1.3 K-12 leadership and the educational administration curriculum  (Page 13/14)

The lack of a knowledge base in educational administration has created consternation for fifty years. Thedevelopment of ISLLC standards and subsequent dissemination through accreditation by NCATE quieted the knowledge base discussion butdid not displace the question of need or the importance of accessing knowledge within the field. As Creighton and Young (2005)stated, “The problem is not so much an absence of a KB, but morethat it is incomplete and unorganized, existing in a hodgepodge of textbooks and education journals, and of limited access. What isneeded now is the assembly of the KB in one central location, authored by and representative of all professors and practitioners(and other educators), and freely accessible in several languages to all in the world” (p. 136).

Summary

The preparation of school leaders has had a long history: a history entwined, unfortunately, with sharpcriticism. Over time, preparation programs have been called upon to answer this criticism and restructure in ways that capture morethan one perspective in program delivery. Three perspectives seem to have emerged from the historical background: Practical Knowledgefrom our earliest beginnings, Professional Knowledge as the field emerged, and Academic Knowledge reflective of universityscholarship demands in more recent time. These are all legitimate concerns and should be addressed in a curriculum that is adequatefor students by addressing general topics, but topics that have specific content substance. Even the standards movement isreflective of the need to integrate these three perspectives in our programs. We must become more proactive in improving our individualpreparation programs and responding to criticism. We are the professionals and the programs we deliver should reflect ourunderstanding of the knowledge base. We only have to have the will. Does our profession have the will?

References

Achilles, C. M. (2005). Drama in educational administration: A farce or a morality play?In T. Creighton, S.Harris,&J. C. Coleman (Eds.), Crediting the Past, Challenging the Present, Creating the Future (pp. 56-82). Huntsville, TX:National Council of Professors of Educational Administration.

Callahan, R. E. (1962). Education and the cult of efficiency. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.

Campbell, R. F. Fleming, T. Newell, L. J., Bennion, J. W. (1987). A history of thought and practice ineducational administration. New York: Teachers College Press.

Creighton, T.,&Young, M. (2005). Taking back our profession: Revisited. In T. Creighton, S. Harris,&J. C. Coleman (Eds.), Crediting the Past, Challenging the Present, Creating the Future (pp. 135-146) Huntsville, TX: National Councilof Professors of Educational Administration.

Cubberley, E. P. (1916). Public School Administration. Cambridge, MA: Riverside.

Cubberley, E. P. (1922). A brief history of education. Cambridge, MA: Riverside.

Culbertson, J. A. (1964). The preparation of administrators. In D. E. Griffiths (Ed.), Behavioral Science andEducational Administration (pp. 303-330). Chicago, IL: National Society for the Study of Education.