African American Principals' First-Year Mentoring Experiences

• In Event: Roundtable Session 39
  In Roundtable Session: Black Education in a Multicultural Context

Abstract

Research on mentoring school administrators has paid little attention to the experiences of African American principals. Twenty African American elementary/secondary principals from Virginia were selected through stratified random sampling techniques and interviewed. The research questions guiding the interviews were: What are the perspectives of first-year principals regarding their experiences with mentors and the mentoring process in Virginia? How does the mentorship program in their respective districts impact the effectiveness of their performance? How has race and gender impacted their views of themselves in their administrative roles? The data was examined within a historical framework of roles African American principals have played and the social conditions where they work. Race and gender statuses were important in shaping these principals social constructions.

Author

• Wafa Hozien, Central Michigan University