An Exploration of New Superintendent Mentoring and Goal Setting

Abstract

Using surveys and focus group interviews, this study explored the perspectives of new school superintendents and their mentors on goal setting in relation to national leadership standards in a formal mentoring and induction program. While the two groups shared certain views, statistically significant differences were found. The mentees displayed a contextualized understanding of advocacy--more related to local community values and beliefs than those of national or international views. The issue of goal setting, or lack thereof, and the engagement of national leadership standards to mentoring are most prominent and novel in this study.