Groom Your Own For Future Openings.

Wanted: Assistant principal candidates. Must be bright, energetic, and familiar with district policies and procedures. Must have leadership skills and a working knowledge of the local school community.

Where does a school system locate such candidates and how does it select those best suited for a particular campus? The answer for many school districts lies within its own system. While outside candidates should not be excluded, a school district should look within its own ranks for qualified leaders and select those teachers who would make excellent administrators.

Our district has created an Administrator Academy, designed to create a pool of applicants from within our own district. Through an intensive selection process and a hands-on training program, we have created a cadre of interns who are well-rounded applicants with a broader range of experience and more indepth knowledge of the operations of our schools. The program is intended to supplement college certification programs, not to duplicate them.

School districts that want to develop their own training programs should consider the following:

* Select candidates carefully.

Candidates should be evaluated on their written and oral communication skills and their leadership abilities. The selection process for our Administrator Academy involves a series of steps, including a review of each candidate's application and references, a written examination, an activity which simulates a committee discussion, and finally a personal interview.

This process allows the selection committee to view each applicant in a variety of settings, with some conditions being more stressful than others. Decisions are based on overall scores, not on the interview alone.

* Offer a training program.

After the program participants are selected, assess basic skills and design a training series to increase overall knowledge and leadership skills. Our program includes seminars conducted by district officials and sessions where administrators can share their skills, practices, and beliefs. These sessions not only increase the knowledge and skills of the interns but also provide a valuable networking experience.

* Form mentor/intern relationships.

Our academy provides interns with release time from their teaching duties to visit other campuses and "shadow" principals' for two or three days. The interns observe experiences connected with the job role and debriefing allows time for analysis and sharing of experiences. These visits benefit both parties. The interns learn from the experienced administrators and glimpse a bit of themselves in a future administrative role. The mentors grow also by becoming teachers again and sharing their administrative expertise.

* Focus on the job role.

Program planners should include individuals working as site administrators or those who recently worked as assistant principals. Focusing on the needs and demands of the assistant principalship is invaluable in the selection process, in the planning of training sessions, and in the overall organization of the program.

Results of our program have been positive. The time and effort spent in selection, training, and creating mentor relationships have yielded new administrators who are performing well in their new positions. We also have a pool of other candidates who are ready to assume new roles whenever they become available.