Cohorts in Educational Leadership Programs: Benefits, Difficulties, and the Potential for Developing School Leaders

Abstract

Cohorts are an innovation being employed in many educational leadership programs. To determine faculty perceptions of the advantages and liabilities of this approach, including the potential of cohorts to develop quality school leaders, a large-scale survey of educational leadership program faculty was conducted. The perceptions of both cohort users and nonusers were captured, revealing sharp contrasts in how those embracing or rejecting cohorts view this innovation. Promising lines of future inquiry also are discussed.