This course is the first of two courses to develop people to become school principals in Ontario. A key component of the course is the critical evaluation and focus on current research in the areas related to leadership practices and their effects, instructional leadership, education change and reform efforts. The course's content includes a critical awareness of current problems associated with educational leadership practice and application to current issues and problems in education informed by cutting-edge research and professional practice. The outcome of these courses is to hone the judgment of practitioners within the educational setting. Through the assignments students must demonstrate originality in the application of new knowledge and concepts.