Minnesota Principals Academy Evaluation Report

Abstract

The purpose of the Minnesota Principals’ Academy (MPA) is to create a statewide network of district and charter school leaders who are motivated and have the skills to create and sustain schools in which all students are on the path to college readiness by the end of high school. Using the National Institute for School Leadership (NISL) model, the MPA enables cohorts of practicing principals to implement leadership best practices from education, business, military and other fields to work on behalf of their students and schools. The MPA is designed after the NISL train-the-trainer program, and is delivered in two and three-day segments that span over the course of one year. The program’s curriculum combines face-to-face instruction in workshops, seminars, and study groups using interactive Web-based learning. The CAREI evaluation team collected several forms of data in order to assess the degree to which the Minnesota Principals Academy (MPA) met program goals. Data included: (1) observations of MPA units, (2) an online survey of principals; (3) an online survey of teachers; (4) phone interviews with principals; and (5) phone interviews with training facilitators. In addition, the CAREI team analyzed participant evaluations of MPA units that were administered by program coordinators.