The assistant principal in Tennessee public secondary schools

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of the assistant principal at the secondary level in Tennessee public schools and to determine if assistant principals perceived the assistant principals' degree of involvement in specific job tasks differently than did the principals. The sample included principals and assistant principals from 152 randomly selected secondary schools in Tennessee. The sample was limited to a maximum of one principal and two assistant principals from each school selected. The participants responded using a five-point Likert scale on the questionnaire comprised of specific duties related to the position of assistant principal. Participants' responses were examined according to actual and desired degree of involvement in each specific task. Specific duties were then clustered into six major competency areas: community-school relations, curriculum development, managing the building, miscellaneous duties, personnel, and student personnel.

The t-test was used to determine whether there was a significant difference between the actual degree of involvement and the desired degree of involvement in each of the competency areas. The responses of assistant principals were also examined to determine the differences between assistant principals participating in the Career Ladder program and those not participating in the program.

The findings of this study indicated that the responses of principals and assistant principals differed significantly in eight cases. The following findings were reported:

1. The assistant principals' actual degree of involvement was less than the desired degree of involvement in the areas of community-school relations, curriculum development, managing the building, miscellaneous duties, and personnel.

2. Principals rated the desired degree of involvement of assistant principals in the areas of miscellaneous duties and student personnel greater than did assistant principals.

3. Assistant principals who participated in the Career Ladder program reported a greater degree of involvement in the area of personnel than assistant principals who did not participate in the program. Only 4 of the 77 assistant principals reporting their status with regard to the Career Ladder program were not participating in the program at the time of this study.