With the growing population of English Language Learners, there is a need to focus on ELL education from a new perspective as principals' school priorities and practices directly influence teacher priorities and practices (Dufour & Marzano, 2011; Walker et al., 2004). Elmore (2000) stated that "leadership is the guidance and direction of…

The problem addressed in this study was that although administrators in a rural northeastern Maryland school district are complying with state Senate Bill 651 by not suspending students in prekindergarten through second grade, administrators continue to struggle with preventing severe offenses from happening and reducing office referrals. The…

At one time, finding an assistant principal for a public school in Denver entailed a search through "a gajillion résumés," in the words of one local school district administrator. Even then, some ideal candidates likely fell through the cracks. Those days are over, owing to the development by Denver Public Schools of a "leader…

Research across the decades has confirmed that effective school leadership is associated with better outcomes for students and schools. A high-quality school leader affects dozens of teachers and hundreds or thousands of students. It is a pivotal role. From 2011 to 2016, The Wallace Foundation, through its Principal Pipeline Initiative (PPI),…

This article provides evidence and generates insights about the power of financial rewards to motivate school administrators and the design features that influence their motivational potency. The multi-year mixed-methods study is grounded in expectancy and goal setting theories that suggest (a) awards must be salient and sizable enough to appeal…

School leadership is second only to teaching among school influences on student success, according to research. So what can a school district do to produce a large and steady supply of top-notch school principals--and support their effective supervision? This Wallace Update describes two related Wallace Foundation initiatives seeking answers to…

This is the fifth report from an evaluation of the Principal Pipeline Initiative (PPI), in which six large urban school districts have received support for strengthening novice principals' capabilities through specific strategies. Data for the evaluation were collected from late 2011 through spring 2015, using interviews with district…

This article presents an interview with Melissa Shindel, assistant principal of Patuxent Valley Middle School in Jessup, Maryland, and 2009 NASSP/Virco National Assistant Principal of the Year. In this interview, Shindel shares her philosophy and experience.

The purpose of this mixed-method design study is to evaluate how well the Maryland Task Force on the Principalship recommendations have been implemented throughout the state of Maryland. The study examines Maryland principal perceptions as to whether or not the Task Force recommendations have been implemented in their county school districts. The…

The purpose of this research was to explore the worklife experiences and personal issues of female elementary assistant principals and examine the influence of these factors on their intent to remain in their position or leave. The worklife experiences and perceptions of female elementary assistant principals were categorized as institutional or…

Like many relatively affluent suburban schools, James E. Daly Elementary in Montgomery County, Maryland, has seen a rapid increase in its Hispanic and bilingual student populations. Many of the school's English language learners come from low-income, immigrant families. Zimmerman-Orozco, the school's assistant principal, describes the strategies…

The tables in this report describe the characteristics of professional staff employed in Maryland public schools as of October, 1994. The data were obtained from two sources: employment records provided to the Division of Planning, Results, and Information Management from local education agencies in Maryland, and teacher certification records…