There are many accomplished school leaders in Australia, but the profession has yet to develop credible systems for recognising their impact. This article provides a progress report on research initiated by professional associations of school principals, to provide school leaders with authentic and feasible methods for documenting their practice…

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in K-12 education, school leaders quickly pivoted from prioritizing continuous instruction and technology access to the output: grades. In response to these unprecedented times, secondary schools utilized "do no harm" grading methods, such as freezing previous grades and replacing letter grades with…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of principals in light of public management reforms taking place in the German educational system and in reference to the empirical patterns uncovered by the papers contained in the Special Issue. Policy makers have created new expectations and new technologies that seem to suggest to…

Many articles about school improvement talk about data-driven instruction and statistics. In the barrage of evaluative numbers, school leaders can forget that teaching and leading are arts, not sciences. Positive outcomes depend on the ambience of the school, which is a direct result of the leadership style of its principal and assistant…

Principals are the front-line administrators being asked to do more with less--strengthening teaching and learning, maintaining morale and building a culture of trust, and creating high expectations while managing scarce resources. Given the challenging roles that these school leaders play, giving voice to principals' needs as well as their…

Many principals use harassing supervision to encourage low-performing teachers to leave. Principals are driven to this tactic because teacher evaluation systems don't systematically identify low-performing teachers, principals don't understand the teacher removal process, principal training programs don't build principal expertise in hiring and…

Distinguishing between problems that have solutions and dilemmas that need to be managed, the authors identify three overarching questions from the School ABC case that center around data and perceptions. Because the ability to talk openly and honestly about difficult issues is critical to the health of a school, the authors consider the obstacles…

The term "turnaround schools" has become an increasingly important phrase in the education lexicon in recent years. Although it is sometimes used generically when talking about schools that have rapidly and significantly increased student achievement, it often is applied more narrowly to schools in which districts used a strategy of replacing…

Principals are powerful: They are the primary catalysts for creating a lasting foundation for learning, driving school and student performance, and shaping the long-term impact of school improvement efforts. Yet few principals would characterize themselves as powerful. Rather, they're self-effacing, adaptable, pragmatic, and quick to share credit…

In this article, the author presents ten practical reflections for educational leaders. The author states that educational leaders should: (1) know themselves and where they are going; (2) not be overly prepared; (3) link with others; (4) measure their words; (5) take responsibility; (6) keep others informed; (7) maintain their perspective; (8)…

Too many new principals struggle through their beginning years and only learn through trial and error. The principalship is much too demanding and difficult to succeed without the support of the district and practical knowledge of veteran teachers and peers. In this article, the author, a veteran principal, shares a few tidbits that he learned…

Where should public school leaders be trained to become principals, supervisors, and superintendents? Traditionally, schools of education in universities have been responsible for training school administrators. This notion has been challenged by those advocating alternative choices for administrators in schools. Thus, the business and military…

Too often the principal is left without the benefit of a plan or the awareness of how to deal with the problems that inevitably arise when opening a new school. The school facility is an instructional tool and as such, it may either enhance or detract from the educational program. The success or failure of how a new school opens or is perceived to…

The larger elementary schools become, the greater the principal's challenge. When managing megaschools, principals should set clear priorities, know their limitations, recognize the necessity of scheduling activities, celebrate school size, increase their visibility, provide for stress reduction, request central office support, and share…

A matriarch who puts strong stock in good manners and even better behavior, Linda Bates Transou is a no-nonsense Denver principal committed to dismantling her high school's two-tier, segregated system. Transou wants all students to have the opportunity to attend college. Since 1986, the number of minority students in accelerated courses has…