INT. J. LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION, APRIL–JUNE 2007, VOL. 10, NO. 2, 191–210 International Journal of Leadership in Education ISSN 1360–3124 print/ISSN 1464–5092 online © 2007 Taylor & Francis http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals DOI: 10.1080/13603120600935696 Traditional and personal admissions criteria: predicting candidate performance in US educational leadership programmes MEREDITH MOUNTFORD, MARK EHLERT, JIM MACHELL and DAN COCKRELL Taylor and Francis Ltd TEDL_A_193485.sgm 10.1080/13603120600935696 International Journal of Leadership in Education 1360-3124 (print)/1464-5092 (online) Original Article 2007 Taylor & Francis 10 1 0000002006 MeredithMountford mmountfo@fau.edu This paper examines the predictive validity of traditional academic and personal screening criteria used for admitting students into a Statewide Cooperative Doctoral Programme in Educational Leadership on student performance in the programme. This research examined the relationships among traditional admission criteria which included GRE scores (verbal, analytic, and quantitative), undergraduate and graduate GPA, and personal admissions crite- ria including an on-site problem-solving writing activity, a writing sample, and an interview. These measures were compared to student performance on selected programme measures that included comprehensive exam scores, time to degree completion, and an online writing score for a large group of students in a cohort-based doctorate of education programme (N > 300). Findings from the study suggest that personal screening measures such as interviews, on-site and real-time problem solving activities, and on-site and timed writing activities are more accurate predictors of student performance in an Ed.D. leadership programme than are tradi- tional screening measures such as GRE scores, undergraduate GPAs, and graduate GPAs. Introduction Over the past 15 years, increased efforts have been made to improve educa- tional leadership preparation programmes due to a number of weaknesses found in programmes that have been empirically researched by individual scholars as well as national educational administration organizations (UCEA 1987, NBPEA 1989, Murphy 1992, 1999, Levine 2005). Among these studies, a common weakness is related to programme admissions processes. A lack of sound recruitment efforts, shortage of quality candi- dates, and unacceptably low entrance standards for self-selected students have led to a growing pool of programme graduates who lack the knowledge and skills to effectively lead schools (NBPEA 1989, Murphy 1992, CCSSO 1996, Murphy and Vriesenga 2004, Levine 2005). And, while this evidence mounts, little appears to have changed in the area of admissions policies and procedures for educational leadership programmes across the USA. Meredith Mountford is an Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Educational Leaders at Flor- ida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA. Email: mmountfo@fau.edu. Mark Ehlert is a Research Analyst in the Economics Department at the University of Missouri – Colum- bia. James Machell serves as dean of the College of Education and Professional Studies at the University of Central Oklahoma. Dan Cockrell, Ed.D., is a Professor Emeritus faculty member in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA) at the University of Missouri-Columbia.