This qualitative phenomenological study examines the leadership development activities of Illinois community college presidents and sought to understand not only how presidents prepare for their leadership roles, but what challenges presidents are currently facing, what advice they have for emerging leaders about effective leadership practices,…

The COVID-19 pandemic had massive implications and ramifications on the nation's public schools, students, and educators alike. Elementary principals transformed into crisis leaders overnight and were greatly challenged. The ability for principals to lead through crises was worth exploring to ascertain the necessary attributes for effective…

With the demands on student learning and school accountability, school leaders and teachers must be provided with high-quality structures and conditions for effective and meaningful school improvement. This, coupled with highly effective leadership, is crucial. This qualitative study examines Illinois's current state comprehensive school…

Partners to Lead (PtL) is a school leadership professional development (PD) project funded by a 5-year Education Innovation and Research grant and implemented by the DuPage, Illinois, Regional Office of Education (ROE) in 37 public elementary, middle, and high schools in four Illinois ROEs. The American Institutes for Research® (AIR®), the…

U.S. public education is regulated by accountability policies designed to ensure that all students, and those who are responsible for their education, are held to high academic standards. Accountability policies at the federal and state level have unintended consequences for educators, with principals and teachers experiencing increased job…

The revisions to federal policy reflected in ESSA suggest that federal policy makers are acknowledging the growing research-base on principal effectiveness, and responding by shaping policy to create new opportunities for innovation and improvement in principal preparation and development. Principals, as multipliers of effective practice, are a…

As the Millennial generation (individuals born 1982-2004) of leaders emerge in the educational setting, it is important to consider how these individuals may lead or work alongside a more veteran generation of teachers and administrators. While most of the evidence on leadership focuses on the characteristics of Baby Boomer and Generation X…

The goals of the current mixed methods study--the Illinois Principal Preparation Implementation Review Project (I-PREP)--are to describe how the new policy is being implemented, learning which aspects of the implementation have been challenging and why they present challenges, and how programs are addressing challenges and realizing improvements…

The goals of the current mixed methods study--the Illinois Principal Preparation Implementation Review Project (I-PREP)--are to describe how the new policy is being implemented, learning which aspects of the implementation have been challenging and why they present challenges, and how programs are addressing challenges and realizing improvements…

School principals' education and professional experience shape their approach to school leadership and how successful their students will be. However, it is not clear from existing research which aspects of principal education and professional experience are related to student outcomes and principal retention. This dissertation explores aspects of…

The 1983 publication of "A Nation at Risk" was the start of the latest chapter in the long history and development of the public school superintendent. "A Nation at Risk" brought new pressure and awareness on university programs that train school administrators coupled with suggestions on how to improve their effectiveness.…

This research study intended to discover the perceptions of 10 Illinois Generation Y novice high school principals pertaining to the effectiveness of their principal preparation programs in terms of how well it prepared them to lead in the first three years of their principalship, and what subsequent professional development they deemed necessary…

Principals who are strong, effective, responsive leaders help to inspire and enhance the abilities of their teachers and other school staff to do excellent work. Such principals also tend to retain great teachers and create opportunities for them to take on new leadership roles. This leads to the following key question: What can state policymakers…

Driven by research that evidences the direct impact of principals on school-wide improvements, Illinois has been working at the forefront of innovation and improvement in principal quality for quite some time. A large body of research supports the impact of school leadership on school and student outcomes. While high quality instruction is…

Today's accountability policies and changing demographics have created conditions in which leaders must rapidly build school capacity and improve outcomes in culturally diverse schools. This article presents findings from a mixed-methods evaluation of an Arizona Turnaround Leadership Development Project. The project drew on studies of turnaround…