This article focuses on the research and scholarship of leadership training. We begin by defining and giving context to the concept of leadership training. Then, we provide a high-level literature review of the history and components of leadership training (e.g., content, pedagogy, and assessment). Next, we connect leadership training with the…

Leadership gurus often put creating a "shared vision" at the top of their pyramid of what successful leaders do. These visions are best when they are an anchor or a North Star -- unwavering goals that the district works toward. Author Jon Saphier proposes this North Star for districts: Make every school an engine for continuous…

As evident in scholarly literature, universities worldwide embrace Sustainable Development Goals initiated by United Nations. Yet, regardless institutions' commitment, many countries, especially developing ones, struggle to effectively implement sustainability-oriented principles and practices in higher education. To that end, this paper, based on…

The author, Learning Forward's retiring executive director, has always been driven by a fundamental principle: the concept of "tikkun olam," which means to repair the world or leave it better than you found it. She has found her pathway in professional learning. Given her long tenure in education -- and particularly in professional…

Arguably the notion of the school leader as the all-important person in school improvement in England still holds sway, despite the development of a huge range of leadership theories and perspectives which suggest a broader contextual approach may be appropriate. Reflecting on the development of a MA course in leadership and management, this paper…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to respond to a recent article published in this journal by Stoll and Kools (2017) on the "School as a Learning Organisation" (SLO). It critiques Stoll and Kools' integrated model of a SLO by investigating whether the model can be applied to a specific socio-cultural schooling context using the…

The purpose of this article is to review current research about the struggles facing effective inclusive schooling and the role the principal plays in bringing about improved equity, access, and achievement in K-12 public schools. Also, we examine the leadership pipeline and how principal preparation and professional development should address…

Principals are tasked with being the instructional leaders in their schools--developing teacher's abilities through formal and informal classroom observations and feedback. But how can school districts ensure that principals have the skills they need to fulfill this crucial role? In Clarke County School District in Georgia, central-office leaders…

Principals play a vital role in determining school culture. This culture sets the context within which staff and students work; therefore, it is important that school leaders strive to create a positive culture. This paper examines collaboration, development of staff, provision of resources, transparency of vision, management of workplace stress,…

This paper's commentary is guided by Gramsci's distinction between, on one hand, the pessimism of the intellect and, on the other, optimism of the will. Accordingly, we seek initially to convey some of the intractable challenges that tend to be encountered by school leaders in the contemporary education context. In doing so, we argue that these…

This work explores how mindful leadership practice can inform school and district leadership specifically as it occurs in professional learning communities (PLC). When school and district leaders create PLC cultures that encourage rich thinking and intentional practice, individual and organizational mindfulness is present. As leaders work to craft…

Newark's high schools play an essential role in building the next generation of young minds for college and career readiness. Yet, high achievement may be unattainable if students miss too much school. Reasons for student absence vary. In Newark Public Schools, 48 percent of high school students were "chronically absent" in the 2015-16…

Newark's high schools play an essential role in building the next generation of young minds for college and career readiness. Yet, high achievement may be unattainable if students miss too much school. "Chronic absenteeism" is generally defined as missing 10 percent or more of enrolled days for any reason. Research has shown that when…

During the fall of 2012, the Donnell-Kay Foundation surveyed the state's superintendents and charter network leaders to better understand the principalship in Colorado today. Some key findings of the survey are presented in this report. The findings include perceptions that there is a shortage of quality leaders to run Colorado's schools, that the…

Although data driven-decision making has been the mantra of school reform for the last 10 years, school leaders benefit from frequent discussions in how to engage teachers in the process. As a result, the purpose of this paper is to apply Reeves' (2004) framework concerning Antecedents of Excellence in creating a school culture that routinely uses…