Over the last year and a half, I have been working for the University of the State of New York Regents Research Fund as a Project Director for NYSED. The program is funded by the Wallace Foundation, whose generosity and interest in education leadership is profound.
As Project Director I oversee the development and execution of six Principal Preparation Partnerships Pilot Programs (Holy alliteration Batman!). These programs represent a fresh approach to testing out ideas that NYSED previously gathered from education leaders throughout the state (superintendents, principals, teachers, college professors, leadership organizations). The motivation for the advisory committee's work in the first place was mainly a general dissatisfaction with the school building leader graduate's readiness to take on the responsibilities of being an Assistant Principal, or Principal position. They were the education version of "not ready for primetime". The focus of the committee's recommendations was to update program standards to meet today's school needs and a rethinking of the internship element of programs to become more competency-based. The committee recommended and NYSED Board of Regents adopted the PSEL (2015) standards for all Principal Preparation Programs. The PSELs put a great emphasis on Social Justice, Equity, Community/Parent Connections. The committee also noted that the NELP standards be included that emphasize the same areas as the PSELs with the important additions to Digital Literacy both in instruction and building governance and a great deal of emphasis on principal preparation programs internship requirements.
NYSED decided to use the provision in the ESSA legislation to use set aside federal funding to set up and test out Pilot Programs throughout the state utilizing the Big 5 urban districts plus Mt. Vernon CSD. The most exciting, for me, part of this program is that the school district, not the college/universities are the driving force behind the program. The school district picks both its college/university and leadership entity partners to develop a school building leader preparation program that is competency-based and designed to meet their needs as they see fit. What a concept, listen to the field that they actually see as their needs and develop a world-class program to satisfy those objectives! But NYSED did not stop there, another key component of this emerging program is that instead of the college/university is
the sole endorser of the student candidate for leadership certification (as is now the practice) the three partners are equal endorsers of each of the candidates.
The school districts develop specific competencies that are aligned with the PSELs and NELP standards that specifically address the concerns and needs of the local school district. The college/university, in turn, must modify and redevelop the course work that adequately prepares the students to meet and develop mastery of these competencies during their internship. The leadership partner is tasked with providing professional development and support of the mentors and coaches that lead and support the school building leader students. Together, the school district, college/university, and leadership partner develop this comprehensive Masters Degree program, internship, and competency-based program. And finally, NYSED wanted to ensure that the internship program was to take place during the school day with students in session and not "around the edges" (becoming experts at sitting in on meetings and file cabinets) but actually doing the work of school building leaders that they are expected to do.
NEXT: Lessons learned in reviewing college/university programs: "Change is Hard to Do..."
As Project Director I oversee the development and execution of six Principal Preparation Partnerships Pilot Programs (Holy alliteration Batman!). These programs represent a fresh approach to testing out ideas that NYSED previously gathered from education leaders throughout the state (superintendents, principals, teachers, college professors, leadership organizations). The motivation for the advisory committee's work in the first place was mainly a general dissatisfaction with the school building leader graduate's readiness to take on the responsibilities of being an Assistant Principal, or Principal position. They were the education version of "not ready for primetime". The focus of the committee's recommendations was to update program standards to meet today's school needs and a rethinking of the internship element of programs to become more competency-based. The committee recommended and NYSED Board of Regents adopted the PSEL (2015) standards for all Principal Preparation Programs. The PSELs put a great emphasis on Social Justice, Equity, Community/Parent Connections. The committee also noted that the NELP standards be included that emphasize the same areas as the PSELs with the important additions to Digital Literacy both in instruction and building governance and a great deal of emphasis on principal preparation programs internship requirements.
the sole endorser of the student candidate for leadership certification (as is now the practice) the three partners are equal endorsers of each of the candidates.
The school districts develop specific competencies that are aligned with the PSELs and NELP standards that specifically address the concerns and needs of the local school district. The college/university, in turn, must modify and redevelop the course work that adequately prepares the students to meet and develop mastery of these competencies during their internship. The leadership partner is tasked with providing professional development and support of the mentors and coaches that lead and support the school building leader students. Together, the school district, college/university, and leadership partner develop this comprehensive Masters Degree program, internship, and competency-based program. And finally, NYSED wanted to ensure that the internship program was to take place during the school day with students in session and not "around the edges" (becoming experts at sitting in on meetings and file cabinets) but actually doing the work of school building leaders that they are expected to do.
NEXT: Lessons learned in reviewing college/university programs: "Change is Hard to Do..."
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