Collaborative Leadership Preparation: A Comparative Study of Partnership and Conventional Programs and Practices

Abstract

The need for more and better-prepared educational leaders has led to greater program effort to adhere to national leadership standards and form university–district partnerships for improved preparation, particularly in creating better-quality internships and more supportive structures. This article compares 3 leadership preparation programs—2 partnership and 1 conventional— on program attributes and differences in graduates’ reported gains in leadership skill development, career aspirations, and career advancement. Forty-nine program graduates were surveyed from 2 cohorts of a suburban university–partnership program, its conventional program counterpart, and an urban university–partnership program. The findings show that internship scope and quality as well as program structure qualities—more common of the partnership programs—were significantly and positively associated with leadership learning and career outcomes, beyond graduates’ initial commitment. These results suggest that program design and operation are instrumental in participants’ education and their postprogram career aspirations and pursuits. The article offers insights into conceptual methodological considerations for further research on preparation effectiveness.