The Developmental Demands of Antiracist School Leadership: From State Standards to Leadership Education

In contrast to the national backlash against educational equity efforts, in 2021 Massachusetts revised its Professional Standards for Leadership to be explicitly anti-racist and justice-oriented. However, the effectiveness of these revised standards depends in part on the capacity of leaders to enact them. In this study, we use constructive-developmental theory to analyze the adult developmental capacities of recent graduates of a leadership preparation program ( n = 8). Drawing on semi-structured interviews and developmental assessments with each participant, we find a range of capacities, suggesting a differing levels of readiness to enact antiracist leadership. We discuss implications for leadership preparation and education policy.