Common Features of Effective Principal Preparation Programs Identified

Gene Wilhoit, the executive director of the Washington-based Council of Chief State School Officers, argued that supporting leadership development is a “good investment” for states, and one of the least-developed areas of education. He was responding to a new report identifying effective practices in the preparation of school principals - a crucial position in building effective schools.

The study examined eight programs, chosen on the basis of expert recommendations, that represented a variety of approaches to preservice and in-service preparation and had evidence on effectiveness as shown by the quality of their graduates. It was prepared by researchers at Stanford University in collaboration with the Washington-based Finance Project, a policy-research group.

“The findings show that high-performing principals are not just born, but can be made,” said Linda Darling-Hammond, the lead author of the report and a professor of education at Stanford. The bad news, she said at a session here April 20, during the spring forum of the National Conference of State Legislatures, is that most states lack the infrastructure to support such programs.

Since the early 1990s, the training of school principals – who play a vital role in school improvement – has been widely criticized as inadequate. Yet, hard evidence on the kind of
training and development that leaders need to help schools and students succeed has been in short supply.

The report – Preparing School Leaders for a Changing World: Lessons from Exemplary Leadership Development Programs – provides a guide for school district leaders and state policymakers to reinvent how school principals are prepared for their demanding jobs. Available documents include: Overview, Review of Research, Executive Summary, Case Study Summaries.

The report: recognizes the close link between the quality of school leadership and school performance; examines the essential skills of good leadership; key features of effective principal education programs; structures of effective programs; and successful financing and policy reform strategies.

At a time when expectations of schools are skyrocketing, school principals must play an increasingly important role in helping to transform schools and classroom performance.

This report provides new details about the characteristics of programs that are most effective in developing school leaders who can carry out the complex work of overhauling school culture, organization, curriculum, and instruction to ensure that all children achieve high standards.

Researchers examined eight exemplary programs and the policy contexts in which they operated. They found that that exemplary leadership preparation programs were intensely focused on instructional improvement and offered a hands-on approach that closely integrated internships and coaching with academic coursework.

Rather than waiting to see who would enroll, the programs work with districts to recruit candidates who are known as excellent teachers with strong leadership potential and who reflect the local population of teachers and students. The programs choose their faculty based on their knowledge and experience of school leadership. The programs also provide the candidates with mentoring by experienced administrators. The professional development programs provided real-world guidance on how to become instructional leaders. The successful programs are part of a system of training that begins with the preparation of principal candidates and continues throughout their careers as principals. The graduates of these programs analyze teaching practice and learn to evaluate and support teachers, plan professional development, and manage
change. They also receive coaching from peers and mentors, and participate in long-term study groups and networks so that they can continue to share their experiences and talk about problem-solving strategies.

“Research has shown that school improvement efforts simply won’t succeed without effective leadership,”said Wallace President M. Christine DeVita.

Pre-service programs evaluated for the report were sponsored by four universities: Bank Street College in New York City; Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss.; the University of Connecticut; and the University of San Diego. The in-service programs were sponsored by the Hartford (Conn.) Public Schools; Jefferson County (Ky.) Public Schools; Region 1 in New York City, and the San Diego Unified School District.