Since 2011, the New York City (NYC) Department of Education (DOE) has engaged in a campaign to increase the number of bilingual programs it offers. This case presents the experiences of a principal who was asked by her superintendent to open a new Dual Language program. Having been a principal for only 1 year, and with little expertise about…

This case study delves into the complexities faced by Principal Williams, a newly appointed leader at Hudford Elementary School, as she navigates the challenges of providing high-quality education for students with disabilities in an elementary school. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), each student with a disability is…

This case focuses on one novice school principal's experience with an elopement incident. School elopement sets the background for this case, and in this situation, the principal sees the need to take action to increase school safety and special needs students' teacher support. The authors enumerate leadership practices and organizational…

In the contemporary context, demands for rapid school turnaround meet the reality of increased principal turnover. Therefore, it is crucial to help aspiring school leaders hone their problem-solving skills. This case provides readers with an opportunity to diagnose issues of concern at a struggling school, and then prescribe several initial…

This case focuses on a novice principal who advocates for a student who was assigned to the first grade for 3 consecutive years. As the instructional leader of the school, the novice principal is troubled by ethics and social justice issues involved to make the decision to assign the student to his age-appropriate grade. The student was placed in…

The story of the past 15 years in U.S. education has been one of fundamental reform and transformation. These changes are felt most acutely in the daily lives of teachers and principals and often have lasting effects on the context of the school community. This case study explores the challenges facing a principal when attempting reform and…

Multiple and complex issues simultaneously present themselves for the principal's attention. Learning how to identify, prioritize, synthesize, and act in relation to these issues poses a particular challenge to early career principals. This case study engages aspiring and current school leaders in critical reflection upon leadership opportunities…

A large, urban public school district has been engaged in high school reform over several years. The reform involves creating small learning communities (SLC) from large underperforming neighborhood high schools. In many cases, brand new principals have been chosen to found and lead the SLC schools into reform. The district has had some difficulty…