The comparison of school administrator training in turkey and in the U.S.A.

ABSTRACTIn this study the school administrator training activities in Turkey and theU.S.A. have been examined. Suggestions for improvement have been made for ourcountry in accordance with the U.S. system, where school administration is acceptedas a profession that requires training before employment.When related articles are reviewed, the outcomes of the studies in the U.S.indicate recruiting programs that are inadequate in quality and lack practice.Suggestions are made to overcome these problems. On the other hand, studies in ourcountry focus on the lack of recruiting policies and make suggestions to developconsistent policies as well as suggestions to mandate the training prior to theemployment of administrators.The basic difference between the Turkish and American Educational Systemsis that the American System is built on states and local governing bodies. In the U.S.,one has to complete a preparation program and generally should pass an examinationto be a school administrator. Obtaining a certificate does not suffice to stay as aprincipal for a long term. There are many institutions, professional organizations andnon-profit foundations that influence the educational policies in the U.S. However, inTurkey the system is highly centeralized; the Ministry of Education plans andgoverns the education and appoints the principals.Some of the suggestions made in this study are: training is a necessity beforebeing employed as an administrator; the school administrator standards should bedetermined; it is necessary to develop an objective assessment process whereprofessional adequacy can be diagnosed before appointment; coordination should beestablished between the stakeholders; an accreditation process similar to the one inthe U.S. should be applied; and the programs should be designed in a flexible waythat will blend the newest approaches with enough practical study..