Learning Forward
Equity and excellence in teaching and learning.
FEATURE ARTICLE
A Vivid Illustration Of Leadership
Principal's actions propel struggling school's turnaround
By Learning Forward
February 2014
School leadership is second only to classroom teaching as an influence on pupil learning, according to Leithwood, Harris, & Hopkins (2008, p. 28). Research makes clear that leadership must be at the forefront when attempting to reform underachieving schools. The question is: What kind of leadership? Not just any type of principal leadership will suffice for schools striving to build the instructional capacity necessary for student achievement. Rather, leadership that simultaneously leads a school forward while distributing power throughout the faculty is considered the path to creating not only a successful school as measured by achievement tests but also a learning organization. In a learning organization, stakeholders “assume internal responsibility for reform and maintain momentum for self-renewal” (Lambert, 1998, p. 3). School improvement becomes the
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References
Baldridge, J.V. & Deal, T.E. (Eds.). (1983). The dynamics of organizational change in education. Berkeley, CA: McCutchan.
Fink, D. & Stoll, L. (2005). Educational change: Easier said than done. In A. Hargreaves (Ed.), Extending educational change: International handbook of educational change (pp. 17-41). New York, NY: Springer.
Fullan, M. (2010). Positive pressure. In A. Hargreaves, A. Lieberman, M. Fullan, & D. Hopkins (Eds.), Second international handbook of educational change (pp. 119-130). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.
Lambert, L. (1998). Building leadership capacity in schools. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Leithwood, K., Harris, A., & Hopkins, D. (2008). Seven strong claims about successful school leadership. School Leadership and Management, 28(1), 27-42.
Learning Forward is the only professional association devoted exclusively to those who work in educator professional development. We help our members plan, implement, and measure high-quality professional learning so they can achieve success with their systems, schools, and students.
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