This paper offers an insight into some of the key practices associated with the operation of the institution of honorary supervisors in the system of public education of the Russian Empire in the first half of the 19th century. Only a member of the noble estate could be an honorary supervisor. These functionaries were an important part of the…

Purpose: The purpose of this manuscript is the presentation of: (1) a reciprocal learning process for coach and employee; and (2) a practical implementation guide. Design/methodology/approach: Various search tools were used to explore the areas of manager in coaching role, learning orientation, reciprocal learning, integrative pedagogy (IP) and…

How do principal learning opportunities need to change, and who should be leading this change effort? The school district central office plays a vital role in principal learning by providing supervision and support for principals. Just as teachers need ongoing learning opportunities and support from their principals to provide high-quality…

Des Moines (Iowa) Public Schools is one of six urban districts participating in an effort to redesign the role of principal supervisors. The Wallace Foundation's Principal Supervisor Initiative provides four years of support for these districts to transform the role, which has traditionally focused on operations and compliance, into one that…

Principal supervisors often find themselves drawn into managing logistical and operational matters, instead of helping principals become more effective instructional leaders. Yet Meredith Honig and Lydia Rainey contend that principal supervisors need to make principals' instructional leadership their primary focus. Drawing on their work with…

Mentorship is a critical and necessary practice in the journey of a leader. However, there is a dark side of mentorship that includes misaligned expectations and general negative consequences. In higher education, as with any industry, those who have attained leadership roles are not always models to be followed. It is important for mentees and…

In an effort to integrate university coursework with field-site experiences and bolster pre-service teacher learning, national teacher education organizations have charged teacher education programs with embedding teacher preparation within clinically-rich experiences. These reforms have resulted in expanded and increasingly complex conceptions of…

Filled with practical steps for all the stakeholders in the student teaching experience, this article emphasizes the many ways that communication adds to student teaching success, as well as includes useful checklists.

A recent synthesis of research from the last two decades confirms that principals can have a significant impact on student learning outcomes, accelerating annual student learning by more than two months. Effective principals focus on high-leverage instructional activities, build a productive culture and climate, facilitate collaboration and…

The American Rescue Plan Act has made funds available to states and districts to speed up recovery from the effects of COVID-19, including addressing learning loss. The Wallace Foundation has distilled evidence from its work that may be helpful in informing choices about how to spend those funds, as well as how to implement key strategies.…

In Washington, D.C., and Tulsa, Okla., districts whose efforts are supported by the Wallace Foundation, principal supervisors concentrate on bolstering their principals' work to improve instruction, as opposed to focusing on the managerial or operational aspects of running a school. Supervisors oversee fewer schools, which enables them to provide…

Principals have a difficult job. It requires them to be instructional leaders, managers and mentors, all with the goal of helping every student succeed. How can school districts provide principals the support they need to excel in this challenging position? This Stories from the Field report explores how some school districts are responding to…

This paper presents states and districts with guidelines and recommendations for improving systems that support instructional practices. Because the quality of teaching is the most important school-based factor for student learning, a focus on instruction is essential for turning around struggling schools and districts and cultivating conditions…

Principal evaluation systems without explicit and aligned professional learning simply re-create a system of compliance and fail to improve leadership capacity. Given the complexity of the role of today's principals, they must learn a new set of skills and knowledge to create innovative learning environments. To use principal evaluation as a tool…

Teachers at Jackson Elementary School in Hillsboro, Oregon, embrace a growth mindset and continuously try best practices that better reach all students. They collaborate and bounce ideas off one another, and they observe one another and provide feedback. They will even ask another teacher to model lessons with their students so they learn how to…