A Professional Learning Community at Work: Developing a Standards-Based Principal Preparation Program

Due to the state’s recent adoption of the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium standards, all leadership preparation programs are required to develop a standards-based curriculum emphasizing the principal’s responsibility to lead schools committed to student success. The Midwest State University (MSU) educational leadership faculty, which has undergone significant turnover, is faced with the dual challenge of developing collaborative working relationships among department members while revising their principal preparation program to meet the state’s upgraded requirements. The MSU faculty used this opportunity to develop a professional learning community through a series of retreats and sustained work activities throughout the academic year as they reformed their principal preparation program.