Every year, an average of 20% of schools replace their principals. This book will inform and enhance the process of recruiting new personnel with its insights and practical suggestions for a successful search. This book also offers current thinking and research to help school boards and policy makers retain the professional leaders they have. This…

Being a principal is a hard job in normal circumstances, but COVID-19 made the job of leading campuses nearly impossible for many. In a recent survey, one out of two principals said their stress level is so high that they are considering career change or retirement. This report details findings from a five-year project called the School Leadership…

In "Navigating the Principalship," James P. Spillane and Rebecca Lowenhaupt look at the major challenges of the principal position, examining how new principals adapt to the role, set an instructional agenda, and build cooperation and collaboration. They focus in particular on the dilemmas that mark the principalship--the inevitable,…

Even in "routine" years, the principal's attention to climate matters for wellness, and it matters for outcomes. School climate is a critical factor supporting the quality of student learning, particularly in times of stress. As a result, districts across the nation have dedicated considerable resources to tools used to assess climate,…

What does it take to be a good school principal? No two principals work exactly the same way, but research shows that effective principals focus on a core set of factors critical to fostering success among all students. In this second edition of "Qualities of Effective Principals," James H. Stronge and Xianxuan Xu delineate these factors…

The goal of this toolkit is to give educators and school leaders the tools that they need to prevent bullying and harassment by fostering a positive school climate. This package is meant to be used as a guide for teachers and administrators in their work to develop a safe and healthy school climate and, in the process, prevent bullying and…

Many change efforts in schools fail to create the desired lasting change because they do not consider the current school culture. This is especially challenging for a principal beginning in a new school. Using Schein's (2004) definition of culture, this article guides school leaders in diagnosing culture and creating an environment where lasting…

Principals' influence on students is largely indirect, but their work in shaping school cultures, equipping teachers, and welcoming families all support students' academic achievement. A few pivots on the part of principals may transform the ways that parents and families participate in and engage with their students' schooling. This brief is…

Talented leaders are essential to building and sustaining successful organizations. This is especially true for schools, where principal leadership plays a major role in fostering student success. Research shows that principals are a significant school-level factor affecting student achievement, second only to classroom teachers. Like other types…

The George W. Bush Institute's School Leadership Initiative (SLI) District Cohort Research Project is a five-year effort with four school districts to test two frameworks--Principal Talent Management (PTM) and Effective Implementation. This collaboration is designed to improve how districts prepare, recruit, support, and retain principals. This…

The Center on School Turnaround (CST) has identified four levers, or domains, for dramatic change to rapidly improve schools: (1) turnaround leadership; (2) talent development; (3) instructional transformation; and (4) culture shift (CST, 2017). These levers are highly integrated -- the only way for each to succeed is to ensure that all four are…

"Culturally Responsive School Leadership" focuses on how school leaders can effectively serve minoritized students--those who have been historically marginalized in school and society. The book demonstrates how leaders can engage students, parents, teachers, and communities in ways that positively impact learning by honoring indigenous…

Over half of all teacher-powered schools have designated administrators, and the role is very different from what a traditional principal does at most K-12 schools. This guide is designed to address the unique opportunities and challenges in being a teacher-powered administrator. The guide draws on the expertise and experience of eight…

"Culturally Responsive School Leadership" focuses on how school leaders can effectively serve minoritized students--those who have been historically marginalized in school and society. The book demonstrates how leaders can engage students, parents, teachers, and communities in ways that positively impact learning by honoring indigenous…

Educators understand that an academic divide endures between groups of students, and schools often perpetuate inequities that result in unequal lives. There are effective strategies that any principal, in any setting, might consider implementing as a means to overcome the challenges faced by educators who aim to improve student learning in their…