This policy brief details three recommendations for how principals can lead schools to college and career readiness. They include: (1) Revising school leadership standards to focus on those most critical for ambitious instructional leadership and providing technical assistance and resources; (2) Strengthening and investing in high-quality…

Over the last eight years, the University of Virginia Partnership for Leaders in Education (UVA/PLE) has partnered with over 50 districts and state education agencies across the country to embark on high-level change at the state, district, and school levels through the use of leader competencies. This guide calls upon practice-based experience,…

Student-Centered Leadership offers a timely and thoughtful resource for school leaders who want to turn their ideals into action. Written by educational leadership expert Viviane Robinson, the book shows leaders how they can make a bigger difference to the quality of teaching and learning in their school and ultimately improve their students'…

Develop the skills you need to communicate effectively and in ways that motivate your faculty towards success. Written especially for principals and other administrators, this book will empower you to communicate well as you work to promote a student-centered environment best suited to schoolwide achievement. Learn to approach one-on-one…

Concrete and practicable lists of instructional leadership activities comprise this article. (Editor)

The story in this book paints a picture of how a troubled school transformed itself into a community of leaders and learners working together to achieve a shared vision: a school that nurtured students to be all that they could be. The author relates her experiences and thoughts as she entered the principalship of a troubled school and transformed…

The National Network of Principals' Centers is an organization established to foster the exchange of ideas and facilitate professional communication among the many principals' centers and leadership academies in the United States and internationally. This 1988/89 edition offers listings of colleagues in this field from over 39 states and 4 foreign…

Increasing evidence shows that school leaders, throughout all stages of their careers, can benefit from a mentoring system in which a seasoned leader helps the protege combine theory and practice with experience. This research roundup reviews works that provide support for principal mentoring and share strategies for establishing mentoring…

This newsletter reviews five reports that address the implications of standards for administrators. These texts include "Designing and Implementing Standards-Based Accountability System" (Education Commission of the States), which describes some of the policy implications of standards-driven accountability; "Why Principals Fail: Are National…

This operations notebook is designed to assist elementary (and/or secondary) school principals in planning their school schedule, month by month, based on six major areas of administrative competency: (1) instructional leadership, (2) management, (3) human relations, (4) leadership, (5) political and cultural awareness, and (6) self-awareness. The…

Never before has the need for effective mentoring programs for principals been more urgent. Record student enrollment, an anticipated retirement of about 40 percent of principals, and a shrinking pool of those who aspire to be principals have brought about a shortage of principals and an alarming lack of qualified applicants. This research roundup…

This book presents seven steps for principals to improve their leadership skills. These seven steps have been tested by practitioners and validated by research. Chapter 1 sets forth the differences between leadership and instructional leadership and defines the critical attributes of the latter. Chapters 2 through 8 describe the seven steps in…

This book is intended to encourage and support leaders in being authentic. It draws on the stories and anecdotes of an educator who has been a school principal for 20 years. Two organizing principles structure the 6 chapters: the core issues of leadership are illustrated and discussed through stories while the evolution of a leader is portrayed.…

This book examines what it means to be a leader. It is intended not only for education leaders, but for anyone who feels compelled to provide the most effective leadership they can. The content is based on the author's 30 years of experience as a professional educator. Each chapter illustrates a component of leadership through a series of…

This complete resource provides staff developers with the necessary tools for training leaders at all levels of the educational system to become the catalysts for large scale, sustainable reform. Hear from practicing principals, superintendents, and educational experts; observe actual training sessions; and visit classrooms to see how the model to…