Administration in P-12 and Higher Education: Similarities and Differences

The administration of educational programs has become a profession, requiring specific training and a variety of experiences for individuals to serve effectively in the role of educational administrator. For the most part, individuals think of school administration as it pertains to grades P-12; however, higher education administration is very similar to P-12 administration. Many of the job responsibilities performed by P-12 administrators are also performed by administrators in higher education settings. These include budgeting, curriculum issues, personnel issues, and faculty governance. There are, of course, some differences. Dealing with parents is rarely a problem in higher education, while working with state agencies is more of a concern for P-12 administrators. Despite similarities and differences, however, the major differences in the roles of P-12 and higher education administrators is how the roles are carried out. While some school systems have moved to site-based management, the degree of autonomy held by P-12 faculty members does not come close to the autonomy exercised by higher education faculty. (DFR)