Cultivating Exemplary School Leadership Preparation at a Research Intensive University

Abstract

In 2013, the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) in its inaugural “Exemplary Educational Leadership Preparation” (EELP) program competition recognized University of Illinois at Chicago’s (UIC) Doctorate in Urban Education Leadership as one of two EELP programs in the United States. This article provides information about (a) the initial design of this program, (b) the program’s key features as of 2014 following informal and formal program improvement, (c) key work routines and processes that have been introduced and used to support program redesign and ongoing program improvement, (d) key challenges faced in the work to sustain and enhance the program and approaches for addressing these challenges, and (e) recent key program evaluation results.