Leadership Competencies and Perceived Training Effects: Meadows Principal Improvement Program

The components and outcomes of the Meadows Principal Improvement Program, a principal development program initiated in Texas in 1985, are described in this paper. The program's functional components, are designed to improve the principalship in Texas. These include: (1) a preservice component which seeks to prepare new principals with a focus on instructional leadership; and (2) an inservice component which seeks to assist practicing principals in upgrading their instructional leadership skills and to introduce them to new ideas which can be used in leading faculties and educational programs. The preservice component is 15 months in length and includes a full time internship at the building level for 9 months. The inservice component is an annual program which consists of at least six colloquiums during the school year designed to keep the principals enthusiastic and motivated. Outcomes included improved agency networking and inservice support. An evaluation of the program involved the administration of the revised Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ) to an unspecified number of regular principal interns and Meadows fellows. Each group held similar attitudes regarding the importance of principal functions. However, Meadows fellows tended to be more involved and adaptive and viewed their program more favorably than did their regular counterparts. A survey of an unspecified number of inservice workshop participants identified three program areas as most effective: school climate, instructional/curriculum leadership, and planning for improvement. One table is included. (LMI)