Karen L. Sanzo

Leadership Practices of Successful Middle School Principals.

– This study aims to be one in a series examining the leadership best practices of school principals as they lead in an accountability‐ and standards‐driven school environment. The lack of research and necessity to find successful practices to improve student achievement highlight the need for this study., – An inductive exploratory study was designed to provide insight into how successful middle school principals facilitate high levels of student achievement., – Common themes of practices enabling the principals to serve effectively in their schools emerged from the conversations and were grouped in the following categories: sharing leadership; facilitating professional development; leading with an instructional orientation; and acting openly and honestly., – This research contributes to the field by providing insights into the practices of leaders of successful schools in a high‐stakes testing environment. The study provides a framework on which leaders should model their own practices, as well as informing leadership preparation programs areas around which to focus their instructional content.

Understanding Mentoring In Leadership Development Perspectives of District Administrators and Aspiring Leaders

According to Daresh, collaboration between veteran and new or aspiring leaders can promote an environment that is conducive to high levels of student achievement. This study sought to understand the mentoring relationship between veteran school leaders and aspiring leaders within a district that is in Year 2 of a School Leadership Program grant. Results focused on two main themes: (a) accountability time pressures and (b) development and sustainability of the mentor/mentee relationship. Implications for school district leadership and university leadership preparation programs are discussed.

Building Bridges between Knowledge and Practice: A University-School District Leadership Preparation Program Partnership.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a Year 1 account of a partnership between a university and rural school district focusing specifically on how the project has helped to bridge the theory to practice divide and strengthen university‐district ties.Design/methodology/approach – A design‐based research paradigm was utilized to investigate how creating more authentic and contextually relevant university‐school partnerships and embedding leadership preparation in the context of practice may help build stronger bridges between theory and practice.Findings – The findings highlight that holistic approaches to leadership preparation, developing relationships, coordinating meaningful professional development, realism in design and experiences, and introspection are all ways that cohort members, as well as other district personnel, have been able to build stronger bridges between theory and practice.Practical implications – The findings can assist universities and districts in developing and supporti...

Chapter 9 Learning from the Evolution of a University–District Partnership

This chapter provides an overview of the development of a USDE SLP-funded leadership preparation partnership between a local school division and our university. We specifically describe our efforts to cultivate an authentic and purposeful partnership that would allow us to move beyond the limitations of the traditional leadership preparation programs that have been so widely criticized in the literature. This chapter describes the research and development efforts which involved iterative cycles of design, implementation, reflection, and redesign that helped to identify problems of practice and develop meaningful solutions to these identified areas of need. We also discuss four key elements of effective university–school partnerships that grew out of our efforts to build and refine an effective partnership.