The importance of a diverse leadership workforce has been empirically demonstrated for at least three decades, yet the leadership workforce is still predominantly white and male. Why is this? Programs and participants represented in this issue demonstrate that educational leadership programs can produce candidate pools that are more diverse than…

Current percentages of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) principals largely mirror those of the teacher workforce. They, however, diverge from student demographics. We provide insight into these racial imbalances by charting principal preparation patterns and demonstrating the typical leadership pipeline in Texas. In doing so, we draw…

In this policy forum commentary, we call for improved national and state-level data collection and access relevant to the principal pipeline. We focus specifically on how access to quality data can inform, has informed, and is critical to policy and practice across three segments of the principal pipeline--principal preparation, licensure, and…

Eliminating the achievement gap and ensuring high-quality education for diverse student populations depend upon the capacity of local educational leaders to be highly effective at enabling schools in all contexts to teach all students. Realizing this goal also depends upon the capacity of local universities to prepare and support educational…

Leadership preparation is essential in developing critical skills of effective school leaders. Educational leadership preparation programs vary greatly in terms of program features, it is important to identify which specific elements are likely associated with program quality. Using multiple years of Initiative for Systemic Program Improvement…

This special issue of the "Journal of Research on Leadership Education" presents the findings resulting from a set of studies focused on understanding how leadership preparation standards were used, by whom, and to what end. In addressing these questions, the authors reviewed how standards were used by program faculty, professional…

There is a pervasive and ongoing perception that leadership preparation is a problem. Important questions remain about the intentions, capacity, and impact of state departments of education engaged in leadership preparation program redesign. In this essay, I take up several issues concerning this state policy work, including whether a one size…

For the last few decades, leadership standards have served as a de facto "recommended curriculum" for preparation programs in the United States. In this article, we: (1) share the new National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) standards, (2) present the literature supporting the standards, and (3) critically assess the influence…

Standards provide a foundation for thinking about leadership development and practice. This article explores three sets of standards that impact educational leadership preparation: (a) the recently revised Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) standards, which are now known as the Practice Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL);…

Addressing systemic inequities in schools requires preparation of leaders who are bold, adaptive, and well-versed in addressing problems of practice so they can be effective leaders. This article offers a theory-to-practice resource for educational leadership faculty who are committed to developing such leadership. Drawing upon learning theories,…

Within this article, the authors explore the disconnect between research production, dissemination, and utilization, particularly within the field of educational leadership in the United States. Their exploration begins with an examination of the macro-level contexts within which such activities currently take place. They then turn to an…

This study uses data from the "Initiative for Systemic Program Improvement through Research in Educational Leadership (INSPIRE) Preparation Program Features Survey" to respond to national critiques of university-based principal preparation programs. The findings provide insight into the program content and relevancy, personnel, and…

An essential component to learning and teaching in educational leadership is mentoring graduate students for successful transition to K-12 and higher education positions. This study integrates quantitative and qualitative datasets to examine doctoral students' experiences with mentoring from macro and micro perspectives. Findings show that…

The professional pipeline represents a developmental perspective for fostering leadership capacity in schools and districts, from identification of potential talent during the recruitment phase to ensuring career-long learning through professional development. An intentional and mindful approach to supporting the development of educational leaders…

In recent years, significant attention has been directed to the need for more and better-prepared educational leaders (Young, Crow, Murphy & Ogawa, 2009). While many organizations prepare school principals, evidence of program impact is sparse (Orr & Pounder, 2008; Southern Regional Education Board, 2008). The study described in this…