Developing Improvement Science Leaders in Preparation and Practice: A Comparison of Approaches and Design Considerations

• In Event: Innovative Approaches and Considerations for Educational Leaders and Their Preparation

Abstract

This paper compares how to teach improvement science leadership practices for continuous improvement in university-based preparation and district-based leadership development. Using a multi-case study approach (Yin, 1994), this paper compares underlying design considerations: a) formal or embedded training in improvement science; b) leadership development around role alike or different leaders; c) leadership development around a shared or dissimilar problem of practice; and concentrated (in 6-8 weeks) or non-concentrated (monthly) leadership development experiences. The results, based on the experiences and feedback from 75-80 participants in the three experiences (formal graduate course; a three-day institute and a networked improvement community) are positive, showing the importance of combining formal and embedded training on improvement science, while focusing on a shared problem of practice.

Author

• Margaret Terry Orr, Fordham Graduate School of Education