This article examines the evolution of education which informs school leadership. Using the punctuated equilibrium model of organizational change, we describe how education has evolved under the weight of shifting understandings in the economic and sociopolitical foundations of society. We track the corresponding cardinal shifts in schooling that…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to unpack the foundations for the national standards for school leaders in the USA. The author examines some of the background of the Standards from 1996 to 2015. The author explores the two foundations on which the ISLLC Standards rest, academic press and supportive community. Design/methodology/approach:…

Homeless children in families comprise the fastest-growing group of homeless persons in the United States. Indeed, the American Academy of Pediatrics considers homelessness to be an issue with which pediatricians should be concerned. In this article, we review existing literature to provide a background for researchers, policymakers, and social…

Few concepts are more noted in the leadership effects research than vision. It is a cardinal element in the school improvement equation as well. Yet, it remains one of the least well-specified components of that algorithm. Based on a comprehensive review of the research on effective leadership and school improvement from 1995 to 2012, we bring…

Examines the current (inadequate) system of initial preparation and inservice development for school leaders and suggests potential ameliorative strategies. University programs are badly tarnished, from student recruitment practices to curriculum content and employment certification procedures. Establishing a professional knowledge base and…

In this article, we review research from the organizational sciences to develop lessons for educators and policy makers. The approach is an integrative review of the literature. We employ a comprehensive process to unpack and make sense of the turnaround literature from the organizational sciences. We rely on strategies appropriate for document…

A conceptual framework is presented, based upon a review of relevant literature sources, as well as upon preliminary impressions from a study of effective schools in California. This framework involves 14 variables that are discussed at length. (CT)

Begun in 1994, the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium operates under the aegis of the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Policy Board for Educational Administration. ISLLC builds on research about skillful administrative leadership and emerging societal and educational perspectives. Standards will strengthen school…

Principals must attend to eight curricular issues in their role as instructional leader: amount of content; extent of academic focus on coursework; focus and sequence of courses; breadth versus depth of content; differential access to knowledge; homework as an extension of content; curricular alignment; and quality of course objectives. Includes…

Draws on other articles in this journal issue to identify emergent themes concerning the principal's evolving role in several countries. Explains the context for change, including reform pressures and political response, and examines principals' changing work environment, their transformed roles, and preparation and professional development…

Traces the evolution of U.S. administrator training programs, focusing on 20th-century developments. Delineates four eras: the Ideological Era, 1820-1899; the Prescriptive Era, 1900-1946; the Scientific Era, 1947-1985; and the Dialectic Era, beginning around 1986. Underscores key dimensions and events in each time frame, highlighting inter-era…

The Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC), a program of the Council of Chief State School Officers, has recognized the new challenges facing school leaders, and has developed standards for effective educational leadership. This paper addresses the turning of the attention of the ISLLC to professional development linked to these…

This article provides a framework for practitioners and policy actors that links leadership and literacy. The focus is on the specification of research anchored scaffolding that can assist school administrators and policy players in their quest to strengthen student performance in reading. The framework itself is built from material culled from 4…

Although most efforts to improve academic learning time have been directed at classroom teachers, principals can also employ schoolwide procedures to improve time usage. This article presents 11 such strategies involving direction-setting, direct staff support, and structural alterations. Academic learning time should be a schoolwide goal linked…

A recent study indicates that the superintendent's personal involvement in principal supervision and evaluation, including frequent school visits, can be a key ingredient in school effectiveness. (MCG)