Educational Leadership

The What's in it for Schools series has been written by experts in the field for an audience of busy practitioners. The books present research and thinking about topical education issues and present it in an accessible and relevant way. What makes a good leader? Does good leadership matter in helping schools be more successful? This concise and accessible book examines leadership in a practical way by helping principals, heads, teachers and parents establish their roles and responsibilities and get to grips with the unique leadership requirements of schools. The author explores issues such as leadership, what it is and how it works, character and culture as keys to improvement, how to build commitment, motivation and improved performance, and using local standards and assessments to improve schools and leadership as a form of social capital.

From the AgAnda for Education in a Democracy SeriesSponsored by the National Network for Educational RenewalIntroduction by John I. Goodlad This volume from the AgAnda for Education in a Democracy series introduces the four-part mission that guides the National Network for Educational Renewal's agAnda:Enculturate the young in a democracyEnsure access to knowledge for all studentsProvide caring and effective pedagogyExercise responsible stewardship of schoolsUsing real-life case examples from an innovative national leadership program and its local and regional affiliates, the authors demonstrate why effective leadership is essential to advancing this vital agAnda and how leadership capacity and commitment can be cultivated. From curriculum to evaluation, this important guide outlines the core concepts and winning strategies for building leadership skills in school administrators, teachers, teacher educators, and other university faculty.

Leadership for Quality Schooling provides the latest thinking and research on school leadership from a range of international scholars in the field of educational administration. Because of the growing acceptance of school- based models of school management, there is now developing a greater focus on how quality education can be more fully achieved in this increasingly commonplace administrative context. Since one major aspect of promoting quality is the role of school leadership, this book offers a particular focus on the question of the connection between leadership and school improvement, effectiveness and performance. Leadership for Quality Schooling will be of interest to educational practitioners, students, researchers, academics and policymakers. It is intended as a guide to the latest research on leadership, as well as a stimulus to further thought for those looking for alternative ideas to existing practices.

This text offers a comparative perspective on leadership. It examines the global influences, the differing national and state contexts which shape leadership, the impact of local pressures and priorities, as well as leadership.

Developed in response to the growing interest in examining individual schools as they undergo change, this book features eight case studies of urban elementary and high schools as they face problems and attempt to find solutions in their quest to reform themselves. The cases, with all their pitfalls and problems, provide examples of the very bumpy road of change and of the individual school cultures that sometimes support and often impede reform. Told in the individual voices of various school leaders, the narratives reflect the inevitable biases of people immersed in their work. Their richness derives from the passion with which these stories are told. Textured and complex, these chronicles invite readers to think deeply about the many layers involved in the process of changing schools. School Leadership in Times of Urban Reform is a powerful text for courses in educational leadership, school reform, and the politics of education. Engaging pedagogical features at the end of each case facilitate its use: *Each case ends with an "Analysis of Leadership" section and "Extended Thinking" questions and activities. *Sections 2-5 conclude with "Reflections" to help the reader uncover the major themes and issues. Section 1 is an introductory analysis of reform and school leadership; it provides a frame of reference for examining the case studies that follow. Sections 2-5 are organized around eight case studies (two per section) that address questions of how the leadership roles of school principals and teachers have been shaped by the reform initiative; how parents and local communities have contributed to school reform; and how the culture of the school, and teaching and learning, have been shaped by reform. The final section synthesizes and analyzes what the authors have learned through these cases concerning the leadership roles of principals, parents, community members, and teachers during the period of reform; how the cultures of schools changed as reform progressed; and how reform impacted the instructional practices of teachers and the learning of students.

The authors developed this textbook in response to an increasing interest in ethics, and a growing number of courses on this topic that are now being offered in educational leadership programs. It is designed to fill a gap in instructional materials for teaching the ethics component of the knowledge base that has been established for the profession. The text has several purposes: First, it demonstrates the application of different ethical paradigms (the ethics of justice, care, critique, and the profession) through discussion and analysis of real-life moral dilemmas that educational leaders face in their schools and communities. Second, it addresses some of the practical, pedagogical, and curricular issues related to the teaching of ethics for educational leaders. Third, it emphasizes the importance of ethics instruction from a variety of theoretical approaches. Finally, it provides a process that instructors might follow to develop their own ethics unit or course. * Part I provides an overview of why ethics is so important, especially for today's educational leaders, and describes a multiparadigm approach essential to practitioners as they grapple with ethical dilemmas. * Part II deals with the dilemmas themselves. Ethical dilemmas written by the authors' graduate students bring readers face-to-face with the kinds of dilemmas faced by practicing administrators in urban, suburban, and rural settings in an era full of complexities and contradictions. * Part III focuses on pedagogy and provides teaching notes for the instructor. The authors discuss the importance of self-reflection on the part of both instructors and students, and model how they thought through their own personal and professional ethical codes as well as reflected upon the critical incidents in their lives that shaped their teaching and frequently determined what they privileged in class.

A Blueprint for Developing Tomorrow's School Leaders "A penetrating analysis of today's whopping school leadership crisis, and a wake-up call for a revolution in principal preparation. Filled with provocative ideas on how to address the demands for unprecedented improvement in student performance." _ Jerome Murphy, professor of education and former dean, Harvard Graduate School of Education "The Principal Challenge does a brilliant job of chronicling the failure of our school districts and our schools of education to prepare school principals for the job ahead. This book is both a stimulus for action and a handbook of new models for leadership development. Everyone who wants public education to succeed should read it." _ John C. Fryer, Jr., superintendent, Duval County Schools, Florida and former commandant, National War College "This panoramic view of the principalship is powerful. Not only does this book present issues few are willing to openly discuss, it lays out solutions. It is a must-read for everyone interested in the future of our kids." _ Patricia A. Harvey, superintendent, Saint Paul, Minnesota Public Schools "For too long, the heart of educational leadership has been neglected. This book provides a welcome transfusion. The coeditors are obviously well grounded in both theory and practice. Their critique of schools of education is right on target." _ Terrance Deal, Irving R. Melbo Scholar, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California "The Principal Challenge represents a ray of hope and a voice of reason for principals, who are under enormous pressure from states, localities, and communities to produce results in demanding circumstances. There are few jobs today with as many and as divergent responsibilities as that of a principal. A new vision of the principalship is required, and The Principal Challenge delivers." _ Maria Tukeva, principal, Bell Multicultural High School, Washington, D.C.