Date of Award
Fall 1999
Document Type
Dissertation - Restricted
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Education
First Advisor
Augenstein, John
Second Advisor
Platz, Donald
Third Advisor
Kipfmueller, Mark
Abstract
This study examined the perceived effectiveness of school counselor trained principals in Wisconsin. These principals, who have received their initial certification in school counseling, were products of the Wisconsin Internship Program in School Counseling (WIPSC) and had no prior teaching certification or experience. There is a general assumption that school administrators have all come from the ranks of classroom teachers and according to Wisconsin certification statistics this is true for most. However, graduates of the WIPSC and other alternatively certified school administrators are growing in number. The effective leadership literature and the literature which addresses instructional leadership clearly describes skills and qualities typical of trained school counselors. Assessing the perceived effectiveness of counselor trained principals may lead to better understanding of the role counseling and teaching plays in one's preparation for the principalship. While the research is conclusive that the quality and skills of the school principal have a direct effect on the quality of the educational program and thus the degree of student achievement, there is no research evaluating the effectiveness of these non-teacher trained principals. An in-depth study of these uniquely prepared Wisconsin administrators may highlight their skills and draw attention to another source of potential school leaders. These findings may thus serve to enlarge the pool of qualified candidates to lead our schools into the 21st Century.