School Leadership Preparation Questionnaire
Section 1: Leadership Preparation Experiences
1. Before assuming a position in school leadership, I experienced an internship that was:
Full time Part time No internship (skip to question #3)
2. My internship lasted for: 1-2 months 3-4 months 5-7 months 8+ months
3. To what extent do the following statements describe your pre-service leadership preparation learning
experiences (e.g. courses, internships, workshops)? Circle only one appropriate number using this scale:
Not at all A little A moderate extent A great extent
1 2 3 4
Don’t
My leadership preparation learning experiences: Know
a. were aligned with standards of practice (e.g. the ISLLC standards). 1 2 3 4
b. covered all areas I needed to be successful in my first years of leadership. 1 2 3 4
c. were adapted to meet my individual needs. 1 2 3 4
d. emphasized how to lead for instructional improvement. 1 2 3 4
e. emphasized how to lead to improve the school and student achievement. 1 2 3 4
f. engaged me in problem-based learning (e.g. action research, case studies). 1 2 3 4
g. provided me with an excellent mentor. 1 2 3 4
h. involved me in a group or cohort of learners. 1 2 3 4
i. required me to reflect on my practice and analyze how to improve it. 1 2 3 4
j. required me to complete performance assessments of my skill development 1 2 3 4
and leadership competencies (e.g. portfolio, presentations).
k. required me to complete an internship that was an excellent learning 1 2 3 4
experience for becoming a principal.
4. In the last two years, how many times have you participated in the following kinds of professional
development? Please circle your responses below.
a. Individual university courses related to your role as principal 0 1-2 3-4 5+
b. Met or interacted with a mentor or coach as part of a formal arrangement 0 1-2 3-4 5+
c. Participated in a study group, book club, and/or Critical Friends Group 0 1-2 3-4 5+
d. Participated in meetings/activities of a principal network 0 1-2 3-4 5+
e. Attended workshops, conferences, or trainings 0 1-2 3-4 5+
f. Read professional books or articles 0 1-2 3-4 5+
Section 2: Leadership Behavior
Circle the most appropriate number using the scale below.
Not at all A little A moderate extent A great extent
1 2 3 4
5. To what extent do the following statements characterize you or the school you were at during
the 2004/05, 2005/06, and 2006/07 school year?
a. I am very knowledgeable about effective instructional practices. 1 2 3 4
b. I consciously try to challenge the status quo to get teachers to think about 1 2 3 4
changing their practice.
c. I try to inspire teachers to accomplish things that might seem beyond 1 2 3 4
their grasp.
d. Teachers are aware of my beliefs and vision regarding teaching and 1 2 3 4
learning.
e. I continually monitor the effectiveness of our curriculum. 1 2 3 4
f. I attempt to make major changes in how things are done. 1 2 3 4
g. I stay informed of the current research and theory regarding effective 1 2 3 4
schooling.
h. In my school, we regularly consider new and better ways of doing things. 1 2 3 4
i. I am very knowledgeable about curricular issues. 1 2 3 4
j. I initiate changes that require people to re-examine their beliefs and 1 2 3 4
values.
k. I always portray a positive attitude about our ability to accomplish 1 2 3 4
important initiatives.
l. I continually monitor the effectiveness of our instruction practices. 1 2 3 4
m. I encourage people to express opinions that are contrary to my own. 1 2 3 4
n. I continually expose teachers to current ideas about how to be effective. 1 2 3 4
o. I can be highly directive or nondirective as the situation warrants. 1 2 3 4
p. I am very knowledgeable about effective classroom assessment practices. 1 2 3 4
q. I try to be the driving force behind major initiatives. 1 2 3 4
r. I have a well-defined vision and beliefs about schools, teaching, and 1 2 3 4
learning.
s. I continually monitor the effectiveness of my school’s assessment 1 2 3 4
practices.
t. I adapt my leadership style to the specific needs of a given situation. 1 2 3 4
u. In my school, we regularly have discussions about current research and 1 2 3 4
5. To what extent do the following statements characterize you or the school you were at during
the 2004/05, 2005/06, and 2006/07 school year?
theory.
v. I provide guidance for teachers regarding effective classroom practice. 1 2 3 4
w. In my school, we are consistently challenging ourselves to stretch and 1 2 3 4
grow our practice beyond where we are currently comfortable.
x. I believe that we can accomplish just about anything if we are willing to 1 2 3 4
work hard enough and if we believe in ourselves.
y. I have explicitly communicated my beliefs and vision to teachers. 1 2 3 4
z. At any given time, I can accurately determine how effective our school is 1 2 3 4
in terms of enhancing student learning.
aa. In my school, we regularly read articles and books about effective 1 2 3 4
practices.
bb. My behavior is consistent with my ideals and beliefs regarding schools, 1 2 3 4
teachers, and learning.
(The above items were used by permission of McREL, derived from Marzano, Waters, McNulty, 2005)
Section 3: Demographics
a. Your Name: ________________________________________________________________
b. Name of school you were a principal in during 2004/05, 05/06, 06/07: __________________
___________________________________________________________________________
c. Number of years as principal in this school: _______________________________________
d. Number of total years in school leadership, including other administrative positions: _______
Thank you for completing this survey, your input is incredibly valuable.
Figure 2. School Leadership Preparation instrument.
