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Reimagining the job of leading schools

Lessons from a 10-year journey

By Learning Forward
April 2010
Quality leadership is a must in any important human pursuit, and education is no exception. While teachers have the most direct and obvious impact on student learning, the school leader is in the best position to ensure that excellent teaching and learning aren’t limited to single classrooms but spread throughout entire schools. Indeed, research finds few documented cases of turning around a failing school absent the strong hand of a qualified leader. Improving leadership, then, holds particular promise as an effective way for states and districts to help better the fortunes of the nation’s most underserved students. Those are the facts and convictions at the heart of a decade-long commitment by The Wallace Foundation to work with states and urban districts across the country to

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References

Augustine, C.H., Gonzalez, G., Ikemoto, G.S., Russell, J., Zellman, G.L., Constant, L., et al. (2009). Improving school leadership: The promise of cohesive leadership systems. Santa Monica, CA: RAND. Commissioned by TheWallace Foundation. Available at www.wallacefoundation.org/ KnowledgeCenter/KnowledgeTopics/CurrentAreasofFocus/ EducationLeadership/Pages/Improving-School-Leadership- The-Promise-of-Cohesive-Leadership-Systems.aspx.

Colvin, R.L. (2007, October). Mining for meaning in Michigan’s data book: One principal’s quest to make the numbers count. Improving leadership for learning: Stories from the field. Seattle,WA: University ofWashington Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy. Commissioned by TheWallace Foundation. Available at http://elan.wallacefoundation.org/ TR/KnowledgeCategories/Improving%20Conditions/Data- Informed%20Decision-Making/Pages/data_mining.aspx.

Darling-Hammond, L., LaPointe, M., Meyerson, D., Orr, M., & Cohen, C. (2007). Preparing school leaders for a changing world: Lessons from exemplary leadership development programs (pp. 5-6). Palo Alto, CA: Stanford Educational Leadership Institute. Commissioned by TheWallace Foundation. Available at www.wallacefoundation.org/ KnowledgeCenter/KnowledgeTopics/CurrentAreasofFocus/ EducationLeadership/Pages/preparing-school-leader.aspx.

Feemster, R., (2007, November). Making state accountability count: How New Mexico supports principals with data tools. Improving leadership for learning: Stories from the field. Seattle,WA: University ofWashington Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy. Commissioned by TheWallace Foundation. Available at www.wallacefoundation.org/ KnowledgeCenter/KnowledgeTopics/CurrentAreasofFocus/ EducationLeadership/Pages/making-state-accountabilitycount. aspx.

Fry, B., O’Neill, K., & Bottoms, G. (2006). Schools can’t wait: Accelerating the redesign of university principal preparation programs (p. 11). Atlanta, GA: Southern Regional Education Board. Commissioned by TheWallace Foundation. Available at www.wallacefoundation.org/KnowledgeCenter/ KnowledgeTopics/CurrentAreasofFocus/EducationLeadership/ Pages/SchoolsCantWait.aspx.

King, C., LaPointe, M., & Orr, M.T. (2009). School districts as consumers of university leadership preparation programs: An evaluation study (pp. 44-51). Newton, MA: Education Development Center. Commissioned by The Wallace Foundation.

Leithwood, K., Louis, K.S., Anderson, S., &Wahlstrom, K. (2004). Review of research: How leadership influences student learning. New York: TheWallace Foundation. Available at www.wallacefoundation.org/Pages/references-how-leadershipinfluences- student-learning.aspx.

Levine, A. (2005, March). Educating school leaders (p. 13). Washington, DC: The Education Schools Project.

Plecki, M.L., Knapp, M.S., Castaneda, T., Halverson, T., LaSota, R., & Lochmiller, C. (2009). How leaders invest staffing resources for learning improvement (pp. 59-61). Seattle, WA: University ofWashington Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy. Commissioned by TheWallace Foundation. Available at www.wallacefoundation.org/ KnowledgeCenter/KnowledgeTopics/CurrentAreasofFocus/ EducationLeadership/Pages/How-Leaders-Invest-Staffing- Resources-for-Learning-Improvement.aspx.

Porter, A.C., Murphy, J., Goldring, E., Elliott, S.N., Polikoff, M.S., & May, H. (2008, November). Vanderbilt assessment of leadership in education: Technical manual version 1.0 (p. 129). Nashville, TN: Learning Sciences Institute, Vanderbilt University. Commissioned by TheWallace Foundation. Available at www.wallacefoundation.org/ KnowledgeCenter/KnowledgeTopics/CurrentAreasofFocus/ EducationLeadership/Pages/Vanderbilt-Assessment-of- Leadership-in-Education-Technical-Manual-1.aspx.

Portin, B.S., Knapp, M.S., Dareff, S., Feldman, S., Russell, F.A., Samuelson, C., &Yeh, T.L. (2009). Leadership for learning improvement in urban schools. Seattle,WA: Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy, University of Washington. Commissioned by TheWallace Foundation. Available at www.wallacefoundation.org/KnowledgeCenter/ KnowledgeTopics/CurrentAreasofFocus/EducationLeadership/ Pages/Leadership-for-Learning-Improvement-in-Urban- Schools.aspx.

Turnbull, B., Haslam, M.B., Arcaira, E.R., Riley, D.L., Sinclair, B., Coleman, S. (2009, December). Evaluation of the School Administration Manager project.Washington, DC: Policy Studies Associates. Commissioned by TheWallace Foundation. Available at www.wallacefoundation.org/KnowledgeCenter/ KnowledgeTopics/CurrentAreasofFocus/EducationLeadership/ Pages/evaluation-of-the-school-administration-managerproject. aspx.

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