For many years, new candidates for principal licensure have typically been assessed on their professional experience, education, and their performance on a written or online leadership exam. Recently, however, some states have begun exploring performance assessments for principal licensure, requiring candidates to demonstrate skills and proficiency in key leadership areas.

We welcome Fordham University researcher Margaret Terry Orr, who spent the last five years working with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as it rolled out new leadership preparation training and performance assessment requirements for principal candidates.

Orr, now working on a similar initiative in California, speaks with Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) Director Jonathan Supovitz (University of Pennsylvania) about her findings and the promise of performance assessment for leaders.

Featured research: Orr, M. T., Pecheone, R., Snyder, J. D., Murphy, J., Palanki, A., Beaudin, B., … Buttram, J. L. (2018). Performance Assessment for Principal Licensure: Evidence From Content and Face Validation and Bias Review. Journal of Research on Leadership Education, 13(2), 109–138.