Relationships between and among school administrative team members are critical components of school culture. They serve as a guidepost for the behaviors and attitudes of staff and students. To invigorate these relationships, three embodied practices have high yield not only for the relationships among administrators, but also for fostering a…

School principals must play a vital role in facilitating homeplace and Black joy by promoting, modeling, and holding educators responsible for their roles in contributing to homeplace. We argue that principals can enact homeplace by embodying the tenets of culturally responsive school leadership (CSRL). The purpose of this paper is to make meaning…

When designing or updating a K-12 emergency operations plan (EOP), gun violence ranks among the top human-caused threats to be accounted for, regardless of perceived risk. Gun violence incidents have now impacted every school demographic in the United States, and no school is immune to the possibility. Providing a safe, supportive, and welcoming…

School principals are currently looking for ways to enhance their effectiveness as leaders by improving their instructional leadership. As the duties of principals expand, they are no longer the expert on what happens in the classroom and must find new ways to help their teachers grow and improve student learning. Instructional leadership includes…

Effective principal pipelines can lead to benefits for student outcomes, according to a groundbreaking 2019 study. But could these pipelines be designed to advance a district's vision of equity as well? If so, what would that design look like? That's the question tackled in this think piece by a team of six education scholars. They consider how…

In June 2020, the world witnessed an upsurge in Black Lives Matter (BLM) demonstrations following the murder of George Floyd, an African American, by a White American police officer. The international response called for the global community to reassess the value of black lives blighted by racist social systems. The mass sentiment acted as a…

The TELL AISD Survey consists of several subscales, or constructs, that contain conceptually similar items. This report explores the relationship between the constructs of principal leadership and general climate by level and for the district overall. Statistically significant relationships between principal leadership and general climate were…

The school principal has long been recognized as a critical driver for school improvement and student success, but new research supported by The Wallace Foundation has found that principals have an even greater impact than previously stated. A synthesis of two decades of studies builds on previous research about how principals impact student…

As the world becomes increasingly violent and disrupted by forces which impact on millions of families, destroying the communities and ways of life, the lives and prospects of those who survive are increasingly dependent on the humanity of others for understanding, generosity and acceptance as fellow humans. Many of those who suffer forced…

One of the most devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is the increasing hopelessness and despair experienced by many students, especially those living in poverty where the lack of resources prevents them from accessing high-quality learning, health care, and social programs. Bruce Barnett describes the enormity of the problems associated…

Many change efforts in schools fail to create the desired lasting change because they do not consider the current school culture. This is especially challenging for a principal beginning in a new school. Using Schein's (2004) definition of culture, this article guides school leaders in diagnosing culture and creating an environment where lasting…

Schools are communities of learning, where learning goes beyond academic work and includes a clear focus on communication, collaboration, and empowerment.

Districts are increasingly investing in coaching programs to improve teacher practice and student outcomes. However, merely providing schools with the funding for a coaching position is not enough. To maximize the return on the investment of coaching, our research on the Dynamic Learning Project (DLP) shows that districts need to ensure that they…

This research summary provides the key findings and interpretive summary--chapters 3 and 4--from the full report, "Reaching for Improvement: Teacher Evaluation and its Role in Instructional Improvement." The full report contains additional details on the context, methodology, and findings of this study. This document has minor…

A school's success is largely determined by the effectiveness of its principal--decades of research have made this clear. Less settled is the question of what principals need to know and do to drive positive outcomes in their schools. A recent report funded by The Wallace Foundation provides evidence on the connection between school principals and…