Leadership Preparation: A Phenomenological Study of a District–University Partnership

The aim of this study was to ascertain principals\u27 preparedness as implemented by a Peninsula City Schools-Madison University partnership under the design constructs of planning, collaboration, internship, and mentorship. The study was framed upon research asserting that district—university partnerships are cultivating instructional leaders who can promote achievement. In this design, districts and universities partner to implement theory-based instruction and authentic practical training to expose aspiring leaders to the specific issues and challenges within the schools they will eventually lead. Using a phenomenological case study design, the researcher extracted the perceptions of Peninsula City Schools-Madison University Division Leadership Team members who taught and collaborated with university faculty and supervising principals of the novice leaders, regarding both cohort participants and noncohort participants for the purpose of ascertaining preparedness under the design constructs. The findings were comprised of information gained from 13 individual interviews with members of PCS. The results qualified the PCS-MU partnership was driven by the leadership and learner needs of the division, and all respondents believe the partnership to be an effective and collaborative model for districts to train their aspiring leaders for the specific needs of their divisions. The themes that materialized informed on leadership reflections and pathways; partnership, planning, and collaboration; internships; and mentorships. The study implications assert stakeholder input is heavily Division Leadership Team (DLT) driven and provides a framework for other partnerships