ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the program components, implementation, outcomes, and lessons learned from the Illinois Partnerships Advancing Rigorous Training Project, a five-year US Department of Education School Leadership Program grant awarded to the Center for the Study of Education Policy at Illinois State University in 2013. It discusses a major component for each of the principal preparation programs was the implementation of a semester-long, full-time, immersive principal internship taking place within the state-required yearlong internship. Multiple studies of effective principal preparation programs identify the importance of district-university partnerships in the preparation of principals. Illinois Public Act 096-0903 required that by July 2014, all principal preparation programs have specific screening and admission requirements. The capstone of the principal preparation program is the internship component. Principal candidates selected one of two options: the full-time model, or intensive internship; or the part-time model, or traditional internship.
