Principal preparation programs for effective school leaders

Includes bibliographical references (p. 149-159).Effective school leaders foster improved student learning and higher academic achievement. Many critics of university-based principal preparation programs fault universities for failing to improve efforts to prepare candidates to address the complex issues facing principals in today's high stakes accountability environment. Each principal faces local, state, and federal pressure to influence continuous improvement in achievement results for every demographic group of students. The challenge facing school districts is not the shortage of school administrators, but the shortage of qualified principal candidates who have the ability to collaborate with stakeholders, and the skill to develop an instructional program that ensures all students are learning and achieving at a high level. To support the development of school leaders to lead schools in the 21st century, school districts and universities are joining forces. This qualitative case study examined the Aspiring Administrators Program, a principal preparation partnership program between the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) and San Diego State University (SDSU). The researcher conducted and analyzed course documents to better understand the nature of the program. Also, the researcher conducted and analyzed individual and focus group interviews to ascertain the perceptions of the program's first cohort of participants, principal coaches, district personnel, and university faculty. This study particularly examined the goals of the program and the various program features intended to help achieve the goals. As well, the study explored the nature of the district/university collaboration that facilitated the program's design. Finally, the study examined preliminary evidence that indicated the extent to which the program's candidates were acquiring the necessary skills, knowledge, and dispositions necessary for effective school leadership. The results suggest that the Aspiring Administrators Program shows promise increasing the extent to which aspiring administrators obtain the skills, knowledge, and dispositions needed to improve school-wide achievement, resulting in the closing of achievement gaps