Experiencing Educational Leadership Preparation Program Redesign in Alabama

Abstract

Calls for changing educational leadership preparation have led many state policy makers to initiate program redesign efforts; the governor of Alabama constituted a working group to examine the situation and develop recommendations. This article details the school leadership preparation program redesign process in Alabama from the perspective of faculty at one university. The article presents an overview of the design process, basic program tenets, and manner in which one set of university faculty engaged in this endeavor. It also presents facilitating and hindering factors, compares redesigned program with previous program, and aligns the redesigned program with best practices.

Faculty Perceptions of Race to the Top Policy Influence on a University-Based Preparation Program Partnership

“…As she concluded, “forcing relationships” within the context of state mandates may serve to undermine the broader policy goals aimed at improving principal preparation programs (Browne-Ferrigno, 2011, p. 753). Her conclusions have been echoed in more recent studies investigating the impact of state-mandated program redesign in other settings, including Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Florida, and New Jersey (Browne-Ferrigno, 2011, 2013; Doolittle, 2013; Kochan & Reames, 2013; Mountford & Acker-Hocevar, 2013; Phillips, 2013a). Furthermore, Browne-Ferrigno’s conclusions reflect cautionary notes issued by thought leaders in the field (Young, 2013), which warn against the potentially detrimental effects of forced programmatic changes without sustained support, guidance, and coherence in policy directives.…”

“…This approach allows for considerable state to state variation, which reflects and works within the federal structure of education policy in the United States. Indeed, we see efforts to improve preparation programs within the context of RTTT as being quite similar to many state-level efforts that were undertaken to stimulate mandated programmatic changes (Browne-Ferrigno, 2011Kochan & Reames, 2013;Mountford & Acker-Hocevar, 2013;Phillips, 2013aPhillips, , 2013bYoung, 2013).…”

“…Throughout the coding process, we identified passages from interviews and documents that referred to RTTT, state policy, certification, or program practices. As we developed codes within ATLAS.ti, we consulted the extant literature regarding effective program practices (Darling-Hammond et al, 2010), policy influence on preparation programs (Crow et al, 2012; English, 2003, 2006; Phillips, 2013a; Young, 2013), state-mandated program redesign (Browne-Ferrigno, 2011, 2013; Kochan & Reames, 2013; Mountford & Acker-Hocevar, 2013; Phillips, 2013a, 2013b; Young, 2013), and the influence that districts have on preparation programs (Mitgang, 2012; Orr et al, 2010). In addition, our interpretation of the data was informed by our theoretical perspective, particularly our assumptions about policy and the ways that faculty make sense of policy within the context of their work.…”

“…An entire issue of the Journal of Research on Leadership Education was devoted to this topic (Phillips, 2013b). The existing research has chronicled the experience of faculty in Alabama (Kochan & Reames, 2013), Florida (Mountford & Acker-Hocevar, 2013), Kentucky (Browne-Ferrigno, 2011, 2013), New Jersey (Doolittle, 2013), and North Carolina (Phillips, 2013a). Across these studies, faculty have generally expressed concerns about the impact of state-mandated reforms.…”

The Role of the Educational Leadership Program Coordinator (PC) in University–K-12 School District Partnership Development

“…Evidence of partnership development within the confines of education and leadership and K-12 school districts is scant and warrants development in the literature (Barnett & Jacobson, 2012; Browne-Ferrigno, 2011; Crow & Whiteman, 2016; Darling-Hammond, LaPointe, Meyerson, Orr, & Cohen, 2007; Kochan & Reames, 2013; Reames & Kochan, 2015). Others have suggested we know very little about how these partnerships develop or how they can be sustained (Reames & Kochan, 2015; Reames & Slear, 2018).…”