Aligning Preparation and Practice

Abstract

Principal standards and license requirements in each of the 50 states are analyzed in this qualitative study in light of federal Race to the Top incentives for states to strengthen school leadership preparation and practice. Nineteen states have adopted the 2008 Educational Leadership Consortium Council (ELCC) standards verbatim and the remaining 31 state principal standards include the basic tenets of ELCC standards, as well as additional standards that reflect each state’s particular focus. These standards are increasingly being used as the basis of practicing principals’ evaluations as part of states’ initiatives to secure federal Race to the Top funds. The ELCC standards also serve as the criteria for national principal preparation accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educational Programs. State requirements for obtaining a principal license, however, do not necessarily align with these professional standards of practice, which might indicate a gap in the principal development pipeline. Common license requirements focus primarily on basic requirements of teaching experience, degree or program completion, and passing a state assessment, but many states do not specify that preparation programs must be accredited, nor are state assessments necessarily aligned with ELCC standards. A rubric is provided for assessing the alignment of the components of a state school leadership licensure system that is aligned with the ELCC standards and reflects best practices found in the research regarding qualifications for school leadership.