| There is a need for an effective principal in every school (Marzano & McNulty, 2003). The principal must be both a manager and a leader. The effective manager knows how to create stability and order within the organization while the effective leader knows how to establish a culture that embraces needed change to improve student achievement (Yukl, 2010).;This descriptive study used a mixed quantitative and qualitative methodology to identify the perceived needs of new principals in their first three years related to leadership, management, and what type of support principals desired. In the area of leadership, this study addressed vision (hopes, goals, and ideals of the organization that guide change to improve student achievement) and culture (the organization's shared assumptions and beliefs) (Yukl, 2010). Management was defined as those behaviors which produced organizational predictability and order. A convenience sample of principals and new associate principals enrolled in a new principal induction group in Milwaukee completed the same survey in October 2009 and April 2010, were interviewed in winter, and a confirmatory focus group was held in April 2010. The intent was to describe new principal needs in different phases of their school year and to triangulate results using both quantitative and qualitative data collection.;The results indicated that new principals perceived themselves as successful with relationship building, being visible, and having effective communication. Similarly, principals identified three leadership challenges: all aspects related to school vision (development, creating support, and implementation), leading the change process, and developing trust within their community. Related to management, principals perceived themselves as skilled in finding answers on their own. Participants in this study desired three types of support: a need for networking with other principals to share ideas and discuss challenges, time to talk with an experienced principal in a mentor role, and a formalized induction process at the district level to explain policies and procedures.;New principals need both leadership and management skills to improve student learning. It is important that organizations support new principals to effectively carry out their roles. |
