Terry Orr

I strongly believe in the potential of education to engender ideas, encourage creativity and enable opportunities for all learners, and that leaders can be catalysts for this work in the ways that they interact with others. My approach to leadership development is grounded in the core tenets of progressive education as highly experiential, developmental, and democratic. Through the exploration of values and social justice commitments, inquiry projects, integrated theory and practice coursework, and challenging hands-on field experiences, I help aspiring leaders—as their own cooperative learning community—become such catalysts who will lead change and create quality learning for all in their schools and districts.

• Program evaluator for schools and districts (e.g. dropout prevention, high school to college and careers).
• Professional development consultant on curriculum and organizational matters for schools and districts.
• School improvement consultant to support low-performing schools make achievement progress.
• Leadership development specialist for districts and consortia of school and district leaders.

Selected Publications and Presentations

• Orr, M. T., O’Dogherty, A., & Barber, M. (2012). Developing a purposeful and coherent leadership preparation curriculum. Charlottesville, VA: University Council of Educational Administration.

• Orr, M. T., & Orphanos, S. (2011). How graduate-level preparation influences the effectiveness of school leaders: A comparison of the outcomes of innovative and conventional leadership preparation programs on principals. Educational Administration Quarterly, 47(1), 18-70.

• Orr, M. T., King, C., LaPointe, M. (2010). Districts developing leaders: Lessons on consumer actions and program approaches from eight urban districts. Newton, Massachusetts: EDC.

• Orr, M. T. (2009). Program evaluation in leadership preparation and related fields. In M. D. Young & G. Crow (Eds.), Handbook of Research on the Education of School Leaders (pp. 457-498). New York: Routledge.

• Darling-Hammond, L., Meyerson, D., LaPointe, M., & Orr, M. T. (2009). Preparing school leaders for a changing world. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

• Orr, M. T., Berg, B., Shore, R., & Meier, E. (2008). Putting the pieces together: Leadership for change in low-performing urban schools. Education and Urban Society, 40(6), 670-693.

• Byrne-Jimenez, M. & Orr, M. T. (2007). Developing effective principals through collaborative inquiry. New York: Teachers College Press.

• Orr, M. T. (2006). Learning the superintendency: Socialization, negotiation, determination. Teachers College Record 108(7), 1362-1403.