A descriptive study of local grow your own principal internship programs in three different size and types of schools in Missouri

Abstract

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the outcomes of grow your own principal internship programs among three exemplary school districts in the state of Missouri. The researcher focused on experiences and perceptions of the intern as well as their job advancement, mentor-mentee relationships, management development, and transformational leadership development. It was anticipated that the results of this data would revel neccessary components of a successful principal internship program. Throughout the literature review, prior studies urge local districts to develop a reliable system for identifying, recruiting, and developing people who have proven records of raising students' achievement and taking a leadership role with other faculty to change school and classroom practices in ways that raise student achievement (Southern Regional Education Board, 2009). Supporting aspiring and new administrators is essential. Finding ways to collect and capture advice from seasoned administrators is essential to developing local leaders (Browne-Ferrigno & Muth, 2006). The data was collected through convergent parallel design; both qualitative and quantitative data were collected simultaneously (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2011). Data was collected through documents, interviews, focus groups, and surveys to look for trends. The collection of the data was intended to yield the results of successful attributes within an internship program.