This article presents an interview with Wes Taylor, the 2011 MetLife/NASSP National High School Principal of the Year. In this interview, Taylor shares credit with the teachers and staff members at Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia, for the school's systemic and long-lasting improvement in instruction and climate. He mentions that the…

This article presents an interview with Cathy Carnahan, the 2011 MetLife/NASSP National Middle Level Principal of the Year. Carnahan makes adult learning a priority to support student achievement at Duniway Middle School in McMinnville, Oregon. She describes her school as a community of learners that is a safe setting for teachers to lead and…

Principals don't have to leave town--or even their office--to get smarter. With a phone, fax, and computer, they can set up a self-service principal's academy simply by tapping into a broad array of resources that are available on the Web, in their district organization, and among trusted colleagues. Help is close at hand, whether they need…

Students who are in foster care need principals who are informed about policy, aware of their needs, and willing to be advocates for them. Multiple school placements often result in significant gaps in the education of students in foster care. If they also have disabilities, they may lose special programs and services when they change placements.…

This article discusses the No Passing Plan, a no-passing policy implemented at White Bear Lake (MN) High School-North Campus in order to prevent chronic tardiness and misbehavior in the halls. The plan is an alternative consequence for administrators to use with students who are disruptive in the halls or consistently tardy to class. Suspending…

This article presents an interview with Douglas Reeves, founder of The Leadership and Learning Center and author of a recent book, "Reframing Teacher Leadership to Improve Your School." In an interview, Reeves talks about his book and presents a compelling case that teacher leadership is key to implementing and sustaining effective school…

Educators at all school levels know that successful students--at all ability levels--have families who stay informed and involved in their children's education. Yet many middle level and high school teachers report that the only time they contact families is when students are in trouble. This disconnect between knowledge and behavior can be…

Educators are busier than ever before. What practitioner has time to add "researcher" to his or her job description? Yet the very complexity of education today mandates that educators become researchers. Educators cannot do their jobs properly unless they become researchers who have the goal of fostering a culture of inquiry throughout the entire…

Technology expenditures and usage in schools have risen by nearly 300 percent during the last three decades. Few principals claim to be technology experts, but most aspire to design a map that leads their schools to success with educational technology. The key to success on the journey is not to know everything, but to ask the right questions.…

Principals are quick to agree that communication is an extremely important part of their daily work and that technology provides them with more opportunities and methods for effective communication than ever before. However, even though technology has made it possible for principals to share excessive amounts of information with teachers,…

Even with all the external elements of school reform in place, educators can end up spinning their wheels. To make progress, schools must identify the nonnegotiable key elements of their reform plans and use the habits of highly effective schools to turn them into school practice. These habits are: (1) demonstrate high expectations and a vision…

Inquiry training is a powerful teaching model for principals to know and teachers to implement. It is designed to teach students to engage in causal reasoning and to become more fluent and precise in asking questions. Further, inquiry training helps learners build concepts and form and test hypotheses in all curriculum areas. The current emphasis…

A poorly performing school is like a complex puzzle with its pieces haphazardly scattered. To achieve coherence and improve performance, a principal must have a vision of how the completed puzzle should look. Schools that have effectively implemented instructional models have principals that are puzzle solvers. To fit diverse needs into place and…