Shifting principal preparation candidates’ common beliefs of diversity in school settings

ABSTRACT This paper reports on a study completed with principal preparation students to measure the change in their beliefs about how to provide leadership that affirms diverse students and families in schools. The principal preparation program (PPP) in this study redesigned the internship to include crucial conversations around diversity and social justice. Students were prompted to reflect on social justice issues using a lens of school safety and bullying [Payne, E. C., and M. J. Smith. 2018. “Refusing Relevance: School Administrator Resistance to Offering Professional Development Addressing LGBTQ Issues in Schools.” Educational Administration Quarterly 54 (2): 183–215]. The goal for the PPP was to develop leadership skills towards creating inclusive and integrated schools that grapple with diversity issues with the best interest of all stakeholders. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the study of diversity topics embedded in a PPP internship altered candidates’ self-awareness of their biases in educational settings, utilising the inside-out approach [Lindsey, R. B., K. Nuri-Robins, and R. D. Terrell. 2009. Cultural Proficiency: A Manual for School Leaders. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press].