University Council For Educational Administration Research Articles

Revolutionary Perspectives for Leadership Preparation: A Case of a Networked Improvement Community

This qualitative study describes and interprets how two educational leadership programs, participants in the UCEA (University Council for Educational Administration) Program Design Network Improvement Community, identified and responded to a problem of practice by focusing on the needs of each program regarding the recruitment, selection, admission, and retention of candidates from underrepresented groups. Through collaborative learning and research, the programs were able to guide the change processes of their institutional structures to focus on attracting more diverse applicant pools that are more focused on issues of diversity in the schools they will serve.

Dynamics shaping collaborative peer group mentoring among educational leaders

ABSTRACT Group mentoring, an alternative to traditional mentoring, is dynamic, collaborative, and inclusive, yet it is underexplored in the literature. The peer mentoring group (PMG) phenomenon was researched through three educational leadership and administration polyads: (1) the Spirals, consisting of award-winning faculty mentors and novice scholars; (2) the Researcher Development Program, uniting faculty mentors and doctoral students in mentoring; and (3) a doctoral cohort at a Virginia-based research university. The first two yearlong mentoring initiatives are held at the University Council for Educational Administration’s convention. A qualitative self-study approach was used to narratively investigate the four authors’ intersubjective PMG experiences. Document analysis of a literature review; transcribed conversation, researcher field notes, and first-person accounts yielded four themes: justice expressed, change enacted, power distributed, and hierarchy undone. Anyone in search of ideas or strategies favoring effective PMGs should find value in this article that looks to peer group mentorship as offering renewal.

Thriving in the midst of liminality: perspectives from department chairs in the USA

The chair position is essential for implementing progressive changes in higher education institutions. However, the position has been unattractive to many faculties due to its ambiguity and the limited training chairs receive prior to assuming the office. Chairs must balance the dual responsibilities of managing faculty and student affairs who they support and evaluate as they implement the mandates from higher administration. Similarly, they shuttle between their managerial roles and faculty roles while balancing work-life demands. Hence, the purpose of this paper was to explore the managerial approaches of chairs in the USA who were serving in departments in the field of educational leadership to learn how they balance their various responsibilities. Fifteen chairs who are members of the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) were interviewed for this study. The theory of liminality was used to understand how chairs serve and manage multiple dimensions of their role and beyond. Overall, the performance of chairs in the study was enhanced by four themes including (a) managing the molecule, (b) people work vs. paperwork, (c) leadership qualities enhance performance, and (d) possessing academic seniority. Based on the findings, we recommend three major support areas for chairs that include providing mentorship opportunities for chairs, advancing leadership role models for chairs, and initiating formal trainings for leadership development.

Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership Redesign: Utilizing a Multicriteria Framework

The development of educational leaders, who have a profound influence in shaping a culture of organizational learning; ethical community engagement; advocacy for diversity, equity and inclusion; and theory to practice solutions, is the aim of redesign efforts in one educational leadership (EDLE) program in the United States. These ideas, grounded in a multicriteria framework, are reified in the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate’s (CPED) Principles and Design Concepts and reinforced by the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) criteria. Yet, right from the beginning, faculty struggled with ideological differences and logistical challenges. Without the dean and department chair’s collaborative, visionary leadership and support of key faculty, efforts to redesign the program would have been stifled. We argue that the multicriteria framework, underscoring the importance of collaborative leadership, is the cornerstone of the education doctorate program redesign. The article’s contributions are intended to inform the planning, implementation, and evaluation of this program redesign and its impact.

“Quality Leadership Matters”: A Research-Based Survey of Graduate Programming

This empirical study contributes to the dialogue about quality leadership and national trends involving standards-based program review. It is the first to utilize the 2016 Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) Standards for graduate programs and separately from accreditation and sponsorship. The literature on quality leadership is reviewed, and results from an original instrument are described. Survey influences included leadership literature, the CAEP Standards, and the University Council for Educational Administration’s artifacts. Students and completers’ feedback was on program effectiveness, satisfaction, impact, and ethics. Variance was found in perceptions of quality, relevance, and learning. Contradictory beliefs of program effectiveness can stimulate discussion and strengthen programming.

Examining University Leadership Preparation: An Analysis of Program Attributes and Practices

This study uses data from the Initiative for Systemic Program Improvement through Research in Educational Leadership ( INSPIRE) Preparation Program Features Survey to respond to national critiques of university-based principal preparation programs. The findings provide insight into the program content and relevancy, personnel, and content delivery of 97 principal preparation programs affiliated with the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA). We found that UCEA institutions align their curriculum and assessment designs to national standards, actively engage in formalized partnerships with districts, engage their candidates in a variety of assessment practices for formative and summative purposes, and work to offer coursework that bridges classroom assignments to field-based experiences.

What’s Ethics Got to Do With It? Pedagogical Support for Ethical Student Learning in a Principal Preparation Program

The article’s purposes are to review research on leadership education in ethics and examine a pedagogic intervention designed to raise consciousness about ethical leadership and learning within graduate school. A yearlong study—carried out in a principal preparation program that is a full member of the University Council for Educational Administration—is the basis of the development and impact of an ethics unit. Understandings of ethics regarding leadership preparation standards and social justice orientations for preservice cohorts are analyzed. Qualitative methods used are a targeted literature review and a document analysis of assignments. Directions for research, pedagogy, and practice end this discussion.

Leveraging Standards to Promote Program Quality

Standards provide a foundation for thinking about leadership development and practice. This article explores three sets of standards that impact educational leadership preparation: (a) the recently revised Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) standards, which are now known as the Practice Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL); (b) the Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC) standards, which are currently under revision; and (c) the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) standards. In addition to reviewing each set, how they are used, and how they differ, we share findings from a survey of preparation program directors focused on how influential and beneficial these standards are in promoting leadership preparation program improvement.

The Yearbook Photo and Graduation Speech

Only 48.6% of University Council For Educational Administration (UCEA) institutions which focus on social justice in principal preparation programs address sexual orientation, this case describes how the completion of an equity audit for an educational leadership course compelled Principal Olson to reflect on his identity as a social justice leader. The racial identity development of Principal Olson led him to understand his own Whiteness and privilege and how his actions not only marginalized students of color but also students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ). The day before graduation, Principal Olson listened as the class president rehearsed her speech where she told the audience she is transgender. This is not a debate of whether the speech should be given, but the issue is how Principal Olson will respond when questioned.

Diversifying Doctoral-Level Leadership Preparation: Need versus Reality

In light of national demographic shifts, leadership preparation programs must create learning environments that reflect school communities. Little is known about issues of diversity in doctoral leadership programs. The survey in this special issue included one item about student diversity in 103 University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) educational leadership programs. Respondents reported the number of EdD and/or PhD graduates from 2007–2008 through 2010–2011. The article reviews literature on doctoral study, diversity, and leadership development. Based on this review and the available survey diversity data, this article provides a critical analysis of educational leadership doctoral programs and offers recommendations for continued development.

Cultivating Exemplary School Leadership Preparation at a Research Intensive University

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.

Change in University-Based Programs of Educational Leadership

Much of the literature criticizing university-based school leadership preparation programs concludes that programs are, at best, reluctant to change, a conclusion often based more on anecdotal stories than a more systematic inquiry. This article provides evidence on the extent of change in programs since passage of the Standards for Advanced Programs in Educational Leadership in 2002. Chairs at National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education–accredited schools were surveyed to determine the nature and extent of adoption of design elements associated with effective programs. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to demonstrate that there has been wide-ranging change in university programs, and that the extent of this change does not depend on type of university or membership in University Council for Educational Administration.

Centering Race in a Framework for Leadership Preparation

This article argues that a framework of educational leadership must be so designed as to specifically speak to the transitioning demographics in schools in the United States. Particularly salient is a framework that addresses the issue of race within a broader context of social justice. The article outlines five ingredients of such a framework, including self-reflection, a grounding in a critical theoretical construction, a prophetic and pragmatic edge, praxis, and the inclusion of race language. Furthermore, the article outlines pragmatic ways in which educational leadership preparation programs can address the failures of the dominant system to embrace and struggle with the American issue of race in education. The impact of racism and the efficacy of the blending of self-reflection, introspection, as well as intellectual work are discussed as viable vehicles to deal with the matters of race in preparing prospective school leaders. The article concludes with the presentation of a proposed curriculum module, a project undertaken by the University Council for Educational Administration, to assist leadership preparation programs in addressing, through innovative instruction, the notions of privilege and race in their programs.

The Dearth of Technology Leadership Coverage

This study focused on understanding the extent to which technology leadership is discussed, framed, and given voice in the fields of educational leadership and educational administration. To do this, we collected data and conducted content analyses on conference programs from three leading professional organizations in the field and on a selection of professional journals spanning 1997 to 2009. We found 2.12% of American Educational Research Association presentations had a technology leadership focus, compared to 2.94% for the University Council for Educational Administration and 7.40% for the National Council of Professors of Educational Administration. After determining the 25 most often-cited journals in the field, we found that 43 articles in these journals had a focus on technology leadership, most often centering on technology integration, staff development, and technology policy. Suggestions for moving forward are included.

Encyclopedia of law and higher education

In light of the significance that education law occupies in the professional lives of educators, it is only natural that it plays a major role in educational leadership programs devoted to preparing leaders for both the world of higher education and K-12 schools. The centrality of education law is reflected in a study conducted on behalf of the University Council for Educational Administration revealing that education law is the second-most commonly taught subject in educational leadership programs. Further, with many universities offering a variety of courses on education law at all levels, it continues to occupy a crucial element in the curricula for educators. Despite its importance, there is a surprising dearth of readily accessible reference materials for academicians and practitioners. Thus, the Encyclopedia of Law and Higher Education fills a gap that will be of use to those in the world of higher education, whether students, faculty members, administrators, or attorneys.

Notes From the Editor: Introduction to Special Issue-The Scholarship of Barbara L. Jackson Scholars of the University Council for Educational Administration

Notes From the Editor: <i>Introduction to Special Issue-The Scholarship of Barbara L. Jackson Scholars of the University Council for Educational Administration</i>

Obtaining Validation from Graduates on a Restructured Principal Preparation Program

Colleges of education have come under scrutiny in their preparation of principals. Even professors of education have joined in the criticism characterizing these programs as bankrupt, fragmented, and going down a road to nowhere (Norton, 2002). This article is part of a collaborative research effort of the University Council for Educational Administration, the goal of which is to engage the leadership preparation field more broadly in the individual and comparative study of each program's effectiveness and impact (Orr &amp; Pounder, 2006). This study used within-program comparison of follow-up survey responses from two sets of program graduates from a university-based leadership preparation program to determine differences in program features and outcome measures.

Future School Principals' Views of the Roles of Professional School Counselors

A clinical simulation technique was used to investigate how future school principals view the roles of professional school counselors, particularly as those responsibilities are represented in the ASCA National Model®. The 244 respondents were principals-in-training (i.e., graduate students) officially enrolled in educational administration programs at member institutions of the University Council for Educational Administration. These principals- in-training were able to differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate roles of professional school counselors, and the results generally were independent of their demographic characteristics.

Future School Principals’ Views of the Roles of Professional School Counselors

A clinical simulation technique was used to investigate how future school principals view the roles of professional school counselors, particularly as those responsibilities are represented in the ASCA National Model®. The 244 respondents were principals-in-training (i.e., graduate students) officially enrolled in educational administration programs at member institutions of the University Council for Educational Administration. These principals-in-training were able to differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate roles of professional school counselors, and the results generally were independent of their demographic characteristics.

Ensuring the Capacity of University-Based Educational Leadership Preparation: The Collected Works of the National Commission for the Advancement of Educational Leadership Preparation

The Educational Administration Quarterly’s (EAQ’s) editorial team at the University of Kentucky welcomes two special issue guest editors, University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) executive director, Michelle D. Young, and UCEA’s associate director, George J. Petersen. This special issue demonstrates the ongoing role that UCEA has played in ensuring continued attention to university-based school leadership preparation. EAQ itself is a 38-year-old testimony to UCEA’s stewardship in developing a strong knowledge base for the complexities of an applied field such as educational leadership. The University of Kentucky’s EAQ editorial team read these manuscripts, much as we thought our readership might, anticipating insights into the demands for high-quality school leadership in our information age. If our readers react as we did, then this issue ought to generate debate and raise questions about the relevancy of university-based preparation programs to the complicated, tumultuous, and practical conditions of educational leadership today. Like commentator Usdan, we believe that this debate has barely begun with the presentation of these special issue articles. We strongly encourage our readers to comment and react.