Contents

Districts Developing Leaders: Lessons on Consumer Actions and Program Approaches from Eight Urban Districts

Click here to download the full report:
Districts Developing Leaders: Lessons on Consumer Actions and Program Approaches from Eight Urban Districts

This study explores the investments of eight urban school districts in school leadership preparation, with a specific focus on the different approaches that they took, the role that local universities played, and the perceptions of district officials about program effectiveness based on graduates’ performance as new school leaders.

The Wallace Foundation contracted with Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), for this evaluation research; the study was led by Cheryl King (EDC), Margaret Terry Orr (Bank Street College), and Michelle LaPointe (EDC) and was completed by a team of researchers with expertise in leadership preparation, organizational studies, and program evaluation.

Research Questions

Four research questions about the relationship between district investments in leadership preparation and the overall impact of those investments on school districts and universities and their programs guided our initial evaluation efforts:

  • How are districts using their influence as “consumers” of university preparation programs to create needed changes in candidate selection, program content, and internship experiences?
  • In what ways do Wallace-funded leadership preparation programs reflect the core quality features of effective leadership preparation described in the research literature?
  • What organizational relationships exist within and between districts and universities for district-university affiliated programs and how do they affect the quality of preparation programs being developed and implemented, the quality of leaders, and the relationship to other district investments in leadership and its development?
  • How do differences in district context (based on student achievement needs, district reform approach, and district leadership) relate to districts’ consumer action approaches, leadership preparation strategies, and relationships with local universities?

« Previous | Next »