Leveraging Standards to Promote Program Quality

Standards provide a foundation for thinking about leadership development and practice. This article explores three sets of standards that impact educational leadership preparation: (a) the recently revised Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) standards, which are now known as the Practice Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL); (b) the Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC) standards, which are currently under revision; and (c) the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) standards. In addition to reviewing each set, how they are used, and how they differ, we share findings from a survey of preparation program directors focused on how influential and beneficial these standards are in promoting leadership preparation program improvement.