Dr. Patricia Reeves and Patricia McNeill are principal investigators and designers of the School ADvance Administrator Evaluation System. Dr. Reeves is a Professor of Educational Leadership and Research at Western Michigan University; Patricia McNeill is the former Executive Director of Michigan ASCD. The authors wish to also recognize a group of contributors that include Dr. George Aramath, Dustin Anderson, Pat Wilson-O’Leary, Derek Wheaton, Sara Shriver, Cindy Gansen, Dr. Jerry Jennings, Chris Stephens, and faculty colleagues from the Western Michigan University Educational Leadership and Research programs including Dr. Jianpng Shen, Dr. Van Cooley, Dr. Walter Burt, Dr. Louann Bierlein-Palmer, Dr. Sue Poppink, Dr. Dennis McCrumb, Dr. Nancy Mansberger, and Dr. Mark Rainey.
While School ADvance is the work of co-authors, Dr. Reeves and Ms. McNeill, it is also the product of multiple collaborations and a great deal of interdependent thinking with practicing school leaders and people who help prepare school leaders to serve K-12 schools. The authors are also grateful to the staffs of MASA and Michigan ASCD, the leadership and research teams from the Michigan Council for Educator Effectiveness (MCEE), and the practicing school leaders and school board members who continue to inform the work.
Finally, the authors wish to recognize and thank the numerous researchers noted in our references list whose work informs our work and who comprise a community of thoughtful investigators who shed light on the complex work of school leadership.
Dr. Patrica Reeves, Principal Investigator and Co-Author
Patricia Reeves is a professor in the department of educational leadership, research, and technology (ELRT) in the Western Michigan University (WMU) College of Education and Human Development (CEHD). Prior to her faculty appointment in 2005, Dr. Reeves was a practicing K-12 School Leader with 20 years of central office experience—10 as superintendent. During her tenure at WMU, Dr. Reeves has served as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on eight major grant funded evaluation projects, contributed to State education policy in such areas as administrator certification, educator evaluation, employee health care, and funding adequacy and equity. She also assisted on several legislative, State association, and Michigan Department of Education (MDE) task forces, advisories, and commissions.
Dr. Reeves’ research focus is on K-12 school leader preparation, credentialing, and performance assessment. Her education policy work focuses on education systems design and performance based program evaluation. Dr. Reeves serves a split appointment at WMU between the ELRT K-12 Educational Leadership Program (EDLD) and the Evaluation, Measurement, and Research Program (EMR). She has authored numerous peer reviewed research articles, book chapters, technical reports, evaluation reports, and policy documents. In addition to her own research, Dr. Reeves has chaired 31 successful Ph.D. dissertations mentored a number of those students for successful peer reviewed presentations and publications. Finally, Dr. Reeves is an experienced project designer and manager with a number of successful initiatives to her credit. She currently serves as Co-Principal Investigator and Project Director for the High Impact Leadership Project at WMU funded through the U.S. DOE under the SEED grant program.