Educational Leadership Class Learns About Effective Principals from UNLV Researcher

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Students in the educational leadership doctoral program at the University of Arkansas work with area superintendents March 11-12 during a seminar held by the College of Education and Health Professions.

Gene Hall, a professor of educational leadership at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, spoke to doctoral students in the educational leadership program at the University of Arkansas on March 12 about effective principals and their characteristics and making effective change in school systems.

The College of Education and Health Professions offers the doctoral program online using a cohort model and has incorporated a new feature in which the students will gather once a semester on campus. They will meet with faculty and practitioners for a one-credit seminar that will serve as a valuable capstone for the distance experience. Each intensive, long-weekend cohort seminar on the Fayetteville campus will focus on a theme that connects theory with practice and includes mini-lectures by scholars and practitioners in the field, facilitated discussion groups and lively debate of critical issues facing school leaders.

The first cohort weekend took place March 11-12 with several area superintendents joining the doctoral students for the Friday evening and Saturday sessions on campus.

Hall has been the author or co-author of more than 35 books and 89 journal articles. His 2006 book, Implementing Change: Patterns, Principles and Potholes, formed the focus of the University of Arkansas seminar. He has done extensive research into who the most effective principals are and how to identify them. He has developed a model that identifies various principal types and how they fall into distinct categories.

"His research findings are truly fascinating and have practical application in identifying high quality principal applicants as well as determining why some principals are more successful than others," said Paul Hewitt, an assistant professor in the program.

In addition, the cohort and guests heard on Friday night from Brenda Gullett, a former state legislator who serves on the Arkansas Board of Education. Gullett spoke to the group about her experiences on the state board as well as issues she sees facing Arkansas public schools.

For more information about the educational leadership program, contact Carleton Holt, program coordinator at cholt@uark.edu.