Recognizing that principals are pivotal to excellence in education, New York-based
Wallace Foundation recently announced the launch of its $47 million program, which will operate for four years in seven universities.
The initiative aims to improve principal preparation programs in higher education institutions, as well as review state policies and identify areas where higher quality training can be encouraged.
Wallace Foundation is focused on providing improved learning opportunities for disadvantaged students. It selected the seven participating universities for the program based on the number of disadvantaged students they serve in their communities.
The universities that will roll out the initiative are: Albany State University; Florida Atlantic University; North Carolina State University; San Diego State University; University of Connecticut;
Virginia State University; and Western Kentucky University.
“The more we talk with education leaders no matter at what level of the education system, from state to university to district, the more we hear it is the right time to conduct a university-focused initiative like this,” Jody Spiro, director of education leadership at Wallace, stated.
“We are seeking to learn how these seven universities accomplish their program redesign as an important first step in improving how principals are prepared for the demanding job of leading school improvement across the country,” Spiro further said.
According to a Wallace-commissioned study, four in five district superintendents are not satisfied with the quality of principal-preparation programs. Its initiative hopes to address this concern.
“We know from research that school principals require excellent training with high-quality, practical experiences to become effective leaders-but most are simply not getting this,” said Will Miller, president of The Wallace Foundation.
“Because many school districts don’t have the capacity to train as many principals as they need or to train future principals at all, the best way to reach more aspiring school leaders is through the university programs that typically provide needed certification. We are confident that the selected universities want to raise the bar for their programs, work in partnership with their local school districts and serve as models for other universities,” Miller concluded.
