Principal preparation programs play an important role in developing future school leaders' skills and practices. Internships, or structured opportunities for future leaders to engage in the work of school leadership in hands-on, authentic ways, are among the most essential components of principal preparation. Using longitudinal data from 12…

This paper investigated principal interns' leadership work during the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas. We used data from one-on-one semistructured interviews to document the experiences of 21 principal candidates in spring 2021 through spring 2022. Participants' leadership work changed in four ways during the pandemic: striving, intensifying,…

This study examined perceptions of educational leadership skills within principal internship experiences, focusing on the National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) building level standards related to instructional leadership. Using a quantitative survey design, the study collected data from 53 participants (29 principals and 24 interns)…

This quantitative, non-experimental, retrospective, descriptive study examined the adequacy of principal preparation program (PPP) training in Texas, using the National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) standards as a guiding framework. Survey responses from 245 principals were analyzed to determine whether perceptions of preparation…

We examined the equity-oriented leadership experiences of 23 principal interns in one principal preparation program in Texas. Our analysis of interview and internship log data revealed that the principal interns engaged in a range of equity-related work, and they led more of that work than expected. However, their leadership work was concentrated…

The principal internship is a crucial component of principal preparation programs (PPP) in the U.S. and, increasingly, in other countries. The purpose of this study was to compare the experiences and work of principal candidates enrolled in one principal residency program (PRP) to candidates enrolled in a traditional principal preparation program…

This transcendental phenomenology study was designed to examine the phenomena of the paid internship portion of the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program (NCPFP) through specific graduates of the universities that offer the scholarship. The study aimed to answer the following research question: How does the paid internship experience from the…