Leadership Program Effects on Student Learning: The Case of the Greater New Orleans School Leadership Center

Abstract

Demonstrating the contribution of leadership development programs to student learning has become a problem of considerable recent interest to both school reformers and those attempting to improve how school leaders are prepared. This article describes an innovative approach to improving school leadership developed by the Greater New Orleans School Leadership Center. Longitudinal evidence from a four-and-a-half-year external evaluation of the effects of the center program on schools and students is summarized. Promising evidence of program effects are reported using state-collected achievement data and measures of student engagement with school collected specifically for the study in each leader's school. The article highlights lessons from this case that may be of general value for others engaged in leadership preparation initiatives and their evaluation.