The logic behind "continuous improvement" sounds simple--but it takes a skillful leader to make the process pay off. While the logic behind the popular "continuous improvement" process seems simple, the authors' study of schools using approaches based on continuous improvement revealed that skilled leadership is as important as…

This article provides an overview of single-case research design and how it can be used in concert with Improvement Science. Hypothetical examples of using single-case design to inform improvement efforts are provided, as is a discussion of connections between this methodology and Improvement Science. Resources for further study are also provided.

To find out how organizations turn failure into success, Andrew Hargreaves and his colleagues studied more than 15 business, sports, and education organizations. They found that the secret to these organizations' success came down to just two words: uplifting leadership. Uplifting leadership, write Hargreaves and Boyle in this article, raises the…

Leading a team or group is a real skill that takes time, thought, and dedication. Leadership is the most studied aspect of organization because it is the one overarching topic that makes the difference between success and failure. At times it may seem overwhelmingly complex, but by focusing on some fundamentals a team can be led with confidence…

Newly implemented state policy dealing with school finance created several consequences in a school district to include school configuration and restructuring of educational programs. This case describes how a new school finance law changes the entire dynamic of a school district and its newly appointed superintendent. The superintendent…

Decades of research find that effective school leadership and access to high-quality early education are two of the most important determinants of educational outcomes. School principals affect both teacher and student performance and play an important role in turning around troubled schools. High-quality education, from prekindergarten (pre-K)…

School leadership is second only to classroom teaching as an influence on pupil learning. 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…

In this chapter, the author offers some themes that emerged from a set of conversations that he had with six student affairs leaders. The leaders faced an array of challenges involving athletics, academic discipline, cultural identity, institutional image, personal attributes, policy, residence life, and state politics. Their challengers were…

This article has two main objectives. It first outlines the first three waves of change termed by Hargreaves and Shirley (The Fourth Way: The inspiring future for educational change. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, "2009") as the First, Second and Third Way that defined global educational policy and practice since the 1960s. It then…

This issue of "Leadership and Policy in Schools" outlines research into successful principal leadership from the perspective of four countries--New Zealand, Israel, Cyprus, and the USA (San Antonio). The research followed the methods and protocols established by the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP), which was…

The authors describe an exploratory analytical tool called "The 5Ps Leadership Analysis" (Personal Attributes, Position, Purpose, Practices/Processes, and Product) as a heuristic for better understanding the complexities of leadership. Using "The 5Ps Leadership Analysis," the authors explore the leadership of General Robert E.…

The issue of teacher effectiveness has risen rapidly to the top of the education policy agenda, and the federal government and states are considering bold steps to improve teacher and leader effectiveness. One place to look for ideas is the experiences of high-performing education systems around the world. Finland, Ontario, and Singapore all have…

Reform is another word for that which has challenged community college leaders for too long: the need to reorganize, to transform, and to change. Challenges such as declining funds and increasing accountability are unquestionable certainties for community college leaders who must face daily the realities about them. For them it is not a story…

Elementary school students at a suburban K-12 charter school are facing a difficult transition into the secondary program. In an effort to ease this transition and retain students, the principal requires the secondary teachers to implement a study skills program into the daily curriculum. Initially, the teachers do not voice any objections to the…

"Leadership for Recreation, Parks and Leisure Services" presents new perspectives on the importance of leadership in the profession. Integrating theory with practice, the book provides foundational perspectives in the study of leadership at all levels--direct service, supervisory, managerial and community/civic--in recreation, parks and…