Redesigning University Principal Preparation Programs

Research has shown that school principals matter greatly to teaching and learning. Yet university principal training has not kept pace with the job’s growing demands. The Wallace Foundation launched an effort in 2016 to improve principal preparation. Seven universities in seven states participated in the University Principal Preparation Initiative. Universities worked with school districts and other interested parties to better align their principal preparation programs with evidence-based practices.

This report summarizes the final report​​​ from the RAND Corporation’s multi-year study of the effort. The researchers found that universities can defy expectations about institutional resistance to change. They can collaborate with school districts, state organizations, and others to meaningfully redesign principal preparation programs. The report summarizes what the seven sites were able to accomplish and their key processes. 

How Principal Preparation Improved

The teams working on the effort improved their programs by:

• Aligning the curriculum with national standards and state requirements for principals
• Ensuring that changes were informed by district needs and the real work of principals
• Emphasizing practical experiences and job-related activities that reinforced coursework. This included providing stronger coaching.
• Having all participants begin and progress through the program in a cohort. This enabled participants to develop a peer support network that continued after program completion.
• Seeking to diversify program enrollees. They did so in part by working with districts to recruit candidates from historically underrepresented groups.

The seven participating universities were:

• Albany State University, Ga.
• University of Connecticut
• Florida Atlantic University
• North Carolina State University
• San Diego State University
• Virginia State University
• Western Kentucky University

Collaboration is Essential

The report’s findings underscore that widespread improvement in principal pre-service programs requires universities, school districts, and state organizations to work together. Universities led the work. But the redesign was informed by district needs. State education agencies and related state-level organizations also contributed to the effort. They served on a steering group at each site. States also bolstered the initiative through their own policy changes. These included strengthening principal standards and licensing requirements.

Partners successfully built on what they learned to expand their impact beyond the initiative. Some districts were inspired to strengthen their own professional development for principals, aspiring principals, and principal supervisors. Universities included additional districts in their redesigned programs. States spread the lessons learned about preparation improvement to other programs statewide.

Supports

The work of the initiative was not without challenges. Some faculty members resisted revising courses. Finding time to carry out design work was a widespread difficulty. But the initiative included many structures that aided the work:

• Partners formed steering groups that met regularly. All were involved in all aspects of the redesign. Universities formed working groups with faculty members and district leaders.
• The partners used logic models and program self-assessments to keep the redesign process on track. They also collected data to use for continuous improvement. 
• Each site received mentoring from one or two programs from other states that had successfully redesigned principal preparation.