Principals are critical to the effectiveness of schools, especially those serving children with the fewest advantages in life. So how can it be ensured that principals have the skills to carry out this challenging and evolving job? Enter the powerful combination of university principal preparation programs and the school districts their graduates…

Purpose: School principals should see themselves as social justice leaders, who have the ability to allow all students to succeed, regardless of their characteristics and backgrounds. At the same time, school principals are also called upon to demonstrate instructional leadership, which emphasizes the teaching and learning aspects of school…

Public school principals are challenged with educating students effectively in the midst of frequent educational policy changes and increasing institutional demands. Principals also face mounting pressures within their communities such as poverty, racial divides, cultural barriers, and educational disparities. Building cultures of respect,…

The purpose of this study was to identify factors that served as barriers to principal engagement in the professional development process, and identify what resources or supports were needed to increase engagement. The 249 survey participants were drawn from 112 different school systems. From that group 20 principals were purposefully sampled for…

When it comes to educational equity, we are all part of the problem--and we can all be part of the solution. Here, Shane Safir describes how instructional leaders can put the "warm demander" coaching model into practice. "Warm demanders," she explains, expect a great deal of their colleagues, convince them of their own capacity…

This descriptive case study using mixed methods examined principal supervisors' experience implementing the School Administration Manager (SAM) process designed to increase their focus on instructional leadership in a urban school district in the mid-Atlantic area. The research was framed around principal supervisors using the Constructivist…

This Delphi study asked a 25-member expert panel of higher education technology leaders to examine requirements for their role and make predictions a future higher education technology leader (eg. Chief Information Officer or CIO) will need to succeed. The panel, representing a range of institution sizes and types, assisted in exploring the…

This study examines the perceptions of three South Texas novice school principals. In this study, novice principal is defined as a principal or assistant principal who is within the first three years of his/her leadership assignment (Shoho & Barnett, 2010). First, the researchers examine the daily responsibilities of a novice school principal.…

Background: This study was designed to explore teachers' and middle managers' experiences regarding their principals' instructional leadership practices aimed at improving curriculum delivery in schools. Literature on instructional leadership indicates how failing schools can be turned around to become successful if principals consider…

The purpose of this study was to examine the life and work of Frank William Westhoff (1863-1938), a leader in music education during the progressive era (circa 1890s-1950s). Research questions focused on his work as a music supervisor, teacher educator, pedagogue, and textbook author. I also explored Westhoff's contributions to the profession and…

This study examined the response of high school principals as instructional leaders to the rise of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in public schools within the state of South Carolina. It specifically researched the impact of instructional leadership on students with ASD and the development of instructional leader principals when following the…

Implementing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a critical issue for public schools in our country. UDL is an inclusive framework based on the science of learning. It supports and removes barriers to learning for all students while maintaining high expectations. Federal education policies have called for inclusive instruction based on UDL…

The 21st century public school principal is faced with complex challenges and issues as would be expected to befall a key influencer of student success. Among others, these challenges include accountability demonstrated through high stakes testing, data-driven decision making, effectively incorporating innovative technology, recruiting and…

Moving to remote instruction can be daunting, but it is no reason to stop including students with disabilities. Co-teaching should be used as a service delivery model to support students in their least restrictive environment, which is often the general education classroom. School leaders need to continue to promote inclusive education, even…

Superintendents, functioning as the local school boards' chief executive officers, play a fundamental role in improving schools. While teachers and principals have been given a prominence in students´ learning outcomes, the perspective of superintendents as instructional leaders is often forgotten. Based on a nationwide survey of Swedish school…