Those closest to students have the greatest impact on their success. Given this belief, Louisiana has focused its efforts to support and empower principals in their role as school leaders. Successful principals reflect and plan, using data throughout the year to set goals and improve instruction. The Department helps principals develop their skills as instructional leaders by providing distinct categories of support: (1) Tools and resources; and (2) Direct support. The "Louisiana Principal's Teaching and Learning Guidebook" brings together, in one place, the key actions and resources to guide principals in the areas of: (1) Workforce Planning and Decisions; (2) Curriculum, Assessment, Professional Development, and Collaboration; and (3) Goals and Educator Support. To further support school and district leaders in their use of this guidebook, each focus area opens with an overview of key decisions and concludes with a scenario to illustrate how a principal can use the data and resources included in the section to make informed planning decisions. The scenarios reflect only a subset of the key actions for each focus area, and principals should review all content to consider how they too will use data and resources to set the direction of their schools and improve instruction.