transforming school LEADERSHIP

Leadership, Jan, 2001 by Kent Peterson, Carolyn Kelley

* Using satellite programs such as "Requisites of a Leader" provided by professional development companies in conjunction with district meetings and programs.

* Involving aspiring principals in university or administrator association academies and programs along with follow-up sessions back in the district to apply what is learned to the particular context.

* Collaborating with other rural districts in designing cooperative programs for principals.

Other opportunities and programs

A number of other programs provide opportunities within a particular state context or nationally to support leadership development.

* In North Carolina, the state provides a loan forgiveness program to attract highly qualified promising candidates into principal training programs. The loans provide sufficient support for individuals to participate in two years of full-time study to obtain certification and a master's degree in educational administration. The state forgives the loans if the principal provides at least two years of full-time service in North Carolina.

* The national principal institutes at Harvard and Vanderbilt have been serving school leaders for more than 20 years, providing professional development to practicing principals. State associations also provide a wide array of programs for practicing principals. (ACSA's Principals' Center was developed in 1992 in collaboration with Harvard, using the model developed by Roland Barth. See the box on page 10 for more information about ACSA's programs.)

A look to the future

Every school deserves a good principal. In the coming years, districts and states have the opportunity to recruit, motivate and provide ongoing professional development for thousands of new leaders.

It is not enough to hire administrators who are certified -- districts should develop ways to recruit and train outstanding aspiring principals, design programs to ease the transition in the first year, and establish quality, career-long professional development programs. This is a small window of opportunity that can have a major impact on the success of students and teachers in the years to come.

New and aspiring principals as well as veterans can benefit from the quality professional development programs ACSA offers:

* Principals' Center Summer Institute is designed for practicing principals with at least three years experience. The Institute, which extends over 10 days, is designed to ignite conversations about leadership and values.

* Alumni Advanced Symposium allows Principals' Center alumni to interact with each other and with nationally recognized experts.

* Colloquium for New & Aspiring Principals is designed for co-administrators and others who aspire to the principalship. The program offers skills training and strategies for a successful principalship.

* Principals Academy is an intensive, seven-session academy designed to help refine applied leadership and management skills, approved for use in Tier II programs.

For more information, call ACSA's Educational Services Department at (800) 672-3494 or (650) 692-4300.