District-University Collaboration 

The eight case in this report focus on effective, high-quality programs for the training and professional development of school leaders. The case studies explore the elements of good leadership; the features of effective pre-service and in-service leadership development programs; and the necessary governance and financial policies needed to sustain high-quality programs.

For years, the training and ongoing professional development of school principals have been criticized as inadequate for the demands of their jobs. This executive summary of a Wallace-commissioned report by Stanford and Finance Project researchers fills a major knowledge gap with case studies of eight effective programs that document the key characteristics of high-quality school leadership training.

This Wallace-commissioned report by Stanford and Finance Project researchers fills a major knowledge gap with case studies of eight effective programs that document the key characteristics of high-quality school leadership training. “The findings show that high-performing principals are not just born, but can be made,” says lead author Linda Darling-Hammond, Professor of Education at Stanford. “

Comments by Linda Darling-Hammond, Kati Haycock, Richard Colvin and Wallace President M. Christine DeVita on the critical importance of school leadership, and how states and districts are improving it, are featured in this special report on the Foundation’s recent national education conference.