Preparing Principals for a Changing World

Preparing Principals for a Changing World provides a hands-on resource for creating and implementing effective policies and programs for developing expert school leaders. Written by acclaimed author and educator Linda Darling-Hammond and experts Debra Meyerson, Michelle LaPointe, and Margaret Terry Orr, this important book examines the characteristics of successful educational leadership programs and offers concrete recommendations to improve programs nationwide. In a study funded by the Wallace Foundation, Darling-Hammond and the team examined eight exemplary principal development programs, as well as state policies and principals' experiences across the country. Using the data from the study, they reveal how successful programs are structured, the skills and knowledge participants gain, and what they are able to do in practice as school leaders as a result. What do these exemplary programs have in common? Aggressive recruitment; close ties with schools in the community; on-the-ground training under the wing of expert principals, and a strong emphasis on the cutting-edge theories of instructional and transformational leadership. In addition to highlighting the programs' similarities, the study also explains the differences among the programs and sheds light on the effectiveness of approaches and models from different states and contexts?East, West, North, and South; urban and rural; pre-service and in-service. The authors analyze program outcomes for principals and their schools, including illustrative case studies and educators' voices on the influence of programs' strategies for recruitment, internships, mentoring, and coursework. The ideas and suggestions outlined in Preparing Principals for a Changing World are presented with the goal of increasing the number of highly qualified, thoughtful, and innovative educational leaders.

Preparing Principals for a Changing World provides ahands-on resource for creating and implementing effective policiesand programs for developing expert school leaders. Written byacclaimed author and educator Linda Darling-Hammond and expertsDebra Meyerson, Michelle LaPointe, and Margaret Terry Orr, thisimportant book examines the characteristics of successfuleducational leadership programs and offers concrete recommendationsto improve programs nationwide.In a study funded by the Wallace Foundation, Darling-Hammond andthe team examined eight exemplary principal development programsas well as state policies and principals' experiences across thecountry. Using the data from the study, they reveal how successfulprograms are structured, the skills and knowledge participantsgain, and what they are able to do in practice as school leaders asa result.What do these exemplary programs have in common?Aggressive recruitment; close ties with schools in the community;on-the-ground training under the wing of expert principals, and astrong emphasis on the cutting-edge theories of instructional andtransformational leadership.In addition to highlighting the programs' similarities, thestudy also explains the differences among the programs and shedslight on the effectiveness of approaches and models from differentstates and contexts?East, West, North, and South; urban and rural;pre-service and in-service. The authors analyze program outcomesfor principals and their schools, including illustrative casestudies and educators' voices on the influence of programs'strategies for recruitment, internships, mentoring, andcoursework.The ideas and suggestions outlined in Preparing Principalsfor a Changing World are presented with the goal of increasingthe number of highly qualified, thoughtful, and innovativeeducational leaders.

Preface viiAcknowledgments ixAbout the Authors xi1. Developing School Leadership: The Current Challenge 12. Studying Exemplary Programs 233. Preparing New Leaders: What Successful Programs Do 454. Sustaining School Leaders: Supports for On-the-Job Learning 795. Evaluating Programs: What Well-Prepared Principals Know and are Able to Do 996. Supporting Exemplary Programs 1237. Creating Policy for Leadership Development 1498. Pulling it All Together: Conclusions and Implications 179Appendix A: Research Methods 193Appendix B: Survey Instruments 217Appendix C: Cross-State Comparisons of Principals' Survey Responses 281References 301Index 309