ABSTRACT
The study consisted of four components, beginning with a policy scan completed during the fall of 2014 and early winter of 2015, which involved a broad sample of stakeholders. To delve more deeply into the themes discovered in the statewide scan, we conducted site visits to twelve of the approved programs. The analysis of the data describes how programs have negotiated the increased demands and complex requirements of Illinois’ new principal preparation policy. This chapter discusses the findings across six major functions: partnerships, recruitment and enrollment, curriculum, special student populations, mentoring and internships, and continuous improvement. Challenges to successful internships included finding a sufficient supply of qualified principal mentors and faculty supervisors, and the intense time commitment required to implement the internship. In the highly engaged partnerships, districts shared responsibility for curriculum design, candidate selection and evaluation, internships, and mentoring and felt they had a stronger voice into the preparation of their future principals.
