Leadership Preparation Program Qualities and Graduates’ Career Intentions: Evidence From a National Program Graduates’ Survey

• In Event: Advancing Leadership Preparation: Pathways, Pedagogy, and Professional Growth for Aspiring Educational Leaders

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of Educational Leadership Preparation Program (ELPP) qualities on graduates’ career intentions through a national survey encompassing 2,994 participants from 51 institutions. Using multilevel structural equation modeling, we analyzed five key program qualities: Faculty Quality, Program Rigor, Cohort Structure, Peer Relationships, and Internship. Findings reveal that Faculty Quality, Program Rigor, and Peer Relationships indirectly influence career plans via Internship, while Cohort Structure and Internship have direct effects. Among control variables, professional experience and current position significantly influence career intentions, with current position having the strongest effect. These insights provide a nuanced understanding of how specific ELPP features shape career trajectories, offering valuable guidance for future policy decisions and program enhancements to better support aspiring educational leaders.

Authors

• Jiangang Xia, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

• Yongmei Ni, University of Utah

• Andrea K. Rorrer, University of Utah

• Michelle D. Young, University of California - Berkeley

• Lu Xu, University of Washington