one year. In percentage of principals having graduate study the Pacific division and class seven schools rank first; the West South Central division and class one schools rank last.

3. Fifty-seven per cent of all principals have had summer-school training, in amounts ranging from 6 weeks or less to 61 weeks or more. The median for all classes combined is 11 weeks. In percentage of attendance the South Atlantic division ranks first; the West South Central ranks last. In amount of attendance the South Atlantic and the West South Central divisions stand first, the New England division stands last.

4. The principal has had 4.8 years of educational preparation above the high school. The Pacific division leads, with 5.3 years; the West South Central is last, with 4.5 years. Schools of seventh class rank first, with 5.5 years; schools of first class rank last, with 4.6 years.

5. Two-thirds of all principals have the bachelor's degree only; almost one-fifth have the master's degree; 1 in 70 has a doctor's degree. Twelve per cent of all principals have no degree.

6. Two-thirds of all principals had professional training before entering the principalship, to the extent of a half year's work. In percentage having professional training before entering the principalship, the West North Central division and second-class schools rank first; the New England division and seventh-class schools rank last. 7. Only 46 per cent of all principals have had professional training since entering the principalship. The median amount is less than one-half year. The West South Central division and fifth-class schools rank first; the New England division and seventh-class schools last.

8. Three-fourths of all principals have had some professional training either before or after entering the principalship. The median amount is the equivalent of two-thirds of a year's work. In percentage having training the West North Central division and secondclass schools rank first; the New England division and seventh-class schools last. In amount of training the East North Central and Mountain divisions rank first; New England ranks last.

9. Professional training before entering the principalship was largely in such subjects as history of education, educational psychology, philosophy of education, methods in special subjects, principles of secondary education, and practice teaching. After entering the principalship the subjects studied are largely high-school administration, supervision of secondary education, tests and measurements, and the junior high school.

10. In the judgment of 1,021 principals high-school administration has been of most value to them, followed in order by principles of secondary education, educational administration, educational psychology, supervision of secondary education, psychology of adoles

cence. Subjects of least value are comparative education, vocational education, and educational statistics.

11. During the regular academic year the Middle Atlantic division ranks first in professional courses for high-school principals offered by colleges and universities; the East South Central division last. During the summer session the Middle Atlantic ranks first; the West South Central last.

12. The subjects most often taken during the regular academic year are high-school administration, tests and measurements, high-school supervision, principles of secondary education, high-school curriculum, and junior high school in the order named. During the summer session high-school administration ranks first, followed in order by junior high school, tests and measurements, high-school curriculum, and supervision of secondary education.

CHAPTER III

EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE OF THE HIGH-SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

How varied and how extensive is the educational experience of the high-school principal? How old is he? What was his status before entering the principalship, and at what age did he enter?

1. TOTAL EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE

Table 24 presents the total experience of principals of fully accredited public high schools, regardless of specific kinds of experience. For all classes combined the median years' experience is 11.1. Twenty-five per cent have had less than 6 years' experience, and the same per cent have had 19.3 years' experience or more. The length of experience steadily increases in passing from smaller to larger schools. The median for first-class schools is 8.6 years; for second class, 9.6; for third class, 11.7; for fourth class, 11; for fifth class, 16.6; for sixth class, 24.5; and for seventh class, 31.3.

As compared with the superintendent of schools, the principal has had an experience of several years less. Douglass found the median for superintendents to be 19.95 years, and that the middle 50 per cent fell between 13.92 and 26.11 years. The median principal, then, has had 8.85 fewer years of experience than the median superintendent.

Table 25 shows the present age of the high-school principal. For all classes of schools combined the median age is 33.4 years. The middle 50 per cent range from 28.9 years to 39.7. The increase in age in going from smaller to larger schools parallels very closely the increase in experience. In first-class schools the median age is 31.6; in second class, 32.9; in third class, 36.2; in fourth class, 33; in fifth class, 39; in sixth class, 46; and in seventh class, 52.7.

1 Douglass, Bennett C.: The Status of the Superintendent, 68.

26

TABLE 24.-Total years educational experience of the high-school principal [Distributed according to class of school]

Table 26 shows the number of different educational positions held. The total range is from 1 to 24. One hundred and twelve, or 7.4 per cent, are in their first position; 203, or 13.4 per cent, are in their second; 307, or 20.3 per cent, are in their third; 292, or 19.3 per cent, are in their fourth; and 357, or 23.6 per cent, are in their fifth or sixth. The median number for all classes combined is 4.4. Principals of larger schools exceed slightly principals of smaller schools in number of positions held, as shown by the medians of Table 26.

2. EXPERIENCE IN SPECIFIC POSITIONS

Table 27 shows for each class of school the percentage of principals who have had experience in each educational position listed. More principals have had experience as senior high-school teachers than in any other position. The percentages range from 44.2 in first-class schools to 77.5 in seventh-class schools, with 54.7 for all classes combined.

Experience as elementary-school teacher stands second in rank, with 44.6 per cent for all classes combined. There is no consistent tendency in going from one class to another, as evidenced by the fact that sixth-class schools stand first and seventh-class schools last.

Twenty-three per cent of all principals have been superintendents of schools. The percentage is highest in the case of second-class schools (26.9) and lowest in seventh-class schools (12.5). The high percentage in the case of smaller schools is probably due to the fact that many of the principals of these schools are also superintendents. Twenty-one and six-tenths per cent of all principals have been heads of departments in high schools. The percentage is much higher