Newly Defined Principal Preparation Program for Illinois

Leadership Matters! “ Leadership is second only to classroom instruction among all school-related factors that contribute to what students learn at school.” (Leithwood, Louis, Anderson & Wahlstrom. How Leadership Influences Student Learning) “ Effective principals attract and retain energetic and attuned teachers, promote a focused and coherent instructional program, know how to engage parents and the community and astutely deploy resources. ” (Advance Illinois. We Can Do Better: Advancing Public Education in Illinois)

 Numerous national studies  Preparing a New Breed of School Principals by SREB  Better Leaders for America’s Schools: A Manifesto by The Broad Foundation  Learning to Lead? What Gets Taught in Principal Preparation Programs by American Enterprise Inst.  Preparing School Principals: A National Perspective on Policy and Program Innovations by Inst. For Education Leadership  Educating School Leaders by Art Levine  Improving Teachers and Learning by Improving School Leadership by Mazzeo  How Leadership Influences Student Learning by Leithwood

 Lack of definition of what good leadership is  Irrelevant curriculum  Poor quality of candidates  Misaligned incentives for salary increases among K-12 faculty  Low admission and graduation standards  Weak faculty (numbers of part-time faculty growing with proliferation of off campus programs)  Inadequate clinical instruction  Absence of collaboration between K-12 districts and preparation programs  Need for licensure system that promotes excellence  Lack of support by university administration for excellence in programs—use and abuse (cash cow approach)

Do these same issues exist in Illinois? If so, to what extent? What do we need to do?

Create preparation programs that will:  Focus on preparing principals  Prepare principals to affect school improvement in 21 st century schools  Prepare principals to be instructional leaders  Increase student achievement  Facilitate ongoing professional growth of staff

August 2005: Commission on School Leader Preparation convened by IBHE  Comprised of leaders from K-12 schools, colleges & universities, business & professional education organizations, ISBE & IBHE August 2006: Report Presented to IBHE  School Leader Preparation: A Blueprint for Change Included 3 Major Goals:  Recruit Strategically  Focus Preparation Programs  Improve Statewide Assessment & Coordination

July 2007 HJR66  Resolved that ISBE, IBHE & the Office of the Governor shall jointly appoint a task force to recommend a sequence of strategic steps to implement improvements in school leader preparation in Illinois, based on, but not limited to, the measures detailed in Blueprint for Change.

 Led by Steve Tozer and comprised of stakeholders from public & private universities, professional organizations, ISBE and IBHE. 3 Recommendations:  State Policies--set high standards for certification that align principal preparation, early career mentoring, ongoing professional development and master principal recognition with those standards, so that by 2013 all new principal preparation would be taking place through programs approved under new standards.  Formal Partnerships—must be established between school district and principal preparation programs to support principal preparation and development.  Refocused Principal Preparation—programs must demonstrate that they develop and rigorously assess in aspiring principals the capacities that are most likely to improve student learning in PK-12 schools.

May 2008: Two-day conference sponsored by ISBE and IBHE for stakeholders in Higher Education, Professional Organizations and members of the Illinois School Leader Task Force to disseminate the Illinois School Leader Task Force Report. Topics included:  Illinois School Leader Preparation Task Force Recommendations  Principal Preparation Reform Efforts in Iowa  Principal Preparation Reform Efforts in Alabama  School and University Partnerships Models

August 2008: Second two-day conference to hold open discussions on the recommendations set forth by the Task Force report and to develop school leader redesign teams.  5 School Leader Redesign Teams:  School Leadership Standards  New Structure for Leadership Certification & Endorsements  School/University Partnerships & Selection Process  Residencies & Internships  Assessments of Candidates & Graduates

 Developed charges for 5 School Leader Redesign Teams  Appointed School Leader Redesign Team co-chairs from public and private Institutions of Higher Education;  Appointed School Leader Redesign Team members from volunteers across the state of Illinois; and  August & September 2008: Developed school Leader web site: to archive research and efforts in school leader redesign in Illinois;

 September, October & November 2008: Three one-day meetings sponsored by ISBE and IBHE to convene the 5 School Leadership Redesign Teams.  School Leader Redesign Team members consisted of 50 representatives of public and private institutions of Higher Education, the IPA, IFT, IEA, Illinois School Board Assoc., Regional Offices of Education, ICPEA, IASA, the Illinois School Leader Task Force, and ISBE and IBHE staff members  5 School Leader Redesign Teams researched and drafted recommendations in alignment with the School Leader Redesign Team Charges.

 January 2009: Invited representatives for parents, special education, early childhood education, English Language Learners, from around the State of Illinois, as well as additional ISBE & IBHE staff to attend the 4 th School Leader Redesign Team Meeting.  New members provided feedback and input to the Draft Recommended Changes completed by the 5 School Leader Redesign Teams.

 February 2009: Brought together participants from the May and August conferences to present Draft Recommended Changes from School Leader Redesign Teams and Special Interest Representatives.  Further discussed, clarified and refined recommended changes.

 March 27, 2009: Presented final Draft Recommended Changes to the School Leader Advisory Council  Continued to clarify and refine changes

Spring 2009  HJR 42 directs ISBE, in collaboration with IBHE, to develop legislative changes to restructure new school leader preparation and certification TBD 2009  Present changes to the Illinois Certification Board and the Illinois State Board of Education TBD 2009  Inform Illinois Board of Higher Education of New Principal Preparation Model Summer 2009  Propose Changes in ISBE Rules & Regulations TBD 2010  Develop Legislation (per HJR 42)

 Communication Plan  Over next several months, ISBE and IBHE work together to roll out the newly defined principal preparation changes across the state  Meet with IHE, PK-12 school districts, ROEs, and legislators  Provide assistance to IHE as they begin working on developing new programs and/or phasing out the old