Principal Preparation Program-Service Leadership Projects at East Carolina University

Abstract

Preparing future principals for their roles within school systems has changed throughout the years. Universities have devised varying techniques in which they accomplish this monumental task. East Carolina University (ECU) uses Service Leadership Projects as a tool to provide training for prospective Master of School Administration (MSA) degree candidates. The Service Leadership Projects students must complete in order to graduate provide a foundation upon which the students develop leadership skills in the following areas: Positive Impact on Student Learning and Development, Teacher Empowerment and Leadership, Community Involvement and Engagement, Organizational Management, School Culture and Safety, and School Improvement. The purpose of this dissertation was to evaluate the effectiveness of this type of preparation program from graduates' perspectives and to determine if there are relevant suggestions to better the program. The evaluation will be both qualitative and quantitative in nature and will involve past participants of the MSA program at ECU that have obtained jobs in educational leadership roles. The participants were required to answer a survey and a series of interview questions. The questions were developed to gauge the effectiveness of the program from the participants' point of view. Data was also taken from the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey as well as the North Carolina School Report Card to more effectively analyze the impact the participants had on their respective schools. Findings indicated Service Leadership Projects were an effective tool in training prospective MSA degree candidates who will become school leaders.