About

Bonnie C. Fusarelli, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership and Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis at NC State University and a University Faculty Scholar. She serves as the Director of NC State’s Leadership Academies, which are recognized nationally for their innovative and effective approach to preparing school leaders for high-need schools. Her research focuses on educational leadership and policy, the politics of school improvement, educational equity, and organizational change, with a particular emphasis on state-level education reform and leadership development. Dr. Fusarelli has authored over 60 articles published in various research journals and has secured over $43 million in grant funding to support her work. She has received numerous teaching awards at both the K-12 and university levels, including induction into NC State’s Academy of Outstanding Teachers. In 2022, she was honored with the Governor James E. Holshouser Award for Excellence in Public Service by the UNC System.

Research topics

• Political Science
• Sociology
• Computer Science
• Psychology
• Pedagogy
• Social Science
• Mathematics education
• Social psychology
• Applied psychology
• Media studies
• Law
• Anthropology
• Medicine
• Medical education
• Public relations

Selected publications

• ACCELERATING LEADERSHIP LEARNING IN AN AWARD-WINNING PRINCIPAL PREPARATION PROGRAM

  EDULEARN proceedings · 2025-06-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• EFFECTIVE INTEGRATION OF AI INTO LEADERSHIP PREPARATION

  EDULEARN proceedings · 2025-06-01

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Leadership for the Future: Enhancing Principal Preparation Through Standards and Innovation

  Education Sciences · 2024-12-22 · 11 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  This manuscript presents a comprehensive analysis of NC State University’s redesigned principal preparation program, emphasizing its alignment with state and national leadership standards, innovative curriculum, and commitment to practical application. The program’s redesign addresses long-standing criticisms of traditional university-based leadership preparation, such as the disconnect between theory and practice, by incorporating data-driven instructional leadership, equity-focused training, and collaborative community engagement. Additionally, this article explores the role of specialized internships, full-time residencies, and the integration of technology in training future principals. The program’s success is demonstrated by improved principal placement, school outcomes, and teacher retention—particularly in high-need schools. Finally, the manuscript discusses the future of leadership preparation, highlighting the potential of artificial intelligence to further enhance decision-making, personalized professional development, and administrative efficiency, while addressing ethical considerations such as data privacy and equity.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Bookshelf: <i>Kappan</i> authors on their favorite reads

  Phi Delta Kappan · 2023

  1st authorCorresponding
  • Sociology
  • Social Science
  • Sociology

  In this regular column, Kappan authors recommend books that have influenced them. This month, Ferial Pearson recommends Case Studies on Diversity and Social Justice Education (2nd ed.) by Paul Gorksi and Seema Pothini. Bonnie C. Fusarelli and Lance D. Fusarelli recommend Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools by Jonathan Kozol.

  PublisherDOI

• What do excellent school leader preparation programs look like?

  Phi Delta Kappan · 2023 · 8 citations

  1st authorCorresponding
  • Political Science
  • Computer Science
  • Pedagogy

  Principal leadership is a crucial element in high-performing schools. Research reveals that principals are second only to teachers in impacting student achievement at school. Accordingly, how school leaders are prepared has received increasing attention in recent years. Drawing from the findings of recent reports highlighting exemplary programs and best practices, authors Bonnie C. Fusarelli and Lance D. Fusarelli identify several research-based best practices for improving principal preparation. They include recommendations to scale up best practices nationwide.

  PublisherDOI

• Architecture of innovative internship coaching models within US principal preparation programs

  International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education · 2020 · 9 citations

  • Computer Science
  • Sociology
  • Psychology

  Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the architecture of internship coaching models from five innovative principal preparation programs in the Southeastern region of the USA. The researchers used coaching architecture in this context to include the assignment of coaches to interns, dosages, and enactment of evaluation and confidentiality. Design/methodology/approach The researchers used a qualitative, collective case study research design that included semi-structured interviews of program directors and coaches from each of five programs, totaling 19 interviews that lasted from 30 min to an hour and 15 min each. Findings Commonalities among architectures of principal intern coaching designs included coaching assignment by geography, frequency and format of coaching sessions and length of the internship. All five programs recommend continuing coaching into initial years of administration. Points of distinction pertained to the utilization of external versus internal coaches, confidentiality and evaluation by coaches. Research limitations/implications This study may inform coaching models for principal preparation programs within similar contexts. Because all five programs are grant-funded within one US state, generalizability and transferability cannot be assumed. Practical implications The authors provide design considerations for coaching programs, as well as policy considerations and directions for future research. Originality/value While coaching is increasingly used in leadership preparation programs, there is a paucity of research regarding the nature of coaching models, especially in terms of their architecture. The researchers examine, compare, and contrast coaching model architecture, raising important considerations for coaching designs.

  PublisherDOI

• Who’s in Charge?

  2019-08-12

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Planning for the Future: Leadership Development and Succession Planning in Education

  Journal of Research on Leadership Education · 2018-05-21 · 75 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Superintendents leading school districts, particularly in hard-to-staff areas, face immense challenges in recruiting and retaining high-quality, well-trained teachers, principals, and district leaders. Many large urban areas as well as their rural counterparts have high concentrations of intergenerational poverty and unemployment. Rural areas are further disadvantaged by the lack of social and cultural attractions as well as fewer health care resources. In North Carolina, many of the lowest performing schools in the state are disproportionately clustered in rural areas. Superintendents leading districts in such areas face serious problems of high teacher and school leader turnover. As a result, superintendents are constantly engaged in an ongoing cycle of hiring new teachers, assistant principals, and district-level leaders. The graying of the school leadership profession further compounds the problem. For example, over the next 4 years in rural, high-poverty schools in North Carolina, an estimated 50% of principals will be eligible for retirement—making succession planning for quality school leadership a critical issue. In this article, we review the research and best practices on succession planning in education as well as in other sectors. Utilizing the theoretical framework of human capital theory, we illustrate how forward-thinking superintendents can partner with universities and other organizations to address the leadership challenges they face by creating strategic, long-term, leadership growth plans that build leadership capacity and potentially yield significant returns in improved student outcomes.

  PublisherDOI

• Leadership Development in Rural Schools: An Innovative Training Model

  Literacy Information and Computer Education Journal · 2018-03-30 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Educational systems in nations throughout the world, including the United States, face the challenge of hiring and retaining excellent school leaders willing to serve in rural school settings. Common challenges include few qualified applicants, a lack of resources and support, impoverished communities with high unemployment and concentrated poverty, lower pay, and fewer social and cultural opportunities. Given how many schools are located in rural areas, and how critical school principals are to school improvement, attracting and retaining high quality leaders is of critical importance. In this article, we describe an innovative leadership development model specifically designed to prepare school leaders to work in rural contexts. We detail the core components of this model, distinguish it from traditional models of leadership preparation, provide preliminary evidence of the model's effectiveness, and offer lessons learned from the process. We conclude that such models can be effective in creating cadres of leaders equipped to work in rural school systems, which will help address this critical leadership challenge.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Instructional Supervision in an Era of High‐Stakes Accountability

  2018-09-14 · 9 citations

  otherSenior author
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Lance D. Fusarelli

  North Carolina State University

  12 shared

• Matt Militello

  4 shared

• Bruce S. Cooper

  4 shared

• Thomas L. Alsbury

  3 shared

• Matthew Militello

  East Carolina University

  3 shared

• Tom Warren

  Policy Analysis (United States)

  2 shared

• Tamara V. Young

  North Carolina State University

  2 shared

• Lucy E. Eaton

  2 shared

Awards & honors

• NC State’s Academy of Outstanding Teachers
• 2022 Governor James E. Holshouser Award for Excellence in Pu…