Mapping Principal Preparation Programs in British Columbia, Canada

Year 2017, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 110 - 128, 31.10.2017

John Churchley Victoria Handford Patricia Neufeld Diane Purvey

Abstract

Keywords

Leadership preparation, K-12, outcomes, coherence

Mapping Principal Preparation Programs in British Columbia, Canada

Abstract

This paper is part of a research project exploring the preparation of elementary and secondary public school principals in British Columbia, Canada. Similar projects from 13 countries form the International Study of Principal Preparation. This paper maps the formal and informal preparation programs for principals in the province. The context of public education in British Columbia and a conceptual framework for the preparation of educational leaders is presented to provide a research context. Evidence of lack of consistency or agreement across districts about what leadership is and how to develop leaders was apparent. The workshop and after school seminars is haphazard, and does not build sequentially to knowledge that is commonly held and known to be essential for successful leadership. British Columbia would be well advised to further streamline their principal preparation programs into a coherent, consistent plan with consistent, research-informed and practice-relevant outcomes.

Keywords

Leadership preparation, K-12, outcomes, coherence

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