The history of the principal preparation program: planned program change at Virginia Tech

In 1987 the Educational Administration Program Area at Virginia Tech began the process of change in its masters program for principal certification. This study examined the variables involved with that planned program change. The researcher used the historical method of research. Three variables of the Probability of Adoption of Change (PAC) model (Creamer & Creamer, 1986)--circumstances, leadership, and strategies--were used as organizational tools. The primary sources of data were interviews, letters, state and university documents, and documents on computer disks. First, the internal and external circumstances that occurred before, during, and after the change process began are examined. Second, the leaders are identified and their roles are explained in the planned program change. Third, the leaders' strategies are examined. Fourth, an epilogue looks at the program after implementation. The researcher found that all three variables played significant roles in the change process. For example, the circumstances directly linked to Virginia Tech caused substantive discussions between faculty concerning the state of principal preparation. Second, two faculty members were willing to be the changemasters and do the work necessary to develop a new program for principal preparation. Third, the leaders understood their strengths, and purposefully developed their strategies around them. The research contributes to the genera) field of knowledge in planned program change from theory to practice. The study has archival relevance for the educational administration program area faculty at Virginia Tech and provides information for students of educational administration.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Education

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Administration

Department dc:contributor.department

Educational Administration

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

1994

Author dc:creator

• Camburn, Albert

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Parson, Stephen R.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Parks, David J.
• Earthman, Glen I.
• Worner, Wayne M.
• Pace, E. Mark

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

etd-06062008-170917

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/38441