Some fifteen years ago, three professors from Scandinavia visited me to find out how to create a new, university-based principal development program at their university. If I had had a copy of Six Steps to Preparing Exemplary Principals and Superintendents by John R. Hoyle and Mario S. Torres, Jr., my task would have been much easier. Hoyle and Torres provide a focused and straightforward case to policy makers, practitioners, and university professors as they consider program standards, program delivery models, and program outcomes in the education of exemplary educational leaders. The text has two especially strong features. First, the authors anchor their analysis and recommendations in research. Second, the examples for program design and delivery currently exist in selected universities and are not hypothetical cases. Thus, those professionals wanting to enhance their current programs have vital exemplars from which they can learn.
