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…

"For students to be successful in school, they first have to be in school." With that simple statement, Jessica Sprick and Randy Sprick launch a compelling case for prioritizing student attendance. This comprehensive guide provides school and district-level administrators and teams with the background information, strategies, and tools…

This chapter advises community college leaders how to achieve mission balance by using strategic planning to make mission-critical decisions and take decisive action.

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…

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,…

It is no secret that successful school leadership starts with the principal. But who is taking care of school principals and ensuring their well-being? A principal's needs must be addressed before they can effectively address the needs of their school community. District leadership must prioritize the needs of principals who in turn, will empower…

Strong leadership is invaluable to any organization. Effective leaders recruit and develop talent, promote organizational growth, influence change and create positive culture. Extensive research shows this holds true in the nation's schools. Teachers identify principal leadership as one of the most important determinants--more than…

This guide grew out of material used in the Transformation Academy, a professional learning program for principals charged with achieving the rapid improvement of their school. The intent of that program is to help principals get started with transforming instruction -- the change that is at the heart of school improvement. Transforming…

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…

This Special Issues Brief from the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) Center in partnership with the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education summarizes the experiences in leadership of six current and former deans who have been identified as engaging in successful collaborative…

Improving the quality of teaching and instruction takes time and planning and may be costly and require intensive work. This is particularly true when trying to make improvements among multiple preschool sites, because preschool systems often lack a cohesive infrastructure for supporting high-quality implementation of curricula and teacher…

While the State Education Agency is responsible for providing mediation services, the process ultimately depends on the participation of administrators and parents in order to be successful. This resource describes the advantages and disadvantages of mediation from an administrator's perspective. The goal is to help other administrators make…

Special educators are responsible for providing quality reading instruction to students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), but they often experience difficulties fulfilling this responsibility, especially for students with EBD who are placed in dedicated settings, including self-contained classes. Administrators can help by ensuring…

Special educators are responsible for providing quality reading instruction to students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), but they often experience difficulties fulfilling this responsibility, especially for students with EBD who are placed in dedicated settings, including self-contained classes. Administrators can help by ensuring…

How can we approach professional development in a thoughtful way, keep teachers motivated, and make the process worthwhile? It's a truth that school leaders can't deny: teachers tend to think of PD as a distraction from the "real work" of the classroom--as something to get through instead of an opportunity to engage, learn, and grow as…