The Leadership Challenge: Supporting the Learning of All Students

Abstract

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 leaders to achieve these results. This article describes the UCEA Developing Leaders to Support Diverse Learners (LSDL) curriculum modules for educational leadership preparation, which were designed to build the knowledge, skills, and experiences leadership candidates need to effectively lead the learning of diverse student populations.

Notes

1. UCEA, a consortium of just under 100 major research universities with strong educational leadership programs, has a 60-year history of working with university faculty to develop and implement innovative instructional materials, such as cases and simulations, designed to prepare highly effective school leaders.

2. The LSDL initiative was supported by a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education and with funding from UCEA. The project was led by Michelle Young, Ann O’Doherty, Mark Gooden, and Bill Hawley. The project was managed by Scott Blackshire. The development team consisted of Ann O’Doherty, Mark Gooden, Rick McCowan, Gretchen Generett, Eustace Thompson, Monica Byrne Jimenez, Charol Shakeshaft, Whitney Sherman, Floyd Beachum, George White, Adafo Austin, Ann Marie Fitzgerald, Betsy James, Bill Hawley, Margaret Terry Orr, Denise Armstrong, and Marcia Springer. Technical assistance and evaluation expertise were provided by Matt Militello and Chris Jansen. A number of other faculty served as critical friends and early adopters.

3. Master’s (Comprehensive) Universities and Colleges offer a full range of baccalaureate programs and are committed to graduate education through the master’s degree. They award 40 or more master’s degrees annually in three or more disciplines. This category includes the typical regional college, formerly within-state public normal schools/teachers colleges.

4. All of the modules are available on the UCEA website at http://www.ucea.org/resource/lsdl-modules/

Additional information

Funding

Funding for the UCEA Developing Leaders to Support Diverse Learners Curriculum Module Development Project was provided by the Fund for the Improvement of Secondary Education (FIPSE)—1894–0008.