Rosalba Corrado Del Vecchio and Robert Brasco

What a Difference a Leader Makes

Rosalba Corrado Del Vecchio and Robert Brasco, Department of Administration and Instructional Leadership, The School of Education

Abstract
Since 2000, the Wallace Foundation and its state, district and research partners are exploring creative solutions to improving leadership so that all children can succeed.  A landmark report, How Leadership Influences Student Learning, in fact, makes the point that, although teachers have the most immediate in-school effect on student success, the principal is best positioned to ensure that teaching and learning really makes a difference throughout the entire school, especially in those schools with the most need.  The findings and recommendations from our research, which focuses on St. John’s University School of Education program for non public school leaders, augment the research and best practices development in the area of school leaders’ preparation and support originating from the Wallace Foundation, the Public Agenda and other studies related to School Leadership.    The guiding questions for The School of Education non public school leaders program study are:

  1. What are the expectations for school leaders’ preparation in today’s highly diverse and demanding climate?
  2. How do we attract, prepare, retain and support prospective candidates for school leadership roles?
  3. What are the key attributes and best practices of effective school leaders’ preparations programs?

Our ongoing, four-year research sheds light on these critical questions and suggests answers to the unresolved debate about leadership preparation for school building leaders.
It also documents a university partnership with a department of education, in the effort to redesign its leadership preparation program within the context of the newly adopted New York State Education Department ISLLC (Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium) Standards.   The study relies on quantitative and qualitative data gathered from over 300 participants in a Title II A Professional Development funded program.