This study examined how academic programs administrate their internships, including implementing and executing their philosophy and internship rationale, and connecting with and managing relationships with internship agencies while accounting for contextual information (e.g., geography, size, and research vs. teaching focus). Using a case-study…

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,…

Without proper training, the realities of leading a school can overwhelm principals. Specifically, the challenges of leading a school will test principals' abilities to manage operations and implement effective initiatives. Despite knowledge of these demands, author Craig Hochbein writes that aspiring principals often engage in training…

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…

Clinical experiences, including the full-time principal internship, are considered to be one of the most important components in principal preparation. Yet research on the principal internship is limited to surveys and interviews. I use a daily life methodology to explore full-time principal interns' experiences during an academic school year. I…

Background: Recent empirical work shows that student teaching in a high-quality learning environment and with a highly effective cooperating teacher predicts the performance and retention of early-career teachers. Little is known about principal internships and their impacts on school leader outcomes. Purpose: To examine the characteristics of…

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…

Ohio's Columbus City Schools developed a new urban grow-your-own principal pipeline. This pipeline emphasizes the cultivation of equity-centered principals who can address educational and social disparities in transformative and sustainable ways. Drawing from research and professional literature and from district and stakeholder engagements,…

Principal preparation programs use various components to develop candidates, including coursework, core assessments, and field-based internships or practicums. The internship represents an exceptionally high leverage learning opportunity (Lochmiller, 2014). The success of the internship depends highly on the abilities of a mentor via informal…

Purpose: This cross-sectional survey captured educational leadership preparation programs' (ELPPs') relative emphases on 12 evidence-based school leadership competences and related pedagogical approaches to identify the gap between optimal performance per the literature base and actual practice reported for US ELPPs. Design/methodology/approach: A…

This paper reports on a study completed with principal preparation students to measure the change in their beliefs about how to provide leadership that affirms diverse students and families in schools. The principal preparation program (PPP) in this study redesigned the internship to include crucial conversations around diversity and social…

Professional standards for principals include numerous provisions addressing the need to have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to promote effective special education programs. The administration of special education programs requires complex responsibilities including assurances that policies and practices are in compliance with…

Leadership preparation is essential in developing critical skills of effective school leaders. Educational leadership preparation programs vary greatly in terms of program features, it is important to identify which specific elements are likely associated with program quality. Using multiple years of Initiative for Systemic Program Improvement…