Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of novice Catholic school principals (CSPs) regarding the kind of preparation needed for aspiring Catholic school principals (ACSPs) to successfully transition into the CSP position. Sixteen face-to-face and two phone interviews of novice CSPs from four Midwestern dioceses were recorded and transcribed verbatim. They were then coded using NVivo 10, and other initial coding methods to identify themes and categories that built a grounded theory. This study revealed the thoughts and opinions on the preparedness of novice CSPs during their first year. The data retrieved from the interviews indicated two major themes. The first theme was CSPs Not Prepared for First Year with three sub themes which included stressful moments, challenges, and being unprepared. The second theme was Preparation Support for ACSPs which included eleven sub themes: experiences, mentoring, networking, priest support, Catholic faith preparation, graduate school, |Catholic university, specific graduate classes, ideal spiritual leadership skills, ideal effective leadership skills, and finally ideal ACSPs preparation program. This final sub theme added four mini-themes: identification, mentoring, partnering with university, and practical experiences. This study indicated that the majority of the participants stated they did not feel prepared for their first CSP position. Some of the participants’ responses noted not being prepared as the spiritual leader of their school and many others stated a lack of knowledge to address the day-to-day challenges of running a school, and still other participants referred to a lack of practical experience as one of their major problems. The review of literature supported the study with an indication that current ACSPs are not sufficiently trained when they only receive theory and content classes (Saunders, 2008). This study indicated the need for practical, engaging, and mentoring experiences for ACSPs. The participant’s ideal ACSP preparation program entails creating a partnership with a diocese and a Catholic university. This partnership would then correlate the course work with the mentoring of the ACSP and the principal who is prepared to do the mentoring, either in the same building as the mentee or another area building. Future implications of this study rest with diocese and higher education institutions, especially Catholic universities. This study has the potential to have an educational impact on the future plans of dioceses who are interested in growing their own ACSP preparation program and all universities offering programs or courses for teachers preparing to become a CSP.