In designing the program, EDCO/BEST had several objectives in mind. Below are each of these objectives, pointing out the strengths and accomplishments and the barriers or problems encountered.




Goal 1

To increase the interest in pursuing a principalship among high-potential candidates.

BEST's first objective is to encourage talented individuals who have not previously thought about pursuing a principal position to seriously entertain that possibility and to make an informed decision about whether the position was of interest to them. A four-part spring program is designed to provide initial screening and an opportunity for self-selection. We seek to give the participants exposure and knowledge about the principalship, to establish an opportunity for collegial contact with other talented candidates and to expose them to new ideas and methods for training principals that would be incorporated in the summer program. The hope is to provide a brief, targeted array of useful experiences.

  • Session 1: "Networking" exercise, panel discussion by four principals on the challenges and attractions of the job.
  • Session 2: Teamwork exercise and mini-case discussion.
  • Session 3: Superintendent's panel discussion on what they look for in a principal.
  • Session 4: Introduction to self-assessment using the MBTI, discussion on certification and career planning.

The goal of exposure and increasing the attractiveness of the position has been largely met. During the year 1999, thirty candidates were recommended, 27 completed the spring program and over half that number elected to enroll in the summer program. While initially disappointed that only half elected to continue, this is probably more fairly viewed as an appropriate and necessary winnowing process. The 1999 program served a wide range of candidates, some already certified with 15+ years of experience and competence who were taking the course as a refresher of sorts, others with only a few years of teaching experience but a great deal of potential. With such a range of experiences, it is inevitable that some will find this is not the right position or not the right time to consider the role.

Another indicator of the success of the program has been demonstrated by the numbers choosing to take next steps. Several at the brink of certification or already certified decided to actively apply for positions. Two participants from the 1999 Program are currently principals and two are applying for positions. Sixteen participants from that year continued for the summer sessions, which requires a commitment of significant time and financial resources. Ten of that number decided to continue on with a subsequent EDCO/BEST principalship apprenticeship program (Learning Through Action) during Fall 1999 and Spring 2000.

There have been some barriers that emerged. A continuing theme for the participants in 1999 was the uncertainty surrounding the certification process. Participants viewed the traditional process as lengthy and cumbersome, and there was a great deal of resistance to the idea of entering a "certification program" unless that was the only alternative. Particularly since changing regulations might mean prior work was no longer applicable. There was a great deal of interest in other means to achieving certification that would be rigorous but efficient. There was particular concern whether the courses would "count toward something", whether they would advance quest for certification. EDCO/BEST was not in a position to fully address these concerns. Achieving some clarity with the Department of Education about how these courses could be applied is a goal.
Goal 2

Encouraging superintendents/districts to focus on identifying and developing high potential candidates.

There has been a great deal of interest from local public administrators in the program from the time it was introduced to EDCO partners. Superintendents are generally enthusiastic about the program. Even those districts that do not participate show interest in participating in the future (this has been evident by the 2000 program, where several of those districts did join in). Generating interest in finding potential principals within a district was a real strength of the program.

One surprise encountered is the range of ways superintendents use the Program. There is the wide breadth of candidates - two candidates have already been named acting principals, others are already certified, others have leadership roles within their schools or systems (as lead teachers, for example) but had not previously considered a principal position, and others were quite young but talented and only beginning to think about next steps. The Program provided a way for Superintendents to reach and encourage a wide range of individuals.

This wide range has also proved to be one of the most significant challenges for the Program. It has been difficult to be specific about next steps or offer direct advice with such a range. Yet participants are very anxious to know how they can proceed as individuals.
Goal 3

Begin to develop alternative curriculum for training school leaders operating in a standards-based environment.

One of our primary purposes has been to explore new and hopefully more effective means of training administrators. The EDCO/BEST partnership has had discussions with superintendents to discover the areas of concern. One concern is that a new generation of principals are coming into place and there needs to be a change in mindset. These principals would face new challenges and have different developmental needs, given the demands place on them. The traditional method, involving a large number of graduate courses generally spread out over several years, seems at once to demand too much and offer too little.

The summer program provides a forum for exploring methods that are reflective and experiential and content that provides exposure to research but emphasizes application in context. The two courses offered, Performance-Based Educational Leadership and Instructional Leadership, focus on using data, deals with standards, incorporates testing information and introduces accountability.

Another strength of the course is the emphasis on viewing school improvement as an ongoing process. The course examines dilemmas faced by actual principals leading school improvement efforts through the use of case discussions that looked at two principals in Everett and several in Boston, including Muriel Leonard at the Shaw Middle School and Kim Marshall at the Mather (Marshall is the principal instructor for the Instructional leadership course.)

There are significant challenges we encounter in this area. First, once again, there often is real uncertainty about next steps and how the program would fit into a certification process. Second, the pace of the course and the content covered are ambitious. It requires and enormous commitment from students and we must be cautious about overload.
Goal 4

Foster collaboration between EDCO, Boston University and participating school districts around the issue of principal preparation.

The continuing, building collaboration between EDCO and its partners is evidence that this goal is progressing. In fact the scope of the collaboration is expanding. EDCO has been working with Boston College on other related grant funded efforts and recently there have been discussions between EDCO and both universities about collaborating in these efforts.
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