Are Schools Facing a Shortage of Qualified Administrators?
Abstract
The recently passed No Child Left Behind legislation underscores the growing visibility and importance of school leadership in the larger education reform effort. State and federal governments are increasing accountability requirements for schools and districts and relying on those in formal leadership positions to promote improvement. Some policymakers, however, are concerned that there is or may soon be a shortage of qualified individuals capable of filling administrative positions and doing these jobs well. The concern stems primarily from the perception that mass numbers of administrators are about to retire or are being lured into other careers, and that schools and districts are having a hard time finding qualified people to replace those who leave. A study conducted by RAND Education for the Wallace-Reader's Digest Funds reviewed and analyzed existing data and found little evidence of a nationwide crisis in the market for certified school administrators. Never- theless, the study did identify several key areas of con&m: a significant portion of the administrative population near- ing retirement, substantial variation in career incentives on the state and local levels, and barriers to entry that affect teachers' willingness to become school administrators.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA420026
Entities
Organizations
- RAND Corporation