Ann Zweber Werner Program director of licensing for educational administrators, appointed 1998 330d Wulling Hall Program e-mail: licldr@umn.edu  Personal e-mail: werne023@umn.edu Phone: 612-626-8647 Fax: 612-624-3377 Mailing address: Dept. of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development 330 Wulling Hall University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN 55455-0221

After working as a school principal for more than 20 years, I’m able to bring hands-on experience and expertise to both the classroom and my research on K-12 educational administrative licensure. Fortunately, my present position enables me to combine everything I deeply loved about the principal’s role with my early roots in teaching and learning.

My current work concentrates on identifying and evaluating what constitutes demonstrated proficiency in the competencies required by the State of Minnesota for principal, director of special education, superintendent and director of community education licensures. By linking academic knowledge bases to extensive fieldwork among actual practitioners, we expect to have a powerful impact on the development of assessments in K-12 administrative licensure programs, as well as, indirectly, on other licensure programs. Our research team, which includes licensure program students, has interviewed more than 250 practitioners.

Because my research is of interest to educational training institutions, I present at numerous conferences. I’ve spoken on how to develop candidates for licensure, building a conceptual framework for the whole licensing program, and on approaches to continuous improvement and evaluation of training programs. I also coordinate a group of accredited Minnesota licensing institutions to discuss and share data.

I pay great attention to how people can best learn to be the best administrators possible.  Given the high academic caliber and personal dedication I see in the aspiring principals I teach, I am very hopeful that our children are in the hands of quality leaders.

Selected publications

Werner, A. (2000). Licensing for educational administrators conceptual framework. (Paper written for NCATE, the Department of Educational Policy and Administrations Licensing for Educational Administrators Web site and as a document for professional presentations.)

Zweber, A.B. (1993). The Relationship between Type, as Identified by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and Other Factors of Tenth Graders at Coon Rapids High School. (Doctoral dissertation, University of Minnesota).

Werner, A., Draayer. D., & Scearcy, L. (1999). Letter of commitment for the director of special education field experience. (Field experience document prepared for the University of Minnesota Licensure Program and reviewed by representatives of MASA).

Draayer. D., Werner, A., & Scearcy, L. (1999). Letter of commitment for K-12 principals. (Field experience document prepared for the University of Minnesota Licensure Program and reviewed by representatives of MASA).

Draayer. D., Werner, A., & Scearcy, L. (1999). Letter of commitment for the superintendent. (Field experience document prepared for the University of Minnesota Licensure Program and reviewed by representatives of MASA).

Draayer. D., Werner, A., & Scearcy, L. (1999). Letter of commitment for the director of community education. (Field experience document prepared for the University of Minnesota Licensure Program and reviewed by representatives of MASA).

Academic degrees

• Ph.D., University of Minnesota 1993, secondary school administration
• M.A., Michigan State University 1974, curriculum and instruction
• B.A., College of St. Scholastica, Duluth, MN 1971, home economics education

Professional experience

• 1998-present, lecturer and coordinator of licensing for educational administrators, University of Minnesota
• 1997-1998, director of the Urban Executive Leadership Program, University of Minnesota
• 1987-1997, principal, Coon Rapids High School, Coon Rapids, MN
• 1985-1987, principal, Duluth Central High School, Duluth, MN
• 1983-1985, principal, Woodland Junior High School, Duluth, MN
• 1982-1983, acting principal and assistant principal, Morgan Park Junior High School, Duluth, MN
• 1980-1982, principal, Lincoln Junior High School, Duluth, MN
• 1979-1980, assistant principal, Duluth East High School, Duluth, MN
• 1977-1979, administrative assistant, Duluth East High School, Duluth, MN
• 1976-1977, administrative trainee, Duluth Public School, Duluth, MN
• 1974-1976, home economics teacher, Duluth Denfield High School, Duluth, MN
• 1971-1974, home economics teacher, Washington Junior High School, Duluth, MN

Honors and awards

• Bush Fellowship: Principals' Leadership Program

Professional and academic association memberships

• American Educational Research Association
• Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals
• National Association of Secondary School Principals
• Association of Psychological Type
• Phi Delta Kappa
• Scholia
• Midwest Council for Educational Administration

Program development

• Developed and implemented procedural components of the licensure program at the University of Minnesota for school principals, superintendents, directors of special education, and directors of community education.
• Directly involved in the ongoing development of the Urban Executive Leadership Program, a partnership between the University of Minnesota Department of Educational Policy and Administration and the Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Mounds View school districts.

Selected presentations

• AERA roundtable discussion, "Competency-Based Licensing Requirements for Educational Administrators." April 1999, Montreal, Canada.
• Dunwoody Institute, Minneapolis, MN. Training staff in the concept of student portfolio and review panel assessment.
• Presentations about the University of Minnesota's licensure program at "The Aspiring Principal's Workshop" sponsored by MASSP in both Rochester and Minneapolis.
• Scholia presentation on Minnesota's competency-based licensure program.

Research

• Conducting research to gather key questions practitioners determine necessary for aspiring administrators to know, be able to do, or be like to demonstrate proficiency in the 21 competencies identified in the principal licensure regulations.
• Conducting a comparative analysis of the licensing requirements in the fifty states of the United States for principals, superintendents, directors of special education, and directors of community education.