The preparation of cognitively agile principals for turnaround schools: a leadership preparation programme study

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine the ability of two educational leadership university programmes to improve the cognitive agility of their graduates. The research looked to discover whether the aspiring principals exited the programmes with an increased ability to employ cognitive agility – the ability to use the multiple thinking skills of systems thinking, reflecting, and reframing – when engaged in their professional work and solving problems. Both Masters programmes were in School Leadership, offered through the same university department and following the same core curriculum leading to Level 1 educational leadership certification. The results indicate that of the two programmes studied, the Principal Rapid Orientation and Preparation in Educational Leadership (PROPEL) programme, designed to prepare leaders for turnaround schools, produced more cognitively agile graduates than the traditional Master’s programme. The mediating variables of participants’ years of experience and budget responsibility increased the level of cognitive agility of both programme’s graduates.

KEYWORDS:

• Cognitive agility
• strategic leadership
• programme evaluation
• educational leadership preparation

Notes on contributors

Dr. Reyes-Guerra is an Assistant Professor at the Florida Atlantic University Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology.

Dr. Pisapia is a Professor of Leadership Studies at the Florida Atlantic University Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology.

Annie Mick is a research assistant at the Florida Atlantic University Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported in part by a grant from the Florida Department of Education Race to the Top Programme.