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PREPARATION OF SCHOOL LEADERSGenerative Learning Communities:
Preparing Leaders for Authentic Practice
Tricia Browne-Ferrigno and Rodney MuthThe intent of principal preparation is “to produce leaders” (Milstein, 1992, p. 10) who
have requisite knowledge, dispositions, and skills to lead contemporary schools competently
and effectively (Bottoms & O’Neill, 2001; Council of Chief State School Officers [CCSSO],
1996; Hale & Moorman, 2003; Institute for Educational Leadership, 2000). The process of
self-transformation from teacher to administrator requires changes in one’s professional
culture—language, perspectives, and skills—thus altering an individual’s conceptual,
personal, and educational orientation (Matthews & Crow, 2003). To stimulate role
transformation during formal preparation, situated learning activities (e.g., internships,
clinical experiences, field-based projects) guided by mentors have been recommended for
many years (Jackson & Kelley, 2002; Milstein, Bobroff, & Restine, 1991), and documented
evidence of clinical experiences during preservice preparation is now required for program
accreditation (National Policy Board for Educational Administration or NPBEA, 2002).
Although research on the professional growth of those actively engaged in leadership
preparation and development is limited (Browne-Ferrigno, 2003; Browne-Ferrigno & Muth,
2004, 2006; Crow & Glascock, 1995; White & Crow, 1993), consistent findings have
emerged. For example, prospective candidates who worked with practicing principals during
their formal preparation reported greater readiness to assume a principalship soon after
program completion than those who did not, a finding now supported by research on
graduates’ career paths (Baker, Orr, & Young, 2007). Hence, clinical experiences, now well
integrated into preparation programs, can stimulate transfer of classroom learning to future
leadership practice and address policy and accreditation requirements (Barnett, Copland, &
Garcia, 2006).
Despite the addition of field-based components to university-based principal preparation,
considerable developmental challenges remain (Lashway, 2006). For instance, leadership-
preparation instruction typically is delivered in classroom settings facilitated by university
professors or clinical practitioners, and students usually work full-time as teachers, taking
late-afternoon, night, or weekend classes to prepare for their career change. Finding time and
opportunity to complete assigned field-based projects can be difficult for many students,
particularly for those enrolled in a program not delivered through a university-district
partnership that supports leave from work responsibilities (Browne-Ferrigno & Muth, 2004,
2006). Because developmental challenges exist, ways other than field-based experiences need
to be developed to stimulate leadership learning that is transferable to and usable in future
practice.
We posit that carefully designed classroom learning activities can facilitate leadership
knowledge and skill transfer to authentic settings, generating practices “that live fruitfully and
creatively in subsequent experiences” (Dewey, 1938, p. 27). That is, learning transfer can be
Tricia Browne-Ferrigno, University of Kentucky
Rodney Muth, University of Colorado Denver