Internal vs external promotion: advancement of teachers to administrators

Date05 February 2018
Pages33-49
Published date05 February 2018
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-01-2017-0003
AuthorDavid Garland Buckman,Arvin D. Johnson,Donna L. Alexander
Subject MatterEducation,Administration & policy in education,School administration/policy,Educational administration,Leadership in education
Internal vs external promotion:
advancement of teachers to
administrators
David Garland Buckman, Arvin D. Johnson and Donna L. Alexander
Department of Educational Leadership, Kennesaw State University,
Kennesaw, Georgia, USA
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine selection practices of school districts by capturing the
promotion of teachers to assistant principal positions to determine if: there is a relationship between
employability and assistant principal promotion (within-school, within-district, and external); and if the
state-specificeducational leadershippolicy directly impacts the employabilityof assistant principalcandidates.
Design/methodology/approach Principals in the state of Georgia were the unit of analysis, and data
collected included personal characteristics of each participant when entering their first assistant principal
position, school characteristics of the place of promotion, and type of promotion (internally within-school,
internally within-district, and externally). Both descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were
utilized to examine the impact of type of promotion as well as the state-specific educational leadership policy
on participant employability at the time of promotion.
Findings This study found a significant positive relationship between internal promotion (within-school)
and employability as well as a negative association between participant employability and Georgia
state-specific policy. Additional findings indicate a positive relationship between combination schools
(i.e. grades K-8; 6-12) and participant employability.
Originality/value This study advances the HRM literature concerning employee selection by expanding
the scope of hiring practices outside of the private sector and provides focus on the public sector, specifically,
the public school environment. In addition, the focal position (public school administrators in the state of
Georgia) has yet to be utilized in employee selection research in the areas of internal and external promotion.
Previous researchers have studied the probability of internal and external promotion based on demographic
factors such as race and gender, however, this specific study uses distinctive predictor variables backed by
literature to evaluate applicant employability.
Keywords Employability, Assistant principal selection, External promotion, Hiring process,
Internal promotion
Paper type Research paper
In the USA, state-level educational leadership policy can significantly impact aspiring school
administrators. Establishing requirements for school administrative certification and licensure
is almost exclusively controlled by state departments of education (Hale and Moorman, 2003;
Manasse, 1985). The specific requirements vary by state; however, school administrative
licensure can be dependent on the following requirements: successful completion of state
certification test, a graduate-level degree in educational leadership/administration from an
accredited university, and evidence of professional learning ( Johnson, 2016). State boards of
education have the prerogative to modify existing policies, which may then impact active and
aspiring administrators in their state. Many policies in the USA and internationally are designed
to increase accountability and are the result of societal pressure to improve student achievement
(Adan, 2016; DuFour and Mattos, 2013; Reback et al., 2014). In essence, state boards of education
serve as gatekeepers of entry into public school administrative applicant pools in the USA.
Journal of Educational
Administration
Vol. 56 No. 1, 2018
pp. 33-49
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0957-8234
DOI 10.1108/JEA-01-2017-0003
Received 30 January 2017
Revised 29 June 2017
Accepted 16 July 2017
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0957-8234.htm
Authorsnote: the opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not represent views
of the GaDOE or the GaPSC. The authors would like to thank Valerie Smith, Graduate Teaching
Assistant in the MA in Professional Writing Program at Kennesaw State University.
33
Internal
vs external
promotion
Internationally, there is variation in policies impacting educational leadership; however,
research suggests that policy influences school leadership at different levels. Ylimaki and
Jacobson (2013)examined policies that affect schoolleadership in England, Sweden, the USA,
Australia, Denmark, Norway, and Cyprus. Decentralization, accountability policies, and
changing demographics were identified as having an impact on school leaders in every
country in thestudy. The differences betweenpolicies that govern how schoolleaders globally
are prepared include informal, semi-formal, and highly formalized preparation (Ylimaki and
Jacobson, 2013).Informal policy refers to an internship style of preparation whereby teachers
prepare for administrative rolesthrough job-embedded preparatory experiences.This style of
preparation is observed in Australia and Cyprus. Semi-formal preparation is more
decentralized and does not include a national standardized form of preparation as seen in
Norway and Denmark.Highly formalized preparation,as observed in the USA, involves very
structured programs of study, which lead to certification and licensure. Taking into
considerationthe international dynamic of leadership preparationtrends, this study suggests
that many ofthe school leadership policiesin the USA are being implementedacross the world
and the implications for such practices may be inferred upon a global population.
Georgia educational leadership
To understand the significance and potential impact of this study, a brief summary of
Georgias public education system and contextual information is provided. The Georgia
Department of Education (GaDOE) creates and amends educational policies that govern
Georgias public education system. The GaDOE state board consists of 14 congressional
district members, a state superintendent, and the Georgia Professional Standards
Commission (GaPSC). Over the past two decades, the GaDOE and the GaPSC have made
several policy modifications affecting certification, salary, experience criteria, and degrees
of public school administrators.
Prior to July 2010, teachers in Georgia could receive a pay increase by obtaining an
advanced degree in educational leadership (Georgia Professional Standards Commission,
2010). Many educators in Georgia took advantage of these policies for financial and
professional advancement. Despite obtaining an advanced degree in educational leadership,
state leadership certification, and receiving a pay increase, some educators in Georgia did
not pursue administrative careers in public schools. Winter et al. (2002) found similar
findings in their Kentucky study, indicating that as few as 10 percent of 194 administrative
certificated personnel intended to apply for administrative positions.
From 1996 to 2010, educators completing graduate degrees and obtaining Georgia
leadership certification continually increasedwith an average of 1,635 licenses issued.Table I
demonstrates the steady growth in administrative licensure in Georgia from 1996 to 2010.
In 2009, House Bills 455 and 923 were adopted by the GaDOE. These bills were passed
and enforced in 2010 and offered drastic changes to the salary structure, certification, and
eligibility requirements for existing and aspiring school administrators in Georgia. Included
in the policy changes were the requirements for university educational leadership
preparation programs to include a performance-based element in the curriculum and a
requirement that all Education Specialist degree students hold administrative positions.
The new guideline for Masters degree students in educational leadership had the greatest
impact on aspiring assistant principals and the number of administration licenses issued in
the state. Specifically, teachers who received a Masters in educational leadership would no
longer receive a step increase on their associated fixed-rate salary schedules for educational
attainment, but teachers who received advanced degrees in their area of teaching would
continue to be compensated.
After House Bills 455 and 923 were implemented, the number of educators applying and
receiving principal licensure significantly decreased in Georgia. The average number of
34
JEA
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