Evaluation Leadership Preparation Programs
Leadership preparation is essential to educational reform and improved student achievement. Significant attention is directed to research-based innovation and best practice in university-based leadership preparation programs to prepare leaders who can effectively improve schools (Davis, et al, 2005; Jackson & Kelly, 2002; Orr, 2006; Southern Regional Educational Board [SREB], 2005; US Department of Education [USDoE], 2005). Yet nationally, few of the 500 or more graduate leadership preparation programs (503 master’s degree, 169 specialist degree, and 195 doctoral degree leadership preparation programs) can ascertain program effectiveness and impact on the 16,000 masters’ degree graduates they produce annually (and almost 6,000 specialist and doctoral graduates), primarily because access to valid, reliable methodology and infrastructure for technical assistance, data sharing, and guidance in collecting, interpreting and using evaluation data for program improvement and enhanced leadership preparation is lacking (Baker, Orr, & Young, 2007).
Through this site, UCEA and the Leadership Preparation Program Evaluation Taskforce make available valid and reliable evaluation research tools, methods and training materials and strategies for leadership preparation programs. These resources will enable:
- The collection and analysis of survey evaluation research data for program benchmarking and in-depth multi-program analysis of program features and graduate career and leadership practices outcomes.
- The creation of a systematic process for collecting and analyzing state data on degrees and certification by institution, and career advancement and school progress by graduates and institutions.
- The provision of evaluation training, technical assistance and support for leadership preparation programs, and establish regional train-the-trainer opportunities to increase evaluation technical assistance capacity locally.
- The creation of a sustainable system for on-going evaluation research to support the on-going evaluation and improvement of leadership preparation programs.