Trends in the Preparation of School Leaders for the 21st Century

• In Event: Evaluating Leadership Preparation Programs and Trends

Abstract

As the awareness of how quality leadership influences school conditions and student learning, there is a growing pressure to conduct research on school leadership preparation programs (Darling-Hammond, LaPointe, Meyerson, & Orr, 2009; Young, Crow, Murphy, & Ogawa, 2009). Little is known about these programs and their quality. Even basic questions such as whether or not U.S. principal preparation programs produce enough certified graduates to fill open principal positions and of sufficient quality to lead schools in the demanding context of the 21st century have not been answered. This study utilizes several large datasets to track changes in educational administration degree production and principal positions available and projected at the national, state, and university level from 2000-2013.

Authors

• Frank Perrone, University of Virginia

• Pamela D. Tucker, University of Virginia