Characteristics that contribute to successful redesign and launch of principal preparation programs may be understood collectively as the capacity of those programs. A model of capacity for redesign of principal preparation programs should strike a balance between the technical and professional aspects of teaching and leadership and the cultural…

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…

The term Powerful Learning Experience (PLE) is an outgrowth of a University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) project. Colleagues who were engaged in the Leaders Supporting Diverse Learners (LSDL) project, along with researchers examining exemplary educational leadership programs refined the original framework. The version described in…

This special issue of the "Journal of Research on Leadership Education" presents the findings resulting from a set of studies focused on understanding how leadership preparation standards were used, by whom, and to what end. In addressing these questions, the authors reviewed how standards were used by program faculty, professional…

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…

Purpose: This article offers (a) an overview of the attention federal policy has invested in educational leadership with a primary focus on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), (b) a summary of the critical role school leaders play in achieving the goals set forth within federal educational policy, and (c) examples of how states are using the…

Standards provide a foundation for thinking about leadership development and practice. This article explores three sets of standards that impact educational leadership preparation: (a) the recently revised Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) standards, which are now known as the Practice Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL);…

For the last few decades, leadership standards have served as a de facto "recommended curriculum" for preparation programs in the United States. In this article, we: (1) share the new National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) standards, (2) present the literature supporting the standards, and (3) critically assess the influence…

Eliminating the achievement gap and ensuring high-quality education for diverse student populations depend upon the capacity of local educational leaders to be highly effective at enabling schools in all contexts to teach all students. Realizing this goal also depends upon the capacity of local universities to prepare and support educational…

An essential component to learning and teaching in educational leadership is mentoring graduate students for successful transition to K-12 and higher education positions. This study integrates quantitative and qualitative datasets to examine doctoral students' experiences with mentoring from macro and micro perspectives. Findings show that…

The professional pipeline represents a developmental perspective for fostering leadership capacity in schools and districts, from identification of potential talent during the recruitment phase to ensuring career-long learning through professional development. An intentional and mindful approach to supporting the development of educational leaders…

Although it is common to hear people espouse the importance of education to ensuring a strong and vibrant democracy, the assumptions underlying such statements are rarely unpacked. Two of the most widespread, though not necessarily complimentary, assumptions include: (1) to truly participate in a democracy, citizens must be well educated; and (2)…

An uncertainty has developed around the "core technology" of preparing educational leaders, making the general public question whether, in particular, university professors know what they are doing. This sense of ambiguity can also be found within the professoriate, where questioning of the knowledge base, standards, pedagogy, and university…

Purpose: There is a meager body of research addressing the role educational leadership preparation programs in colleges and universities play in preparing women leaders. Also educational leadership preparation research has yet to explore ways in which mentorship provides additional capital for female graduate students. This study seeks to…

Differences in career advancement rates among aspiring leaders and their programs provide useful frameworks for understanding both program influence and advancement challenges. These differences suggest program, district and state interventions and follow up support to improve the fit and advancement of graduates into the leadership field. This…