Mexico's recent history has been characterized by critical economic and political conditions that have eclipsed discussions of topics such as education. This paper views school principals as a key component of educational progress. If the current government's modernization policy included education, it would first be necessary to consider changes related to students and teachers. These two changes are difficult, costly, and politically sensitive. Principals, among the third category of changes, can be important catalysts for change, as research shows. Only a limited number of studies on school principals have been conducted in Mexico and other Latin American countries. In Mexico, principals are appointed using an obsolete ladder merit system that hinders consideration of administrative and leadership skills. This system is bureaucratic and seniority-driven, as shown in a recent Mexicali study. The same investigation revealed that principals delegated heavy workloads to assistant principals and that women secondary school administrators were practically nonexistent. A major problem is lack of a mechanism for organizing information and disseminating it to the professional public. A research agenda is proposed that focuses on (1) information gathering and dissemination (through ERIC); (2) ideal principal profiles; (3) diagnosis of principals' differences; (4) cultural and organizational change; (5) the role of professional organizations; and (6) professional preparation alternatives. (38 references) (MLH)