A Research-Informed Design for Preparing PrincipalsWhat we Could Do Differently and Why it Might Work

Tom BellamyUniversity of Washington BothellApril 23, 2015

PremisesAlthough knowledge is far from complete, we believe that:

Principals can influence student learningPreparing more skilled principals can help improve schools

Although many outstanding programs exist: Current principal preparation does not produce new principals with

the needed quality and reliabilityThe pace of improvement in principal preparation is too slow to

meet national needs

Conventional Design for Principal Preparation

School District

University/Leadership Development Organization

Recruitment

Internship

Preparation Courses Licensure

Recommendation

Selection and Placement

Induction and MentoringTeacher Workforce

Induction Support

A Research-Informed Design?A set of constraints, or criteria, that a design should meet

to be considered successful What criteria are empirically, theoretically, or practically related to

the outcome?

A comprehensive strategy that is expected to satisfy all the constraintsResearch-based components

A process for try-out and revision

Evaluation of outcomes

Part 1Principal Preparation as a Design Challenge

Five Constraints (Criteria) for a Successful Design

Design Constraint 1: Expertise for Leading Instruction

Expertise for the school’s core work of leading instruction

Lead the work: Knowledge of curriculum, teaching and assessment

Lead self and others: Interpersonal skills for influencing others

Lead the Organization: Management skills

Sufficient time to develop expertiseTen years or 10,000 hours

Design Constraint 2: Opportunity to Develop Leadership Expertise

Access to challenging experiences—New responsibilitiesWork across boundariesDiversityAmbiguityPublicly visible results

What Executives Say Contributed Most to their Development: Percentage of Critical Experiences in Each Cluster

From: Yip, J., & Wilson, M. (2010). Learning form Experience. In Van Velsor, E., McCauly, C.D., Ruderman, M.N. (Eds.), The Center for Creative Leadership handbook of leadership development (pp. 63-96). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Design Constraint 3:Effective Supports for Leader Development

Helping Emerging Leaders Learn from ExperienceIndividual assessmentProgressive challengeRegular feedbackCollaborationAcademic learningStructured reflection

Relationships

Structured Knowledge

Design Constraint 4: A Sufficient Pipeline of Emerging LeadersA sufficient pool of interested potential leaders

Opportunities for broad participation Barrier removal (cost, discrimination, overspecialization)

Sustained motivation for deliberate practiceStability of leadership programsCredibility of programs and assessmentsMeaningful credentials

Competitive sequential selection for progressively responsible rolesCapabilities, impact, fit

Design Constraint 5Leader Development Embedded in District Strategy • Developmental experiences designed to contribute immediately

to district strategy as well as leader development

• Simultaneous attention to leader (individual) and leadership (shared) development to enhance organizational capacity

• Leadership pathway based on job performance rather than external programs (Incentives for emerging leaders to invest in their own development by contributing to district priorities)

• Keep primary focus on core district work (use external leadership partner as needed to sustain focus on instruction)

• A Core Tension: Leader development is investment for the long term, but sustaining an organization’s investment in leader development typically depends on simultaneous short-term benefits

“Companies that claimed the greatest need for leadership development did the least to support it. They failed to recognize that leadership development itself requires systematic changes throughout the organization.” (Conger & Benjamin, 1999, p. 8)

“Among superintendents in the study, 80% noted that getting qualified school principals was either a moderate or a major problem.... Districts with ample supplies of certified principal applicants still complain about the quality of their applicant pool.” (Roza et al., 2003, p. 25)

Implication: A Challenge for School Districts:

District-led principal preparation “was expensive, in terms of boththe staff time to develop and manage the program and the paid internships. It was also highly dependent on continued superintendentcommitment to direct action for leadership preparation as a reform strategy.” (Orr, King, & LaPointe, 2010)

Part 2One ApproachThe Whole School Leadership Design

The WSL DesignProgram architecture

District-led, school-implemented structure for leader development on the job

Leadership pedagogySupports for individuals as they develop expertise for leadership

Sustaining partner External support for feasibility, credibility, and sustainability in

district leadership development

Components of the WSL Design

A Leadership Capabilities Framework

LEAD YOURSELF•Self-Management•Professional Commitments and Integrity•Purposeful Self Development•Others 

LEAD OTHERS•Communication Skills•Conflict Management•Cultural Competence/ Managing Diversity•Developing Others•Collaboration and Teamwork•Others

LEAD THE WORK•Knowledge to Improve Instruction•Knowledge of Curriculum•Assessment of Learning •Student Well-being•Others 

LEAD THE ORGANIZATION•Constituency Building•Applied Systems Thinking•Organizational Agility•Problem Solving & Decision Making•Leading Change•Assessing Talent and Performance•Others

Capabilities Framework FeaturesCustomized to district strategy for learning improvementIncorporates state licensing standardsMakes district expectations transparentSystem for assessing individual progressAggregated data on leadership capabilities for district

succession planning

But…Don’t hold categories and capabilities too tightly—there are many ways to reach essential leadership accomplishments

WSL Leadership Pathways

Leadership Pathway Features

• Broad invitation to participate at initial level (but focus on own instructional practice first)

• In Stage 2, leadership for instruction serves as the gateway to further leadership opportunities

• Competitive selection in stages 2-4 based on partly on impact in previous roles

• District led, school implemented (to balance long-term individual development with immediate performance needs)

Triangulated Assessment of Capabilities Self-assessment

Supervisor assessment

360 feedback

Independent external assessment based on reflective documentation of impact and learning

Developmental Leadership Challenges(aka “developmental experiences”, “challenging self-assignments”)

• Responsibility that requires to work outside one’s comfort zone

• Simultaneously meets organizational needs and individual goals for development

• Based on clear understanding of one’s current leadership expertise

• Sequenced over time for progressively challenging roles

• Powered by individual motivation for self-development

Developmental Leadership Challenge (DLC) Planning Guide

Describe the Assignment

Time Frame

Targeted Outcomes for the School

Targeted Outcomes for Your Learning

Leadership Capabilities to Practice and Improve

Strategy for Obtaining Feedback and Support

Learning Resources to Access

Other Strategies and Supports

Adapted from McCauley, C. (2006) Developmental Assignments: Creating learning without changing

jobs. Greensboro, North Carolina: Center for Creative Leadership.

Feedback and Reflection on Developmental ExperiencesInsights related to performance

Insights related to learning

Insights related to self-management of learning and performance

Supporting Performance in Developmental Leadership Challenges • All participants in Pathway Steps 2-4 participate in

learning communities • Simultaneous support for learning and performance of DLCs• Integrate experience, professional knowledge, and district strategy

• All participants engage in documented annual planning cycle • Assessment, DLC planning, implementation, and reflective

documentation

• All supervisors receive coaching for feedback and support related to DLCs

External Leadership Partner• Start-up and Transition Support

• (sustainability)

• Academic Resources Support • (expert support, economies of scale)

• Independent evaluation for certification • (credibility, checks and balances)

• Data system support • (economies of scale)

• Independent assessment of WSL implementation• Sustainability, credibility

• Learning Community Support • (expert support, economies of scale)

Part 3:Evaluation and Discussion

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Draft Logic Model for the WSL Design

Initial Long-term

Chan

ges i

n S

tude

nt L

earn

ing

Challenging Leadership Assignments Completed by Participating Teachers

Development of Individual Leader Capabilities

Improved Professional Community, Distributed Leadership, Collective Instructional Capacity

Activities

Outcomes

ImpactsLong-term Outputs (3-5

Years After Initial Implementation)

Initial Outputs (Beginning in First Two Years)

Changes in School Improvement

Capacity

Impl

emen

tatio

n of

WLS

Des

ign

Qualified Internal Candidates for All School-level Leadership Positions; School Leadership positions Filled with Candidates Prepared through WSL

Discussion QuestionsHave we defined the problem and intended solution well?

Is this the right set of constraints? Does the proposed WSL design match the constraints?

your experience? the research? Where should it be more detailed?

Is it worth the effort? Could WSL produce sufficient improvements in principal preparation to justify the cost of development and implementation?

How would you frame the first 1-3 years of work to develop and evaluate the design and its components?

Who should we be working with to make this a reality?