A bold approach to developing leaders for low-performing schools

Abstract

Prompted by the need for leaders able to turn around chronically low-performing schools, states, universities, education groups, and school districts in the US have initiated a variety of principal development programs. Some programs focus on enhancing the skills of experienced administrators, while others target talented teachers and even individuals with no prior school experience. Nowhere has the quest for turnaround specialists been undertaken with a greater investment of resources or on a larger scale than in Florida, where the state Department of Education in concert with the Southern Regional Education Board has used generous funding from the federal Race to the Top initiative to launch the Florida Turnaround Leaders Program. This article presents an overview of the Florida Turnaround Leaders Program, including its Theory of Action and the Design Principles for Leader Development upon which it is based. Some background information is offered on the circumstances that have led to new approaches to principal preparation, such as the Florida Turnaround Leaders Program. Details are provided concerning the skill sets encompassed by the training and the key assignments required of all participants. Finally, issues and obstacles encountered in the process of designing and implementing the Florida Turnaround Leaders Program are also addressed.