Principal supervisors often find themselves drawn into managing logistical and operational matters, instead of helping principals become more effective instructional leaders. Yet Meredith Honig and Lydia Rainey contend that principal supervisors need to make principals' instructional leadership their primary focus. Drawing on their work with…

While they're often overlooked in education policy debates, district central office staff can play critical role in improving schools. In this interview, Meredith Honig, professor of Education Policy, Organizations, and Leadership at the University of Washington and founder of the District Leadership Lab, explains what her research and experience…

District administrators who want to build capacity for data use in schools may be well-served by starting in the central office. This case study of the Boston Public Schools shows how central office administrators can leverage their own data inquiry cycles to improve the ways they support schools in using data. Using the Data Wise Improvement…

To create and maintain continual improvement, school leaders must set goals, create strategies to reach the goals, and use checklists and rubrics in combination with regular communication between the district office and schools to ensure that everyone is staying on track. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)

The Colorado Graduates Initiative demonstrates seven factors that must be present to build an effective statewide collaborative effort to increase high school graduation rates. These include: 1) Leadership to unite diverse stakeholders on specific, common goals and catalyze them into action; 2) A focus on data, particularly on actionable, early…

At her principal's request, a sixth grade teacher/composer formed a high-quality chorus of fifth and sixth graders. The chorus was a great success despite lack of strong administrative support. Unfortunately, the chorus disbanded after the author's resignation, resulting from lack of leadership, interest, and attendance. Meanwhile, the central…

According to a survey of large school districts, the ratio of central office managers to students enrolled ranges from 1 administrator per 1,650 students to 1 administrator per 161 students. The average ratio was 1 administrator per 561 students. Western school districts appear most efficient. The ideal: 1 administrator per 1,000 to 1,200…

Findings of study by the Consortium for Policy Research in Education on the roles played by central-office staff members in shaping and supporting instructional reforms in three large urban school districts. (Authors/PKP)

Interviews with administrators in western Pennsylvania concerning standardized testing revealed that central office administrators do not perceive themselves to be primary users of test information. They prefer to consider personal or teacher observation, parental and community feedback, and the achievements of students and graduates as…