In 2010, Illinois passed legislation making significant changes to its principal preparation and licensure policies. With the goal of improving student outcomes and closing achievement gaps, the state updated standards for principal preparation programs with a focus on instructional leadership. Illinois's reforms were ambitious, requiring all…

In the last 30 years, there has been a shift towards using multicultural strategies. The constant shifts taking place in multi-ethnic, multicultural, and multinational workforces indicate that both administrators of these organizations and higher education practices must evolve to adapt to needs for changing skill sets. In the future,…

This article challenges current recruitment and hiring practices in educational advancement organizations, while proposing a paradigm shift in addressing the talent shortage of fundraising professionals. A case is presented that competence and fit is more important than experience for successful and productive fundraising outcomes. The paper…

In this article, the author discusses the importance of child care directors. Paula Jorde Bloom (1992) refers to the director as the "gatekeeper to quality" and Gwen Morgan (2000) writes of the director as the "key to quality." The child care director is responsible for every aspect of the early care and education program. Emerging from the…

For decades, preservice training for principals looked something like this: While working as teachers, they took occasional courses at an education school on such topics as school finance, law, and educational theory. After a few years, they completed a culminating field assignment, which might have involved shadowing their own principals. Then…

Assuming the quality of the principal is directly linked to student learning and instruction, whose responsibility is it to develop building administrators to their fullest? This question is at the center of Principal Training on the Ground by Sandra Stein and colleagues from the School of Public Affairs at Baruch College of the City University of…

In this article, the author presents eight quick and easy steps to setting up a "grow your own" administrator program to help school districts fill open positions with qualified administrators. These are: (1) Invite cabinet members and directors to conduct two-hour workshops; (2) Write and send out a letter to all teaching and support staff…

An innovative principal preparation program was created at the University of Tennessee--Knoxville. The program was built around 19 parameters and based upon three theoretical domains in administration: organization (defines managerial role), human dimension (defines human relations role), and individual relationship with other two dimensions…

A clinically-based innovative principalship program developed by the University of Alabama is described and selected elements are highlighted to illustrate potential problems in establishing and conducting clinical administrator preparation programs. University-based issues discussed include unclear knowledge base, lack of program structure and…

The Schools without Walls program helps University of Surrey management students develop managerial skills by serving as mentor-managers to secondary students. Freedom to reflect and have hands-on management experience facilitated skill development. However, the program worked better for affective skills than cognitive skills. (SK)

Describes the Examination for Certification of Educators in Texas (ExCET) required of all Texans seeking certification as principals, supervisors, or superintendents. Discusses certain test controversies (including test development by an out-of-state firm), the quality of administraor training in Texas, test objectives, and the future of ExCET.…

A discussion of Sweden's needs for department-level administrator training proposes that despite the long existence of administrator training programs, the system must address development of the skills of the whole "management team." General program structure and some programs and trends are described. (Author/MSE)

In The Netherlands, school leaders are recruited from the ranks of teachers. More than half of the principals in primary and secondary schools are promoted from within the organization. A minority of schools have written policies or explicitly stated procedures for identifying and selecting principals. One-fourth of the newly appointed principals…

In light of the increasing diversity of students and the sweeping changes involved in the inclusion movement, many special education administrators in small and rural districts are not prepared to face the emerging challenges and responsibilities of their role. The Institute for Small and Rural Districts was established in 1990 by the Florida…

In November 1986, the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina accepted a recommendation of its Task Force on the Preparation of Teachers. The Task Force called upon the president to conduct a study for the purpose of designing a rigorous Doctor of Education program as a first professional degree program for senior school…