetts, the increase in the number of pupils and the de-
crease in the selectivity of pupils brought about the re-
lease of the "principal teacher? from his teaChing duties.
In turn, some other teacher known as the head assistant
took over the function of teaching the principal's classes.
The responsibility of visiting other classrooms and of giv-
ing instructions to the teaching staff was assigned to the
principal. In the period following, the principal began
to organize and regulate classes, to formulate programs of
instruction, to devote time to public relations, and in
practice to function as the real head of the entire school.
At this time, school authorities began to recognize the
principal as a specialist in his field and the fact that
the principalship offered professional opportunities.

During the period from 1860 to 1900 a change
occurred in the administrative duties of a principal and
-he began to be clearly recognized as the administrative
leader. In this rele he assumed additional duties includ-
ing the organization of pupils and the management of the
physical plant and the school grounds.

At the turn of the century principals in large city

schools were selecting their assistants and assigning teachers

23
within the school. Clerical help was given the principal
which relieved him from routine tasks and enabled him to
devote his time to professional duties.

As pupil enrollment continued to increase, the
schools became large and complex. To provide for the needs
created by this growth, assistant principals, department
heads, additional clerical helpers, and custodians were
added to the staff. The principal now spent a large portion
of his time in coordinating the efforts of all individuals
under him.

During the last fifty years the principal's position
as supervisory head of the school has been established. Where
formerly his administrative duties tended to monopolize his
time, the introduction of graded courses of study and "special"
subjects such as art and music demand more and more of his
‘time. The modern concept of the school principal seems to
emphasize responsibility for curricular improvement, super-
vision of teachers, and improving the quality of instruction
as well as the administration of the school.

In 1916, in Detroit, Michigan, the Department of
Secondary-School Principals was organized at a meeting of
the National Education Association. This organization has
exerted a tremendous influence on the professionalization
of the high school principal. The influence of the Na-
tional Association of Secondary-School Principals upon the
' Principalship of today can hardly be over-estimated as it

2A
turned the attention of its members to a scrutiny of the
principalship. The organization further stimulated a pro-
fessional interest in the position which resulted in the
inclusion of courses concerning the principal in departments
of education in colleges and universities. Professional
literature began to appear in magazines regarding studies
made of the position. Bulletins and yearbooks published
by the National Association of Secondary-School Principals
- provided an effective channel for dispersing information
concerning the position and for setting standards for prac-
tices of principals. Principals were aroused to the sense
of their professional responsibility and the position itself
assumed a true professional status with the principal recog-
nized as the professional leader in his school.

Today, the high school principal is concerned with
the improvement of instruction and he plays a major role
in supervision. The success he achieves in the above phases
of his work can be accomplished through the effectiveness
of the teachers. This he brings about through classroom
visitations and in-service training.

Since 1920, the requirement of a special certificate
for principals has developed.. In addition, some states
require graduate professional study for the position and
in many of the better paying positions of the principal-

ship the Doctor's degree has become a requirement.

25
In an address before members of the North Central
Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools in 1923,
Milo Stuart, then a principal, expressed his conception of
the principal's task which he summarized as follows:

The relation of the principal to his teachers
should be the most intimate of any. If a teacher
fails, the principal fails; if the teacher succeeds,
the principal succeeds. To sum up what the prin-
cipal's job is, I should call him a referee-~the
captain of the ship-~the boss of the firm--a juve-
nile judge before whose tribunal come not only the
culprits but the adults who frequently contribute
to the pupil's short-comings. He is a promoter who
must project the future of his institution and con-
vert the public to his plan. He is social physician
to every parent who has a wayward son who needs atten-
tion. He is a friend-in-need to pupils and to all
the homes in which misfortune comes. His powers, his
activities, even the good he does, cannot be measured
by a material yardstick.3

Sources of Information on the Principalship

In an effort to gain greater perspective for estab-
lishing a background of information for a study of the
principalship, certain major types of sources appeared to
be significant. Research in this area appears to be highly
limited to surveys of the principalship, in summaries in
textbooks on school administration, and bulletins of the

National Association of Secondary-School Principals. There

is a considerable amount of literature concerning the various

 

8Proceedings of the 28th Annual Meeting of the North
Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, March
fig, 16, and 17, 1923, Chicago, Illinois, Part II, pp. 79-

26

aspects of the principalship. This information has been
made available through four major sources:

1. Previous studies of the principalship

2. Reports from special committees

3. Reports on state studies

4. Reports on specific aspects of the position

The remaining portion of this chapter will summarize
materials presented in certain of these sources which seem

to be significant in the area.covered by this study.

Previous Studies of the Principalship

Two notable and rather extensive studies of the
secondary school principalship have been conducted on a
national basis, one by Dan H. Eikenberry9 in l925_and the
other by Floyd M. Farmer10 in 19A7. Each of the studies
deals with certain personal data, aspects of undergraduate
and graduate training, educational experience, and pro-
fessional responsibilities.

Since both the Eikenberry and Farmer studies were

based on a sampling of high school principals in the United

 

Vt

9Dan H. Eikenberry, Status of the High School Prin-
cipal, United States Bureau of Education Bulletin, No. 2%,
Washington, D. .: nite tates vernment r nt ng ice,

lop-10m M. Farmer, "The High School Principalship."

The Bull tin of the National Association of Secondar -School
Princi als, 32:32-9I, ApriI, I9h8.

27
States and included much data of a comparable nature, it is
possible through a comparison of the findings of the twO‘
studies to gain some insight into the development of the
principalship during the period between 1925 and 19A7.

Two profiles of high school principals based upon
the two studies are shown. The first column presents some
characteristics of the principals in the Farmer study and
the second column presents characteristics of the Eikenberry
high school principal. The contrasting items are paired
and constructed.from the national totals of the various

items.

Comparison of Two National Studies of the High School Prin-

cipalship

High-Sghool Principals of 1252 The Eike b rr Hi h-School
age pn A embers p Erincigaz o: :92:

1. Married male (Married male

2. Present age is 43.3 ' Present age is 33.A

3. His school is more gen- His school is less generally
erally a member of a re- a member of a regional ac-
gional accrediting asso- crediting association
ciation

A. Supervises high-school Su rvised high school grades
grades only ' o y

5. Responsible to the super- Responsible to the superin- ~
intendent of schools tendent of schools

6. Teaches l.h periods per ° Teaches three periods per day

day in a comprehensive high in a comprehensive high
school school .

7.

28

Curriculum is conventional,
college preparator , com-
mercial, general, ousehold

‘ arts, and industrial arts

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

15.

16.

17.

Has membership in city,
county, regional, state

and national educational
organizations, with 30 per
cent chance of being an
officer in all of the edu-
cational organizations, ex-
cept the nationél; and there
his chance would be five per
cent

Has probably written a
magazine article for pub-
lication

Has 23.1 undergraduate
credit hours in education

Has 28.6 graduate credit
hours in education

Has a 50 per cent chance
of having earned graduate
credit hours in the last
five years

Highest degree generally
earned is a Master's de-

gree

Earned the degree between
1931 and l9hl

Serves in the state in which
he received his educational
preparation

Participated in intramural
athletics and social ac-
tivities such as dances and
parties at college

Age 30.4 years on entering
first high-school prin-
cipalship

Not reported

Not reported

Not reported

Has 13.8 undergraduate hours
in education

Has A.A years of training
above high school

Has one chance in three of
having earned graduate
credit in education

Highest degree generally
earned is a Bachelor's

‘ degree

Not reported

Not reported

Not reported

Age 26.9 years on entering
first high-school principal-
ship

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

2A.

25.
26.

27.

28.

29

Entered high-school prin-
cipalship from high-school
teaching position with A.3
years of experience

Entered high-school prin-
cipalship from some other
system

Has been in present prin-
cipalship four years

Has experience in other
high-school principalships
averaging five years

Experience in two differ-
ent high-school principal-
ships -

Total experience as a high-
school principal, nine years

Has had clerical and sales
experience; some work as a

laborer; and some time on a

farm
Annual salary is $3,610.89

Attends church, possible.
active member, membership
in civic groups, a socio-
economic group, and a
fraternal organization

Spends part of summer in
rest and leisure-time
activities, or attends
summer school, or works in
a nonteaching occupation

Usually reads professional

magazines such as State and

National Association of

Secondary-School Principals
Bulletin, Clearin House,
and American SchooI Board
JournEI

Entered high-school prin-
cipalship from high-school
teaching position with either
2.7 years as teacher or 3.2
years as head of a depart-
ment

Entered high-school prin-
cipalship from some other
system

Has been in present prin-
cipalship three years

'Has experience in other high-

school principalships aver-
aging A.5 years

Experience in 2.3 different
high-school principalships
Not reported

Not reported

Annual salary is $2,423.00
Not reported

Not.reported

Not reported

29.

30-

30

Usually reads nonprofes- Not reported
sional magazines such as

Readers Digest, Time, Life,

an Sgtur a1 Eyening Post

Has read two or three pro- Not reported
fessional books, and two

or three of the ”best-sellers”
during the year

31. moderately liberal in the Not reported

two

general operation of his
high school, and moderately.
conservative as to pupils
determining the content and
activities of their school
experiencesll

As a part of the analysis of the comparison of the
studies as presented above, Farmer states: ‘

The evidence from this study indicates strongly
that the public high-school principalship is growing
into a professional position. In former years the
principalship was held by one of the more mature
teachers without too much thought given to his pro-
fessional qualifications. Efforts of accrediting
associations increased the educational requirements
for the high-school principalship with the result
that the position began to assume more importance in
the educational field. A Bachelor's degree was ample
qualification for the earlier principalship. In fact
there were many principals who did not even have this
degree. All of the high-school principals studied in
this survey have had at least a Bachelor's degree with
nearly three fourths possessing their Master's degree.
Not only have the number of principals with higher
degrees increased, but many more have also had some
educational teaching experience before entering upon
the high-school principalship. This internship is
part of the professional development of the principal-
ship. Prospective principals can view the principal-
ship as a desired position, and in turn be viefgd by
schools as possible men for the principalship. .

 

111b1d., pp. 90-91.

12Ibid., p. 86.

31

Reports from Special Committees

The second major source of information regarding

the principalship is reports from special committees appointed
by professional educational organizations. Usually these
committees are composed of members of the sponsoring organi-
zation and are appointed to study specific aspects of the
.principalship which are felt to be significant in terms of
current development in the field.

In 1945, the Executive Committee of the National Asso-'

ciation of Secondary School Principals instituted a study

of the current status of requirements for certification of
secondary-school principals. The chairman of the Committee
on Training and Experience Standards was requested to direct
the study and to prepare a report. After this Committee
presented the‘results of the preliminary study to the Execue
tive Committee of the Association, it was authorized to
conduct a nation-wide survey. The final draft of this re-
port consisted of eight chapters and the Committee summarized
the report as follows:

Chapter I summarizes the present status of certifi-
cation of secondary-school principals in the United
States and sets the stage for the Committee's report.

' In Chapter II the Committee has described the role
which American secondary education must play in the
present world theme. If American Secondary education
is to measure up to its responsibilities, the highest
type of educational leadership is necessary. Educa-
tional leadership depends upon a number of factors,
the most important of which are the personal qualities

of the individual, the nature of his educational
preparation--both general and professiona1--and the

32 .

extent of in-service growth. This Committee believes
that future progress in achieving the objectives of
secondary education as discussed in Chapter II can best

- be promoted by a nation-wide program involving the
following aspects:

1. Encouragement of young men and women who have
taught several years in a secondary school with con-
spicuous success, who possess to a high degree the
personal qualities described in Chapter III, and who

ave secured or are in the process of securing the
general education discussed in Chapter IV to prepare
for secondary-school principalships.

2. Requirement of a minimum of one year of graduate
-professional preparation beyond the four-year teacher-
training program, designed to prepare for educational

leadership as outlined in Chapter V.

3. An in-service training program designed to keep
alive professionally all secondary-school workers,
teachers, and administrators, old and young, e eri-
enced and inexperienced. Such a program is out ined
in Chapter VI.

A. A state program of certification based upon the
demands for leadership in American secondary sihools
of today as outlined in Chapters VII and v1 I. 3

Study committee reports are alSo issued from time-
to-time by the National Conference of Professors of Eduf
‘cational Administration. In some instances quotations
from these reports appear in textbooks on school adminis-
tration and in the periodical literature. Hagman and
Schwartz in a publication include such a committee report
illustrating an approach to the problem of establishing
the role of school administration which states:

. . . we believe that as the tasks of public education
multiply in a more and more complex world, the admin-

istrator must develop, in pre-service and in-service
experience, as a master educator.

13Dan H. Eikenberry, ”Training and Experience Stan-
dards for Principals of Secondary Schools," The Bulletin of

.the flatiOEal Association of Secondary-School Principals,
35:5- , ove er, 5 .

33

This is the basis for our program of preparation

and development of school administrators and for our
feeling that in working in the field of public school
administration we have an occupation of enormous so-
cial significance.14

Reports on State Studies

The third major source of information concerning
the principalship is the published reports of actual studies
conducted among principals of secondary-high schools within
a particular state. Data from such reports are usually
secured by sending questionnaires to the principals.

A number of surveys involving principals and various
phases of their activities have been conducted on a state
level and the results published'in textbooks in school ad-
ministration and in the Bulletin of The National Association
of Secondary-School Principals.

Within the past ten years reports from such state
studies have appeared in the.literature. A. Russell Mack
in a study of Massachusetts high school principals summarizes
his report as follows: '

l. The average age of graduation from college with

a bachelor degree is twenty-two years.
2. There is a number of the principals who not

only attended teacher colleges ut also both teachers
and liberal arts colleges. ‘

_L__

. 11"National Conference of Professors of Educational
Administration, Report of Subcommittee on Philosophy, 1951,
Orin Graff and Harlan L. Hagman, Chairman, Unpublished re-

port, Hagman Schwartz, Admini tration in Profile for School
Executives, fiarper and Brothers, New York, I955, p. 305.

33

This is the basis for our program of preparation

and development of school administrators and for our

feeling that in working in the field of public school

administration we have an occupation of enormous so-

cial significance.1# ‘ '
Reports on State Studies

The third major source of information concerning
the principalship is the published reports of actual studies
conducted among principals of secondary-high schools within
a particular state. Data from.such reports are usually
secured by sending questionnaires to the principals.

A number of surveys involving principals and various
phases of their activities have been conducted on a state
level and the results published in textbooks in school ad-
ministration and in the Bulletin of The National Association
of Secondary-School Principals.

‘Within the past ten years reports from such state
studies have appeared in the.literature. A. Russell Mack
in a study of Massachusetts high school principals summarizes
his report as follows: .

.1. The average age of graduation from college with

a bachelor degree is twenty-two years.
2. There is a number of the principals who not

only attended teacher colleges but also both teachers
and liberal arts colleges. ‘

 

 

- 11"National Conference of Professors of Educational
Administration, Report of Subcommittee on Philosophy, 1951,
Orin Graff and Harlan L. Hagman, Chairman, Unpublished re-

POrt, Hagman, Schwartz, Admini tration in Profile for School
Egggggiggg, Harper and Brothers, New York, $553, p. 305.

3h

3. That principals are alert to the need for im-
provement, either professional or academic, probably
professional for the most part, is shown by the fact
that of 256 principals, 251 have done graduate study
and of these 181 hold degrees above the bachelor's.

A. Tenure is high with the average of sixteen years
in the same school (probably not all years as a prin-
cipa .

5. It would be expected that principals in the
smaller high school would do some teaching. .

6. In conclusion, a principal of a high school in
Massachusetts receives an average salary of $h.900,
does very little actual teaching, has experience of
twenty-four years, therefore, is probably forty-six
years of age. He has been employed in the same school
for sixteen years, has four years of college in his
preparation, with sufficient raduate study so that
he holds a master's degree. In 1938-1939 the median
salary was $3.000, and the median of previous experi-
ence was nineteep years, making the estimate of average
age, forty-one.) 5 ,

In an effort to determine the extent to which the
public secondary-school principalship was professionalized
in-Arkansas, Lynch conducted a survey of certain factors
affecting the status of the high-school principalship and
drew the following conclusions:

The public secondary-school princi als in Arkansas
are predominantly men who feel that t ey are highly
respected in their local communities. They have be-
come a part of their communities by participating in
its activities. It appears that, as far as prestige
is concerned, the principals are in a position to
exert a positive influence in their respective com-
munities.

Nest of the high-school principals have selected
some phase of work in the field of education as a
life career before completing their undergraduate

 

15A. Russell Mack, ”A'Study of massachusetts High
School Principals,” The Bulletin of the National Association
of Secondary-School Principals, 36:30-32, January,-l952.

 

 

 

35

preparation. Even that early, many were looking for-
ward specifically to school administration. A factor
which indicated that most of the individuals planned

to become administrators is that a majority had taken
courses in the areas of administration, supervision,

'and curriculum before being elected to an administra-
tive position.

Most of the principals have had a rather extensive
background of teaching and administrative experience
as well as considerable professional preparation. Al-
though the background of teaching experience of Arkansas
high-school principals is not so extensive as that re-
ported in similar studies made in other states, only a
few in Arkansas had not served an internship as a
‘teacher before becoming principals. Arkansas-high-
school principals are following the nation-wide trend
in that they are attaining a high level of academic
and professional preparation. The fact that a large
. majority have graduate majors in educational adminis-
tration indicates that they are preparing themselves
for their responsibilities in their profession.

High—school principals are concentrating on the
professional courses which prove to be most valuable
to them in their work. Most of the principals have
taken courses in school administration, supervision,
and curriculum either before or after becoming an
administrator, and each of these areas was ranked high
by the principals in order of importance to the prin-
cipalship. Most of the principals also stated that
they plan to concentrate on these areas in any further
preparation.

Most of the incumbents reported that they were able
to maintain a reasonable living standard on their pro-
fessional salaries. Opportunity for advancement is
present in the principalship since a direct relation-
ship exists between salary and size of school, the
salary and administrative experience, and salary and
collegiate preparation.

Public secondary-school principals in Arkansas are
engaging in activities which should improve their
profession. A large majority of them are active, as
far as membership is concerned, in the state and na-
tional education associations and in local school-
masters clubs; and most of\them hold membership in the
national organization designed especially for high-
school principals. Although several principals have
impressive professional reading programs, most of them
apparently are not regularly reading enough professional
magazines to become and stay as fully informed as would
be desirable. Only a few had written professional
articles for publication.

36

Most of the individuals contacted in the survey
planned to continue as a high-school principal, indi-
cating a fairly high degree of stability in the prin-
cipalship. Of those planning to leave the principal-
ship, only a small number expected to leave educational
work completely.

The high-school principals in Arkansas devote a
relatively small proportion of their time to supervision
and the improvement of instruction. They are thus
neglecting what should be their most important function.
Many principals are spending an undue amount of time
on routine clerical work. Most of them have tried to
systematize part of their work by maintaining regular
office hours.

The high-school principals in Arkansas seem to have
a general understanding of what their duties include,
the basis for this being a mutual agreement with the
superintendent of schools. The absence of a definition
of the principal's duties in the rules and regulations
of the board of education could result in neglecting
major duties and in giving an undue amount of atten-
tion to minor duties. Many principals do not have
authority in certain vital matters such as supervision
of custodians and buildings, public relation activities,
and rating teachers. However, many principals have
complete or shared authority in regard to several other
duties pertaining to the organization and administrhtion
of the high school.16

On an assumption that an index of the quality of
education offered by the public schools of a state is the
educational preparation of the principals, Punke conducted
a study on changes in the educational backgrounds of Alabama
high-school principals during the past twenty-five years
and makes the following obServation:

. . . It must be reco ized that degree reparation

alone is not an infal ible index of teac ng or admin-
istrative competence. However such preparation is

16Audie J. Lynch, ”The High School Principalship,“ The

Bulletin of the National Association of Secondar -School
Principals, 38:26-28, March, I953. .

37

useful as a rough indicator. It is probably true

also that during the past decade the content of degree
training has been improved substantially--from the
standpoint of preparing teachers and administrators
who are competent to deal with problems which confront
the public schools. There is justification for en-
couragement in the improvement which has taken place
in the educational backgrounds of Alabama high-school
principals during the period studied.

This improvement and encouragement should be made
the basis for confidence and experimentation in attack
on the larger problems that lie ahead in developing
the educational and productive resources of the state
and nation, rather than a basis for complacency'or
"mutual admiration" because of recent achievements.

It is largely through persistent and insightful attack
on educational problems that the state and nation can
progress in developing its most important resources--
the skills and competencies of the people.

A study of the principalship was conducted by the
Oregon Association of Secondary-School Principals. This
comprehensive study was conducted over a period of four
years and concerned itself with the myriad aspects of the
principal's position. Attention is directed to the recom-
mendations made by McAbee as a result of this study.

1. Efforts be made to increase the security and
tenure of secondary principals in Oregon through
longer term contracts. Principals in smaller dis-
tricts, usually holding one-year contracts, generally
serve fewer years in each position than do principals
in larger districts holding contracts of longer dura-
tion than one year or who may be under legal tenure.

2. Further study be given this program because of
the relatively short tenure of secondary principals.
Emphasis should begiven in the study to ascertain
factors contributing to tenure of principals. Particu-
lar attention should be given the relationship between

17Harold H. Punke, "Improved Educational Backgrounds
of Alabama High School Principals," The Bulletin of the Na-

tioggl Association of Secondary-School Principals, 30:59-71,
ay, 5 .

38

tenure and the success or failure of secondary prin--
cipals to fulfill the role expected of them by the
community, students, teachers, and fellow principals
in the discharge of their responsibilities. Evidence
supports the belief that principals not only fail to
expend their time as authorities and principals think
they should, but do not spend enough time to satis-
factorily perform the functions that teachers, pupils,
parents and patrons think are of primary importance.

3. Greater attention be given by Oregon principals
to consideration of the seconda principalship as a
professional career. A relative y low proportion of
principals indicated that the principalship was their
goal in education. This problem needs additional study
to ascertain the specific causes for the principals'
desires to advance vertically in the profession.

4. Increased attention be given to raising salary
standards of Oregon secondary principals in order to
attract and retain the highest caliber of men in the
secondary school principalships. Although”well paid
in comparison with principals throughout the nation,
salaries of Oregon principals were found to be con-
siderably lower than the minimum recommendations made
by the National Association of Secondary School Prin-
c pa 3. '

5. Greater efforts be made to decrease teaching
loads, secure additional staff assistance, and to

i crease the efficienc of district or anization,
es eciall in districts where the rinci al serves
1% the dual role of principal aha superintenaent, so
t at t e principa can secure t e necessary time to
discharge the primary functions of his office--super-
vision of teachers and improvement of the instruction
pro am 0 O O O

. Professional growth through_writing for publi-
cation be stimulated and encouraged when it is apparent
that real contributions can be made to the professional
body of literature in secondary education. Oregon prin-
cipals to date have a meager record of publication of
professional articles. ‘

7. Increased efforts be made to broaden the pro-
fessional reading program of Oregon princi s with
particular emphasis on professional-journa s in content
subject fields. Due to the appropriateness of content
to the discharge of their responsibilities, principals
should be encouraged to read and study The Bulletin‘

of the National Association of Secondar School Prin-
. ci aIs, Student rife, and School IctIvIties.
8. More Oregon principa s e encourage to secure

some formal preparation at institutions of higher
learning outside Oregon, where other recognized authorities

39

I
in the field of secondary education may be teaching,
and to utilize other feasible means to increase the
heterogeneity of basic ideas and techniques for the
operation of the secondary schools in the state. About
two-thirds of the principals received their formal
training and have held educational positions only in
Oregon. The majority of the graduate preparation of
Oregon principals has been done at one institution,
the University of Oregon. ‘

9. Additional study be made of the formal training
of Oregon secondary principals in relationship to
recommendations of the National Association of Secondary
School Principals concerning the preparation at both
undergraduate and graduate levels. Requirements for
current certification of secondary principals in Oregon
do not specify the general nature of either the graduate
or undergraduate training.

10. Institutions of higher learning engaged in train-
ing seconda school principals take cognizance of
the principa 3' ratings of the value of their formal
training as preparation for the duties which they per-
form with a view to adapting the training program to
fit the needs of the principals.. The value accorded
the training for the performance of many duties re-
ceived less than an ade uate rating. A varying per-
centage of the principags reported training for the
performance of many duties as non-existent.

11. The State Department of Education institute a
thorough study of certification requirements for Oregon
secondary school principals with the view to specifying
. a broadened preparation within the framework of the
amount of formal training now required. The amount of
formal training now required for certification of Oregon
secondary principals is greater than in most states;
but, particular consideration should be given to
areas of preparation which are needed but not specified
at present. These should include: general education
at the undergraduate level and an academic major in
secondary education at the graduate level of prepara-
tion; visual aids and instructional materials; adoles-
cent psychology, mental hygiene, guidance and counsel-
ing, and pupil and school evaluation; health education
and health program administration; extra-class activities;
history and philosophy of education, educational so-
ciology, and comparative non-public and international‘
education, internships, assistantships, or other forms
of practical on-the-job training; renewal of initial
certification based on satisfactory service and demon-
strated professional growth; and techniques in group
process compatible with democratic administration.

40

12. Efforts be made to broaden the teaching and
other professional experiential background of Oregon
principals. Teaching provided most of the pre-pnin-
cipalship professional experience of Oregon principals,
but was rated by them as east valuable of eight differ-
ent types of positions as preparation for the principal-
ship. Recommendations of the National Association of
Secondary School Principals indicate the need to estab-
lish a program of internship or similar pre-principalship
experience. The principals' ratings of the value of
other types of positions as preparation for the prin--
cipalship indicate the need to increase the value of
teaching as preparation for that position.

13. All feasible means be utilized to make Oregon
secondary school principals increasingly aware of a
modern concept of the principalship with respect to
the relative importance of its various duties and func-
tions. Particular emphasis should be placed on those
aspects of the position.which will assist the principals
in establishing a working environment in which they
might more effectively discharge their responsibilities.
Oregon principals reported spending more time than they
thought they should in the more technical duties of the
principalship, and ratings of their training indicated
a concern for these aspects of the principalship.

It. An increased amount of attention be given the
inclusion of various aspects of the behavioral sciences
in the formal training of principals. An analysis of
the diary data revealed a great emphasis on human
relationships in almost all aspects of the princi al's
job. Certification requirements and the principa 3'
official transcripts show a regrettable gap in this
important area of formal education.

15. Principals be encouraged to study their own
performance of duties through self-evaluation, time
studies, and other feasible means. Such data would
also be of assistance for use with boards of education
and communities in helping the principal establish
conditions within which he might more adequately dis-
charge his primary functions.

1 . Secondary principals adapt the suggested cri-
terion for the budgeting and expenditure of their
time on the job to individual situations and utilize
it as a guide for the improved organizatiog and per-
formance of their multiplicity of duties.1

 

18Harold v. McAbee, "The Principal's Job," 9393933
Associatign of Secondary School Principals, Twenty-eighth
nnua on erence Report, 1956, pp. 90-92.

Al

Goettee conducted a study of the high-school prin-
cipalship, drawing his data from a sampling of Texas public
high-school principals. This study, as did the Oregon
study, included personal data, academic preparation, teach-
ing and administrative experience, the allocation of the
principal's time, and the economic status of the senior
high-school principal. He summarizes his findings as
'follows:

. . . 2. The Texas senior high-school principal has
a favorable personal background for the principalship.

a. The Texas senior high-school principal was
a male, born and reared in some rural area of Texas.
His father was engaged in agriculture and his mother
was a housewife.

b. The median age of the Texas senior high-
school principal was A2.2 years, and he was a married
man with children.

c. The Texas State Teachers Association, the
Texas Association of Secondary-School Principals, The
National Association of Secondary-School Principals,
and the National Educational Association were the prin-
cipal professional organizations to which the Texas
senior high-school principal belonged.

d. The Texas Outlook and The Bulletin of the
National Association of Secondar -SchooI Princi als
were the professional magazines the Texas senior high—
school principal read most frequently; and the Reader's
Digest and Life headed the list of non-professiona
magazines read *by him.

3. The academic background and professional prepara-
tion of the Texas senior high-school principal provide
a good educational base for the principalship.

a. The Texas senior high-school principal
had graduated from a public secondary school; had
earned bachelor's and master's .degrees from a Texas
college or university; and had done some graduate study
beyond the master's degree.

b. The senior high-school principal of Texas
had earned the professional principal's certificate.
Before being made a principal, he had taken courses in
methods of teaching, educational psychology, general
administration, and tests and measurements.

42

c. Almost one half of the Texas senior high-
school principals had earned advanced college credit
during the past three years.

4. The experience and tenure of the Texas senior
high-school principal provide an adequate professional
experience background for the principalship.

a. The Texas senior high-school principals in-
cluded in this study reported educational experiences
as follows: 92.5 per cent classroom teacher; 32.6
per cent, elementary-school principal; 19.7 per cent,
junior high-school principal; and 95.9 per cent, senior
high school principal.

b. More than 40 per cent of the principals had
gained teaching experience in the district before be-
coming principal, and 50 per cent had served five years
or more in his present assignments.

c. Of the Texas senior high-school principals,
41.8 per cent had been classroom teachers just prior
to being promoted to the principalship.

d. The Texas senior high-school principal had
accepted his first assignment as principal at 2844
years of age.

5. The Texas senor high-school principal allocates
his time to meet the needs of his school and community.

a. The principal maintained regular office hours,
and his work day was nine and three-tenths hours.

b. Of the school day, the principal spent 43.4
per cent of the time on administrative duties; 14.1
per cent, improvement and supervision of instruction;
13.9 per cent, pupil personnel administration; 12.1
per cent, extracurricular activities; and 9.6 per cent,
community relations. . '

6. Professional leadership is provided by the Texas
senior high-school principal.

a. The principal had a 48.4 per cent chance that
the school board and superintendent believed he was
the responsible head of the school with authority to
plan and carry out a school program.

b. Of the Texas senior high-school principals,
49.6 per cent had their administrative duties defined
by mutual agreement with the superintendent, and one
out of three principals had his duties defined by the
rules and regulations of the board of education.

7. The economic status of the Texas senior high-
school principal should be improved.

a. The Texas senior high—school principal worked
9.83 months, and received a 6,303.annual salary.

b. One third of the Texas senior high-school
principals preferred to be employed ten months per
year, eleven months, and twelve months, respectively.

43

c. Of the Texas senior high-school principals,
55.5 per cent had been forced to drop plans for per-
sonal and professional improvement.1

A study of the secondary-school principal in Virginia
was conducted by White. The purpose of this particular
study was to collect, to analyze and to present data that
would be useful in carrying out an in-service training
program. White depicts the average secondary-school prin-
cipal as follows: I

Personal data. The secondary-school principal in
Virginia is 44.4 years old, married, has at least one
child, and resides within the school division where
he is employed. There is a great possibility that his
wife is employed outside the home.

Pre aration and trainin of the rincipal. He held
a bachelor's degree when first assuming a secondary
school principalship. His degree is likely to have
been a Bachelor of Arts. At the present time he holds
a master's degree and this is likely to be the Master
of Arts. Both of these degrees were earned in Virginia.

When he became a secondary-school principal he
had 25.8 semester hours in education. Of these hours
6.7 were in supervision. He is not working toward any
degree or taking any work in education now.

The principal was 30.2 years old when he assumed
his first secondary school principalship. Prior to
this he held one or more of the following positions:
secondary school teacher, assistant principal, coach,
elementary teacher, and elementary principal.

He has taught school for approximately six years.
More than likely he has taught in one or more of the
following fields: social studies, science, mathematics,
and English.

Professional activities. He belongs to the National
Education Issociation, the Virginia Education, National
Association of Secondary School Principals, Department

 

 

19James H. Goettee, ”A Study of the Senior High-School
Principal in Texas, 1957-1958,“ The Bulletin of the National
Association of Seconda -School Princi als, ##345-48, Fehru-
ary, .

 

44

of Secondary School Principals Association, and the
District Principals Association. The principal reads

or has available the Bulletin of the Secondar School
Princi als Association ‘The'NEA Journal, the VEA Journal,
and possibly School Executive and Nation's Schools. His
school division maintains a professional lihrary for
school personnel and his school also maintains one.

During the past two years he has participated in
workshops, conferences conducted by the State Department
of Education and has been,a member of a local or national
committee.

Turnover Contracts and Salar . The principal has
hel approximately two secondary school principalships
and has been a secondary school princi a for about
twelve years. His average tenure is s ightly above
five years. He has been in this present position for
nearly seven years. When he changed positions it was
for three reasons: (1) increased salary, (2) larger
school, and (3) better working conditions.

The principal has a contract for twelve months.
However, he feels that it should be from two to five
years. He favors longer contracts because of the
security it would give him and because it would allow
him to make long range plans.

For his first year as a secondary school principal
he received a salary of $2422.84. When he started in
his present position he received $3667.42. Since that
time he has received a raise of $1182.16 and now re-
ceives $4849.58. He is not on a salary schedule. The
increases given have been based on experience and

‘ additional professional training.

His work requires him to do a considerable amount
of traveling within his school division. He feels
that he should receive some compensation for this and
suggests six to seven cents a mile or a fixed sum of
money between two hundred and three hundred dollars
per year.

General Administrative and Su erviso Res onsibilities.
Time gIven to various school activities per weeh By the
principal is shown below. '

Activity
assroom teaching

Preparation for class work
Correcting class papers
Supervision of instruction
Supervision of transportation
Plant inspection

Disci line

Schoo correspondence

 

:1:
'1
m
e

W NNHSHH‘P‘
Pm-PWO‘HOW

45

 

Activit Hrs.
School records 2.5
Other office work 4.8
Co-curricular activities 3.3
Community relations 3.0
Conferences with teachers 3.5
Teachers meetings 1.3
Conferences with parents 2.3
Miscellaneous 2.9

Total 48.6

The following techniques are used by the principal
in supervision: (1) conferences, (2) classroom visits,
(3) faculty meetings, and (4) group discussions.

Problems of the Principal. The five major problems
which.the principal indicated he faces are: (1) shortage
of well-trained teachers, (3) inadequate facilities,

(3) low salary, (4) Public relations, and (5) too much
paper work.

Community Leadership. The principal has or has had
a position 0 eadership in a church. He does not be-
long to a lodge. However, he does belong to a service
club which is likely to be Ruritans, Lions, Rotary, or
Kiwanis. He is or has been an officer in this club.

He has been a chairman of a charitable campaign. He .
has not held an office in the local or State governmegB.
He is not engaged in any private business enterprise.

 

White concludes his study by recommending that:

Steps should be taken by the Department of Secondary
School Principals to set up regional in-service train-
ing programs available to secondary-school principals
throughout the state. It is recommended that the
officers of the Association and the committee that is
to be appointed to study this report formulate definite
plans for carrying out such a program.

An in-service training program of this nature will
give principals opportunities to exchange ideas with
one another and work for solutions to common problems.
In doing so it is anticipated that they would become
better school administrators.21

 

20A. L. White "The Secondary School Principal in

Xérginia,” Vir inia journal of Education, 7:21-22, March,
5 .

21A. L. White, "A Cooperative Study of the Secondary
.School Principal in Virginia," (unpublished professional

Eggject, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia,
5 .

46
In a study of duties of Tennessee High School Prin-.

.cipals, Bass states:

. . . Actual time re uirements of duties of hi h-
school principals. Tennessee high-school princlpals
were generally in agreement regarding the amount of
time spent in their various types of duties. Approxi-
mately three fourths of the principal's time was re—
ported as spent in the three areas: (1) 45 per cent
in administration; (2) 20 per cent in supervision; and
(3) 12 per cent in guidance. Principals in high schools
with the smallest enrollments reported slightly more
time spent in clerical than in public relation duties.
Principals in the larger high schools reported more
time spent in research than was devoted to clerical
responsibilities. -

Desirable time re uirements of duties of hi h-
school principals. Although Tennessee high school'
princ1pals spend three fourths of their time in ad-
ministrative, supervisory, and guidance duties, they
indicated that the disproportionate amounts of time
spent in administration and supervision were not de-
sirable. Principals in the larger schools indicated
that more time should be devoted to supervisory duties
than should be spent in administrative duties.

Critical roblems re orted b the rinci als. Be-
tween 20 and 35 Per cent of the Tennessee high-school
principals indicated a variety of challenges which
have been grouped into the following five categories:
(1) encouraging acceptable student performance; (2)
projecting an educationally sound financial program
for the high school; (3) inspiring high-school teachers
to exercise their initiative; (4) attracting an able
and industrious high-school staff; and (5) managing
general administrative procedures.

Tennessee high-school principals indicated that
the general management of their responsibilities repre-
sented a less difficult challenge than such factors
as a lack of money, and the availability of competent
and dedicated teachers. Mere regular and profitable
attendance on the part of students was described as
dependent upon needed resources which could make the
high school more attractive for these young people
and their parents.22

_

22Floyd L. Bass, "Duties of Tennessee High School
Principals," The Bulletin of the National Association of
Secondar -Schoo Princ a 3, 45:7 - , Octo er, .

47
Burrup in summarizing a recent study of the secondary
school principalship in the eleven western states conducted
by Emery B. Lewis concerning the feelings of secondary school
principals about certain aspects of their professional pre—
paration, their use of school time as well as the way they
would like to use their school time in respect to improving

their service to the school states:,

How the rinci al uses his school time. The study
showea the following. (I! The size of the school makes
a difference in how the principal divides his school
time. Principals in small secondary schools spend
more time in teaching classes and in performing clerical
duties. Principals of large secondary schools spend'
more time in performing general administrative tasks
in supervision, and in community relations than is
spent in the performances of these functions by prin-
cipals in small schools. (2) The average time s ent
in seven general areas by all respondents was: fa)
general administrative duties-~32 per cent; (b) super-
vision-~15 per cent; (c) pupil personnel administra-
tion--15 per cent; (d) clerical duties--ll per cent;
(6) teaching classes-~10 per cent; (f) community-
relations--lO per cent; and (g1 miscellaneous duties-~
7 per cent.

How the principal would like to use his school time.
Principa 3 won prepose some c anges in t e r present
time schedules if they were free to determine the
division of their school time. They would like to
spend more time in supervision, in pupil personnel
work, and in community-relations, and much less time
in teaching classes and in performing clerical duties.
The average time-division among the seven general
areas as proposed by the participatinghprincipals
would be as follows: (1) general adm istrative duties
—-31 per cent; (2) supervision--28 per cent; (3) pupil
personnel administration-~16 per cent; (4) clerical
duties--4 per cent; (5) teaching c1asses--? r cent;
(6) community-relations--12 per cent; and 7lemiscel-
laneous duties-~5 per cent.

How principals would improve their service. Prin-
cipa s w o participated in t s stu y were aware of
many things that they could do to improve their services
to their schools. A rating of the relative importance

48

of the suggested improvements showed that most of them
favored improvement by (1) doing something toward im-
proving the curriculum; (2) improving their supervision
of instruction; (3) developing better guidance and
counseling programs; (4) developing better in-service
training programs; (5) improving community-relations;
and (6) holding more parent conferences. They also
Suggested more work on student activities, developing
better remedial teaching programs; improving budgeting
procedures, and planning school plant improvements.

Burrup further states that:

The Lewis study gives strong indication that a
majority of the principals responding felt that they
would be performing better or superior services if
they could spend a much larger percentage of their
time and effort in such functions as evaluation and
reorganization of curriculum, supervision of instruc-
tion, working with committees interested in improving
school-community relations, selecting competent staff
members, fostering the organization of the guidance
program, supervising and managing the school building,
working to improve instructional processes and pro-
cedures, including the testing program and establishing
good staff relationships.2#

Reports on Specific Aspects of the Position
In addition to the more comprehensive types of
studies summarized above, various individuals have studied
more specific aspects of the principalship. These studies
are typically reported in The Bulletin o§_the National Asso-

ciation of Secondary-School Principals. Findings of some
of these studies are presented as follows:

23Percy E. Burrup, Modern Hi h School Administration
(New York: Harper and Brothers, I952), pp. 55-5l.

2I‘Loc cit.

#9

Austin and Collins conducted a study among school
teachers, school superintendents, lay citizens, high-school
senior students, and high-school.principals to determine
attitudes toward the higheschool principalship and varying
concepts of the principal's responsibilities. In the con-
clusions the authors state:

There is no such thing as the high-school principal-
ship in America. Rather, there is a range of roles,
duties, activities, and influences which form various
mosaics of performance which identify a position in
each school as one of responsible leadership. To this
position, when justified by formal appointment, we
attach the title of principal.

As this study has collected information concerning
the attitudes and expectations concerning the principal-
ship, certain fairly clear conclusions have emerged.
They include the fact that the principal's modern role
is first and foremost that of leading in the instruc-
tional program. Further, managerial responsibilities
can be delegated when necessary to further the effective-
ness of the principal in his major work without fear of
lack of support or understanding on the part of his
fellowbworkers and the community to be served. The role
of the principal in the school includes responsibility
for improving the educational program of the school,
for counseling with pupils and their parents, and for
understanding and helping the teaching staff with the
solution of personal and professional problems.

As a citizen in the community, the principal is
expected to live within the community and'enjoy its
social and civic life freely. He is not expected to
announce his views on political and civic issues to
any unusual degree, but is expected to serve on civic
planning groups, be a member of a service club, partici-
pate in church life, and lead in the study of school
and community by community study groups. On the other
hand, he is not expected to leave his school building
frequently to participate in civic organization ac-
tivities to any great extent, and is not looked upon
with great enthusiasm as the appropriate person to
lead in the co-ordination of youth-serving agencies
within the community.

As a member of a profession, the principal is ex-
pected to attend professional meetings of a local,

50

state, or national scope, and his reimbursement for
part or all of his expenses for such attendance appar-
ently seems reasonable.3 To a slight extent he is ex-
pected to do some writing.for publication, and to
represent the best interests of the school and the
teaching staff in conference with the superintendent.

. . . There are variations in the role of the prin-
cipal from region to region and school to school. It
is certain that the principal's own beliefs about what
are important among his responsibilities and oppor-
tunities determine his actions much more than his
conscious estimate of what is expected of him by his
community.25

The duties of a high-school principal are numerous
and vary from one school to another. Some of these duties
are more demanding and of greater importance than others.
Romine, in a study reports on an investigation of the duties
of high-school principals and the demands which are made
on him in terms of time, energy, and his general resource-
fulness. He concludes that the five areas requiring the
most time are those dealing with pupil activities, the
curriculum, planning the school year, pupil records, evalu-
ation and reporting, and attendance, discipline, failures,
.and related problems. He further states:

_ All sepects of the study suggest that pupils and
the educational program are of more concern and of
growing importance. This may be an excellent sign.
Far too long, too many high-school principals have
been unduly concerned with executive and managerial
functions to the neglect of some things more inti-

mately related to the purpose for which the school
primarily exists--the education of young people. . . .

 

25David B. Austin and James 3. Collins, "A Study of
Attitudes Toward the High School Principalship ” The Bulletin

of th National As oc ation of Seco d -School Princi als,
h5:l04-l40, January, l956.

51

It behooves a high-school administrator, therefore,
to read, study, attend summer school, and in other
ways prepare himself more adequately to discharge re-
sponsibilities in areas of duties which are important
and in which there are growing demands. Equally im-
portant is the application of the individual to the
task at hand.26 '

If the principalship is assumed to be one of the
most important positions of educational leadership, it
must follow that continuous professional development is im-
portant in the fulfillment of the principal's responsibil-
ities. In order to insure such professional development
the school system he serves must provide for an evaluation
of the principalship. Strickler in‘a study concerning the
evaluation of the public school principal makes the follow-
ing conclusions:

It goes without saying that every school system is
interested in the professional improvement of the prin-
cipal and in one way or another encourages this ad-
ministrator to develop professionally. To accomplish
this, 95.31 per cent of the larger school systems offer

.definite encouragement to their principals to attend
educational conferences, workshops, etc.; 89.06 per
cent, to read the professional literature; 87.50 per
cent to engage in self-evaluation; 82.81 per cent, to
complete specific courses in school administration;
62.5 per cent to write in the field of their profes-
sion; and 50.6 per cent, to attend specified institu-
tions for graduate study.

The data provided by the questionnaire lead to four
conclusions: (1) There is so little variation between
the responses of the school systems of a population'
of 100,000-499,999 and of those of a population over
500,000 that the percentages for the total group fairly

 

26Stephen Romine, "The High School Principal Rates
His Duties,” The Bulletin of the National Association of

Secondapy-Schoo Principa 8, 3h: 3-1 , y, 95 .

52

indicate current practice in regard to the matters
investigated. To what extent the smaller schools
should conform to the practice followed by the larger

ones is a debatable question; however, the.projection
of the above conclusion would suggest that there may

be a justification on the claim that administrative
practice throughout the educational system is based
upon that of the larger schools. (2) School systems

of the size investigated generally evaluate their
building rincipals in a manner which_is professionally
commendab e: at regular intervals, throughout his
tenure of office and in a cooperative fashion. More-
over, there is practically no deviation from the prac-
tice of evaluating this administrator in terms of
executive ability, professional leadership, community
leadership, professional growth, and personal qualities.
(3) Current practice in this regard, however, must

lead one to conclude that the evaluation too fre-
quently fails to achieve directly any desirable pur-
pose. Neither does the evaluation determine salary
advancement nor does it direct the individual principal,
whose initial appointment is so carefully and profes-
sionall made, in his personal and professional develop-
ment. (A) As a final conclusion, current practice
would suggest the need for two specific studies; one

of the attitude of the public school principal toward
his evaluation, and a second to establish criteria for
the evaluation of the principalship and their applica-
tion to an experimental group of public school prin—
cipals.27

Summary
Certain general statements may be made concerning
the information gathered from a survey of the literature.
The high-school principalship is the oldest admin-
istrative position in American education and its origin
may be traced back to the Latin grammar school of colonial

New'England.

27Robert W. Strickler, "The Evaluation of the Public
School Principal," The Bulletin of the National Association

of Secondary-School Pringlphls, 4l355-53. Fehruary, 1957-

:53

In the period between 1822 and 1875 there was a marked
development of the public high-school. Usually, this early
high school was directed and controlled by the local school
committee which selected a "principal teacher" to carry out
the administrative functions. .

From 1875 on, the rapid growth of the cities with.
the resultant increase in the size of school systems made
it necessary for principals to devote more time to adminis-
tration with a resultant decrease in their teaching responsi-
bilities.

Since 1900 there has been a constant growth in the
importance and responsibility of the position varying with
the size of the school and the community.

There is.a great amount of literature relating to
the high-school principalship, but much of it is empirical
and usually consists of reports or practices secured through
the questionnaire method.

The best sources of information concerning such

studies usually appear in textbooks in School Administra-.

tion or in Thg Bulletin of the National AssoCiation of

Secondary-School Principals.
Specific studies used in this survey included those

made by Dan H. Eikenberry and Floyd M; Farmer which made
possible a comparative analysis of personal data necessary
in studying a principal's qualifications.

A nation—wide survey conducted by the Executive

5h
Committee of the National Association of Secondary Prin-
cipals clarified the principal's role and specified areas
from which he was to be selected.

Hagman and Swartz, in data collected from committee
reports of the National Conference of Professors of Educa-
tional Administration illustrated the difficulties in the_
problem of establishing the principal's role.

State studies from Massachusetts, Alabama, Oregon,
Texas, Virginia, and a composite study of the eleven western
states dealt with preparation, tenure, salary, certification,
community attitudes, and the varying concepts of the prin-
cipal's responsibility as educator and citizen of a specific
community.

The diversity of the data examined would seem to
indicate too much flexibility in preparation required,
method of selection, tenure of office, salary, and possi-
bility of promotion. It also indicated that controlled
experimentation is relatively rare in the study of the
principalship.

CHAPTER III
PROCEDURES OF THE STUDY

The main purpose of the investigation was to focus
attention on and give adequate consideration to the prin-
cipalship in the larger high schools located in the southern
area of the United States. The study is based upon an
analysis of data provided by principals concerning the
current status of their position and possible changes which
might improve their effectiveness. The results of this
analysis are used to make recommendations and to draw impli-
cations for further study.

As previously stated, this study was planned as a
descriptive study using the techniques of the normative
survey with a questionnaire as the instrument for collecting
the data. There has been criticism of the use of the normae
tive survey type of research; however, some of this criticism
may have resulted from the lack of care on the part of the
investigator. Whitney in commenting on this states:

It is basically important that the beginner in re-

search recognize fully the contrast between too-often-

unthinking survey and adequate scientific description
with interpretation.1

 

V'

lFrederick Lawson Whitney, The Elements of Research
(New York: Prentice Hall, Inc., 195 , pp. et sqq.

55

56
It should be recognized that all problems concerning
human beings cannot be adequately investigated by means of
the more scientific techniques of research. Good, Barr,
and Scates in discussing this say:

Apparently, the more nearly we get to the heart of
human problems, the less completely we can depend on
approaches that are acceptable to those who emphasize
t e formal characteristics of objective science. In
these areas one has to choose between loyalty to
formalism and the desire to do something of practical
worth, even though it is not entirely above criticism.2

J. H. Robinson in indicating that the scientific

method is not the only means of learning about a situation
declared that, "It is a fundamental and hopeful discovery
to be ranked among the great inventions of mankind, that

we do not necessarily learn much about a situation from what

is sometimes called a scientific method dealing with it."3

. General Methods
The writer's training and experience in secondary
school administration and the feeling that there is a need
to focus attention on the growing magnitude of the principal's
job and the key role he plays in public education in the
South influenced the selection of the study problem. In the

 

2Carter V. Good, A. S. Barr, and Douglas E. Scates,

The Methodolo of Educational Research (New York: Appleton-
Eentury-Erofts, Inc., l95h), p. hlU.
3J. H. Robinson, The Human Comed as Devised and

I all, (New Yorh: Harper & hrothers,

= 1937 , p. 1 .

57

investigation and development of this research problem on
the status of the principalship in larger high schools of
the Southern Association the following methods were used.
After determining the study problem the writer conducted
an investigation of material published in the professional
literature in the area of the principalship in particular
and educational administration in general. As a result of
the reading of current professional literature, the writer
was convinced that the study should be limited to the prin-
cipalship of the larger high schools in the eleven southern
states comprising the Southern Association of Colleges and
Secondary Schools since no adequate regional studies were

available.

Selection of the Instrument

As it would be almost impossible to conduct personal
interviews with each principal involved in the study, the
decision was made to use the questionnaire, an instrument
better suited to cover such a wide geographic sampling.
Good, Barr, and Scates in commenting on the use.of this
type of instrument in gathering data comment, "The question-
naire is a major instrument for data-gathering in descriptive-
survey studies, and is used to secure information from varied
and widely scattered sources."4 These same writers further

comment, "The questionnaire is particularly useful when one

*

“Good, Barr, and Scates, op. cit., p. 606.

58
cannot readily see personally all of the people from whom
he desires responses or where there is no particular reason
to see the respondent personally. This technique may be
used to gather data from any range of territory, sometimes

international or national."5

Construction of the Instrument

In preparation for the construction of the instru-
ment for this study an investigation of current literature
was conducted to study various techniques in educational
research as well as techniques involved in questionnaire
construction. In addition, an examination of publications
in the area of the principalship revealed what writers con-
sidered to be important aspects of this administrative posi-
tion. From these readings a tentative questionnaire was
constructed which included a number of major areas to be
investigated as well as a large number of questions designed
to ask for the desired information in each of the areas.
Copies of the tentative questionnaire were presented to a
selected group of high-school principals and professors of
education in several colleges to appraise the tentative
instrument for clarity, terminology, order of items, and
length. A number of revisions were made following sugges-
tions from members of this group and a trial questionnaire

_~ —

‘-—— f _

5Loc. cit.

59
was constructed. This instrument included a number of
areas to be investigated with approximately sixty items
designed to obtain information in these areas. Before the
final form was adapted the trial questionnaire was distrib-
uted to a sample population covering a cross-section of
high-school principals eventually surveyed. Members of this
sampling group were requested to complete the form and make
suggestions or modifications which might improve the instru-
ment. In the replies from members of this sampling group
a number reported that too much time was spent in respond-
ing to the numerous items and indicated the desirability of
limiting the length of the instrument in order that a
representative return might be obtained. Following these
additional suggested revisions the final copy of the in-
strument was constructed consisting of forty-five items
divided into two groups of responses: (a) Free Responses
in which the respondents supplied the words, and (b) Se-
lection Responses in which the respondents selected re-
sponses from among those presented with the items.

The forty-five items were included under eight
separate areas and a space was provided for Remarks and
Suggestions. The eight areas retained in the final instru-
ment were:

1. Personal Data

2. Duties and Responsibilities

6O

3. Major Problems of Principals

4. Personal Characteristics Contributing to Success

5. Morale I '

6. Financial

7. Professional Activities

8. Community Participation

The form of the questionnaire which was distributed
to the respondents was printed on an off-set press and
consisted of a four page, folder-type sheet.6

In the printing of.the questionnaire each was numbered
to keep a record of those responding and to determine the
extent of the returns. This anonymous approach was used
to give respondents assurance that their replies would be
held in strictest confidence. That this assurance of
anonymity was accomplished to some extent is indicated by
the frequency of personal comments that appeared under Re-
marks and Suggestions. The large number of requests for
a summary of the findings of this study also seems to indicate
interest on the part of the respondents in this study.

Selection of the Sample
As stated previously, it was proposed in the plan—
of the study to obtain responses from principals of high-
schools holding membership in the Southern Association of

* h.—

6See Appendix A for the Questionnaire used in this

study.

. 61

Colleges and Secondary Schools. Since there were over 1900
secondary schools which were members of the accrediting
association, it seemed impractical to attempt to include

the entire pepulation of schools in this study. The prob-
lem was further complicated by the tremendous diversity of
these schools in terms of grades included, size of enroll-
ment, and nature of their support. 'The problem of selection
of the sample group, therefore, immediately presented it-
self. What should be the criteria for selecting the sample
and what sampling technique should be utilized? Should the
sampling be done on a random basis by selecting schools

by some technique of random sampling? Should an attempt

be made to delimit the investigation by selecting a particu-
lar cut-off point of a certain number of enrolled students?
These possibilities as well as others were carefully weighed
and considered before a final decision was reached.

Since it was deemed impossible to include all of the
member secondary schools in the Southern Association it‘
seemed desirable to select a sample which would most closely
approximate the type of school and community in which the
author of the study was employed. For this reason an arbi-
trary decision was made to include those secondary schools
with enrollments of more than 1,000 pupils. This also seemed
appropriate since the preponderance of these schools are
located in metropolitan areas similar to the community in

which the writer has obtained his experience.

62
With these criteria in mind, the problem then became
one of obtaining the names and addresses of the schools
falling within the selected size grouping and also the names
of the principals of such schools. Contact with the prin-
cipals who were to receive the questionnaire was made through

the list of member schools printed in the publication, Pro-

ceedings pf the Sixty-Third Annual Meeping of the Sopthern

Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.
Although the selection of schools may have presented

.a limited coverage, it was sectionwide in scope.7

Conducting the Research

Initial contacts were made with the secondaryrschool
principals in the selected sample group by mailing each a
copy of the questionnaire in March of 1959. Included with
the questionnaire were personal letters from the investigator
and the Executive Secretary of The Commission on Secondary
Schools of the Southern Association explaining the purpose
and importance of the study and requesting cooperation in
responding to the questionnaire.8r Enclosed with this material
was a stamped return envelope. The return envelope was used
to attract attention on the part of the respondent and de-

velop a sense of urgency in returning the questionnaire.

7See Appendix B for secondary schools included in the
study, by State, City or County, Name of School, Name of
Principal and Pupil Enrollment.

8See Appendix C for copies of the forms used to re-
quest participation.

63

From the three hundred and six original requests,
176 replies were received. After a period of three weeks
a followbup letter with an enclosed, addressed postal card
was mailed to the remaining 130 principals who had not re-
plied, again indicating the need for their cooperation‘

This request brought questionnaire returns from sixty-one
- of the 130 principals who had failed to send in the ques-
'tionnaire originally. After a lapse of two weeks an ad-
ditional addressed postal card was sent to those principals
who had requested a duplicate questionnaire but failed to
return the form. This request brought in an additional 19
returns. . '

Altogether responses were finally received from 256
principals or 83.7 per cent of the total sample. This
perhaps indicates the interest which the principals held
for the research effort. Questionnaires were received
from principals in each of the southern states thereby pro-
viding a geographical distribution of the sample. Rummel
in discussing the significance of the size of the sampling
group states:

One or the most elusive problems in research is

the determination of the size of the sample of in-
dividuals from whom information is to be collected.

There are no general rules that will apply in all
situations.9

—‘

9J. Francis Rummel, An Introduction to Research Pro-

ced%es in Education (New York: Harper (is Brothers, I958),
P. 70

 

 

 

64
In further discussing the size of the sampling group
he adds: . .

The most important factor in the analysis of data
is to have an adequate number of representative re-
turns rather than any given percentage of she number
of questionnaires originally distributed.1

Table 1 indicates the number of secondary high-school

principals in each state who returned the questionnaire.

Table l.--Number of principals returning questionnaires by

 

 

 

 

states
Questionnaires Principals Per Cent
State Sent Returned kjecting No Response of Return
Alabama 20 18 l 1 90.0
Florida 51 47 l 3 92.1
Georgia 34 28 3 3 82.3
Kentucky 15 14 0 1 93.3
Louisiana 18 13 l 4 72.2
Mississippi 2 2 O - 0 100.0
North
Carolina 15 13 O 2 86.6
.South
Carolina ' 13 ll 1 1 82.6
Tennessee 26 20 O 6 7 .9
Texas 73 52 5 16 71.2
Virginia 39 38 O l 97.h
Totals 306 256 12 38 83.7

 

Method of Analysis
Following the receipt of the questionnaire forms, all
of the data collected were tabulated by hand-scoring methods.

g

1°Ibid., p. 109.

. 65
It was felt that this method of tabulation was best suited
for the two types of responses sought in the instrument,
free response and selected response. After the responses
in each section of the‘questionnaire were tabulated the
percentages were cbmputed. The responses to the items in-
cluded in the questionnaire which were reported in this study
are not cited as right or wrong but are presented to show
prevailing situations. These responses are presented and
interpreted and the findings shown in Chapters IV, V, and
VI. The responses are also used as a basis for the summary, ‘
conclusions, and implications for further study in Chapter
VII.

Summary

In this chapter, the general methods used in the
study have been presented, including the planning preliminary
to the determination of the problem. A description of the
steps taken in the development of the questionnaire used to
obtain the desired information was included. The basis of
sample selection was also treated in this chapter. This
section covered the criteria established for limiting the
sampling universe to a reasonable size and kind. I

All the formulations stated above were preliminary
to the next description which dealt with the actual conduct
of the study. Here were presented the detailed procedures

used in soliciting participation by principals. Finally,

66
the tabulation of data by hand-scoring methods was de-
scribed. The presentation of these data are made in Chapters

IV, v, and VI.

CHAPTER IV

THE HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL-~THE MAN

Introduction
In any attempt to determine the status of the high

school principalship, it would appear that certain charac-
teristics of the principal as an individual would be perti-
nent. Much of the data gathered in this study could be
classified in this category and it is this information
which will be presented and discussed in this chapter.

Personal Data
It seems that in describing the high school principal,
certain personal characteristics would be important. Most
studies made of leadership positions such as Havinghurst,1

Eikenberry,2 Farmer,3 Neagley,‘ and others in education and

 

1Robert J. Havinghurst, “Rewards of Maturity for the
Teacher," The Educational Fo , January, 1956, pp. 145-150.

2Dan H. Eikenberry, Status of the High School Prin-
cipal, United States Bppeau of Education BulletinI No. §%,
Washington, D. .: n ted tates vernment rinting 0 ice,

3Floyd M; Farmer, "The High School Principalship,"

The Bulleti of the National Association of Secondar -School
Frlncipals, 32:32-9l, Iprll, I943. 3

“Ross Neagley, "Recruitment and Selection of School
Administrators," CPEA Series, Bureau of Publications, Teachers
College, Columbia University, New York, 1953, p. 16.

67'

68
lflald and Doty5 in business and industry have emphasized the
significance of certain of these characteristics.~
Age.--The information regarding the age of the prin-
cipals who provided the data for this study is included in
Table 2.

Table 2.-+Age of principals
W

 

Number of Principals Per Cent of

.Age Grouping Reporting Response
21-30 2 .8
31-40 41 16.0
41-50 98 38.3
51-60 96 37.5

61 and over 19 7.4.
Total 256 100.0

It is evident from the responses presented above
tshat the principal of the large high school is relatively
mnature in terms of age. Only 16 per cent of the principals
included in the study are less than 40 years of age. When
ist is considered that many industries hesitate to employ a
mean who is past the age of 45, it is evident that the prin-
cxipals as a group are somewhat older than individuals in
nuast occupational groups. Almost 45 per cent of the prin-

cz'ipals contacted in this study were over 50 years of age.

‘

5Robert M. Wald and Roy A. Doty, "The Top Executive--
A» Firsthand Profile," Harvard Business Review, July-August,

1954. p. 1.5.

69

The median age of principals in this study was 47.4 ‘
years. In similar studies, Eikenberry6 found the average
age of high school principals in 1923 was 33.4 years.
Farmer,7 in 1947, found that the average age of principals
‘who were members of the National Association of Secondary-
School Principals was 43.3 years. The differences in the
age of principals in this study and the 1947 study may be
explained by the fact that those included in this study were
employed in the largest high school units and, as will be
pointed out later in this chapter, most of them had pre-
vious employment as principals of smaller schools before
attaining their present positions.

The considerable difference in the age of this sample
group and that of the 1923 study, on the other hand, may be
significant. Part of this difference may also be attributed
130 the fact that all types of schools were included in the
early study whereas only large high schools were included
in the sample for this study. It seems unlikely, however,
13hat this factor could explain the entire difference. It
seems almost certain that the greater age of this sample
group resulted from the fact that the requirements in terms
(If teaching experience and of advanced study are considerably

Irlgmer today than they were in 1923. These factors will

6Eikenberry, 0p. cit., p. 26.

7Farmer, op. cit., p. 90.

70
also be discussed in detail later in the chapter.

§eg.-—All principals who responded to the question-
naire indicated that they were males. While there are a
small number of women employed as principals of high schools,
it is evident that the position is preponderantly a position
in which employment is limited almost entirely to men. This
agrees with the findings of earlier studies.

Marital Statu§.--According to the data gathered in
this study, the principal is definitely a married man. Only
two of the 256 respondents were single, one was divorced,
and two were widowed. Over 98 per cent of the remainder
'were married. It appears that marriage is important in
attaining success as a high school principal.

Egmiiy.--Table 3 indicates the number of children in
'the families of the respondents included in this study.

Table 3.--Number of offspring

 

 

Iiumber of Number of Principals Per Cent of
(Shildren . Reporting Reponse

0 22 8.9

1 64 25.8

2 . .93 37-5

3 49 19.7

4 18 7.3

5 or more 2 .8

k —

Of the 254 principals who were married only nine per

cent were childless. The average number of children, in

 

71

'these family groups is 1.9. While this is somewhat less
‘than the 2.34 number of children in the average American
.family, it should be pointed out that the respondents in
'this study are members of a professional group and profess
sional people tend to fall below the average of the American
family in respect to the number of offspring.

Birthplace.--Table 4 presents data concerning the
place of birth of the respondents and the Southern states
in which they are now serving as high school principals.

'Table 4.--State in which principal was born and is now serv-

 

ing

W

Number of Now Principal

Principals Number Born in State of
State of Birth Reporting in State Birth
Allabama 18 22 11
Florida 47 7 7
Georgia 28 21 17
Iientucky 14 14 9
llouisiana 13 ll 11
ldississippi 2 4 2
liorth Carolina 13 15 9
South Carolina 11 10 6
TDennessee 20 22 15
Texas 52 41 39
Virginia 38 26 25
Other 60

Totals 256 - 253 151

Table 4 shows that a preponderance of the principals
Of the schools included in this study were born in the
Southern states or in adjoining states. Of the 253 prin-

<k1pals responding to this item, seventy-six per cent were

72
born in southern states and an additional ten per cent were
born in states bordering on the southern states included in
the sample.
' It is further evident that there is a tendency for
principals to remain in the state of their birth. Fifty-
eight per cent of the respondents are included in this cate-

gory.
Of the states outside of the south only New York

and Pennsylvania contribute a significant number of prin-
cipals to the region. Fourteen principals came from these
two states. 3

It would appear that there is a tendency to draw
1principals from other southern states rather than outside
tshe region. Over 75 per cent of the principals included in
table study were born in the southern region. There were,
lmowever, many differences in the tendency of principals
born in the various states to remain in their native 'states.

Principals born in Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and
Virginia were most likely to remain in the state of their
birth. On the other hand, there was a tendency for out-
nligration of principals born in Kentucky, Tennessee, North
Carolina, and South Carolina. There is also a tendency
for in-migration of principals in Florida, Texas, and Vir—
ginia. These three states have experienced population growth
“Erich is considerably above the national average: There-

fOre principals born in Florida, Texas, and Virginia tend

73
to remain but evidently the supply of qualified personnel
is not sufficient to meet the rapidly increasing demand.

The situation in Florida may be worthy of particular
mention. 0f the forty-seven respondents from this state
only seven were born in the state and all of them held
principalships there. This probably reflects the tremen-
dous population growth in Florida but probably is also an-
other indication that Florida is not typical of the southern
region.

The situation shown in this table may have certain
advantages or disadvantages. While on one hand the southern
states hold their people to provide personnel within their
region, certain disadvantages may result from inbreeding
whereas certain advantages may accrue from bringing in in-

dividuals with different backgrounds of culture and experi-

ence.

Educational Background

One of the factors in any professional position such
as the principalship is the educational background of the
individual. Since the high school principalship is a pro-
fessional position, an attempt was made to analyzb the edu-
cational background of the respondents of this study.

The following data should be pertinent to the
above.

Level of Education.--In spite of the fact that the

schools included in this study are members of the Southern

 

74
Association which requires that the principal hold a Master's
degree there were four principals who held only a Bachelor's
degree. 'Although the reason for this was not stated, it
seems probable that these men held the position prior to the
time that the Master's degree became a requirement for the
principalship of member schools. It is pertinent to note,
however, that of two hundred and forty-six principals re-
sponding to this item 242 principals held at least a Master's
degree.

It may be of interest that of the two hundred and
twenty-six respondents who indicated the Master's as the
highest degree held, the largest number, 124 held the degree
of Master of Arts, 70 held the Master of Education, and 32
held the Master of Science degree. This is the designation
made by the various colleges and universities rather than
the essential differences in the nature of the courses
completed.

It may also be worthy of note that sixteen principals
of this group hold an earned doctorate and two additional
respondents hold an honorary Doctor of Laws.

Gpaduate Hours.--Table 5 presents the number of
graduate hours in education successfully completed by the

r‘espondents of this study.
It can be seen from investigation of the information

sl’lown in this table that a majority of these principals
have completed considerably more than the number of hours

75

Table 5.--Graduate Hours in Education

 

Graduate Hours Number of Principals Per Cent of
of Credit Reporting Response
10-19 11 - g.0
20-29 13 .0
40-59 73 33.5
60 and over 61 28.0

Totals 218 100.0

 

required for the Master's degree. The median number of
graduate hours in education earned by the respondents is
1.2.9. This is almost the equivalent of a semester of full-
1:ime graduate work beyond the Master's degree. Since many
educational leaders and professional organizations advocate.
a: year of graduate work beyond the Master's for holding a
IIrincipalship, it may be worthy of note to point out that
sixty-one of the 218 principals responding to this item
'Hnould be qualified under this requirement. -

'An analysis of the graduate work completed by the
principals would indicate that the academic preparation
for the principalship is constantly being upgraded. Eiken-
berry in his study reported in 1925 found that less than
‘ one -third of the principals responding had earned any gradu-
ate credit in education and that the mean level of academic

background was 4.4 years of training above the high school.8

¥

8E1kenberry, 020 Cite) p. 80

, 76
Farmer's study in 1947 points out that the median number of

graduate hours in education completed by principals in his
study was 19.1 in the Southern states. He then goes on to

say:

Th3 evidence from this study indicates strongly
that the public hi school principalship is growing
into a professions position. In former years the
principalship was held by one of the more mature teach-
ers without too much thought given to his professional
qualifications. Efforts of accrediting associations
increased the educational requirements for the high-
school principalship with the result that the position
began to assume more importance in the educational
field. A Bachelor's degree was ample qualification
for the earlier principalship. In fact, there were
many principals who did not even have this degree.

All of the high-school principals studied in this sur-
‘vey have had at least a Bachelor's degree with nearly
three-fourths possessing their Master's degree.9

The results of the present study would seem.to indi-
<3ate that at least among these respondents the graduate
l>ackground would average considerably higher than those
considered in the 1947 study. This is further supported
by the tendency toward working beyond the Master's degree

and toward the doctorate.

Type of College Attended.--Table 6 indicates the type

Of college attended or the undergraduate level of the prin-
Cipals involved in this study. It was felt that this in-
fOrmation might provide an indication of the potential
8Otzlrces of personnel to fill the principalship in the future.

‘.

9Farmer, op. cit., p. 86.

77

Table 6.--Type of college attended

 

Number of Principals Per Cent of

 

Type of College Reporting Response
Liberal Arts ' 129 38.9
Teachers' 97 29.2
Arts and Sciences 85 25.6
Other . 21 6 e 3
Totals 332* 100.0

 

*A number of respondents checked more than one type
of college. ‘

Information included in this table reveals that a
preponderance of the principals attended Liberal Arts
(:olleges, Teachers' colleges, or a College of Arts and
ESciences in the Universities. The largest number of re-
sspondents attended Liberal Arts colleges.' ’

It would not appear.from this data that any particular

‘type or size of college is more likely than another to pro-
<111ce graduates who will aspire to become high-school prin-
(:14pa18.

Undergraduate Background.--It would also appear to
be pertinent to study the undergraduate majors pursued by
the principals as an indication of possible potential school
administrators. Table 7 lists the disciplines completed by
the principals in this study as their undergraduate majors.

The information provided in this table indicates
that while no particular discipline would provide a single

78

Table 7.¢-Undergraduate major

 

Number of Principals Per Cent of

Undergraduate Major Reporting Response
Humanities 86 29.2
Language 10 3.h
Social Science 26 8.8
Science and Math 83 28.1
Physical Education and Coaching 20 6.8
Vocational 26 8.8
Education 35 11.9
Other 9 3.0

Totals 295* 100.0

 

*A number of respondents checked more than one under-
graduate major. .
source of potential principalship, a majority of the respond-
esnts of this study majored in the Humanities or in Science
sand mathematics. It is also interesting to note that less'
tihan one-fourth of the principals listed education either as
at major or as a minor as an undergraduate. This may be
partially the result of the previous employment of the re-
8pondents as teachers in the secondary schools since a
Preponderance of secondary teachers major in a teaching
1' 161d as undergraduates rather than in education. This
‘Nnbtnld also seem to indicate that specific preparation for
the principalship is primarily at the graduate level among
the members of this sample.

Information was also gathered regarding the disciplines

Pursued as minors by this group. The pattern which resulted

79
was almost identical to that of the major subjects.
Underggaduate Activities.--The participation in
extra-curricular activities is often cited as an important
’ factor in the preparation of students for a wide variety of
occupations. It would therefore seem advisable to attempt
to analyze the nature and extent of undergraduate activities

in which the respondents in this study were participants.

Table 8.--Uhdergraduate Activities

 

Number of Principals Per Cent of

 

‘Undergraduate Activity Reporting Response
Officer of Student Body 62 3.Z
liarsity Athletics 131 l .
Jhntramurals 11L 15.9
Ddusical Organizations ' A8 6.8
ESocial Fraternities 91 12.7
Eichool Publications 6A 9.0
I)ramatics 52 7.3
(3lubs 112 15.6
Other 31} he?
tic Participation 8 1.1
Totals 716* 100.0

w— W‘—

 

*A number of respondents checked more than one under-
graduate activity.
It appears from the data shown in Table 8 that the
Principals reporting in this study were quite active in
extra-curricular activities and participated in an average

01' three such activities.
Somewhat over fifty per cent of the total number of

'Pridacipals took part in varsity athletics as undergraduates

80

in college. Other activities in which the majority of prin-
cipals engaged were intramurals and club organizations. It
is interesting to note that less‘than two per cent of the
principals indicated no participation in any sort of under-
graduate activity while attending college. The participa-
tion in extra-curricular activities of this group of prin-
cipals compares favorably with those principals reported
in Farmer's earlier study.10

Academic Honors.--In studying any profession it is
pertinent to study the level of academic achievement of the
members of the profession. Some indication of achievement
was obtained in this study by determining the honors achieved
in high school, college, or by membership obtained in hon-
orary fraternities. Table 9 provides this data.

Table 9.--Honors Achieved

 

Number of Principals Per Cent of

 

Honors Achieved Reporting Response
H1 h School Honors 91 1%.0
Co ege Honors ' 59 2 .6
Phi Beta Kappa 2 x .9
Phi Delta Kappa 32 llnh
Kappa Delta Pi 12 5.1.
hers 26 11.7
Totals 222 100.0

 

10Farmer, op. cit., p. 83.

81

The information from the questionnaires shown in
Table 9 reveals that approximately one-half of the principals
in this study have been honor students either in high school
or in college. Only two principals were selected for Phi
Beta Kappa. The preponderance of the honorary fraternities
to which the principals were elected was in the field of
education as shown by membership in Phi Delta Kappa and
Kappa Delta Pi. .

. Gradpate Coppse§.-~In discussing the professional
aspects of training for the principalship it seems that the
graduate courses pursued by the respondents would be of
great importance, particularly to those responsible for pro-
grams of graduate preparation for this position. Table 10
indicates the types of graduate courses considered most
Ihelpful to these principals as preparation for their present
position. 1

The respondents indicated that they considered courses
:in administration to be the most valuable of all subject .
eareas pursued in their graduate program. Exactly one-half
(If the principals indicating a first choice selected courses
111 administration, and one hundred and fifty of the 256
Principals listed courses in administration among their first
tlxree choices. Since only twenty-five principals listed
courses in the principalship as among their first three
Choices in order of importance it appears that the respond-
ents felt that they obtained greater benefit from courses in

82

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m o.m ma n.oa ma e.a m cosmeam
ma e.~. a ~.H N o.m o nohpmosem
Ho hnmonoafism
m4 e.ma om m.oa ma m.~ m cosmeaso
NH m.e a e.a m H.H N amoaoeoamm
Hanoafimofivm
mm ~.m «H H.s a e.a m amoaonoaum
Ho e.ma om m.ma om m.m ma eaHzOHgtso
as 0.5 Ha .o.a~ on «.ma ea soama>toasm
one H.5H mm m.o~ mm 0.0m ca eoapeupmaeaae<

mmmnoamom Ho ammo hon pomasz anon non homssz ammo non. homadz omusoo opmsomuo
umnasz Hmpoa chase caooom pmuam _

 

“megaphone“ «o novnov Asmaao: pmoa mm nmamufimaoo monasoo opmanmh au.oH oHnma

83
administration than from those courses specifically pointed
toward the principalship. Courses in supervision and our-
riculum were also highly rated as proving beneficial to the
principals. On the other hand, in spite of the emphasis
from certain quarters on the importance of public relations
for the school administrators only five principals selected
courses in this subject area as being among the three most
helpful courses. It is possible that this is a reflection
of the quality of the courses rather than of the importance
of public relations. This might be of special interest to
professors responsible for the content and instruction in
such courses. Other specific educational courses such as
finance also received limited support as being most helpful.
VCourses in Guidance and Tests and Measurements re-
ceived considerable support although few principals con-
sidered them as most helpful but rather listed them largely
as second and third choices as far as usefulness is con-
cerned. This would seem to indicate that while these areas
are not considered of primary importance, they were recog-
‘nized as playing a vital role in the training for the prin-
c ipalship.
lips of_§ertificate.--In discussing certificates
anarded to secondary-school principals, Glenn states:
Although rules and regulations concerning the cer-
tification of secondary-school principals date back
to 1915, the majority of the certificates issued to

secondary-school principals have become effective
since 1937. Beginning in 1937 and extending through

8h ‘

1939, thirty-six kinds of certificates were made effec-

tive; and from 19h0 through 19AA, seventeen states made

effective thirty-eight varieties of certification for

secondary-school principals. Since 194h, ten states

have made effective a total of twenty types of secondary-

school principals' certificates.ll

All the principals who responded in this study possess

some type of professional certificate. This may vary from
the same type which is issued to teachers to a general ad-
ministrative one. Generally, those holding the principal-
ship in member schools of the Southern Association hold’
the highest certification issued by their respective State
Departments of Education.

‘The requirements for awarding certificates to secondary—
school principals in the various Southern States and the‘
regulations governing their renewal seem to reflect disagree-
ment from state to state. .This disagreement is concerned
with the amount and quality of the work done by the appli-
cant for the principalship. The National Association of
Secondary-School Principals has taken cognizance of the
question of certification renewal and has recommended re-
quired renewal of the initial certificate after a period of

three years of service.12

 

11Burvil H. Glenn, "Training and Experience Standards
for Principals of Secondary Schools,” The Bulletin of the

National Association of Secondar -SchooI Princi als, 35:8,
November, 1951.

12Dan H. Eikenberry, Chairman, "Training and Experi-
ence Standards for Principals of Secondary Schools," The

Bulls in of the National Association of Secondary-Sch331
Principalg, 35:61, November, 1951.

 

85
Table 11 indicates the type of certificate held by
the principals contacted in this study. '

Table ll.--Professiona1 certificate held

1 Li
*‘ —-— _ _

 

Number of Principals Per Cent of

 

Professional Certificate Reporting Response
General Administrative 120 37.5
Special Principal's 55 17.1
Teacher's Certificate with
Additional Requirements 115 36.0
Teacher's Certificate only 12 3.8
Other 18 5 e 6
Totals ' 320* 100.0

 

. .*A number of respondents checked more than one type
of certificate.

, It can be seen from the data that a majority of the
respondents, almost ninetyeone per cent, hold certificates
with requirements above those for the teacher's certificate
only. It appears that approximately four per cent of the
principals are in violation of a Southern Association re-
gulation which requires that the principal hold a certificate‘
above that of a teacher's certificate, however, this may
be attributed to a "Grandfather's Clause" as to the time

the certificate was issued.

Background of Experience
Preceding data clearly demonstrate the need for a

background of experience if a principal is to be able to

86
recognize good teaching, be helpful to the members of the
instructional staff, and evaluate the work of teachers.

Teaching Egperience.--It appears that the principals
contacted in this study have had a rather extenSive back-
ground of teaching experience varying from the public ele-
mentary school to the college level. Table 12 indicates
the educational level of teaching as well as the range of
years in teaching. .

All the principals responding to this item in the
study indicated that they had taught in a public secondary
school for a period of from at least one year to almost.
forty years. The background of secondary teaching experi-
ence of high-school principals is pointed out by Eikenberry13
in his survey and later on by Farmer.14 Both of these
writers indicate that the position most commonly held by
individuals before appointment to the principalship was that
of teacher in a high school.

The median number of years spent in high-school
teaching of the respondents is 17.5. The majority of the
principals indicated their teaching experience at all levels

of education was from one to nine years. It is interesting

 

13Dan H. Eikenberry, Status of the High School Prin-
cipal, United Stat 3 Bureau of Education Bulletin No. 2 ,
Washington, . .: n te States vernment r nting fice,
1925, p. 28.

ll‘1'o‘1oyd M. Farmer, ”The High School PrincipalshiPa"

The B letin of the National Association of Seconda -School
EEchiééIs, 32:82-91, April, 19A8.

87

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o.ooa *Nm 0.00H tea o.ooa *Hu o.ooa ebmm mampoa
.. - .. .. - .. mi: mm 3-2.
I u m.b H ¢.a a H.5N 40 oNuom
«.0 m «.0 a 0.0a «a m.en Hm ma-oa
n.mm cm e.um 4H u.am mm m.m~ 0m m-a
peep you homasz peep hem homasz unmsma
Hoonom Hoonom mhmow

 
 

humusooom ope>anm humueeaoam oaapsm humeaooom oaansm no ownmm

I

meanomop no Ho>oa new unmet» muse» Ho owmmmun.ma canes

88

to note that over 13 per cent of the respondents taught in
colleges. This may be attributed to teaching fellowships
originally granted to educators who return for post-graduate
work in the colleges and universities as well as to teach-
ing college extension classes during the regular school
term.

A striking aspect becomes evident later on in this
study when a comparison is made between the number of years
spent in classroom teaching and the number of years spent
in the principalship. It becomes apparent that promotions
to the principalship of a high-school came late in the pro-
fessional careers of many of the respondents.

Subject Areas Taugpt.--The principals involved in
this study contradict the general belief held by many that
secondary-school principals are largely appointed from the
ranks of athletic coaches. The basis for this belief seems
to stem from the fact that athletic coaches are in the public
limelight more than other members of the education profession
»and this leads to their appointments to the principalship.
Table 13 indicates the subject areas taught by the respond-
ents in this survey.

It is interesting to note from the data in Table 13
that almost 68 per cent of the principals had previously
taught science, math, English, or social studies, and that
35 per cent had taught the first two named subjects. How-

ever, even though the current scene emphasizes the critical

89

Table 13.--Subject area.taught prior to the principalship

=3—

 

Number of Principals Per Cent of

 

Subject Area Taught Reporting Response~
English and Social Studies 151 32.7
Language (Modern and Ancient) 23 5.0
Social Science 22 h.7
Science and Math 162 35.1
Physical Education and Coaching 50 10.8
Guidance 3 e 6
Vocational 3h 7.h
Other 17 3.7
Tat 313 “62* 100 e O

 

*A number of respondents checked more than one subject
area.
shortage of qualified teachers in math and science, and
though one-third of the principals had taught in these
areas, no qualified candidate for a principalship should
be penalized by being retained as a teacher. Another inter-
esting note is that less than 11 per cent of the principals
reaponding in this study were formerly athletic coaches.
It appears that this field of endeavor is not necessarily
the stepping-stone to the principalship of the larger high-
school. ’

Wns for Becoming a Principal.--Better pay, in-
vitatiOn by school authorities, greater opportunity for
'service, and the challenging aspects of the position itself,
were the four reasons checked with the highest frequency
for entering the principalship.

90

It is evident that economic pressures represent one
of the most important factors which encourage teachers to
seek appointment as principals. Almost one-fourth of the
respondents checked better pay as the reason for their
decision to enter the field of school administration. This
reason assumes additional.significance when it is pointed
out that over 98 per cent of the principals in this survey
are married and almost 89 per cent of these have children,
factors undoubtedly resulting in a need for greater finan-
cial compensation.

Generally, most principals express their enjoyment
in the teaching they did before entering the principalship.
This appears to be in accord with theresponses in this
study in that a dislike of teaching was checked by only
one principal as a reason for entering the principalship.

Table 14 lists the reasons checked by the respondents
as influencing their decision to become principals.

Professional Activities

In a discussion of professional activities of high
school principals it is pertinent to point out that such
activities tend to lead to the professional growth of
these individuals involved. Since much of the professional
growth of the principal must take place while he is employed
in a full-time position, it is vital that he have means at
his disposal which may make this in-service professional
growth possible. Prominent among these are membership in

91

t

Table lL.--Reasons influencing decision to enter administra-

 

 

 

 

tion
Number of Principals Per Cent of
Reason Reporting Response
Better Pay 189 23.7
More Challenging 124 15.6
Dislike of Teaching 1 .1
Position and Status. 57 7.2
Opportunity to Improve Cur- '
riculum and Instruction 63 7.9
To Improve Educational Oppor-
tunity for Pupils 68 8.5
Invitation by School Authorities 163 20.5
Greater Opportunity for Service 131 16.5
Totals' 796* 100.0

 

*A number of respondents checked more than one reason

professional organizations, professional reading, and the
publication of studies and reports of experimentation.
Membership.-4Membership in professional organizations
tends to promote professional growth and because 6f this
principals are closely identified with educational organi-
zations which provide a means of sharing significant educa-
tional data with members of the organization and the general
public on the local, the state, and the national level. As
a member of such a group the principal is often called upon
to develop professional programs, participate in discussion
of mutual problems and policies, and work with fellow-
members in the field of administrative endeavor. Table 15

indicates the membership in professional educational

92
organizations as reported by the respondents.

Table 15.--Membership in professional organizations

 

 

Number of Principals Per Cent of

 

Type of Organization Reporting* Total Response
Local Principals' 219 85.5
County Principals' 133 51.9
State Principals' 2A1 9h.l
National Principals' 232 90.1
Local Educational 230 89.8
State Educational 248 96.8
National Educational ‘ 21A 83.6
Other 20 7.8

 

*Based on replies of 256 respondents.

'.

It would appear from the data in Table 15 that the
principals involved in this study recognize the opportunities
for personal benefits and in-service growth as indicated by
their memberships in the various educational organizations.

Almost every respondent in this project reported
membership in local, state, and national organizations de-
signed for those in the field of education. This member-
ship includes the National Association of Secondary-School
Principals and its parent organization, the National Asso-
ciation of Education.

Publigations.-~Many of the principals responding in
this project indicated that they have written articles for
publication. In response to the request to check the type

of professional publication to which contributions have

93

been made #2 per cent of the respondents checked magazines
and 39 per cent of the respondents checked newspapers. It
.is interesting to note that 13 per cent of the respondents
made professional contributions through book publications.

It seems that the principals in this study feel that
professional writing is a worthwhile endeavor. A comparison.
in this area with studies by Farmer,15 Mchbee,16 and Lynch17
seems to indicate that the principals who reported tend to
do more professional writing than the principals surveyed
in the above studies. As in many other areas of-this study,
the result may be influenced by the fact that only the
largest schools, representing the most desirable positions
are included.

Professional Readipg.--The in-service growth of the
high-school principal may be furthered by professional
reading. The competent administrator must read good pro-
fessional books and articles to keep alert to educational
and administrative trends.

The respondents in this study when asked to list the

approximate number of hours per week spent in reading

w “T V—v

1‘5'Ibid., pp. 87-88.

16Harold V. McAbee, "The Ore on Secondary-School Prin-
cipal Grows Professionally," The Bu letin of the National

Associatiog of Secondary-School Principals, h2:77, FeBruary,
5 . '

17Audie J. Lynch, "The High School Principalship,"

The Bulletin gf the Ngtfional Association of Secopdary-School
rincipg s, :2 , arc , 5h.

9h
professional publications reported such readings varied
from one to thirteen hours with 83 per cent reporting within
a range of one to six hours. The median number of hours of
professional reading for those reporting was h.3.

Profgssional Honprapies.--It would appear that mem-
bership in honorary educational fraternities would be of
some significance in determining the professional growth
of the principals.

The respondents in this survey reported a high in-
cidence of membership in honor societies for leaders in
education with 62 per cent reporting such membership. The
majority of the principals although members of many organi-
zations hold membership in three educational fraternities,
Phi Delta Kappa, Kappa Delta Pi, and Kappa Phi Kappa. ’

A comparison with the data in Table 9 concerning
academic honors achieved in college would indicate that
over 50 per cent of the respondents were elected to Phi
Delta Kappa and Kappa Delta Pi after the completion of

their undergraduate work.

Financial Status
The relationship of salaries of principals to earn-
ings of professional people in other fields is an inter-
esting one. It is difficult to define a professional salary
level as current figures are not available on earnings of

other professional groups. It is known, however, that medical

95
doctors, lawyers, dentists, and accountants are among the
Ohighest paid professional workers.

Salaries paid to a majority of the principals are
usually too low to command the high level of professional
leadership demanded. The fact that a high quality of
service is performed by many principals in spite of their
present low salaries is a testimonial to their deyotion.

Certain factors may or may not influence the Salary
scale. Size of school, level of professional competency,
and years of experience are influential factors.

Table 16 indicates the annual salary of the prin-
cipals reporting in this study.

Table 16.--Annua1 Salary

Number of Principals Per Cent of

 

Annual Salary Range Reporting Response

Less than 5,000 O .0
5, 000 to 5,999 6 2.3
6, 000 to 6,999 28 10.9
7,000 to 7.999 65 25.h
8,000 to 8,999 88 3h.h
9, 000 and over 69 27.0

Totals 256 100.0

 

The high-school principals responding in this study
earned a median salary of $8,h00 annually. It is quite
evident that the salary of high-school principals has in-

creased in the last number of years when comparisons are

V 96'

made with the annual salary paid to principals in the Eiken-
berry18 and Farmer19 studies. However, information from
the National Education Association Research Division studies
on salaries of principals indicates that the salaries of
elementary school principals have advanced more rapidly
than the salaries of high-school principals.20

. Employpppt other than the principalship.--It seems
that principals do not share in the financial rewards that
members of other professional groups experience with
approximately the same amount of educational background.

Almost one—fourth of the respondents in this study
indicate they have other employment during the year and
almost 38 per cent of the respondents indicated that they
found it necessary to augment their salary. These prin-
cipals received additional money through teaching, through
investments, through their wives teaching, or through
property rental. Table 17 presents the data concerning the
additional employment status of the respondents.
Appunt of Additional anome.é-Table 18 indicates

the amount of additional income earned annually by the

 

18Eikenberry, op. cit., p. 41.

19Famer, OE. Cite, p. 910

20National Education Association Research Division,
"The Financial Status of Principals," The Nationa§ Ele-
menta Pri 1 a1, XXXVIII (September, 5 , p. .

97

Table 17.-~Need to augment salary and additional employment

 

 

 

 

Number of Principals Per Cent of

Repprting Res nse
Item ‘ es No Yes No

Necessary to augment salary 92 15A 37.h 62.6
Other employment during year 60 19A 23.6 76.h

 

principals in this study who responded to this question. It
is interesting to note that one hundred and ten principals
listed an additional income figure even though only ninety-
two principals reported that they found it necessary to

augment their salaries.

Table 18.--Amount of Additional Income

__.-_

 

Number of Principals Per Cent of

 

Income Range Reporting Reponse
Less than $500 9 8.2

500 to $9 9 25 22.7
1,000 to l,h99 25 22.7
1,500 to 1,999 8 7.3
2,000 to 2.1.99 7 6.4
2,500 to 2,999 3 2.7
3,000 and over 33 30.0

Totals 110 100.0

 

v—v— iv—

It may be of interest that 30 per cent of the re-
spondents listing additional income earned fell within the
highest category in this respect which amounted to three

98
thousand dollars or more annually. The majority of the
respondents listed their additional income as being some-
where between five hundred dollars and fourteen hundred and
ninety-nine dollars. The median of the additional salary
earned falls between one thousand and one thousand, four
hundred and ninety-nine dollars.

werkin at s of Ni e.--As previously stated in
this chapter a number of principals in this study indicated
that they found it necessary to augment their salary and
this was done by wives being engaged in employment. In
denoting the working status of the marital partner somewhat
over 50 per centiof the respondents listed wives in a work-
ing or part-time working capacity and of these #2 per cent
indicated that wives were employed full-time.

A number of the principals pointed out that their
wives were employed in the field of education primarily as
teachers. It might be assumed from this that a certain
amount of intermarriage occurs between those engaged in the
field of education and the fact that both husband and wife
are working may remove a financial barrier to the marriage.

Residence.--Apparently the ownership of a home is
'a status symbol in our Society and denotes a certain sense
of permanency. It is therefore interesting to note that
92 per cent of the respondents in this survey indicated
that they were owners of their homes. It might be that

such ownership and the cost of maintaining the home makes

99

it necessary for the principal to augment his annual earn-
ings.

In answer to the question concerning residence within
the school district in which they were employed, 87 per
cent of the principals answered in the affirmative. This
would appear to be in keeping with a feeling on the part
of the general public that employees of publicly supported
institutions should reside in the area in which they are

employed.

Educational Goals
In a study of the principalship it is pertinent to
discuss the goals of those who hold this position in an
effort to determine whether the principalship encompasses
the highest attainment desired or whether it is merely a
stepping-stone to other educational positions. The data
that follows is presented in an effort to indicate the

goals of the respondents.

Principgls' Attitudes Toward Public Education.--As
most of the respondents had taught at one time or another

before their appointment to the principalship it was felt
that a question indicating their feeling toward beginning

a career in public education again was pertinent. The re-_
sponses of those answering the question indicated that
almost 66 per cent would again choose a career in public

education, 16 per cent indicated they would not choose such

100
a career, and 18 per cent were undecided.

Principals' Attitudes Toward High-School Admipigppg;
pipp.--It would appear from the answers of the principals
in this survey that this position encompasses their pro-
fessional attainment in that 69 per cent indicated that they
would seek a secondary-school principalship if they were
to start again. However, 19 per cent of the respondhnts
replied in the negative and 12 per cent were undecided.

Principals' Attitudes Toward Promotions.--In an
effort to determine whether the principals in this survey
see the position as the final educational goal they were
asked to respond to the question: Indicate your reaction
to each of these positions-~Superintendent, Assistant Super-
intendent, State Department of Education, College Adminis-
tration, College Teaching, Politics, and Business.

It might be significant to indicate that almost 22
per cent of the respondents replied that they were not
interested in any of the above named positions. This might
result from a feeling of satisfaction with the present posi-
tion or natural inertia. For those respondents whose goals
demanded promotion, the superintendency, the assistant _
superintendency, and college teaching were checked most
frequently in the column headed "Interested only in unusual
circumstances.” The lure of greater compensation appeared
to attract a number of the respondents in that this factor

would cause them to seek a superintendency or an assistant

101
superintendency. An even smaller number of the principals
indicated the lure of greater prestige might cause them to
evince an interest in changing to the superintendency,
assistant superintendency, or college administration.

One of the recognized incentives for motivating pro-
fessional growth is the opportunity for advancement. How-
ever, such growth does not always insure promotion and it.
would seem that other factors must be considered as deter-

minants when consideration for promotion is involved.

Community Activities

The participation by the high-school principal in
community affairs affords him an opportunity to grow“pro-
fessionally as well as to interpret educational goals and
policies to the public. The working relationships he
establishes with other individuals in the community enable
the principal to relate the work of the school to other
activities and concerns of the totalcivic picture. There
are numerous areas of community participation for the prin-
cipal and he has the privilege of selecting the areas in
which he desires to participate. Civic clubs, social clubs,
business and professional clubs, fraternal organizations,
and churches offer the principal possibilities for further-
ing his professional growth.

The principal must be aware of the dangers of joining
an organization just for the sake of joining, for there is

a real danger in that he may be pushed into too many

102
organizations with the result that he neglects his school

and his health.
Table 19 presents data concerning club membership,
present status as to an official position in the club or

past club officer as reported by the respondents in this

 

study.
Table l9.--Community Participation
Hold Present Past
Organization Membership Officer Officer
Welfare Club 58 17 19
Civic Club 185 62 92
Social Club L3 7 11
Business and Professional
Club 65 20 28
Fraternal Orders 8h 7 26
Parent-Teacher Association 21A 38 11
Church 213 115 57
Other 6 l 3

 

‘—

A number of respondents indicated membership in more
than one organization. ,

Almost all of the principals reporting in this study
indicated a participation in community affairs through club
membership. Almost 84 per cent of the respondents reported
church membership. This figure is Somewhat lower than the
91.5 per cent church membership of teachers as pointed out

in a recent study.21 Forty-five per cent of the principals

 

21National Education Association Research Division,
"The Status of the American Public-School Teacher," Research
Bulletin, 35:32, February, 1957.

103
who were members of a church also indicated they held an
office in the church. From these figures it may be assumed
that principals are active in church affairs.

More than three-fourths of the principals indicated
membership in a Parent-Teacher Association with almost 15
per cent holding office at this time. Such membership might
be in the Parent-Teacher Association of the principal's
school or it might well be in an elementary school when we
are again reminded that only 9 per cent of the respondents
were childless and the average number of children in the
family was 1.9.

Seventy-two per cent of those reporting indicated
membership status in civic clubs. One-fourth of these had
either served as an officer or were serving as officers.

It is evident that principals are assuming a leadership role
in the community and its affairs through membership and
official positions in civic organizations.

Less than 17 per cent of the principals checked mem-
bership in social clubs.. It might be that the principal
finds little time left from his school work, participation
in other clubs, and his own professional organizations to

become actively engaged in this type of organization.

Summary
In this chapter the investigator has presented some

characteristics of secondary-school principals.

‘ 104 .

The principals, as reported, are males, Southerners
by birth, and tend to remain in their native states. They
are a little older than forty-seven years and are generally
married, with at least one child. They usually own their
homes and reside within the district in which they are em-
played.

The majority possess Master's degrees, and have com-
pleted considerably more than the number of graduate hours
required for that particular degree. The median number of
graduate hours earned is h2.9. Sixteen principals hold ‘
Doctorates. It is significant that the majority'hold the
highest certificate issued by their respective State De-
partments of Education.

Most of the principals attended Liberal Arts or
Teachers' Colleges, where as under-graduates they majored
or minored'in the humanities, soience, or mathematics and
participated in the usual under-graduate activities: varsity
athletics, intra-mural athletics, club and fraternity
functions. _

Although generally'agreeing that graduate courses in
_ administration were of greatest value to them, the prin-
cipals strongly emphasized the importance of considerable
study in the areas of supervision and curriculum.

The majority of principals were at one time teachers
of science, mathematics, or social studies in the secondary-

school with 17.5 years of teaching experience. They sought

105
the principalships because of greater pay or because of
invitation.

Keen interest in professional growth was revealed by
a majority membership in local, state, and national associ-
ations, and principals' organizations. Excellent community
relationships were evidenced in active church work and par-
ticipation in civic groups.

In spite of heavy demands made by the nature of their
office, at least 50 per cent of the participating principals.
were authors of magazine or newspaper articles, and in some
instances, of books. Six hours a week was the average time
spent in reading professional literature.

Salaries were not commensurate with preparation re-
quired for the position and the demanding nature of that
position, the average salary of a principal being $8,h00.
This low figure, particularly in the case of large families,.
necessitated many principals' wives seeking employment to
augment family incomes.

In spite of all deterring factors principals tend
to favor a career in public education, are usually content
to remain in the principalship, and leave it for another
position rarely except through the necessity of a higher
income, through unusual circumstances beyond their control,

or for greater prestige.

CHAPTER V
THE HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALSHIPp-THE POSITION

Introduction

The high school principal is the official representa-
tive of his school and is generally the individual held re-
sponsible for the various phases of the school program, the
supervision of staff members, the student body, and the
physical plant. The personal qualities of the principal
often determine both the efficient coordination of the
efforts of the school personnel and the smoothness of the
school operation.

The principal is responsible for interpreting his
school and its program to the citizens of the community. He
must be skilled in dealing with people, for he must like
them and be liked in return. The leadership role of the
principal in this area is a challenging one and the suc-
cessful principal recognizes that the success of the educa-
tional program is the sum total of the successes of all the

individuals that contribute to the program.

Selection and Entry
Soppges of Supply.--Principals are generally nomi-
.nated for their position by the superintendent of schools

with the approval of school board members. Generally, such
106

107
nominations are made from individuals within the particular
school system or competent individuals outside the school
system.

Entgy into the Principalship.--The maturity of an
individual may be considered as a basic quality in the
selection of a principal, for maturity usually contributes
to emotional stability. It also enables the individual to
c0pe with problems as he functions as an administrator. How-
ever, the investigator does not mean to imply that age alone
will assure emotional stability or that advanced age is de-
sirable for those attaining to the principalship. 38V18-
burst in discussing the age factor states: '

Thus the teacher tends to reach his prime later
than other people. Experience contributes to his
wisdom and wisdom makes him a better teacher, more
sure of himself in his dealings with students. With
a sedentary job, he feels no uncomfortable physical
stress at 60 or even 70.1 '

As many of the states require an annual physical
examination for school personnel, it can be assumed that
they are in fairly good health and that their productive
efforts are not drastically curtailed by reason of growing
older. 1

The age groupings of the respondents in this study
are indicated in Table 20.

 

1Robert J. Havighurst, “Rewards of Maturity for the

Teacher," The Educational Forum (January, 1956), pp. 145-
5 o

108

Table 20.--Age at Entry into the Principalship

 

 

 

 

m 74'
Number of Principals Per Cent of

Age Range Reporting Response
21-30 . 102 40.1
.41-50 34 13.2
51-60 4 l.
61 and over 0 0.0

Totals 254 100.0

 

It is interesting to note that the median age of
the principals responding was 36.6 years. In the Eikenberry2
study in 1923 and the Farmer3 study in 1947 the median age
of the respondents was 33.4 and 43.3 years respectively.
Perhaps the advanced age of the principals in the Farmer
study might be attributed to the fact that younger principals
were serving their country during and immediately following
W0rld War II

When attention is directed to the years of classroom
experience and the number of years served as a principal,
it becomes evident that promotions to a principalship appar-

ently came late in the careers of many of the respondents.

 

2Dan H. Eikenberry, Status of the High School Prin-

cipal, United States Bureau of Education Bulletin, No. %¥,
Washington . .: n te States Government r nt ng ice,
1925, p. 26.

3Floyd M. Farmer, "The High School Principalship,"

Th3 Bulletin of the Napional Association of Secondapz-School
rincipa s, 2: , pri , 4 .

109

Mobility

Number of Schools in Which Principals Served as Ad-
ministrative Hegd.--The turnover among the principals re-

porting in this study tends to indicate a certain amount

of mobility. The median number of principalships held be-
fore assuming the present position is 3.1. The range of
principalships held extends from a first appointment to more
.than five such positions. Table 21 indicates the number of
principalships held.

Table 21.--Number of principalships held

g A

'—

Number of Principalships Number of Principals Per Cent of

 

Held Reporting Response
1 56 ‘ ‘23.0
2 46 18.8
3 70 28.7
4 33 13 . 5
5 and over 39 A 16.0

Totals 244 100.0

 

Numbgr of Years in Present Principalship.--The median
number of years in the present principalship as reported

by those answering the questionnaire was 6.9. This seems
to continue a trend of principals remaining in their position
for longer periods of time in that the Eikenberrya study

w—

“Eikenberry, op. cit., p. 30.

110
reported a median of 3.0 years and the Farmer5 study re-
ported a median of 4.0 years. Table 22 indicates the number,
of years spent by the respondents in their present prin-
cipalship. '

Table 22.--Number of years in present position

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

m— _:1
Number of Principals Per Cent of
Range of Years Reporting Response
0-4 104 #3.1
5-9 70 2900
20 and over 19 7.9
0

Totals 241 100.

 

Ppomotional Patterns.--The employment background of

the respondents in this study prior to their appointment to
a principalship should indicate those experiences considered
to be important for the position. There is probably no one
path exclusive of others that leads to the appointment of

a secondary-school principal. Table 23 indicates the posi-
tion held prior to the first appointment as principal by
those reporting in this study. It would appear from the
table that the primary source in the supply of principals

is from the ranks of the classroom teacher.

——

5

Farmer, loc. cit.

111

Table 23.--Position held prior to first appointment as prin-

 

cipal
Number of Principals Per Cent of
Position Reporting Response

Junior High-School Principal 5 2.a
Elementary-School Principal 18 8.6
Assistant Principal 12 6.7
Athletic Coach 1 7.7
Classroom Teacher 76 36.h
Classroom Teacher and Coach 26 ~12~4
Dean of Students h 1.9
Guidance Counselor 7 3.3
Supervisor 9 h-3
Armed Services 8 3.8
Business 10 h.8
Other 16 7.7

Totals 209 100.0

 

In a study of the elementary school principalship
conducted by the National Education Association in 1958,6
the main source of supply for this position was found to
be from the ranks of the elementary school teacher. This
is comparable to the situation in the appointment of the
high school principal as indicated above and in Table 23.

Once established in the principalship it appears
from the information shown in Table 24 that the main source
of supply is brought about through the movement of prin-
cipals from one school to another. Almost half of the

 

6The National Elementary Principal, The Elements
School Princi alshi --A Research Study, Thirty-Seventh 5ear-
Eoofi, Vol. YifiVTll, No. 1, September, 1958.

112

Table 24.--Source for filling vacancies in the principalship.
W

Number'of Principals Per Cent of

 

Source Reporting Response
Staff of Same School 103 45.2
Another School Within System 68 29.8
Another School Outside System. 44 19.3
Position Outside Public Education a 1.8
Other . 9 3 09
Totals 228 100.0

 

respondents indicated they had held a high-school principal-
ship prior to the principalship in which they are now serv-
ing. It might be pointed out that promotion to a-high-
school principalship does not automatically fall to the
assistant principal and that this position is not necessar-
ily a stepping-stone to the higher administrative post even
though it would appear that on—the-job training would qualify
the assistant for the higher position. About 15 per cent

of the principals responding indicated they had been promoted
from.an assistant principalship and almost the same per-
centage had been promoted from the principalship of a junior
high-school.

Almost 90 per cent of the respondents in this study
reported they had served in an educational capacity before
assuming their first principalship. Generally, nominations
for the principalship are made from individuals within the
particular school system or competent individuals outside

113

the school system. Table 24 indicates that 75 per cent

of the respondents reported they were employed in the school
system in which they were promoted. This appears to follow
school board policy in making promotions from within the
system. This is evident in the following statement:

Outside applicants are given every consideration.
however if a capable and qualified person already in
the employ of our county is an applicant, he would be
given first choice. We like nominees to have had some
experience in our county, if possible, before becoming
principals.7

The mobility of those principals responding to this

study has already been indicated in Table 21. It is inter-
esting to note that salary increase is not cited as the fore-
most reason for changing from one principalship to another.
It would appear that the apparent prestige of serving in a
larger high school is considered of greatest importance in
making a change as far as the respondents in this study are
concerned. It is possible that in most cases the principal-
ship in a larger high school also provided an increase in
compensation for the principal although only the former was
checked as his reason for changing positions.

Table 25 indicates the respondents' reasons for

changing to the principalship of another school.

 

08 097The Elementary School Principalship, op. cit., pp.
1 -l .

114

Table 25.--Reasons for changing position

 

 

 

 

 

a
Number of Principals Per Cent of .
Reason for Change Reporting Response

Better Working Conditions 31 9.7
Administrative Change 36 11.2
Increase in Compensation 95 29.7
Larger School 129 40.3
Other 29 9.1

Totals 320* ‘1oo.o

 

*A number of respondents checked more than one reason.

Personal Characteristics Contributing to Success
In considering personal characteristics which con-
tribute to success in the principalship, it might be im-
portant to analyze the situation in which the principal
operates. The principal cannot operate in a vacuum as he
is constantly dealing with the public and especially with
children and staff-members. In the interrelationship with
the large number of individuals with whom the principal
comes into contact in his daily work, there are a number
of characteristics which perhaps contribute to his success
as a leader and the lack of which may result in failure.
Neagley, in discussing this states:
All studies agree that no single trait or group
of characteristics has been isolated which identifies
a person as a leader in all situations. It would
also seem that leadership does not appear to reside

in any personality trait considered alone, nor in a
constellation of related traits, but in the interpersonal

115
contribution of which the individual becomes capable
in a specific setting--an interactional process between
the individual and the situation.8

Table 26 indicates the responses of the principals
in this study when asked to select the five characteristics
which they felt contributed most to the success of a prin-
cipal.

It appears that ability to work with others and an
interest in pupils are considered as characteristics con;
tributing to success in the principalship. This is under-
standable when one considers the intimate contracts a prin-
cipal has in dealing with pupils, teachers, and parents.

Other characteristics deemed important by the re-
spondents are organizational ability, honesty, intelligence,
and a willingness to accept responsibility. ‘Certainly, a
successful principal must be an excellent organizer and
able to administer his school without allowing it to take
up all of his time. As the administrator of the school he
should of course be able to make decisions promptly and
discharge effectively his own responsibilities. Other re-
sponsibilities he should delegate as he can. _ ‘

As one considers the training required for the prin-
cipalship today, it is apparent that a high degree of in-

telligence is essential. A principal must be aware of the

8Ross Neagley, "Recruitment and Selection of School
Administrators," C P E A Series, New York, Bureau of Publi-
cztions, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1953, p.
l .

116

Table 26.-~Se1ected.personal characteristics contributing to
success (rank in order of importance)

 

v—r

 

 

 

First 4__ Second
Characteristic Numbera Per Cent6 Number Per Cent
Honesty 57 21.9 13 5.3
Sympathy - - 3 1.2
Patience 4 1.4 7 2.8
Firmness 2 .8 8 3.2
Ambition 1 01+ " "'
Sincerity 13 5.0 14 5.7
Enthusiasm 10 3.9 13 5.3
Initiative 4 1.4 9 3.7
Tactfulness 3 1.2 4 1.6
Good Health 7 2.7 7 2.8
Intelligence 21 8.1 19 7.7
Open Mindedness 2 .8 5 2.0
Sense of Humor 1 .4 4 1.6
Industriousness 2 .8 5 2.0
Personal Grooming - - - -
Interest in Pupils 22 8.5 27 10.9
EmOtional Stability 5 109 13 503
Organizational Ability 22 8.5 40 16.2
Willingness to Accept
Responsibility 28 10.8 20 8.1
Ability to Work with
School Authorities,
Personnel, and
PatronS‘ 56 21.5 36 14.6
Totals. 260c 100.0 247 100.0

 

3Number of Principals Reporting.
bPer Cent of Response.

0A number of respondents checked more than one char-
acteristic.

 

117
Table 26.-~Continued

 

——

 

 

Third Fourth Fifth
NumbergéPer Cent Number Per Cent Number Per Cent
13 5.3 5 2.1 10 4.2
4 1.6 3 1.3 4 1.7
13 5.3 13 5-4 7 2.9
20 8.1 14 5.8 12 5.0
2 .8 1 .4 4 1.7
17 6.9 10 4.1 15 6.3
14 5.7 20 8.3 10 4.2
12 4.8 10 4.1 10 4.2
9 3.7 15 6.2 12 5.0
2 .8 5 2.1 7 2.9
16 6.4 19 7.9 18 7.5
2 .8 11 4.6 8 3.3
7 2.8 13 5.4 21 8.8
5 2.0 14 5.8 8 3.3
" "’ 1 cl} 1 ol}
33 13.4 12 5.0 21 8.8
12 4.8 12 5.0 13- 5.5
23 9.3 29 12.0 26 10.9
22 9.0 14 5.8 12 5.0
21 8.5 20 8.3 20 8.4

247 100.0 241 100.0 239 100.0

 

118
changing attitudes of society toward education and educators;
he must be able to understand, to accept or reject such
attitudes as they apply to the successful administration of
his job. He must be aware of the increasingly flexible,
complex, inter-related social structure whose horizons change
almost daily; he must have both the knowledge of such con-
ditions and the wisdom necessary to deal with them.

A study conducted by the National Education Associ-
ation to determine needed qualifications for the elementary
school principalship rated ability to get along with peOple
at the tap of the list.9 Other qualifications frequently
mentioned were leadership, organizing, and executive ability.

It appears that regardless of the level of the prin-
cipalship the characteristics or qualities contributing to
the success of the principal tend to be similar.

Job Status 3
Line Relationship.--The data as shown in Table 27
reveals that the principal's administrative relations with
the superintendent is that of subordinate to superior. Even
though the principal may exercise great freedom as the re-
sponsible head of a school, the position does not carry
autocratic power. The principalship is restricted by

 

9The National Elementary Principal, The Elementa§y
nty- event ear-

School Princiealship--A Research Study, Twe
00k, 0 e o ,

119

Table 27.-~Administrative relationships
m

Number of Principals Per Cent of
Relationship Reporting Response

Primarily Responsible to

Superintendent 248 _ ‘84.0
Primarily Responsible to
School Board 29 10.0
Other 17 6.0
Totals 294* 100.0

*A number of respondents checked more than one rela-
tionship.
regulations from the superintendent's office.

It is also apparent from the information that few
principals have direct administrative relations with members
of the school board. Jacobson, et al. in discussing the
relationship between superintendent, school board, and prin-
cipal state:

Inasmuch as the principal is the professional repre-

sentative of the superintendent in the local school,
the principal's administrative relations with the super-
intendent should be direct and not through the board.10

Contract.--Fifty-three per cent of the principals
in this study indicated that they held an annual twelve

month contract, and 13 per cent indicated that their contract

10Paul Jacobson, William C. Reavis, and James D. Logs-
don, ties of School Princi als (New York: Prentice-Hall,
Inc., 1 5 g P0 3 9

120
was of a continuing form wherein they are employed for an
indefinite period with definite procedures to be followed
before the contract can be terminated.

The respondents in replying to the question, "Do you
favor a longer contract?” indicated by a two-thirds majority
that they were opposed to a longer contract than the one
they presently hold. The remaining third of the respondents
indicated that they favored a longer contract and gave as
their reason for this, greater security in the position and
the professional efficiency which would allow for more con-
structive program planning and evaluation over a period of
years. These respondents also indicated that they felt there
would be an improvement in their morale as well as in their
achieving greater status in the eyes of the community if
they were given a contract on.a longer term than the one
currently in force.

Iggugg.-;In the past few years the need for, or the
undesirability of, tenure for administrators has received
considerable attention. Both the National Education Asso-
ciation and the American Association of University Pro-
fessors have conducted studies in this phase of employment.

In answer to a question concerning the respondents'
attitudes toward tenure the data received revealed that
almost three—fourths of the principals responding to the
question reported that they were in favor of tenure status.

These respondents also indicated they favored tenure mostly

121
under conditions which would indicate efficient performance
in the execution of their duties.

Retirement.--It would appear that a retirement system
would contribute to the effectiveness of the principal in
that it would tend to hold him in a career in education and
contribute to a higher morale factor. In addition, those
principals whose ability to perform has been reducedfthrough
age or disability could be retired. All respondents in
answering the question concerning retirement replied that
such a plan was in effect. The age for retirement varied
from.a minimum of fifty years to sixty-five years as re-
ported by the principals. The minimum age of sixty years
was apparently the age at which most principals could vol-
untarily retire. The maximum age for retirement of prin-

cipals varied from sixty years to seventy years.

Major Problems

It is only within the past few years that Americans
have become aware of the tremendous role played by education
in preparing its future citizens for physical and spiritual
survival. The people in the United States are awakening
to the realization that through better schools, improved‘
educational methods, and guidance the challenge of these un-
settled times may be met.

In an effort to analyze the areas of problems that
high-school principals are encountering the respondents in

this study were asked to check the three problems which

122
concerned them most as principals. This method was used as
a realistic approach to the discovery of problems of greatest
concern to the principals. The response of the principals
is shown in the following table.

Table 28.--Major problems

 

 

Number of Principals Per Cent of
Problem Reporting* Response

Too much Clerical Work 105 41.3
Inadequate Physical Facilities 98 $38.6
Merit Rating of Teachers 25 9.8
Public Relations 53 20.9
Integration 43 16.9
Low Salary Scale for Teachers 112 44.1
Lack of Sufficient Clerical

Help 71 28.0
Shortage of Well-Trained

Teachers 136 53.5
Other 69 27.2

 

*Based on replies from 254 principals.

Of the eight problems listed the shortage of well-
trained teachers was checked by almost 54 per cent of the
principals as presenting their greatest major concern. Closely
related to this problem was that of the low salary scale for
teachers. The data in the table also seem to indicate that
many principals felt they spend too much time on clerical
work and allied to this problem was the lack of clerical
help provided.

It appears that contrary to a general belief held
of the schools in the southern states the problem of

123
integration does not loom large in the minds of the high-
school principals. About 17 per cent of the respondents
checked this as a major problem. It may well be that prin-
cipals refrained from checking this particular problem or
that they felt this problem rested with the various legis-
lative bodies in their respective states.

In a study of the problems of principals throughout
the United States conducted in 1939 the following summari-.
zation was made by Patrick:

The most frequently mentioned problem is that of
curriculum revision, a part of supervision, which
comprises 36 per cent of the total. Over one half of
the principals submitted problems in this field. Prob-
lems receiving high frequency of mention are internal
organization, retention and guidance of pupils, develop-
ment of more effective methods of teaching and pro-
visions for an effective extra-curriculum program. 1

A study of Rhode Island secondary-school principals
and their problems indicated that problems in the staff
area were of greatest concern to them. This was followed
by problems in the area of low ability and high ability

pupils and then problems dealing with the curriculum.12

 

11Robert B. Patrick, "The Most Pressing Problems of
Principals,” The Bulletin of the National Association of
Secondar -Schoo rinc a s, 2 :4-2 , ay, 93 .

12Sidney P. Rollins, "A Summary of Problems of the
Principal," The Bulletin of the National Association of
Secondar -Sc 00 rinc a 3, 44:5 -57, e ruary, .

124

Sources of Satisfaction

The successful performance of an administrator may
be closely related to the satisfaction he derives from his
work. On the other hand, unhappy situations may'tend to
mitigate against the effectiveness of an administrator and
result in a deterioration of his effectiveness. Included
in the research is a body of data concerned with personnel
practices which tend to improve and increase morale. It
seems that Job satisfaction results in accomplishment,
whereas, job dissatisfaction arouses forces which may con-
tribute to poor morale and failure.

Insight concerning the morale of the participants
in this study may result from an examination of the re-
spondents' answers to the question, "What do you like most
about your position?" The replies can be classified into
a number of broad categories.

1. The satisfaction of working with boys and girls -
of high-school age.

2. The satisfaction of working with staff members.

3. The challenge to provide a sound educational pro-
gram for boys and girls in the high schools.

4. The satisfaction of being in a position of leader—

ship which provides freedom of action and an
opportunity to perform professional services.

5. The opportunity of serving the community and of
developing better citizens.

There appears to be little reluctance on the part
of the respondents to answer the question of "likes." The

125

following specific remarks might conceivably be of some

significance to those who desire additional factual data

relative to the morale factor of position satisfaction.

1.

2.

The satisfaction of working with pupils:

"The personal satisfaction which I receive from being
a part of helping boys and girls obtain the best possible
education."

"The opportunity to see kids grow and develop into
womanhood and manhood and find their place in life."

"The satisfaction that comes from associating with and
helping young people."

"The opportunity to have a small part in the develop-
ment of character and citizenship of so many individuals."

”The personal compensation received in seeing growth and
progress in a student body and staff as well as the
achievements of individual students in later life."

I
The satisfaction of working with staff members:

"Opportunity to work with teachers and members of the
community in an important social institution."

"Challenging experiences of working with teachers and
students."

"WOrk with intelligent personnel (teachers-administrators).

"The opportunity to serve the people with whom I am
privileged to work.”

"Helping teachers and students in the pursuit of ex4
cellence.”

"A cooperative staff with high professional spirit."

"The Opportunit to provide an atmosphere and opportunity
for staff deve opment to fullest capabilty."

3. The challenge of the position:

"The challenge in a changing world--0pportunity to help
young people along their way--make a contribution toward

bringing young people to a realization of their respon-
sibilities."

4.

5.

126

"Tremendous challenge to provide an educational program
of soundness and depth for our young people."

"The challenges--to take a job—-plan and execute it."

"Principally the challenge of improving the job that
is done for our teenage boys and girls."

"There is a thrilling and invigorating challenge in the
job for me, never a dull moment."

"The challenge of working with young people."

The satisfaction of being in a position of leadership:

"Position of leadership, freedom of action, opportunity
to perform professional services.”

"Organization and administration of a good public school."

"The complete freedom given to the principal and faculty
in the developing of all phases of the high school pro-
gram, with the backing of the administration and the
community."

"The responsibility of a large operation."

"Being a part of the many activities in which leader-
ship and guidance is needed."

"Freedom given to me by superintendent and school board."

The satisfaction of serving the community:

"Opportunity to work with youth and the knowledge that
my work is of a type that renders service toward public
improvement."

"Feeling of solid accomplishment in following careers of
former students; sincere appreciation from best citizens
of community."

"The opportunity to serve the community and to provide
young people with an opportunity to develop themselves
to the best of their ability."

”Opportunity to do genuine service to community and
youth."

127

"The overall potentiality and Opportunity for school-
community program and curriculum development."

"The-Opportunity to work in a community where the citi-
zens are interested in public education.”
Sources of Dissatisfaction

An area of the questionnaire was incorporated to
reveal factors concerning the morale of the principals
surveyed in this study. Certain items were therefore de-
signed to give evidence also of certain dissatisfactions
which might be present.- In an effort to secure such data
the following question was asked the principals, "What do
you like least about your position?" The response to this
question was not answered by a number of the respondents.
This was in direct contrast to the question concerning what
was ”liked" which was answered by almost every respondent.
It is impossible to determine from the data available whether
this reflected a complete satisfaction by a number of re-
spondents or a reluctance to list their negative reactions.

The answers which were given concerning dissatis-
factions with the position may be grouped under the follow-
ing headings.

1. The dissatisfaction resulting from the responsi-
bility of the principal for punitive discipline.

2. The dissatisfaction resulting from the l rge
number of meetings and the necessary cle ical work
which takes time which should be available for
mgr: important facets of the principals' responsi-

ty.

128

3. The dissatisfaction resulting from the lack of
time the principal can call his own.

4. The dissatisfaction resulting from dealing with
the public such as irate parents and politicians.

A further analysis might be made of these sources
of dissatisfaction from a closer examination of specific
remarks concerning the aspects of the position least liked
by the respondents. These appear as follows:

1. The dissatisfaction resulting from the principal's role
in punitive discipline:

”Having to handle discipline cases which frustrate be-
cause circumstances beyond our control hamper our
efforts. (Improper home conditions)."

"I like the disciplining aspects of my job least.”

"Spending too much time with discipline problems or
maladjusted students."

"Coping with varied disciplinary problems." 3

"The disappointment of not being able to reach a needy
individual and get him on the road to honest, wholesome
living. Having to discipline the child who cannot see
the need for discipline."

 

"Handling difficult discipline problems passed on to me
by the assistant principal."

"Decisions on disciplinary problems."
"Disciplining!"
2. The dissatisfaction resulting from too many meetings and
from clerical details:
"Meetings: Meetings: Meetings! Reports! Reports: Reports!"

"The many minor actually unimportant paper work details
that take my time from the teachers and students."

”Minor details of extra-routine nature which consume too
much time and are irritating." '

3.

4.

129

"The vast amount of time wasted by meetings at the cen-
tral office in which the same problems are discussed
but no decision is ever reached."

"Multitudinous details of planning program and seeing
to it that plans are developed. Many of these things
must be done by the principal and can't very well be
delegated.”

"Lack of time to actually do the job of principal in-
stead of doing odd jobs about the school."

"Time consuming clerical work.”

The dissatisfaction resulting from lack of time the prin-
cipal can call his own:

"I have very little time of my own."

"Too many nights away from home."

"Too many extra-curricular activities. Too much time
away from my family." ,

"The physical impossibility of satisfying the demands
for participation in community activities.”

”Too many meetings at night on school affairs."

”Constantly rushed--too‘much to do and too little time
to do it in."

"Out-of-school time demands; all the fringe activities
that center around a public school.”

"Time involved in extra activities. Feeling of never
having quite enough time of my own to do things."

 

”Long hours of work."

"Need more fall time. longer vacation period or periods."

The dissatisfaction from dealing with the public:

"I dislike very much not being a free person who can,
express hims f on vital issues. Let's face facts, a
person in public education is stifled and is often at
the mercy of crack pots and politicians."

130.

"Dealing with parents of children who lack understanding
of children and the responsibilities of the public
school." .

"Parents who have not properly raised their children and
who are ready to criticize the school and take the sides
of the children."

"Public apathy toward the role a teacher and administrator
should play and the public's unwillingness to adequately
finance a good program."

"Irate and unreasonable parents."

"People picking on me."

"Civic demands for service as a result of my position.
(Often unfair or unreasonable requests, i.e. "Will you
address our group tomorrow evening?")"

"Community politics and demands on time. Group pressures."

Summary

This chapter established the relationship of the
principal to his school and his community and outlined
personal factors necessary for a successful administration
and interpretation of the school's program to the community.
It discussed sources of supply, personal qualifications,
job status, administrative problems, satisfactions and dis-
satisfactions.

Analysis of data showed that principals are generally
nominated by the superintendent of schools with the approval
of the school board. Generally nominations are made from
individuals within the particular school system. Contrary
to a general belief they are chosen from classroom teachers,
elementary, junior high, or high schools, and not from

athletic coaches. .Maturity was found to be a primary
3

131
factor in principal nomination, the median age being 36.6
years.

Honesty, ability to work with others, willingness to
accept responsibility, interest in pupils, organizational
ability, and intelligence were cited as personal character-
istics contributing to a successful principalship.

Data revealed a subordinate-to-superior relationship
between superintendent and principal, the principal having
no autocratic power. There were few direct administrative
relationships with the school board. Contract situations
varied, 53 per cent of the principals contacted holding
twelve month contracts and 13 per cent holding a continuing
form which could be terminated only by definite procedures.
One-third of the group favored longer contracts for reasons
of security, greater opportunity for constructive program-
ming, improved morale and community status. Three-fourths
favored tenure of office and all respondents were under a
retirement plan. The latter would insure security and at
the same time permit retirement because of physical dis-
ability. The retirement age varied from a minimum of fifty
years to a maximum of sixty-five years with voluntary re-
tirement possible at sixty.

0f the eight problems listed in Table 28 more than
50 per cent of the principals responding considered the
shortage of well—trained teachers to be the greatest. Low

salaries for teachers, too much clerical work, and adequate

132
physical facilities were also grave problems.

In spite of problems involved, satisfactions were
found in working with boys and girls, in the challenge of
providing a sound educational program for them, in leader-
ship, and in community service.

Dissatisfactions were created by punitive responsi-
bility, clerical work, lack of free time, dealing with the
public, and the assumption by the school of the role of the

home.

CHAPTER VI
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PRINCIPAL

. Introduction

An examination of the professional literature con-
cerning the duties and responsibilities of principals re-
veals an amazing multiplicity of demands made on these
administrators with apparently little evidence of standardi-
zation. Principals are called upon to perform many types 4
of duties which not only vary in importance but also extend
from more clerical tasks to policy-making decisions which
affect the entire school program.

In the last half century a policy of relieving the
principals of large high schools from all teaching duties
has become increasingly prevalent. Today, as'a result of
this policy, the principal can devote his time to adminis-
trative duties. Generally, the proportion of time avail-
able to the principal for administration is determined by
the enrollment of the school.

Variation in Administrative Duties.--Gulick and Urwick
in classifying administrative functions at the secondary
level analyze the total function of administration as:

1. Planning

2. Organizing

133

134
3. Staffing

4. Directing

5. Coordinating

6. Reporting

7. Budgetingl

An analysis of the responses of the principals re-
plying to the questionnaire indicates that the duties most
generally listed as required of secondary-school principals
fall within five of the seven categories listed by Gulick
and Urwick. Staffing and budgeting appear to be considered
the responsibility of the superintendent's office.

Scope of Duties and Responsibilities

Although duties and responsibilities as performed
by the principal are multitudinous, as previously stated,
some of these are more demanding or more serious in
nature than others. It would appear that the respond-
ent's attitude toward the time element involved in
carrying out such functions as compared to his con-
ception of the time element in an ideal situation in
carrying out the same functions might be helpful in in-
dicating trends toward a more professional allotment of
time. Table 29 indicates the response of the principals
when asked to list those activities requiring a given per-

centage of time in their actual situation as compared to

 

lLuther Gulick and L. Urwick (Editors), Pa are on the
Science of Administration, Institute of Public Adfilnistration,

New York, 937-

135

Table 29.--Time allotment of duties and responsibilities in
actual and ideal situations (number of principals

 

 

 

 

reporting)
25% or more
S on d e
Duties and Responsibilities Is Spent Spent
Varsity athletics 10 4
Public relations 42 29
Business Management 28 4
Discipline Problems 32 1
Plant Administration 2 6
Curriculum Coordination 26 56
Office Routine 71 6
Transportation 2 O
Cafeteria l 0
Teaching 0 l
Pupil Personnel Services 11 13
Pupil Activity Program 16 3
Improvement of Instruction 60 130
Building Master Schedule 8 2
Assignment of Pupils 5 3
Conferences with Parents 19 5
Supervision of Teachers 80 132
Faculty Meetings and In-service Training 7 22
Developing and Maintaining Staff Morale 9 22

Other 0 O

136
Table 29.--Continued

 

 

 

__15%fto 23? 5% to 14% Less than 5?
o d e ou d e ou e

 

Is Spent Spent Is Spent Spent 13 Spent Spent
16 3 41 23 62 52
40 ' 48 57 29 23 16
28 30 29 20 24 20
21 9 48 30 49 56
27 19 44 30 34 38
29 32 54 17 17 8
49 24 33 43 21 42

3 0 5 4 56 41

5 1 15 3 77 55

O O 1 0 35 29
34 37 28 16 24 8
37 24 36 24 39 24
45 15 43 7 7 3
13 13 34 18 59 44
10 6 22 12 41 34
22 28 55 38 47 17
47 28 33 3 19 l
20 24 45 34 62 27
27 25 27 15 22 13

 

137
the amount of time they would spend in such activities in
an ideal situation.
An examination of the data presented in Table 29
indicates that the responses tend to fall within five major
categories:

1. Factors on which many principals spend less time
than they should in an ideal situation.

2. Factors on which many principals spend more time
than they should in an ideal situation.

3. Factors on which principals lack agreement regard-
ing the time allotment in both actual and ideal
situations.

4. Factors which are generally agreed to require a
smaller percentage of the principal's time.

5. Factors which do not appear to be considered as a
major responsibility of the principal of the large
high school. '

The data included in the table will be discussed in

terms of the above categories. O

Factors on Whicthany Principals Spend Less Time
Than They Should in an Ideal Situation

It is interesting to note that most of the factors

which fall into this category are related to the improvement
of the educational program of the school. Although the
majority of the principals responding indicated that they
spend more than 25 per cent of their time on supervision of
teachers, improvement of instruction, and curriculum coordi-
nation, there were still numerous principals who reported

spending relatively less time on these factors than they

138

thought they should. For example, one hundred and thirty-
two of the 184 respondents indicated that in an ideal situ-
ation they should spend more than 25 per cent of their time
in supervision of teachers, yet only eighty of this group
indicated that they were able to do so. On the other hand,
while fifty—seven respondents indicated that they spend less
than 15 per cent of their time in supervision of teachers,
only four thought that this time allotment was sufficient.

The responses concerning time allotted to the improve-
ment of instruction parallels almost exactly the responses
concerning the supervision of teachers. As a matter of fact,
the proportion of those who are able to spend the amount of
time on this function which they feel that they should is
even smaller than in the area of supervision of teachers.

A similar pattern is indicated in regard to curriculum
coordination. In this case, however, the number of respond-
ents was somewhat smaller and the responses were more diverse.
This may result from the fact that many school divisions
employ an individual as curriculum coordinator or director
of instruction who is considered to be primarily responsible
for the development and coordination of the curriculum. In
such situations the principal probably feels less responsible
for the curriculum. In fact, in some school divisions the
curriculum for all schools in the division may be developed
in a central office.

There also seems to be a tendency for principals to

_ 139
spend less time on faculty meetings and in-service training
than they would recommend in an ideal situation although
this tendency is less marked than in the three areas pre-
viously discussed. This may be attributed to the failure of
the principal to recognize faculty meetings as an instrument
for improving the educational program and also to the fact
that in many school divisions in—service training is con-
sidered to be the function of the coordinator of curriculum
or the director of instruction.

‘ The responses concerning the improvement of staff
morale closely parallels the responses to faculty meetings
and in-service training. In this case, however, the diver-
gence in responses may reflect differences in the philosophy
of the principal since it would appear that those with the
most democratic philosophy would attach more significance to
this responsibility.

Factors on Which Many Principals Spend More Time

Than They Should in an Ideal Situation

It would appear that while principals feel that they
spend less time than they should on improving the educational
program as discussed above, they also feel compelled to
spend more time than they should on various types of office
routine, business management, pupil activity programs, and
plant administration. The tendency is less marked in these
areas primarily because principals seems to lack agreement

concerning the amount of time which should be delegated to

140
these activities. There seems to be general agreement that
these activities should require less than 25 per cent of the
principal's time, yet many respondents indicate that they
are devbting more than one-fourth of their time to these
activities. The difference between the ideal and actual
situation is less marked below the 25 per cent level. This
may represent both differences in the principal's responsi-
bilities in different school divisions and differences in
the principal's concept of his job.

The pattern is more distinct in regard to the amount
of time required of principals by disciplinary problems. The
majority of principals responding to this item seem.convinced
that they were required to spend more time on discipline than
they should in an ideal situation. This is especially in-
teresting in light of the fact that most schools of this
size employ an assistant principal who is traditionally
assigned the responsibility for discipline.

The respondents also seemed to be of the opinion that
they are forced to spend more time in connection with varsity
athletics than the activity merits. The lack of agreement
probably reflects the varying emphasis placed on athletics
in different communities. It would be interesting to be
able to examine more closely the educational philosophy of
the four respondents who indicated that even in an ideal
situation they would expect to spend more than 25 per cent
of their time in varsity athletics.

141

Factors on Which Principals Lack Agreement Re—
garding the Time Allotment in Both Actual and
Ideal Situations

There seems to be little agreement among the respond-
ents concerning the principal's responsibility for pupil
personnel services.‘ There were significant responses in all
four designated categories of time allotment both in terms
of actual and ideal situations. This may indicate two
possible explanations. There seems to be a lack of agree-
ment of the nature of the activities included in pupil per-
sonnel services and it would also seem probable that those
principals having a firm guidance‘point of view would attach
more importance to this area. However, there does not seem
to be any identifiable trend in the responses concerning this
activity.

The responses dealing with parent conferences and
public relations are very similar to those relating to the
pupil personnel programs. This also indicates wide variation
in the educational philosophy of the secondary-school prin-
cipals resulting in varying concepts of their duties and
responsibilities. It is also possible that in some cases
the principals' responses to these items may reflect the
policy of the superintendent of schools.

Factors Which are Generally Agreed to Require a

Smaller Percentage of the Principal's Time

While there is some difference of opinion, principals

-generally agree that the preparation of the master schedule

142

and the assignment of pupils to classes are necessary but
should require relatively a small proportion of the prin-
cipal's time. The fact that there is a smaller number of
responses to these items probably indicates that in many
schools these responsibilities are delegated to an assistant
principal or to some other member of the staff. It would
again be interesting to ascertain the concept of the prin-
cipalship held by a small number of respondents who indicated
that in an ideal situation they would expect these responsi-
bilities to take more than 25 per cent of their time.

Factors Which Do Not Appear to be Considered as a

Mjor Responsibility of the Principal of the Large
High School

The respondents seemed agreed that if they had any
responsibility for transportation and cafeteria these activ-
ities should require a small amount of their time. .This
would seem to indicate that these activities are typically
operated directly from a superintendent's office and admin-
istered by a special staff. It may also be that since many
of these schools are located in urban areas the transporta-
tion is provided by public facilities such as city buses.

The responses would also indicate that very few prin-
cipals of larger high schools have any significant teaching
responsibility. Since very few respondents indicated that
they spend as much as 5 per cent of their time in teaching,
it would appear that their instructional activities would

143
be limited to an occasional substituting activity or acting
as a resource person.

In spite of the differences between the emphasis placed
on many of the principals' responsibilities in their current
positions as compared to an ideal situation, an analysis of
the data in Table 30 reveals that the relationship existing
between the actual and ideal time allotments is positive.
Using the rank-difference method of correlation, rho's were
obtained between the time actually spent on these duties and
the time the respondents considered to be ideal in each time
division.2

Table 30.-—Rho correlations on time spent and principals'
opinions on how time should be spent

 

—-———‘—.—— v—
_

 

Percentage of Time Rho Correlation
25 per cent or more .64
15 to 25 per cent .74
5 to 14 per cent .68
Less than 5 per cent .75

 

In general, it appears that the proportionate amount
of time reported as spent by the respondents agrees with

their concept of an ideal situation. .

 

2Henry 3. Garrett, Statistics in Psychology and Edu-
cation, Longmans, Green and Company, ew or , 4 , pp. 43-

347-

144

The Oregon Study

The data from the survey .as presented in Table 29
might be compared with the results of a similar study which
included the principals of the high schools in the First
Class Districts of the State of Oregon. The Oregon study3
is one of the few comprehensive studies of the high school
principalship in recent years and includes a comparison of
time allotment in various activities very similar to that of
this study.

The respondents of both studies agreed that they were
not able to devote a sufficient amount of time on supervision
of teachers and the improvement of instruction. There is
evidently wide agreement that the high school principal needs
to spend more time on educational leadership. On the other
hand, while the Oregon group agreed that they needed to
spend more time on business management and plant administra-
tion the respondents of this study were of the opinion that
they were forced to delegate more time to these activities
than they deserve. This difference may reflect administra-
tion policies peculiar to the Oregon situation. The Oregon
group also expressed a belief that pupil personnel services

deserved more of their time but the respondents in this

 

3Harold V. McAbee, "The Principal's Job," Oregon Asso-
g th 1

ciation of Seconda School Princi als, Twenty-E1 [Hfiual
Conference Report, 1956, pp. 67-93.

 

145
study lacked agreement concerning the responsibilities of
the principal in this area. ‘

The two groups also agreed that the principal is re-
quired to devote too much time to routine office activities
and the various programs of student activities, including
varsity athletics. The Oregon group, however, felt that
they devoted too much time to professional meetings and in-
service training while the respondents to this study indicated
the opposite feeling. Teaching responsibilities seemed to
require too much time for the Oregon group but seem to be
such a minor part of the principal's role in this study that
it was not significant. It is not possible to make a com-
parison regarding discipline because it was not included as
a separate category in the Oregon study. It is possible
that the design of the Oregon study included discipline among
the pupil personnel services. If this is true, the two groups
would appear to agree that the principal must spend a dis-
proportionate part of his time with discipline problems.

In general, it appears that the results of the two
studies are agreed in two important areas, the need for more
available time for principals to devote to providing educa-
tional leadership and the tendency for too much time to be
devoted to the routine of the office and to student activity

programs. These results also seem to agree with the findings

of a majority of the related studies which are available.

146

Summary

This chapter began with attention being focused on
the multiplicity of demands made on the principal and the
apparent lack of standardization in their duties and respon-
sibilities.

Principals were asked to estimate the amount of time
actually spent on school duties and to suggest the amount
of time they felt should be given to these duties in an ideal
situation.

An analysis of the data shows that the responses fall
within certain categories:

Those duties in which less time is being spent than.
thought necessary.

Those duties in which more time is being spent than
thought necessary.

Those duties in which the time element tends to vary
with the individual principal and in which there
appears to be a lack of agreement.

Those duties which apparently take up only a small
amount of time.

Those duties in which principals are not concerned
and which are probably delegated to other members of
the staff.

In general, it appears that those duties and re-
sponsibilities related to the improvement of the school's
educational program fall within the category of insufficient
time allotment. In this category were listed improvement

of instruction, supervision of teachers, and curriculum

coordination.

147
In contrast to this, the principals indicated too

much of their time was taken up by office work, plant admin-
istration, disciplinary problems, and pupil activity programs
including varsity;athletics. .

In the category in which principals seem to lack
agreement as to the time allotment in actual and ideal situ-
ations are listed such duties as pupil personnel services,
conferences with parents, and public relations.

The preparation of the master schedule and the in-
dividual assignment of pupils appears to be a delegated
function and requires little of'the principal's time. Closely
allied to these duties in the time relationship are responsi-
bility for transportation, the cafeteria, and classroom
teaching.

A comparison of the actual time reported as spent by
the principals with that they thought ought to be spent in
an ideal situation indicates a positive relationship. In
general, it appears that they are successful in spending
their time as they thought it should be spent.

In an additional comparison made with a study of
principals in large high schools in the State of Oregon it
appears that there is a similarity in the allotment of time
actually spent in performing school duties and the amount
of time that would be spent on the same duties in an ideal
situation. The results of the two studies indicated the
necessity for additional time to be devoted to providing

148

educational leadership and the tendency for too much time
being used in such functions as office routine and student
activity programs.

The broad differences among principals concerning
the ideal allotment of time appears to reflect diverse con-
cepts among the participants in the study concerning the
role and responsibilities of the principal in a large secondary
School. Some of the differences may also result from factors

unique in certain schools or communities.

CHAPTER VII
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The Study

The purpose of this study was to conduct a survey
of high school principals in order .to reveal their personal
backgrounds, academic and professional preparation, respon-
sibilities, problems, and morale. Included was an effort
to determine the allocation of their time at work on the
basis of the school day and of the suggested allocation pre-
ferred if they were given a choice. An examination was made
01’ their goals, economic status, and existing patterns of
Promotion.

The data relative to the study were secured from
Principals of the larger high schools in the eleven Southern
States comprising the Southern Association of Colleges and
Secondary Schools.

A questionnaire was mailed to the principal of every
nemher high school in the Association that had an enroll-
ment, of 1,000 or more pupils. Upon return of the question—
naire the data were tabulated, analyzed, and presented gen-
erally in terms of number of responses and the percentage

°f total responses.

. '149

150

Summary of Findings

The summary of findings will be presented in three
sections:

The High School Principa1-—The Man

The High School Principalship--The Position

Duties and Responsibilities of the High School Prin-
cipal I '

Before presenting the summary of the findings it may
be desirable to review the framework within which the prin-
cipal and his position have been considered in this study.

1. This study included only principals of large high
schools and it should not be assumed, therefore, that these
findings would apply equally to schools of smaller enroll-
ments.

2. This study included only high schools in the
eleven Southern States which comprise the Southern Associ-
a“Lion of Colleges and Secondary Schools. It should not be
assumed that the same findings would result from similar
$1“Adios made in other geographic regions.

' 3. This study included only high schools that held
memhership in a regional accrediting (association. The re-
s“its might have been slightly different if all large high
39110013 in these states had been included.

4. Since this study included high schools with a
large enrollment, they tend to be located in urban population

151
centers. This may also provide certain biases concerning

the concept of the principal and the principalship.

The High School Principal-~The Man

The study indicates certain personal characteristics
which seem to apply rather generally to the principals in-
cludes in this survey.

The principals of large high schools tends to be a
rather mature group, as far as chronological age is con—
cerned, with only 16 per cent of the group under forty
years of age and almost half of the group over fifty years
of age.

All of the principals included in this group were
males. While there are undoubtedly some women serving as
high school principals it would appear that sex is a decided
factor in the selection of the chief administrator, particu-
larly for large high schools.

Only' two of the group were single. It would appear,
‘therefore, that successful marriage is an important factor
in becoming a high school principal.

The principal of the large high school in the South
iJB a native of the southern region and the majority are
EEmployed within the states of their birth. While some states,
Snich as Florida, employ a considerable number of principals
fPom out-of-state even these tend to be natives of the
Southern region.

The background of educationand experience as pre-

Paration for the principalship was included in this study.

 

152

The findings in this area included:

1.

The Master's degree appears to be the minimum
educational level for the type of principalship
included in this study. The average number of
hours of graduate work completed indicated that
the typical principal has completed approximately

. one year of work beyond the Master's degree.

2.

3.

h.

5.

6.

7.

Courses in educational administration, super-
vision, and curriculum were considered by the
respondents in this study to be the most im-
portant in preparation for the principalship.
Courses in guidance, tests and measurements,
and school finance were also indicated to be of

considerable value.

The respondents of this study obtained their
undergraduate preparation in the arts and sci-
ences either in Liberal Arts Colleges, Teachers
Colleges, or Schools of Science and Arts in
Universities. They also began their professional
careers as classroom teachers in these areas. '

The data indicate that they were participants

in extra-curricular activities as undergraduates.
Only 1 per cent of the respondents had not par-
ticipated in such activities.

The typical principal of the large high school
has completed a number of years of teaching.
The median number of years of teaching experi-
ence of the respondents in this study was 17.5.
This partially explains the relative maturity
of these principa s as a group.

Some data were also gathered concerning the
financial status of the princi als. The average
salary of the respondents was £8,h00 per year
with salaries ranging generally between $7,000
and $10,000. Approximately onedthird of the
respondents indicated that it was necessary to
augment their salary in order to meet their ex-
penses. Additional income was earned primarily
through added part-time work by the principal
or through the earnings of the wife.

It appears that in a majority of cases the
teacher's entry into administration came at the
invitation of school authorities. Better pay
was the greatest single reason for accepting

153

the additional responsibilities, although sig-
nificant numbers of the respondents indicated
that greater challenges and greater opportunity
for service were also important considerations.

8. Most of the principals look upon their present

positions as terminal. Very few indicated any
desire to move into superintendencies, college
positions, or other employment either in or out-
side education. Most indicated that if they
were beginning their careers again they would
choose careers in public education and would
hope to become principals in secondary schools.

The High School Principalship--The Position

This study included principals who are the chief

administrative officers of large high schools. It seemed

desirable, therefore, to look at the nature of the position,

sources of supply, and other factors relating to the prin-

cipalship as an occupational Opportunity.

The data indicated a number of factors which may be

of interest.

1. The individual moves into his first principal-

ship from some other position in public educa-
tion. Most of the beginning principals moved
from teaching positions. A preponderanceof
the principals“were previously employediin‘the
same school division, with almost one-half of
the group being promoted from the staff of the
same school. .

2. Most of the principals of the large high schools

3.

included in this study had previous experience

as principals of other schools. The respondents
held an average of more than three principalships
prior to obtaining their present positions in
arger high schools.

It appears that the pattern of promotion leads
from the classroom to the principalship of a
smaller high school followed by promotion to
increasingly large school units. It is also

154

interesting to note that a very small number of
the respondents were appointed to their present
positions from assistant principalships.,

h. With few exceptions the principals are employed
by a school board upon recommendation of the
superintendent. The principal usually reports
directly to the superintendent of schools.

5. The respondents generally indicated that they
are satisfied to hold an annual contract and that
they favor a system of tenure.

6. The principals indicated that the major problems
connected with their position were shortage of
available, well-trained teachers and the low
salary scale available to them to attract better
trained teaching personnel. Also constituting
a major problem was a lack of adequate clerical
assistance.

7. The respondents reported that their greatest sat-
isfactions were derived from working with pupils
and teachers and the Opportunity to provide pro-
fessional leadership and service. Their greatest
sources of dissatisfaction and frustration were
the result of their responsibility.for punitive
discipline, the lack of free time, and the rela-
tionship with pressure groups in the community.

8. The respondents reported their belief that in order
to be successful as a high school principal it
was desirable that the individual possess the
capacity to work with others, have organizational
ability, honesty, intelligence, and a willingness
to accept responsibility.

Duties and Responsibilities of High School Principals

This study also attempted to obtain from the'prin-

cipals included in the sample their evaluation of the rela-
tiva importance of the various duties and responsibilities
01’ the position and the extent to which they were able to

dGVOte an appropriate amount of time to the more important

functions.

155

1. In general, the respondents indicated that they
were able to allot their time according to their
concept of the importance of the various duties
'and responsibilities connected with their posi—
tions. There were, however, some notable ex-
ceptions to this general situation.

2. A large number of the respondents felt that they
were not able to devote sufficient time to the
duties related to educational leadership. In-
cluded in this category were such responsibilities
as the supervision of teachers, improvement of
instruction, and coordination of the curriculum.
0n the other hand, they found that it was nec-
essary for them to spend more time on discipline
problems, office routine, and pupil activity pro-
grams than they should in an ideal situation.

3. The analysis of the data included in this portion
of the study also seems to indicate a wide diver-
gence of opinion among the principals of these
large high schools concerning the nature and role
of the principalship and of the relative impor-
tance of the various duties and responsibilities
involved in the position.

Comparison with Results of Previous Studies of
a Similar Nature

A comparison of two previous studies of the high-
schmol principalship has been reported in Chapter III. In
comparing the findings of this study with those of Eikenberry
and Farmer the following points appear to be pertinent.

D
1. There has been a continuing trend toward individuals
obtaining their first principalship at a later age
and a corresponding trend toward longer terms of
teaching experience in the high school before ob-
taining the principalship.

2. There appears to be a trend toward the principal-
ship being a full-time position with a correspond-
ing decrease in the amount of time spent in teach-
ing.

156
3. The academic preparation for the principalship
is constantly being upgraded as the graduate back-
ground indicates an increasing amount of graduate
StUdy e

b. There is a tendency for principals to be educated
and serve in the geographic region of their birth.

5. The findings of this study are at variance with
the earlier studies of the principalship made in
1925 and 19b? in that promotions of teachers to
the principalship now generally occur from within
the same school division. It is possible that
this might be the result of the sampling technique
rather than an indication of a definite trend.

6. There has been a continuing increase in the salary

of the principalship position. There may be a
question, however, as to whether or not this salary
has increased in proportion to that of other pro-
fessional groups.

In addition to the studies discussed above there
were other studies generally on a state level concerning
the amount of time devoted to the various activities of the
position. Findings of the current study agree that the
principal needs to spend more time for supervisory duties
and educational leadership and less time in administrative
duties.

In general, an analysis of the results of studies
made over a period of some forty years indicates that there
has been no major upheaval or sudden change in the role and
status of the principalship. Rather, there has been a gradual

trend toward greater professionalization of the position.

Recommendations
It would appear from the presentation of the data

that from this study certain tentative recommendations might

157

be suggested for further consideration.

1.

2.

3.

h.

5.

There is a need for further discussion and study
for the purpose of establishing more general agree-
ment concerning the nature of the principalship of
the secondary school and of the duties and respon-
sibilities involved in the position.

It appears that greater consideration needs to be
given to the possible use of the assistant prin-
cipalship as a type of internship for the pros—
pective principal. It is possible that there has
been some improvement in this situation in that

the respondents of this study embarked upon careers
as principals a number of years ago and they might
not be typical of the current scene. More specific
investigation in this area might be appropriate.

It appears that most beginning principals enter
the position upon invitation of their superin-
tendents. It would seem desirable, therefore,
for superintendents to attempt early identifica-

' tion of young teachers with leadership otential,

and to place them as assistant principa s at the
earliest opportunity.

There appears to be a definite need to find means
through which the principal can be relieved of
much of the routine clerical and office rocedure
in order that he may have more time avai able to
exercise educationa leadership. It may be that
the em.loyment of additional or of better quali-
fied c erks would solve this problem. On the other
hand it may be necessary in some cases to modify
the principal's concept of his role before he will
turn to more vital activities for the major portion
of his time. It may also be that the nature of

the graduate preparation for the principal should
be modified to emphasize preparation for more
dynamic educational leadership, and to decrease
emphasis on the administrative aspects of the
position. Further study and investigation in this
area seems indicated.

The results of this study indicate that a pre-
ponderance of the principals are native to the
state in which they are employed. It would appear,
therefore, that it would be valid for the graduate
schools offering programs in school administration
to tailor their programs rather specifically to

6.

7.

8.

.9-

158

the situation in the state in which the graduate
college is located. Before this recommendation
could be generally applied, further study would
be necessary in order to determine whether this
situation exists in other geographic regions.

The data of this study tend to support the findings
of previous studies that many effective and dedi-
cated teachers accept positions as principals be-
cause of economic pressures and the higher salaries
available in administrative positions. Many of
these fine teachers do not prove to be particularly
effective as administrators. It appears, there-
fore,.that there is a critical need for the devel-
opment of procedures and techniques which will
effectively identify administrative potential.

There is an apparent need for further study of
the possible development of more effective pro-
cedures for dealing with the pressures exerted
upon the principal by individuals and groups in
the community. '

The respondents of this study represented the

most desirable principalships available in the
southern region both from the standpoint of status
and position and of financial remuneration. It
would appear that the financial rewards connected
with these positions would not compare with those
of positions in other fields requiring similar
educational background and the assumption of similar
levels of responsibilities. It seems evident,
therefore, that a critical evaluation is needed

in order to determine whether we can hope to con-
tinue attracting individuals qualified for this
level of responsibility without significantly
increasing the remuneration.

The data of the study indicate that there is very
little agreement among the respondents concerning
the importance of the pupil personnel program nor
is there agreement concerning the responsibility
of the rincipal for the development of this pro-
gram. t would seem desirable to include require-
ments in the graduate preparation of school admin-
istrators which would be intended to develop a
more thorough appreciation and understanding of
the nature and importance of the pupil personnel
program.

159

The Emerging Principalship

The fullest potential of a principalship can be
realized only through a dynamic leadership. There is no
place for the passive followers and those who hide behind
the deceptive walls of neutrality in all matters involving
educational improvement.

The principal must be a leader, a leader whom the
weight of evidence proves to be a person of sound training
and experience. He need not be brilliant but above aver-
age in intelligence with integrity beyond reproach.

Such a leader assumes a vital position in the Ameri-
can Public School System. The richness or the sterility
of the school program depend upon him. His constructive
thinking, his wide interests, his executive power to see
things through will either modify, delay, or broadly extend
both the needs and the interests of his students. These
same qualities will be reflected in the degree to which he
is accepted and supported in his community.

Few administrative positions have the potential for
such direct and effective leadership as does that of the
principal. He enjoys more than any other on the actual
teaching-learning front the assets of proximity to and con-
tact with pupils, teachers, homes, and community.

There are few administrative positions that demand

greater responsibilities, offer greater challenges, and at

160
the same time provide fewer monetary rewards and less pro-
fessional recognition.

In the future the principal will face even greater
problems and challenges than those of the pre-atomic age.

He will be responsible for the academic, social, moral,
and cultural education of youth. It follows that to meet
these challenges, he must increase his proficiency in ad-
ministrative theory, psychological research, and human
relations.

Such preparation points to a more democratic approach
to administration which would result in increased efficiency,
higher staff morale, and better public relations. It also
points to the difficulties to be met in creating such an
atmosphere and.maintaining it; for the principal of nec-
essity stands in an intermediate position between the
central office,his teachers, the people of his local school
neighborhood, and the citizens of his entire division.

‘With no intent to minimize the essential value of
the classroom teacher or that of the superintendent, it
might be worthy of consideration that evidence points to
the principal as being in the most strategic positipn to
help young people toward the realization of their potentials.

Herein also lies a danger zone, for a principal un-
prepared, inexperiencedg'with no understanding of the
patterns of growth, nor of people and their problems, could

easily become a detrimental factor.

161
Therefore, the task of a principal is too important,
too fraught with difficulty and potential hazard to be
assigned to a well-intentioned novice. Requirements should
be carefully established for entrance into a principalship,
and as rigidly enforced.

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The Bulletin of the National Association of Seconda -
Scbool Principals, Vol. 49, No. 223 (November, l956),
Pp 0 17-1 0
Zweibach, Sol I. "Problems of New High School Principals,"
Tpe Bulletin of the National Association of Secondar -
Sphool Pilnclpals, Vol. 36, No. l88 (actober, I952),

pP3‘6937

 

 

 

Publications of Professional Organizations

Armstrong, W. Earl, and Stinnett, T. M. A Mgpual on Certifi;
cation Re uirements for School Personnel in the
United States. Washington, D. C.: U. 3. Office of
Education, Federal Security Agency Circular No. 290,
U. S. Government Printing Office, 1951.

Eikenberry, Dan H. Status of the Hi h School Princi a1.
Washington, D. 8.: U. S. Bureau of Education, Bul-
letin No. 2h, U. 3. Government Printing Office, 1925.

National Conference of Professors of Educational Administra-
tion. Educational Leaders Their Function and Pre-
paration, Second Report. New York: Bureau of Pub-

icat one, see ers Co lege, Columbia University, 19A8.

 

N. m...

169

. Providin and Improvin Administrative Leader-
ship for America'S‘Schools Fourtb Re ort. New York:
Bureau of Publicatlons, Teacbers College, Columbia
University, 1951.

National Education Association. The Elementar School Prin-
ci alshi --Toda and Tomorrow, Twenty-S venth Year-
book. Wasbington, D. C.: Department 0% Elementary
School Principals, Vol. XXVIII, No. 1 (September,

1948).

. The Elementar School Principalship--A Research
Stud Tbirt -Seventh Yearboo . Was ington, D. C.:
Department of Elementary Scbool Principals, Vol.
XXXVIII, No. 1 (September, 1958).

 

 

 

 

. "The Status of the American Public-School Teacher,"
Research Bulletin No. , Washington, D. 0.: Re-
searcb Pivislon (February, 1957).
Neagley, Ross. Recruitment and Selection of School Admin-
istrators. CPEK Series. New Yor : ureau o

ications, Teachers College, Columbia University,
1953.

Pennsylvania Branch, The National Association of Secondary-
School Principals. "A Study of the High School

Principalship in Pennsylvania," Research Project.
Washington, D. 0.: Bulletin of t e Nationa Asso-
ciation of Secondary-School Principals, Vol. 37,
No. 138 (December, 1953).

Stuart, Milo. Proceedin s of the Twent -Ei hth Annual Meet-
ing of the North Central Association of Colle es

and Secondary Schobls,_Part Il. Chicago: March, 1923.

 

 

Unpublished Materials

Martin, Evelyn B. "A Profile of Women as Secondary School
Vice-Principals." Unpublished Ed. D. thesis, Colum-
bia University, New York City, 1956.

White, Alpheus L. "A Cooperative Study of the Secondary
School Principal in Virginia." Unpublished Pro-
fessional Project, University of Virginia, Charlottes—
ville, Virginia, 1955. '

APPENDICES

Please check or fill in the appropriate data.

THE HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALSHIP

171 APPENDIX A

PERSONAL DATA

1.

2.

3.

4.

10.

ll.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

Age 21-30 years 31-40 years 41-50 years 51-60 years 61 years and over

State or country of birth

 

Marital status married single divorced separated widowed
Number of children Number of children living a: home
Educatioaal background

type of college attended liberal arts college teachers' college

 

school of arts and sciences in a university other
undergraduate majOr subject(s)

 

undergraduate minor subject(s)

 

number of graduate hours in Education degrees held

 

Undergraduate activities in which you participated in college

officer of student body musical organizations drlmltiCl
varsity athletics social fraternity clubs
intramurals publications did not participate

__ other(s)

 

Academic honors

 

 

graduated with honOrs (high school) graduated with honors (college)
honorary fraternities other honors
Years of teaching experience public secondary school elementary school
private secondary school college

Subject“) taught

 

The three graduate courses considered most helpful in your present role (principal) in order of
importance

 

 

 

List chronologically the last three full-time positions held prior to your present employrm nt

 

 

 

Reasons for your decision to enter the field of school administration

better pay opportunity to improve curricula and instruction
more challenging to improve educational opportunity for pupils
disliked teaching invitation by school authorities

position and status greater opportunity for service

Did you serve in any educational capacity before assuming your first principalship?
yes no If yes were you promoted to your first principalship:

from the staff of the same school

from another school within the system
from another school outside the system
from a position outside public education
other

 

Age on assuming first secondary principalship 21-30 years 31-40 years
41-50 years 51-60 years 61 years and over

Type of certificate held for principalship

general administrative certificate teacher's certificate only

special principal's certificate other

 

 

teacher's certificate with additional requirements for principalship

Number of schools in which you have served as principal before assuming your present position
Number of years in present principalship

If you have changed your position as principal indicate reason(s)

better working conditions increase in compensation larger school

 

administrative change other

Size of staff supervised by you

number of assistant principals
number of counselors: of this number are full-time and are part-time
number of teachers

I

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ,-
‘— — 172

1. As principal I am primarily responsible to the superintendent school board
other

 

Z. This is a list of duties and responsibilities which are often required of the secondary school principal:

varsity athletics pupil personnel services

public relations pupil activity program

business management improvement of instruction

discipline problems building master schedule

plant administration assignment of pupils

curriculum coordination conferences with parents

office routine supervision of teachers

transportation faculty meetings and in-service training
cafeteria deveIOping and maintaining staff morale
teaching other(s) (describe)

a) In my present position the following activities shown on the preceding list require

25% of my time or more

 

 

 

 

15% to 25% of my time

 

 

 

 

5% to 14% of my time

 

 

 

 

less than 5% of my time

 

 

 

 

b) In an ideal situation the following activities shown on the list should require

25% of my time or more

 

 

 

 

15% to 2570 Of my time

 

 

 

 

5% to 14% of my time

 

 

 

 

less than 5% of my time

 

 

 

 

MAJOR PROBLEMS O_F_‘ PRINCIPALS
1. Check the three problems which concern you most as principal

too much clerical work low salary schedule for teachers
inadequate physical facilities lack of sufficient clerical help
merit rating of teachers shortage of well-trained teachers
public relations other(s)

 

integration

 

 

 

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS CONTRIBUTING :12 SUCCESS

l. The following is a list of personal characteristics which ave been suggested as contributing most to
the success of a high school principal. Select the fix: characteristics which you feel are most
important and rank them in order. (Place 1 in the blank before the most important characteristic. 3
in the blank before the next most important characteristic. etc.)

willingness to accept reSponsibility
ability to work with school authorities, personnel and patrons

honesty enthusiasm __ sense of humor
: sympathy : initiative __ industriousness
patience tactfulness __ personal grooming
_ firmness _ good health _ interest in pupils
_ ambition _ intelligence _ emotional stability
: sincerity : Openmindedness _ organizational ability

MORALE
1. Length of contract (in months) far present employment as principal
less than 9 months 9 to ll months 12 months continuing
2. Do you favor a longer contract (in terms of years?) yes no

If yes, state reasons(s)

 

 

 

3. Do you favor tenure for administrative personnel? yes no

If yes, under what conditions?

 

 

 

4. Does your school system provide a retirement plan? yes no
If yes, at what age ? minimum maximum

Summarize provisions

 

 

 

5. If you were beginning your career would you enter public education?

yes no undecided

6. If you were beginning your career would you seek a secondary school principalship?

yes no undecided

7. Indicate your reaction to each of these positions (check more than one column if pertinent)

Not Interested Interested Interested
interested only in only because only because

1n unusual of greater of greater

position circumstances compensation prestige

Superintendent

Asst. Superintendent
(Administration)
(Curriculum)
(Personnel)

State Department of Education

College Administration

College Teaching

Politics

Business

Other

I
l
l
l

Illllllll
lllllllll
lllllllll
|||||||l|

 

8. Do you plan to continue working as a secondary school principal until retirement?

yes no

9. What do yOu like most about your position?

 

 

 

 

10. What do you like least about your position?

 

 

 

 

FINANCIAL 17A
1. Annual salary _ less than $5,000 _;_ $5,000 to $5,999 _ $6,000 to $6.999
__ $7,000 to $7,999 __ $8,000 to $8,999 __ over $9,000
2. Length of contract for employment as high school principal

less than 9 months 9 to 11 months 12 months 13 or more months

3. Do you have other employment during the year? yes no
4. Do you find it necessary to augment your salary as principal ? yes no
If yes, how?

 

 

5. Amount of additional income

 

6. Working status of marital partner

working working part-time not working
7. Do you own your home ? Rent your home 2‘
8. Do you reside within school district in which employed? yes no

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

 

1. Professional memberships (Educational organizations)

 

 

local principals' association local educational association
county principals' association state educational association
state principals' association National Education Association
National Principals’ Association other(s)

2. Professional contributions to publications
magazines books newspapers other(s)

 

3. Approximate number of hours per week spent in reading professional publications
hours

4. Honorary educational fraternities (list)

 

 

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

 

1. Check as applicable

Organization Member Former Officer
Welfare clubs
Civic clubs
Social clubs
Business and Professional clubs
Fraternal orders
Parent-Teacher associations
Church
Other (state)

C
M
”1
ya.
I l l l O
(I
'1

 

Remarks and Suggestions:

I would like to have a copy of the study.

Please return the completed form in the enclosed envelope. Thank you for your kind cooperation.

APPENDIX B

List of Selected High Schools

Alabama

Birmingham

Ensley High School Claude E. McLaine (1751)*

Phillips High School Edward Aull (1867)

Shades Valley High School F. A. Peaks 1503).

West End High School Virgil Wilder 1309)

-Wbod1awn High School Ralph Martin (2326)
Cullman

Cullnan High School Allen V. Hyatt (1271)
Decatur High School W. H. Jenkins (1220)
Florence

Coffee High School Tom Braly, Jr. (1066)
Gadsden

Gadsden High School F. T. Dobbs (1054)
Hueytown High School Chas. C. Vines (1030)
Huntsville

S. R. Butler High School J. Homer Crim (1191)
Mobile

Murphy High School 0. B. Hodges (3394)
Montgomery

Robert E. Lee High School T. C. Carlton (1275)

Sidney Lanier High School Lee W. Douglas (1695)
Northport

Tuscaloosa County High J. L. Paterson (1215)

School

*Numbers in parenthesis denote pupil enrollment.

175

Oxford High School
Prichard

C. F. Vigor High School
Selma '

Albert G. Parrish High
School

Trussville

Hewitt-Trussville High
School

Tuscaloosa High School

Florida

Bradenton

176
H. T. Stanford

J. A. McPherson

J. C. Walker

J. Hewitt Burgess

J. R. Pittard

'Manatee County High School P. F. Davis

Clearwater Senior High
School

R. T. Glenn

Coral Gables Sr. High School H. N. Rath

Daytona Beach

Mainland Jro'sro High
School

DeLand Jr.-Sr. High School

Ft. Lauderdale
Ft. Lauderdale High
School
Stranahan High School

Ft. Myers Jr.-Sr. High
School

Gainesville
Gainesville High School

0. T. Welshinger

A. E o B31133

H. F. McComb

Kenneth Haun

Damon Hutzler

wm. S. Talbot

(1169).

(1590)

(1350)

(1187)

(1661)

(1189)
(1570)

(2298)

(1660)

(1170)
(1799)

(1966)
(1621)

(1375)

Hialeah High School

Hollywood

177

South Broward High School

Homestead

South Dade High School

Jacksonville

Alfred I. duPont High

School

E. G. Pease

Harold Phares

E. B. Blackburn

7 Sam 1. Smith, Jr.

Andrew Jackson High School

Englewood High School

Landon Junior-Senior High

Paxon Senior High School
Ribault High School

Robert E. Lee High School
Terry Parker Jr.-Sr. High

Jacksonville Beach

Duncan U. Fletcher High

School
Key‘West

Key West High School

Lake City

Columbia High School
Lakeland High School

Leesburg Junior—Senior High

(Melbourne High School

Miami .

Miami Edison Senior High"

School

Miami Jackson High School

Miami Senior High School
North Miami Senior High

School

R. W. Lockett

C. T. Council
Geo. H. Wood

We Ho Shearer
B. B. Mendoza

J. W. Gilbert
Sidney G. Friend

F. A. Doggett

Dr. H. C. Campbell

N. J. Johns
A. R. Adams
Ray M. Hayes
Dr. wm. B. Baker

W. B. Duncan

L o L o Sheeley
Olin C. Webb
P. A. Davison

Southwest Miami High School Dr. Lee A. Aber

(2422)

(1752)
(1109)

(1102)

(1932)
(2216)

(1674)
(1189)
(2006)

(2648)
(17(0)

(1517)

(1321)

(1139)
(lhho)
(1094)
(1021)

(2554)
2632)
3369
2927

(2266)

178
Miami Beach
Miami Beach Senior High School Irvin W. Katz (2202)

Orlando
Edgewater High School 0. R. Davis (1986)
William R. Boone High School C. E. Terry (2162)

Panama City

 

Bay County High School J. M. Johnston (1809)
Pensacola

Escambia High School J. E. Hall 19th)

Pensacola High School R. C. Lipscomb 1781)
Plant City Senior High School Donald R. Yoho (1031)
St. Petersburg

Boca Ciega High School R. L. Jones 1703

Northeast High School J. M. Sexton 1A78

St. Petersburg Senior High Fred H. Geneva lhll
Sarasota Senior High School H. W. Scherman (1241)
Tallahassee

Leon High School Robert P. Stevens(l889)
Tampa

Chamberlain High School Ateo P. Leto 1696)

Hillsborough High School Vivian Gaither 2299

Jefferson High School Braulio Alonso (1205

Plant High School G. F. Wilson f (2298)
Titusville High School William E. Weeks (1000)
Vero Beach High School Perkins Marquess (1182)

west Palm Beach
Palm Beach Junior-Senior High J. J. McDonald (1798)
Winter Haven Senior High School Shelley S. Boone (106A)

179

Gear a

Albany High School
Athens High School
Atlanta

Brown High School
Druid Hills High School

Fulton High School

Grady, Henry, High School
Murphy High School

North Fulton High School
Northside High School
O'Keefe High School
Roosevelt High School
Southwest High School
Sylvan Hills High School
West Fulton High School

Augusta

Academy of Richmond County
Avondale Estates

Avondale High School
Brunswick

Glynn Academy
Canton

Cherokee High School
Chamblee High School
Columbus

Baker High School

Sgigggugogéggoggloglgh School
Decatur

Decatur High School
Southwest DeKalb High School

Harold E. McNabb (1357)
Guy Driver (1592)

J. E. DeVaughn (1226)
Charles M. McDaniel

(1h53)
J. Paul Todd 1129
Roger H.Derthick l6lh
Geo. M..McCord 1583
William Bryce 1382
W. H. Kelley 1A90
E. B. Brown 1086
D. M. Wells 1183
Claude C. Wills 1487
James C. Fain 1380
C. E. Langston 1282
A. P. Markert (1791)
J. C. WOmack (1550)
James A. Warren (1128)
Jim H. Jordan (1015)

Howell C. Martin (1495)

Frederick W. Kirb (1217)
R. Brice Carson (1595)
Richard H. Taliaferro

(Zhoh)

I
Carl 0. Renfroe {1268
Wayne Teague 1328

180
East Point

Russell
School

Griffin
Griffin High School
Macon
Lanier Senior High School

William A., High

Marietta ‘

Marietta High School
Savannah

Jenkins, Herschel V., High

Groves, Robert W.,High School
Savannah High School

Smyrna

Campbell High School
Valdosta High School
Waycross High School

Kentucky

Ashland High School
Covington

Holmes High School
Fern Creek High School
.Independence

Simon Kenton High School
Lexington

Lafayette High School

Linton Deck, Sr. (1156)

D. B. Christie

A. J. Swann

Loyd C. Cox

Dr. Howard F.
Moseley .

Donald M. Gray

R. C. Beemon

(123a)
(1009)
(1042)

(lohh)

(1257)
(2136)

Jasper M. Griffin(1042)

W. H. Bridges

J. M. Lancaster

H. L. Ellis

H. T. Mitchell

W. K. Niman

R. C. Hinsdale

Dr. H. L. Davis

(10h3)
(lOlh)

(llh9)

(2038)
(1502)

(1035)

(1032)

181

Louisville

Suda E. Butler High School H. L. Hatfield (1281)

Sallie Phillips Durrett High James C. Bruce (1660)

duPont Manuel High School Arthur Ries , (1856

Louisville Male High School W. S. Milburn (1332

Shawnee High School Robert B. Clem 1023)

Southern High School T. T. Knight 1723)
Middletown

Eastern High School John W. Trapp (1740)
Paducah

-Tilghman High School Bradford Mutchler(1011)
South Fort Mitchell

Dixie Heights High School Willard N. Shropshire
Valley Station (1106

Valley High School J. C. Cantrell (2395)

Louisiana

Alexandria

Bolton High School W. E. Pate (1391)
Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge Senior High School D. F. Burge '(1837)

Istrouma Senior High School Ellis A. Brown (1564)
Crowley High School Guy P. Lucas (1067)
Harvey

west Jefferson High School Joseph L. Martina(1256)
Houma

Terrebonne High School Louis D. Rogers (1288)

Lake Charles
LaGrange Senior High School John J. Mims (1034)

182

Metairie

East Jefferson High School
Monroe

Ouachita Parish High School
New Iberia High School
NeW‘Orleans

Behrman Senior-Junior High

Warren Easton High School

Alcee Fortier Senior High

John McDonough Senior High
F. T. Nicholls Senior High

Shreveport

C. E. Byrd High School
Fair Park High School

West Monroe High School

Mississippi
Greenville High School

Moss Point High School

North Carolina
Asheville
Lee H. Edwards High School
Burlington
Walter M. Williams High School
Charlotte
*Central High School

Harding High School
Myers Park High School

3. J. Barbre (1822)

I. C. Strickland (1123)
John P. McGraw (1172)

Vincent A. Palisi 1332

H. T. Garland 1197
Dr. Joseph S. Schwertz

(1719)
A. L. Firment (1227)

Daniel A. Allain, Jr.

(1446)
J. H. Duncan (2417)
s. H. Herron (2177)

Peyton B. Mangum (1378)

R. J. Koonce,Supt.(1001)
L. W. Tanner,Supt.(1037)

W. P. Griffin (1331)
Lester R. Ridenhour
(1414)
Edward Sanders (1684)
James R. Hawkins 1158
Jack Horner 1228

183

Durham

Durham Senior High School
Fayetteville High School
Gastonia

Frank L. Ashley High School
Greensboro

Greensboro Senior High School
.High Point High School
Matthews

East Mecklenburg High School
Raleigh

Needham Broughton High School
Roanoke Rapids High School
Wilmington

New HanOver High School
Winston-Salem

R. J. Reynolds High School

South Carolina

Beaufort High School
Cayce
Brookland-Cayce High School
Charleston Heights
Chicora_High School

0. E. Cooke (1356)
Samuel R. Edwards(1102)

R. E. Carothers (1603)

A. P. Routh (1752)
n. P. Whitley (1749)

J. Q. Holliday (1737)
wm. P. Branch (1037)

Dale K. Spencer (2101)

C. R. Joyner (195h)

J. M. Randal, Jr.(1087)
w. s. Parrish (1364)

H. L. Corder_ (1359)

184
Columbia

Columbia High School
Dreher High School

Fairforest High School
Gaffney High School
Greenville

Greenville Senior High School
Parker High School

Hartsville High School
North Charleston High School
Rock Hill

Rock Hill High School
Spartanburg High School

Tennessee

Athens

McMinn County High School
Chattanooga

Central High School

Chattanooga High School

Red Bank High School
Clarksville High School
Cleveland

Bradley Central High School
Donelson High School
Elizabethton High School
Kingsport

Dobyns-Bennett High School

R. L. Kalmbach
J. K. Blum

J. F. Mabry
W. F. Davis

F. L. Fowler
Harold B. Kay

Doyle W. Boggs
F. L. Arant

J. J. Godbold
Spencer M. Rice

J. Will Foster

W. H. Millsaps
Creed F. Bates
Dean Petersen

Orlo R. Eager

Condon L. WaSson

Jimmy Edwards
S. P. Hyder

Elery A. Lay

(1204)
(1353)

(1078)
(1059)

1630)
1112)

(1403)
(1406)

(1531)
(1283)

(1036)

1719
1616
1463)

(1006)
(1804)
(1439)

(1211)

(1014)

185

Knoxville

Central High School

Fulton High School

Rule High School

Young High School
Madison High School
Memphis

Central High School

Frayser High School

Messick High School

South Side High School
Morristown High School
Nashville

Central High School

Corinne L. Cohn High School

Hillsboro High School

Isaac Litton High School
Oak Ridge High School
Whitehaven High School
Winchester

Franklin County High School

Texas
Abilene High School
Amarillo
Amarillo High School
Palo Duro High School
Tascosa High School
Arlington High School
Austin

A. N. McCallum High School
S. F. Austin High School

Dan Y. Boring (1228)
w. M. Davis (1493)
John S. Humphreys(1327)
John K. Hicks (1137)

Herman DePriest (1267)

Leon M. Stevenson(1108)
Radford Rosebrough(l411)
C. H. Wadley (1106)

Charles H. Strange(1271)

 

W. E. Lowe 1342
W. R. Rochelle 1384
John Koen 1352)
Marshall E. Foster Jr.

(1969)

Thomas H. Dunigan(1284)
Shannon Robison (1398)

Fred Langford (1091)

A. E. Wells (2147)

Robert Ashworth (1634)
Robert Ashworth (1046)
Robert Ashworth (1205)

James W. Martin (1296)

N. H. Wittner (1380)
Lipscomb Anderson(2195)

186
Baytown
Robert E. Lee High School
Beaumont

Beaumont High School
South Park High School

Brownsville High School
Corpus Christi

Miller High School
Ray High School

Dallas

Adams High School

Adamson High School

Crozier Technical High School
Hillcrest High School
Jefferson Junior-Senior High
Justin F. Kimball High School
Samuell High School

South Oak Cliff High School
Sunset High School

Woodrow Wilson High School
Highland Park High School

Edinburg High School
El Paso
Burges High School
El Paso High School
Jefferson High School
S. F. Austin High School
Freeport
Brazosport High School
Fort Werth

Arlington Heights High School

Diamond Hill-Jarvis Jr.-Sr.High

Paschal High School
Polytechnic High School
‘Birdville High School
Galena Park High School

George H. Gentry (1800)

Alton P. Griffin
J. J. Vincent

E. L. Pritchett

Mark A. Nelson
U. D. Henslee

Thompson
Allen

Boswell
Stroud
Durett
Lanham
Ben A. Matthews
C. C. Miller
Dale Douglas
Frank Monroe

Ohlananorton

Don L. Mitchell
John H. Estes
Roy G. Wilson
Chas. H. Harris

C. V. Eikenberg

Homer J. Pegram
Clyde L. Brown
00 Do Wyatt

C. A. Thompson
W. G. Thomas

W. C. Cunningham

E. Schiebel

(1040)
(1032)

(1165)

(1894
(2148

1529
1947
1027
2481)

(1275

21703

{1748

1764
1815
(1460)
(1389)

(1104)

(1273)
1283

1374
(2773

(1210)

(1572)
1019
2138
1835

1092

1370)

187

Galveston

Ball High School
Garland High School
Grand Prairie High School
Harlingen

Harlingen High School
Houston

Austin High School

Bellaire High School

Jefferson Davis High School

Jesse Jones High School

Lamar High School

Milby High School

Reagan High School

Sam Houston High School

Aldine High School

Spring Branch High School
Irving High School
Lubbock

Lubbock High School
Monterey High School

Midland High School

Odessa

Ector Junior-Senior High School

Odessa High School
Pasadena

Pasadena High School
Port Arthur

Jefferson High School

Morgan E. Evans
Glen B. Couch
H. H 0 Chambers

C. E. Burnett

(1279)
(1026)

(1093)

(1143)

James H. Goettee (1750)

H. G. Andrews
J. Paul Rodgers
Coy W. Mills
Woodrow Watts
‘W. I. Stevenson

(2319)
(1282)
1331)
2139)
(1802)

Robert H. Williams,

W. H. Powell
Paul Hensarling
John Moses

W. T. Hanes

W. H. Howorth
Floyd Honey

Harold H. Hitt

Dwight L. Kirk
Dwight L. Kirk

V. W. Miller

2. T. Fortescue

2475;

188

 

 

San Angelo
Central High School G. B. Wadzeck (1385)
San Antonio
Brackenridge High School E. 0. Hakala (1121)
Burbank Vocational High School T. F. Gates 2015)
Edison High School John B. Sullivan 1110)
Highlands High School A. E. Lehmberg 2018)
Jefferson High School Clyde M. Gott 2103
Lanier High School R. H. Brewer 1705
San Antonio'Vocational and Tech.G. L. Fling 1814)
Alamo Heights High School E. T. Robbins 1307
Harlandale High School Dillard.McCollum 1396
Tyler
John Tyler High School H. A. Moore (1008)
Victoria I
Victoria High School C. 0. Chandler (1065)
Waco
Waco High School ' A. R. Downing (1755)
Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls High School 0. T. Freeman (2197)
Ysleta High School J. M. Hanks (2028)
Virginia
Alexandria
Francis C. Hammond High School T. Marcus Gillespii 88)
2
George Washington High School Edgar G. Pruet 1622
Groveton High School Emory W. Chesley 1458
Mount Vernon High School Melvin B. Landes 1372)
Annandale High School Ralph E. Buckley (1665)
Arlington
wakefield High School Harold M; Wilson (2491
Washington-Lee High School Benjamin T. Norris

(

2643)

189
Charlottesville

Albemarle High School
Lane High School

Chester
Thomas Dale High School

Churchland High School
Cradock High School
Danville

George Washington High School
FairfaxHigh School
Falls Church

Falls Church High School
Hampton High School
Highland Springs High School
Leesburg

Loudon County High School
Lynchburg

E. C. Class High School
Lynnhaven

Princess Anne High School
McLean High School
Newport News

Newport News High School
Warwick High School

Ben F. Hurt 1223)
W. I. Nichols,Jr. 1021)

I
J. Wilson Crump (1175)
Frank D. Beck (1117)
J. J. Booker, Jr.(1592)

J. T. Christopher(1584)
Samuel J. Coffey (2112)

(2116)
Garland R. Lively(2000)
Victor W. Kreiter(1377)

W. Leon Mason

(1220)

D. Harold Knott

Lo Ho MCCUQ, Jr. (1788)

(2715)

Craighill S. Burks
(2033)

J. W. Littleton

Robert Maidment (1446)

George W. Cox, Jr.
(1658)

190

Norfolk

Granby High School Wm. L. Harrell (2073)

Great Bridge High School D. C. Eley (1276)

Matthew F. Maury High School A. Rufus Tonelson (1981)

Norview High School C. W. Perdue ’ (2075)
Portsmouth

Woodrow Wilson High School Robert W.'A11en (1688)
Pulaski High School . Kenneth E. Fulp (1220)
Richmond

Douglas S. Freeman High School W. Howard Mears (1201)

Hermitage High School H. A. McKann 1409)

John Marshall High School Fred B. Dixon 1779)

Thomas Jefferson High School W. W. Brock, Jr. (2037)
Roanoke

Jefferson Senior High School Harold L. Secord (1829)

William Fleming High School W. Albert Coulter(1081)
Rocky Mount

Franklin County High School Elton A. Bonner (1190)
Salem

Andrew Lewis High School DeWitt T. Muller (1707)
South Boston

Halifax County High School J. M. Swanson (1639)
Winchester

Handley High School Garland R. Quarles

(1025)

APPENDIX C

COPY

Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools ,
, Suite 592, 795 Peachtree Street, N. E.
Atlanta 8, Georgia

Mr. A. Rufus Tonelson
Principal

Matthew Maury High School
Norfolk, Virginia

Dear Mr. Tonelson:

I have examined with interest your proposal to make a
study of the work of the Southern Association principals
in large high schools as a doctoral dissertation. It
seems to me that the information which will be available
as a result of your study should be very helpful to the
principals of our schools.

YOu have the permission of this Association to write the
principals of these schools indicating that we are inter-
ested in this study and should like to have their cooperation
in developing the information which you are seeking. I feel
sure that the principals of member schools will be pleased

to cooperate with you in this professional undertaking.

Sincerely,
/s/ Raymond G. Wilson

Raymond G. Wilson
Executive Secretary

RGW/jh

191

192

COPY
Maury High School .
15th Street and Meran Avenue A. Rufus Tonelson,
Norfolk 7, Virginia Principal

Dear Colleague:

The origin and expansion of secondary education in the United
States during the past thirty or forty years has resulted in
a new approach towards the training and duties of the pro-
fessional administrator of the larger high school. This
rapid growth accompanied by the complex internal organization
of the high school gives rise to the question whether the
principalship is keeping pace with the development of the
institution. The purpose of this study is to provide infor-
mation regarding the present status of the principalship of
the larger high schools in the Southern region. It is hoped
that the results of this study may be used for the more effec-
tive preparation and selection of the high school principal.

 

As principal of one of these schools we hope you will be will-
ing to help in providing information as it applies to your
particular situation. It will be impossible to obtain com-
plete data without your cooperation.

Please complete the questionnaire at your earliest convenience
and return it in the enclosed envelope. You may be assured
that your answers will be held in strict confidence.

With many thanks for your cooperation in this project, I re-
main,

Sincerely yours,

/s/ A. Rufus Tonelson
A. Rufus Tonelson
Principal

ART/pr

Enc.

. 193

COPY
Maury High School
15th Street and Meran Avenue A. Rufus Tonelson,
Norfolk 7, Virginia Principal

Dear Colleague:

Several weeks ago I mailed you a questionnaire on "The High
School Principalship." I think that the information to be
gleaned from such a study will be of value not only from an
academic point of view but also will enhance our professional
Status 0

Until the present writing I have not received your question-
naire. I know that this must be an oversight on your part

and I'd appreciate your returning it to me as soon as possible.
If you have lost or mislaid your questionnaire, I'd be very
happy to send you a duplicate if you will fill out the en-
closed postal card.

With many thanks'for your kind cooperation, I remain,

Sincerely yours,

 

19h
COPY

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Dear Mr. Tonelson:

...... Please send me a duplicate questionnaire on
"The High School Principalship."

...... I failed to receive your first letter. P1eas%

send me a questionnaire and all pertinent in-
formation.

 

 

 

PRINCIPAL

 

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CITY STATE

 

 

 

195
COPY

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Dear Mr. Tonelson:

......I have received the duplicate questionnaire and; '
I will return it within the next few days.

......I do not care to participate in this project. a

 

 

 

 

 

 

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