Leadership Preparation Programs: Preparing Culturally Competent Educational Leaders

• In Event: 16.057 - Roundtable Session 5
  In Roundtable Session: 16.057-17 - Leadership for Social Justice: Preparing Culturally Competent School Leaders

Abstract

The demographic profile of the US has been rapidly changing; by 2020 minority students will constitute the majority of the school student population nationwide. This makes cultural-competence a necessity for today’s school leaders. Educational leadership preparation programs are responsible for preparing culturally competent leaders; however, few programs assess their students’ cultural-competence.
The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine whether graduates of educational leadership preparation programs had significantly different cultural-competence than those beginning their respective program.
The findings of this study suggest matriculating through a principal preparation program is positively related to students’ cultural-competence, their cultural beliefs and motivation, and cultural knowledge. However, there appeared to be no significant relationship between completing the program and students’ cultural skills.

Authors

• Maysaa Y. Barakat, Florida Atlantic University

• Ellen H. Reames, Auburn University