Routes to School Leadership: Does Certification Path Matter?

Written by Marlowe Ashworth, C., O'Rafferty, R., Everly, B., & Halloway, V. (January 2011). Human Resources; Alternative Certification

This research was conducted to examine how school district superintendents perceive prospective school principals who were initially certified through alternate means. Data were collected through interviews with superintendents in an effort to examine whether the superintendents believed that principals’ career and educational paths affected the candidates’ ability to secure a principal position and, once employed, to be successful in the principalship. The participating superintendents described their expectations for school leaders, preferred characteristics and backgrounds, and perceptions of the gap between alternate and traditional paths to certification. The superintendents interviewed identified qualities they desired prospective principals to exhibit and actions they wished them to demonstrate.