• Strategic use of high-performing, current or former administrative practitioners in program design and
delivery;
• Extended, closely supervised residencies designed to do the following: 1) integrate theory, research and prac-tice
by immersing candidates in full-time administrative duties with the support of an accomplished mentor
while at the same time engaging in rigorous coursework; 2) develop and demonstrate candidates’ ability to
improve student learning outcomes in schools by engaging the candidate in significant instructional leadership
responsibilities and by regularly supervising and assessing the candidate by university-based personnel experi-enced
in school leadership;
• Rigorous, systematic assessments of candidates and graduates: Candidate assessments should be based on
the qualities known to improve student learning in schools and aligned with the new Illinois School Leader
Standards. Program assessments should be based on graduates’ performance in school leadership roles as
measured by student learning and other indicators of school improvement; and
• Mentoring and early-career professional support and development of candidates in collaboration with
school districts and professional organizations engaged in novice principal mentoring and support, ongoing
professional development, and master principal development.
Comment: While some Task Force members urged that residencies should be an academic year in length as practiced in some
programs in Illinois and elsewhere, others disagreed, arguing that duration of residencies should be left to program providers
under state approval guidelines. What was clear from Task Force deliberations was the purpose of the residency: that principal
preparation should include a substantial opportunity for hands-on, practical leadership experience in which candidate perform-ance
could be meaningfully evaluated. Analogous to student teaching or other professional internships, the residency should
provide opportunity for principals-in-training to demonstrate, and to be evaluated on their progress toward, the full range of
standards-based qualities they will need when they become school leaders. Residency requirements can be met in regularly-paid
full-time administrative roles such as assistant principal, or they can be met by taking a residency leave from a non-administrative
position such as classroom teaching, in which case the resident’s salary and tenure status in the district would be
protected.
While some principal preparation programs in Illinois and in other states are post-master’s degree programs, the Task Force
chose to leave the decision of master’s level vs. post-master’s level to the program providers themselves. The keys to success
here will be program selectivity and rigor, which are ultimately independent of degree structure. Considerable support was
expressed, however, for making sure that the new system reduces the current incentive for novice teachers to enroll in Type-75
programs when other master’s degree programs could (a) provide greater support for their early-career development as class-room
teachers and (b) lead to the principal residency experience later in their careers.
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