Programs for school principal preparation in East Europe

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -This paper is intended to provide an overview of trends in European education and to offer a framework for considering the elements of school management. Design/methodology/approach -This paper reports elements of the planning and implementation of a graduate-level leadership development initiative in Bulgaria. Findings -Several lessons learned were garnered from this project. First, models of leadership development must be adaptable to local organizational and system cultures. Second, international leadership development programs should expose participants to different approaches to learning and promote reflective analysis of the various approaches. Expansion of train-the-trainer models should be planned from the beginning of projects and consider status differences between trainers-of-trainers and trainees who become trainers. Finally, sustainability must be included in planning.Research limitations/implications -The international leadership development program is reported from the perceptions of those who participated in the delivery and in the accreditation process. Others may perceive the program differently. Practical implications -Management training needs to be practiced so program participants should have opportunities to practice, receive feedback, and dialogue. Experiential learning is essential. New educational ideas may need long incubation periods in the settings where they are introduced. Originality/value -Leadership development program in East Europe are a relatively recent phenomenon and lessons learned will resonate with providers of leadership preparation programs in other settings.

Preparing novice principals in Australia and Turkey: How similar are their needs?

“…As Cowie and Crawford (2007) report, the ISPP aims to examine 'the utility of principal preparation programs for novice principals in our different contexts, the differences and the similarities, and see what lessons we can learn from each other ' (p. 129-130). So far, the ISPP reinforces findings from other studies about the large variation in principal preparation among countries (Karstanje and Webber 2008;Onguko et al 2008;Thody et al 2007;Wildy and Clarke 2008;Wildy et al 2007;Yan and Ehrich 2009).…”

Opportunities and Challenges for taking a Distributed Perspective: Novice School Principals’ Emerging Sense of their New Position

“…Much of the literature focuses on the pressures exerted on new principals and the sheer range of expectations placed upon them (Crawford, ). Current writing also focuses on the training and preparation of new principals (Karstanje & Webber, ; Corcoran et al ., ; James‐Ward, ).…”

The Realities of New Principals: Challenges, Joys, and Sorrows

“…although leadership preparation for aspiring school leaders has a longstanding tradition in the United States (Crow, Murphy, Ogawa, & Young, 2008), international attention focuses on the informal and formal ways that principals are prepared for the job. For instance, the International Study of Principal Preparation, a network of researchers and recently appointed principals from 13 countries, is gathering information on preparation trends and experiences of 1st-year principals (e.g., Karstanje & Webber, 2008;Slater, Garcia, & Gorosave, 2008). Another trend is that other countries are requiring aspirants to engage in preservice learning experiences: Huber's (2004) analysis indicated that preparation requirements range from mandatory centralized certification (e.g., Austria, England, Scotland, United States) to devolution to the local level (e.g., Germany, netherlands, new Zealand) to no formal regulations (e.g., Denmark).…”