Evaluating your Principal Preparation Programs

The Practical Guide introduces an evaluation framework for assessing and improving principal preparation programs. It builds on what is known about high-quality principal preparation programs. The elements of the framework are designed to assist providers to measure the effectiveness of their programs against what research evidence shows to be the characteristics of an effective program.

Program providers can adapt and customise the evaluation framework for a wide array of programs with diverse goals and participants.

The framework has four evaluation components, which address:

1. the goals and objectives of the program
2. whether the program is attracting and selecting the appropriate participants
3. the effectiveness of the program’s content and delivery
4. the outcomes for participants, schools, school systems and students.

While there is a long causal chain between a principal preparation program and better student outcomes, evaluation can help to confirm that better leadership leads to better learning.