Preparing Leaders for Deeper Learning

Educational leaders are key actors in the urgent task of readying students for college, careers, and citizenship in an evolving world. In response to new understandings of learning and development and emerging societal needs, K–12 school leaders must be able to shift institutions toward deeper learning models, in which collaboration, critical thinking, and project-based learning are fundamental concepts.

Preparing Leaders for Deeper Learning demonstrates how educational leadership development programs can prepare principals to guide their schools, teachers, and students toward deeper learning and equity. Case studies highlight the approaches of five exemplary leadership preparation programs—the University of Illinois at Chicago, Long Beach Unified School District, Arkansas Leadership Academy, National Institute for School Leadership, and the University of California, Berkeley—which together serve educational leaders at all career levels, from initial training for candidates through in-service professional development for seasoned school principals. The authors identify school structures and classroom practices that enable these programs to teach deeper learning leadership skill sets, and they describe the education policy priorities that can support school leaders in acquiring these necessary skills.