Educational Administration Quarterly Jackson, Kelley / EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS Exceptional and Innovative Programs in Educational Leadership

Educational administrator preparation programs have received criticism for inadequate program quality. Despite these criticisms, there are a number of programs and features of programs that are both innovative and exceptional. This article reviews standards of practice and examples of strong preparation programs for school and district adminis-trators. Common to all of the programs is a clear vision that drives programmatic deci-sions and provides students with opportunities to connect to the knowledge base through carefully designed field experiences integrated into the academic program. The National Commission on Excellence in Educational Administration (NCEEA), sponsored by the University Council of Educational Administra-tion (UCEA), issued its report and recommendations in 1987, bringing atten-tion to the needs and concerns of educational leaders and, in particular, the preparation programs for these critical positions in America. The NCEEA criticized preparation programs for a number of deficiencies, including the following