0.3 4. the need for effective change leadership standards and

The need for effective change leadership standards and preparation programs

It is clear that there is a stunning need for effective change leadership in America’s school systems. If nothing else validates this need, the failure of piecemeal school reform to transform teaching and learning, the cynical characterization of proposed changes as “flavors of the month,” and the astonishing inability to sustain change in school systems all stand as stark examples of why effective change leadership is needed. Yet, this need is not being effectively responded to by the field of education leadership.

The Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (Council of Chief State School Officers, 2008) and the Educational Leadership Constituents Council (National Policy Board for Educational Administration, 2002) share a set of high-quality standards for preparing future education leaders at the district and building levels. Their standards have a sub-element that expects future education leaders to possess knowledge of change models and processes. These elements are appropriately embedded within broader standards for preparing school-based and district-level education leaders. However, as long as change leadership competencies are sub-elements of other professional standards for leaders, the field of education will not meet the need for effective change leadership in school systems.

Given the need for effective change leadership and given the significant lack of response to that need, I propose that state departments of education should adopt a set of research-based change leadership standards and then create a professional license (or certificate) for change leadership based on those standards. Then, universities and colleges with graduate-level education leadership programs should create new graduate-level programs tailored to satisfy the change leadership standards—programs that specialize in preparing change leaders about the how, what, and why of creating and sustaining systemic transformational change in school districts (e.g., the Education Specialist Degree Program in Change Leadership in Education at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.).

Standards for preparing change leaders in education

The standards for preparing change leaders in education presented below are intended to define the practice of effective change leadership in school systems. The standards are derived from an analysis of the research and literature cited above, but adapted for the challenge of transforming school systems.