At one time it was stated, “As General Motors goes so goes the United States.” This statement holds considerably less validity today than in the past given the devaluing of the stock for the General Motors Corporation to an all time low within the market and the dethroning of the largest industrial manufacturer in the world economy by a foreign competitor. Today, it may well be more appropriately stated, “As public education goes so goes the United States.”
Fundamental to success in public education within the United States at present as well as in the future is likely to be quality educational leadership. Educational leaders are responsible for shaping the future of this nation from an academic perspective (Sergiovanni, 2006) as well as from a cultural perspective (Cunningham&Cordeiro, 2006). To provide a pool of this leadership talent for America’s public school districts rests to a great extent with doctoral programs in educational leadership that potentially perform a gatekeeping function.
In fulfilling this gatekeeping function, doctoral programs in educational leadership must attract and graduate the most able candidates if the nation is to retain leadership status in the world economy. Success rates in the past for these goals have been at best mediocre relative to most standards of comparison. According to some authorities, 50% or less of those admitted to a doctoral program in educational leadership will ever graduate (e.g., Dorm&Papalewis, 1997).
Improvements in these base rates are likely to come about only through systematic research and then through the application of this research in the actual setting. That is, data are needed that inform both attraction of and selection among potential candidates for a doctoral program in educational leadership. To provide information bearing on the attraction and on the selection of doctoral students is the focus of this chapter.
This module has been peer-reviewed, accepted, and sanctioned by the National Council of Professors of Educational Administration (NCPEA) as a scholarly contribution to the knowledge base in educational administration.
Related Literature
Often overlooked by many doctoral programs in educational leadership are the dual demands associated with the attraction and selection of potential candidates. Far too often, these dual demands have been either ignored or loosely practiced by many doctoral programs in educational leadership. Attraction has been left to“walk ins”and selection has been unsystematic in many instances.
However, well known within the professional literature is that attraction and selection processes are mutually dependent administrative activities (Heneman&Judge, 2006). An able, diverse and willing pool of candidates is needed from which to choose among potential doctoral candidates. Valid choices among potential doctoral candidates are obtained most likely through systematic recruitment and valid selection procedures based on empirical data rather than on lackadaisical efforts and on subjective opinions.
