Each year, thousands of educators make the difficult transition from classroom to administrative office. A large body of research supports the view that many of them are inadequately prepared to meet the demands of their new role. Researchers have found that university training programs need to be supplemented and reinforced with field-administered programs that emphasize practical knowledge and skills. Their research shows that leadership training programs can significantly facilitate a first-year administrator's successful transition and raise the performance of experienced principals. This descriptive case study, describes how the Sarasota County, Florida, School District conceived, planned, and designed a four-tier administrator-training program using the Leadership Academy Model. The tiers were designed to serve, respectively, aspiring administrators, assistant principals, new principals, and experienced principals. During the period studied, only the first two tiers were implemented. The case study narrative covers the design concepts and details of all four tiers and the implementation experiences of the first two tiers. Program participants completed a written survey at the close of their academy year. The program directors used the surveys to help gauge how the program was received and to identify areas for improvement. The survey results indicated that the program was being well received. The case narrative includes a summary of these results. I served as the director of the Sarasota program over the timeframe covered by the study, but prior to undertaking the study, I had moved to another staff position within the district. In this work, I trace in some detail how leadership training in public education has been research driven, and how it evolved from early Effective Schools Research. I also briefly review a number of notable implementations of such programs across the United States, both at the state and local district level. I am hopeful that this documentation will prove helpful to other school districts that are considering the implementation of leadership training programs. Toward this end I have included a final chapter documenting the insights I have gained over the course of my career in educational leadership and from my research and experiences while conducting this study. The chapter includes specific recommendations for future program designers and implementers, and suggests several areas for possible future research. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the City Public Schools" Leadership Academy has met its primary goal of preparing public school administrators to serve the school division. This study is built on research that reveals that there are a number of principal preparation programs available for future school leaders that do not adequately prepare the applicants for leadership roles. Collaborative partnerships between school divisions and colleges and universities are being formed in order to prepare public school leaders for the administrative demands of today's public schools, challenged by the mandates of the No Child Left Behind legislation. In particular, school divisions are forming grow-your-own leadership academies in order to meet the need for filling positions that are being vacated by retiring administrators. This study utilizes mixed-methodologies comprised of quantitative and qualitative data. Eleven completers of the City Public Schools" Leadership Academy who obtained administrative positions in the division during the 2004-2006 school years were a part of the study. In addition, their supervisors participated in the study. The research highlights, in quantitative data, the survey responses of ten novice administrators who were completers of the City Public Schools" Leadership Academy. Seminars that the novice administrators experienced were based on the six Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) standards. Thus, the survey and interview questions were adapted from the ISLLC standards. Adding richness to the study is the data that was generated in the form of in-depth interviews with the eight principals and five supervisors of the novice administrators. Findings revealed that the novice administrators had an overall perception that the City Public Schools" Leadership Academy prepared them to be school leaders. Although the supervisors felt, that the novice administrators were prepared, there were a few areas where they felt the program was in need of improvement. Additional findings gave school leaders a basis from which to make programmatic decisions that should result in a more effective leadership training program. / Ph. D.

Research on school principals has been narrowed to the factors leading to attrition or retention with little focus on the recruitment and development. The decreasing number of individuals applying for school principal positions has led some school districts to implement new methods to recruit and develop future school principals. One method being used by some large, urban school districts is the creation and implementation of leadership academies; however, few studies have been conducted to determine the effectiveness of this tool in aiding the recruitment and development of aspiring school principals.The purpose of this case study was to investigate the effectiveness of a leadership academy implemented in an urban school district to increase the recruitment of school leaders. Participants were assessed on their perceptions of the effectiveness of the leadership academy, in one urban school district, to prepare them for the school principal role. A qualitative, embedded case study approach was used to describe these perceptions. The study participants consisted of 12 individuals who were working as principals or assistant principals in the district after participation in the leadership academy. The data was based on participants' responses from 25 semi-structured interview questions, non-participant observations, and a document analysis of materials used in the leadership academy.The data revealed four assertions 1) the leadership academy provides an avenue for the district to identify individuals interested in the principal position and get to know the leadership styles of each individual; 2) participants believe the leadership academy aided in their preparation for a principal position in the district; 3) the application and selection process enabled the district to identify individuals interested in the principal position; and 4) the leadership academy was an indirect tool for recruitment. The findings showed that all study participants felt the leadership academy was a valuable experience and did aid them in their journey to becoming a school principal. The findings from this study support the use of a leadership academy as a tool to develop aspiring school principals; however, further research is needed to determine the effectiveness of the leadership academy in recruiting future school leaders.

In an effort to advance global excellence in nursing education, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI)/Chamberlain College of Nursing Center for Excellence in Nursing Education (CENE) launched a 12-month Experienced Nurse Faculty Leadership Academy (ENFLA) in October 2014. The ENFLA was designed for experienced faculty (Leadership Scholars) with at least seven years of full-time employment in a faculty role, who wished to increase their leadership acumen and develop or increase the skill sets essential for success in a faculty leadership role. Program goals included to: Further academic career development and success. Promote personal and professional leadership development. Develop and begin to implement a personal leadership progression plan. Expand the influence of the Leadership Scholar within his or her sponsoring academic institution, the community, and the profession in the context of teaching, scholarship, or service. Advance nursing education through leadership development projects implemented by Leadership Scholars during the program. Promote experienced nurse faculty retention in academe. Using a triad model, nine Leadership Scholars, nine Mentors, and eight Faculty worked collaboratively in this pilot cohort to assist the Scholars in planning and implementing comprehensive leadership projects, as well as identifying and implementing an individualized leadership development plan. Strategies for program and personal goal achievement included online learning activities, online discussion forums, personal reflection assessments, and face-to-face workshops. For this session, each of the nine pilot cohort Scholars will present their individualized leadership development plan and share their experiences they, as well as insights gained in achieving these leadership goals. In particular, Scholars will address how this program and the leadership goals, will allow them an expanded scope of influence as a nursing leader and change agent in the future (Leadership project outcomes are demonstrated by poster presentation at another session at the Convention). Additional information about applying for the 2016/2017 ENFLA cohort will be made available to attendees.

The purpose of this research project was to examine whether frontline nurse managers who had attended a leadership program, perceived their leadership style as containing behaviors representative of transformational leadership. A secondary purpose was to determine the participant's opinions about the value of a leadership program for their practice. Current literature was utilized to support this research project examining a nursing systems issue.The primary instrument used to collect data about leader practice was the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) (University of Georgia, 2002). An evaluation tool was also designed and utilized to gather information about the participant's perception of their leadership behaviors after completion of a training program. Survey participants were selected from nurses who completed the Arizona Healthcare Leadership Academy (AzHCLA) (2007) course in the last four years.A course survey and results from the LPI revealed that study participants perceived an increase in their behaviors related to leading others as well as having learned new skills by having completed the AzHCLA course. Nurse's educational levels were compared to the five leadership practice subgroups from the LPI to examine whether a nurse's educational level could better account for an increase in leadership competencies. Research data revealed that no relationship between educational levels existed but that certain leadership skills were gained by having completed a leadership educational program. By using descriptive statistics, mean scores were used to identify differences in how nurses perceived their individual competencies and behaviors after having completed leadership education. Reported perceptions of competencies and behaviors indicated that educational programs can be beneficial to frontline nurse leaders.While results from an ANOVA showed there was no statistical significance related to education and LPI subgroups, there was a trend in the mean differences for those individuals with a master's degree. Qualitative data revealed that course participants perceived having gained new leadership skills and behaviors. The data from this study created a baseline of information that warrants further investigation to identify if indeed education makes a difference in perceived leadership practices.

The purpose of the study was to explore the extent to which peace principles were incorporated into the two-year programme at the African Leadership Academy – a Pan-African school in Gauteng, whose mission is to develop young leaders who would contribute to making Africa a peaceful and prosperous continent. The study included investigating whether the formal and informal structures of the school promoted a culture of peace. A literature study outlined the causes of violence and violent conflicts in South Africa and on the African continent, and it also analysed the theoretical frameworks of peace education as put forward by Paulo Freire, Hossain Danesh and Maria Montessori. A qualitative case study methodology employing document analysis, observations and interviews was used. The findings showed that the two-year programme is not specifically designed as a peace education programme, but the teaching of peace principles are non-deliberately and uniquely embedded in the curriculum in the form of the particular skills, attitudes and values that learners acquire at this institution in the two years. The classroom environment and the culture of the school community inculcated in learners the qualities of unity and critical thinking and equip them with conflict resolution skills. Based on the findings, recommendations were made to the school and to all stakeholders in education. / Educational Foundations / M. Ed. (Socio-Education)

This study explored the competency frameworks of nontraditional principal preparation programs to determine how they aligned to research-based best practices for school leaders. The research questions that guided this work were: To what degree are the McREL 21 Leadership Responsibilities addressed in the competency frameworks of nontraditional principal preparation programs? How do the leaders of the nontraditional principal preparation programs view the degree to which their competencies include the McREL 21 Leadership Responsibilities? A multi-case study analysis was conducted that compared the competency frameworks of four nontraditional principal preparation programs. The Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), New Leaders, New York City Leadership Academy (NYCLA), and Teaching Trust were the nontraditional programs selected for this study. Leaders from the four organizations were interviewed. The findings from the research illustrated that a majority of the McREL 21 Leadership Responsibilities were included in the competency frameworks of nontraditional principal preparation programs. The study revealed that four of the McREL 21 were not included in any of the competency frameworks. Another finding was the lack of focus on talent management and personal dispositions in the McREL 21 Leadership Responsibilities. Nontraditional principal preparation programs are a growing avenue for principal preparation, as such their use of research on principal success was promising.