The leadership practices that matter most are the ones that research shows positively affect student achievement. This book outlines the findings of McREL's research and analysis on effective school leadership, which revealed 21 critical actions school leaders can take to make a real difference for their students and staff. Explore specific practices and the step-by-step tools you need to integrate the actions and behaviors of successful leaders into your daily practices. Learn how a balanced approach--melding purposeful change with continuous maintenance--keeps the focus on these 21 responsibilities, and makes school leaders more effective in implementing the three fundamental components of leadership: (1) Establishing a clear focus keeping the work and the conversations targeted on the issues that matter most; (2) Managing change understanding how to skillfully steer through the challenges associated with making improvements, both large and small; and (3) Developing a purposeful community creating a sense among all teachers and staff that they are invested in student outcomes and that they can make a difference. This book puts you on the journey to acquiring those practices and shares in-depth stories of other principals from across the U.S. who have successfully implemented the "Balanced Leadership" practices in their schools.