The assistant principalship: Becoming a school administrator
Patricia Mary Tripken, Fordham University   The assistant
principalship is the initial step into school administration for
most aspiring school administrators. Yet research has shown that
there is little in the way of preparation for the actual tasks
and responsibilities that new assistant principals are assigned.
New assistant principals experience professional shock and
surprise as they learn their tasks and attempt to attain the
necessary skills to move up the career ladder. ^ Qualitative
research methodology was utilized for this study. Data were
collected from 5 new assistant principals in secondary schools
located in suburban New York City. Participants were obtained
through purposeful selection. All participants were in their
first administrative position and had served between 1 and 3
years in this position. ^ Several findings emerged from this
research. The required coursework and internship experience did
little to prepare these assistant