This qualitative case study was centered around the experiences that five rural superintendents shared after being coached as part of the Illinois Association of School Administrators School for Advanced Leadership (ISAL) program. The research problem examined the challenges of coaching and development in relationship to transformation. The…

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…

While there is consensus among policymakers and practitioners about the importance of strong leadership in early childhood education, there is scant research on effective models of leadership development for administrators of early childhood programs, particularly those working in the child care sector. This is cause for concern because the…

Through its engagement with grantees on initiatives to improve school leadership, The Wallace Foundation came to recognize the important role that state organizations play in advancing effective leadership in districts and schools as well as the importance of coordination among state- and district-level policies. The authors have recently…

This report is published jointly by the Institute for Educational Leadership (Washington, DC) and the Illinois Education Research Council (IERC) as part of its Issues in Education series. The report focuses on two areas in which state policies and programs can have particular influence on school leadership: licensure, certification and…

Findings of a study that examined the effects of a statewide mentoring program for Illinois principals are presented in this paper, with a focus on the reasons for principals' behavior changes. Methodology involved interviews with six pairs of mentors and proteges, site observations, and artifact collection. Conclusions are that: (1) principals…

A study examined the impact and cost effectiveness of a principal leadership-development program. The program is based on one-on-one interaction between the participant and a leadership analyst, and it includes the following components: assessment, feedback, and construction of a one-year personal development plan. A survey mailed to 195 Illinois…