Hear how school leaders in two counties in Tennessee studied, discussed, and committed to changes in their schools with remarkable results. Learn how these leaders designed their study groups around converging topics and gathered evidence about their work. Determine how this simple but effective collaborative model can be implemented in your settings, thus building amazing leader relationships across schools.

Linking classroom instruction and theory to relevant practice in principal training programs is a problematic issue. Much like preparation programs in teacher education, university programs designed to prepare aspiring administrators have been under scrutiny because of a perceived lack of relevance to the complex nature of the principalship. University professors and researchers, as well as principals in the field, have continually sought ways to solve this problem. The dilemma for university professors as they seek innovative instructional techniques is striking the balance between academic knowledge and practical experience. How is the gap bridged in a meaningful manner for candidates in principal training programs? The alignment of objectives and field experiences in all core courses in the principal preparation program provides the opportunity for students to construct experiences that provide relevant learning grounded in theory. This alignment allows learning to continue through course transitions unimpeded by time restrictions or the end of one semester. Ten aspiring administrators participated in a process of constructing their learning experiences based on the concept of emergent design during their two-year principal preparation program. Opportunities to observe, participate, and lead were developed within the parameters of the aligned course objectives and with consideration to individual needs assessments. The evolution of this professional learning community is documented in the culminating activity of the program. The instructional strategies utilized thoughout the principal preparation program were evident in the product of work and reflective activities of the students.

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The School of Graduate Studies at East Tennessee State University started the first Thesis and Dissertation Boot Camp program in the fall of 2012 by organizing a team of dedicated faculty and staff to help promote the Boot Camp and to run its sessions. Boot Camp at ETSU has since had great success with participation, positive student feedback, and student success. We have had 268 total registrations and 178 unique participants in Boot Camp from all stages of the writing process and of those who were close to finishing, 94 have graduated, many of whom have credited the Boot Camp program with their success. We advertise 21 to all ETSU graduate students, local and regional institutions, and although they were always welcome, we have recently expanded our advertising to Capstone Project students. Students from all of these groups have participated. Boot Camp provides dedicated space and time to write free of distractions, with a variety of resources in the same room or just steps away. In this presentation, I will detail how, what, when, and who is involved in setting up and running our boot camps and provide an overview of our optional mini-workshops that are offered during each session. I will also provide an update on how our boot camp has evolved over the past five years and share some data that I am currently working on correlating boot camp attendance with graduation rates. Boot Camp models at other institutions will also be presented for comparison along with tips for setting up a boot camp at your institution. Another update for this presentation is a personal one. I would like to credit Boot Camp for my own professional growth. Working with boot campers through personal, professional, and academic challenges has tested my ability to be a leader and inspire others to persevere. Boot Camp continues to be a source of pride for me and the School of Graduate Studies at ETSU and I would love the opportunity to share the program again with representatives from other institutions.

East Tennessee State University, Southern Regional Educational Board, Greeneville City Schools, and Kingsport City Schools formed the Greene-King Partnership to redesign principal preparation in Tennessee. This paper tells the story of that redesign and implications for the future of principal preparation.

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