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…

Special educators are responsible for providing quality reading instruction to students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), but they often experience difficulties fulfilling this responsibility, especially for students with EBD who are placed in dedicated settings, including self-contained classes. Administrators can help by ensuring…

Special educators are responsible for providing quality reading instruction to students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), but they often experience difficulties fulfilling this responsibility, especially for students with EBD who are placed in dedicated settings, including self-contained classes. Administrators can help by ensuring…

Work intensification has increased the workload and complexity of work performed by principals and vice-principals. This case narrative provides an account of work intensification on the secondary vice-principal role. The vice-principal role consists of administrating to various school operations and instructional leadership duties as assigned by…

21st century school leadership is not for the faint of heart and as with any organization a school is only as successful as their leadership. The acknowledgment that a "different" reality exists for school principals is of utmost importance when identifying the conditions, situations, and roles that one will engage in. In this article Dr. East…

The author had been an elementary administrator for about nine years when she first heard about the SAM (School Administration Manager) project. SAM is a national pilot project funded by The Wallace foundation to better understand how principals spend their time and to develop strategies to help principals focus more of their time on teaching and…

A high school principal seldom has a day that goes according to plan. The principal's schedule more often than not, is dictated by others and routinely extends several hours beyond a regular school day. It is a job that could easily consume one's life, to the detriment of finding and maintaining any semblance of balance between their professional…

Becoming a principal is a milestone in an educator's professional life. The principalship is an opportunity to provide leadership that will afford students opportunities to thrive in a nurturing and supportive environment. Despite the continuously expanding demands of being a new principal, effective time management will enable an individual to be…

Many universities, colleges, and independent schools face the reality of geographically expanding alumni bases, likely combined with constant or decreasing budgets for alumni activities. Well-intentioned colleagues understand the potential power of a geographically diverse alumni network but do not always grasp the time and complexity associated…

There are two ways to avoid time-crunch panic attacks: work smarter and delegate wisely. In this article, the author provides a list of some strategies and tactics he has used to help more than 500 school executives in North Carolina work smarter, delegate more effectively and become more effective instructional leaders. These strategies fall into…

Many teachers believe that their administrators have lost touch with life in the classroom, and the resulting gap is a serious concern. Closing a perception gap between principals and teachers is critical if they are to work together for their mutual benefit and that of the children they serve. The authors of this article asked a group of veteran,…

This comprehensive and practical handbook offers research-based tools to help you fulfill all of your leadership responsibilities on time and with laser-like focus. The authors also share tips from their combined experiences as elementary, middle, and high school principals. This book provides examples of best practices from the business and…

A harried leader is not a helpful leader. Schools need calm, well-balanced, helpful leaders as much as they need visionary ones. In fact, in this era of frenetic change in schools, principals should devote at least as much time to helping teachers be more focused and less frantic as they do to formulating new visions for the school or embarking on…

As more students with disabilities are included in general education classrooms, many obstacles must be overcome before parents, teachers, students, and administrators deem inclusion effective. This article identifies seven "sins", which are barriers to inclusive practices in secondary schools: Negative teacher perspectives; lack of knowledge…

Although interruptions are an unavoidable part of the principal's job, a completely open-door policy for drop-in visitors could divert attention from planning and other priorities. This article suggests ways for principals to minimize the number of visitors and the length of visits, including keeping people standing, providing uncomfortable…