The vast majority of principals intuitively believe that the arts belong in schools and in every child's life. Now is the time to take action on your intuition--and become an instructional leader for the arts, just as you are for every core subject. Arts-engaged principals share strategies for becoming instructional leaders for the arts.

Becoming a champion of arts education means establishing a culture that embraces a team approach toward integrating the arts. This article offers some practical guidance for developing a creative leadership team--and cultivating creativity in the whole school.

These days, information overload seems to be the normal state of existence. School leaders are inundated with descriptions of best practices and programs that work. They are exhorted to use evidence in all facets of decision-making and to employ research-based strategies to improve schools. Of course, research findings are seldom definitive, and…

Full implementation of the Common Core State Standards for mathematics is still a few years away for many states. But district and school leaders are faced with many decisions now--from curriculum adoption to teacher professional development--that will influence the long-term effectiveness of this bold initiative. School leaders have a significant…

While the four C's--critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication--will naturally fit into a school's existing curriculum, changing the school culture to emphasize these skills takes time and planning. The good news is that school leaders can get started in just a few minutes. In this article, the author presents practical steps…

Schools today require many individuals to work together to attain learning goals since no school functions without broad, active involvement of all community members. In addition, successful school improvement efforts operate well when there is a coherent vision for student achievement. While principals are aware of the need to include disparate…

Reform efforts require stakeholder support, but more importantly, a strong leader to see them through. In this article, the author addresses the importance of strong leadership and the role of principals in effecting change. He describes the success story of Harborside Elementary School in Chula Vista, California as one of a growing group of…

The role of instructional leader is a relatively new concept that emerged in the early 1980s, influenced largely by research that found effective schools usually had principals who stressed the importance of leadership in this area. Instructional leadership reflects the actions a principal takes to promote growth in student learning. The…

Kentucky is no stranger to education reform, having worked for the better part of 20 years on raising standards to improve student achievement. In 2009, the Kentucky General Assembly called for more rigorous standards to address high school graduates' college and career readiness. So when the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief…

The term "best practice" is commonly used to describe "what works" in a specific situation or environment. When principals face a thorny challenge, they turn to their colleagues in the principalship for ideas about which strategies, activities, and approaches have proved to be effective and efficient in addressing the issue.…

Many school systems recognize that principals need instructional leadership partners because a principal's work is too large and complex for a lone, heroic individual. During the past several years, researchers from the Center for Teaching and Policy at the University of Washington have examined how principals are leading teaching and learning in…

Almost daily, residents of Michigan read newspaper headlines announcing another school district laying off principals and teachers to address the ever-shrinking available funds from state government to fund public education. Schools are feeling the direct impact of the mix of financial tsunamis that have hit the Michigan economy. The state has…

New principals are enthusiastic about fulfilling the role of educational leader. They envision themselves visiting classrooms frequently and becoming integrally involved in curriculum and instruction. But it is not long before reality sets in. Principals learn very early that there is a constant struggle between the demands of the office and the…

Walking into a new school with a recently earned certificate in one hand and a key to the office in the other is an unsettling feeling. Principals in this position--who often wonder who will help them along the way--need support from an effective principal or administrator. Though corporate leaders often use the phrase "reach behind you and…

Principal shortages have become a nationwide issue, with education publications frequently discussing the devastating problem of not having enough high-quality candidates apply for administrative positions. The conundrum begs the question: Where have all the instructional leaders gone? To meet the challenge of keeping high-quality principal…