This study explores the perceived preparedness of elementary school building leaders in special education leadership and its implications for school administrative preparation programs. This study aimed to address this problem by examining two research questions. The first was to investigate course offerings in administrative preparation programs…

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…

Purpose: Recently, a confluence of factors has focused elementary school leaders on early education. One factor is that nearly 60 percent of all public elementary schools in the U.S. today have a Pre-K program in the building. Yet, prior research reveals that leaders are often not prepared to effectively lead early education programs. This study…

All principals can learn and implement the actions and behaviors that have the biggest effect on student learning outcomes, namely: (1) to establish a clear schoolwide focus on delivering quality instructional experiences for all students; (2) to initiate, lead, and manage change in school processes, programs, personnel, professional learning, and…

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of program admission requirements, university-district partnerships, and course content integration on the internship within principal preparation programs. University principal preparation programs have been a focus of recent attention, specifically since 2005 when the report Arthur Levine…

Because the role of the principal has changed dramatically, preparation programs have adapted to better prepare these leaders. This study examines one program using surveys and interviews of completers. Results showed that these leaders found themselves in an uncomfortable new area, what we deem "the in-between." Using the theoretical…

In the mid-1970s, a systematic national principal training programme was introduced in Sweden. The aim was to guarantee better-equipped principals in their mission to lead and develop schools in accordance with national steering documents. Since then, the programme has been subjected to changes, but its focus has remained the same. The three-year…

The purpose of this study was to explore differences in perceived level of technology leadership preparation for students of three different online graduate level leadership preparation programs offered at a regional university in southeast Texas. Four hundred seventy-one students responded to the Principal Technology Leadership Assessment (PTLA)…

Professional development activities offered principals are often a hodgepodge of different types of programs designed to foster the sustainability of leadership practices. While professional development is important for the continual improvement of principals, Guskey (2003) describes professional development activities as generally having a…

The relationship between school administrators and agricultural education teachers has historically been considered to be important. Past studies have indicated mixed results when comparing principal and teacher perceptions of the importance of agricultural education teaching activities. Agreement between both parties and support from the…

Saudi educators are increasingly concerned over whether principal preparation programs in Saudi Arabia are accomplishing their goal of developing qualified leaders who are prepared to take on the tasks of school principals. Thus, Saudi researchers recommend that the school principal preparation programs undergo evaluation. This study examines…

The phrase 'next practice' was coined to indicate a shift from the notion of best practice to thinking more broadly about the needs of future learners and the ways in which teaching practice might align to support these needs. In understanding what next practice means for the classroom, this study was particularly interested in examining how…

The performance of South Africa's educational system in national and international tests indicates that a large proportion of its public schools are underperforming. Ineffective leadership has been put forward as one reason. This paper analyses a leadership development programme, Partners for Possibility (PfP), which seeks to strengthen leadership…

The article analyzes the results of a study in which the objective was to assess the process of school principals' training in Cuba. Data collection was done through the revision of existing documents and administering of questionnaires to subjects involved in the training process. Universities and provincial and municipal departments of education…

This study uses data from the "Initiative for Systemic Program Improvement through Research in Educational Leadership (INSPIRE) Preparation Program Features Survey" to respond to national critiques of university-based principal preparation programs. The findings provide insight into the program content and relevancy, personnel, and…