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…

There is a pervasive and ongoing perception that leadership preparation is a problem. Important questions remain about the intentions, capacity, and impact of state departments of education engaged in leadership preparation program redesign. In this essay, I take up several issues concerning this state policy work, including whether a one size…

There is growing potential for the development of practitioner-based doctor of education (EdD) programs as potential students in the field recognize that they do not need to leave their current work positions to obtain a doctorate particularly if it enhances their work. This article chronicles 1 university's process in developing an innovative…

Increasing criticism of practicing educational leaders has led to additional critiques of the university programs in which they are prepared. In response, many states have mandated statewide university preparation program redesign. The articles in this special issue describe five unique cases of principal preparation program redesign--including…

Much of the literature criticizing university-based school leadership preparation programs concludes that programs are, at best, reluctant to change, a conclusion often based more on anecdotal stories than a more systematic inquiry. This article provides evidence on the extent of change in programs since passage of the "Standards for Advanced…

Critics complain that the educational leadership researchers have not produced evidence that demonstrates that principal preparation programs affect student achievement. This study addressed this complaint by focusing on the impact of one exemplary program on graduates and the schools they led. The preponderance-of-evidence strategy used in this…

This study reports on experiences of doctoral students in educational administration at a time when the effectiveness of programs preparing practitioners and academics in this field are being questioned. Concerns related to how students in educational administration developed knowledge about research and identity as researchers were closely…

An instrument was developed to measure the quality of program planning procedures normally used by business organizations to plan formal training programs for managers and supervisors. Called the Index of Program Planning, it was developed using procedures which integrate program planning models and recommended planning behaviors within business…

Researchers analyze the cost effectiveness of educational administrator training programs for Native Americans at four universities: Harvard, Pennsylvania State, Minnesota, and New Mexico. The programs vary in scope, duration, clientele, admissions, and five other characteristics. The programs' average costs per student are computed and are…

Purpose: The author's interest in learning organisation development leads him to examine large French companies' practices regarding "high potential" executives policies and to question their selection and development processes and their capabilities to develop learning oriented organisations.The author also tries to explain why most…

The author interviewed key personnel at six administrator development centers in California about their programs' goals, admission methods, benefits, and problems. Results are generalized and implications discussed. (SJL)

Three main questions guided this study: (1) What are the possible implications, positive and negative, from implementing an Ed.D. program at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU)?; (2) What were the conditions for teaching at other universities when an Ed.D. program was adopted?; and (3) What have been the long-term effects--positive,…

This paper is about one lecturer's experience with a particular undergraduate course for management students. The distinguishing feature of the course is that major elements of its design are delegated to the students. The author discusses program design, context, objectives, content, session preparation and management, evaluation, and outcomes.…

The Meadows Principal Improvement Program has two functional components and a research component. The functional components are designed to help improve the role of school principals in Texas. There is a preservice component to prepare new principals in instructional leadership and an inservice component to assist practicing principals in…

The School Leadership Study was designed to contribute important data on how high quality pre- and in-service programs are structured, how they implement the effective strategies noted in the research literature, and the impact of program graduates in the schools they lead. The study examines whether program components triangulate with graduate…