3.7 An imperative for leadership preparation programs: preparing  (Page 5/12)

In 1993 the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) Commission on Standards for the Superintendency developed a set of professional standards related to the roles and responsibilities of school district superintendents that were categorized as: Leadership and District Culture; Policy and Governance; Communications and Community Relations; Organizational Management; Curriculum Planning and Development; Instructional Management; Human Resources Management; Values and Ethics of Leadership (American Association of School Administrators 1993). That same year, the National Policy Board for Educational Administration (NPBEA) published Principals for Our Changing Schools: Knowledge and Skill Base (National Policy Board for Educational Administration, 1993; Thompson, 1993). Prominent educational leaders and practicing principals contributed to development of this publication, sharing knowledge and expertise gained through research and practice. The knowledge and skill base as presented was described as necessary for successful school administration and was categorized into the following four domains of leadership with sub-sections:

Functional

• Leadership
• Information Collection
• Problem Analysis
• Judgement
• Organization Oversight
• Implementation
• Delegation

Programatic

• Instruction and Learning Environment
• Staff Development
• Measurement and Evaluation
• Resource Allocation
• Application of Technology

Interpersonal

• Motivating Others
• Interpersonal Sensitivity
• Oral and Nonverbal Expression
• Written Knowledge

Contexual

• Philosophical and Cultural Values
• Legal and Regulatory Application
• Policy and Political Influences
• Public Relations

(National Policy Board for Educational Administration, 1993; Thomson, 1993)

In 1996, the Council of Chief State School Officers published the ISLLC Standards for School Leaders (Council of Chief State School Officers, 1996), containing knowledge, skills and dispositions for successful school leadership, established a guide for state departments of education and university preparation programs in the development of educational leadership preparation programs and performance expectations for practicing administrators. This was followed in 2002 by The Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC) Standards for Advanced Programs in Educational Leadership published by the National Policy Board for Educational Administration (National Policy Board for Educational Administration, 2002a).

In 2008, the Council of Chief State School Officers published the Educational Leadership Policy Standards: ISLLC 2008 (hereafter referred to as ISLLC 2008). These standards are the result of the collaborative effort of professional education organizations, leaders in the field, a state education agency representative, and members of university preparation programs, convened together to develop policy standards that “can be used to influence leadership practice and policy.” (Council of Chief State School Officers, 2008, p.6). The ISLLC 2008 utilized the 1996 ISLLC Standards for School Leaders as a foundation and guide for development of the new Standards and Functions. In developing the new standards, CCSSO strongly points out that these are policy standards that “will contribute to a coherent vision and system of leadership that can guide state policies and leadership programs” and further states: