S cratch the surface of an excellent school and you are likely to find an excellent principal. Pe... more S cratch the surface of an excellent school and you are likely to find an excellent principal. Peer into a failing school and you will find weak leadership. That, at least, is the conventional wisdom. Leaders are thought to be essential for high-quality education. But is this indeed trueand if so, exactly how does leadership work? Amidst the seeming certainty that leadership matters, there is much that we do not yet understand about effective educational leadership. However, the knowledge base about leadership is constantly growing. In this brief, we present a summary of key, well-documented understandings about leadership at the school level. This knowledge can be used with confidence to guide leadership practice, policy, and research. It can help address concerns about school leaders' preparation and performance. It also can provide a good starting point for dialogue with diverse audiences about the future of educational leadership. WHY THE RENEWED EMPHASIS ON EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP? OUTCOMES ARE CRUCIAL Local, state, and federal achievement standards for ambitious learning for all children have changed the landscape of educational accountability. Pressure is on actors at all levels, from students themselves to teachers, principals, and superintendents. In these times of heightened concern for student learning, school leaders are being held accountable for how well teachers teach and how much students learn. THE ENVIRONMENT IS MORE COMPLEX Educational leaders must guide their schools through the challenges posed by an increasingly complex environment. Curriculum standards, achievement benchmarks, programmatic requirements, and other policy directives from many sources generate complicated and unpredictable requirements for schools. Principals must respond to increasing diversity in student characteristics, including cultural background and immigration status, income disparities, physical and mental disabilities, and variation in learning capacities. They must manage new collaborations with other social agencies that serve children. Rapid developments in technologies for teaching and communication require adjustments in the internal workings of schools. These are just a few of the conditions that make schooling more challenging and leadership more essential.
IMPACT IN CONTEXT ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We have benefited from the assistance of many others as we wrot... more IMPACT IN CONTEXT ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We have benefited from the assistance of many others as we wrote successive drafts of this working paper. We are especially grateful to The Wallace Foundation for providing both the impetus and financial support for this work. Even more, however, many individuals at the Foundation have been enthusiastic and insightful thought partners with us, sometimes offering encouragement and sometimes pushing us to reach for greater clarity or depth, and always in the right doses. We also want to acknowledge two research assistants, both Ph.D. students in the Politics and Education program at Teachers College, Columbia University. David Houston has worked with us from almost the beginning of the project and has been especially instrumental in overseeing our broad scan of cross-sector collaborations across the country. Constance Clark has played a lead role in gathering qualitative information about specific programs. Both are full members of the team who contri...
This article examines the literature on medical rounds to inform the recent move toward instructi... more This article examines the literature on medical rounds to inform the recent move toward instructional rounds as a practice of districtwide improvement and professional learning for superintendents and administrators. Based on the practice of medical rounds as a method for creating shared norms and understandings about medicine and patient care, instructional rounds is a process in which networks of superintendents (and, increasingly, principals and teachers) observe and analyze classroom teaching to develop shared norms and understandings about instruction. Research on the practice of medical rounds highlights potential challenges for the medical community that also might apply to education: challenges of purpose, worldview, pedagogy, content, expertise, voice, and power/status. Understanding and addressing these challenges can inform the development of instructional rounds.
The literature on how educators use information to solve problems and perform their routine dutie... more The literature on how educators use information to solve problems and perform their routine duties is located within a much larger, well-established literature that spans topics in organizational decision-making, communication theory, cognitive science, information theory, and evaluation utilization. This bibliography presents summaries of illustrative references for the general reader interested in information use in education. Most of the citations pertain directly to education, but some represent studies from related areas. Books, journal articles, major literature reviews, and reports of selected studies or experiments are included. The 43 citations include complete bibliographic information and a short abstract. They are numbered and arranged alphabetically, with an index at the end to provide access by topic. (Author/MAS)
This report discusses three major_issues in urban education: dropout prevention; secondary educat... more This report discusses three major_issues in urban education: dropout prevention; secondary education for Hispanic Americans;_and urban teaching careers. Current studies on dropping out attempt to locate the responsibility for high dropout rates in policies or practices that schools initiate and have-the power to change. Findings of these studies are discussed. Hispanic students have not profited from their education; nor have they been well 0 This document-Itas__been zeproduced as received from the person or organization originating it.-leMiner-changeansive been made to improve reduction Quality. PeinIsof view etopinions Stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI Petitien or policy.
International Journal of Educational Research, 2015
Instructional rounds is a professional practice adapted from the medical profession for use by th... more Instructional rounds is a professional practice adapted from the medical profession for use by the education community . Based on medicine's ''powerful social practice'' (, p. 32) for bringing novices into the profession and creating a venue for sharing knowledge, rounds in education attempts to support the development of a common knowledge base and shared norms around instruction . In medical rounds, medical students, residents, and physicians observe and discuss patient cases in a format that supports both patient care and practitioner learning . In instructional rounds, also called education or teacher rounds, educators come together to learn and develop their work by observing and reflecting on instruction with colleagues. Using rounds as a practice in education began with networks of administrators within and between school districts (Allen,
Developing school leaders who are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to... more Developing school leaders who are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to effectively lead low-performing schools has become a critical goal for local school districts intent on dramatically improving student outcomes. Given the current criticism surrounding leadership preparation programs and the changing nature of school leadership itself, school districts are becoming more actively involved in influencing the quality of their school leaders and the preparation programs that develop them. Recent research on exemplary school leader preparation programs suggests that school districts, as the direct "consumers" of program graduates, are strategically positioned to exercise meaningful influence over the content and design of program practices. It also suggests that programs preparing candidates are more effective when they work from an understanding of the challenges the districts face, a collaboration with the districts on redesigning programs, and a...
Revue internationale d'éducation de Sèvres 60 | septembre 2012 Le métier de chef d'établissement ... more Revue internationale d'éducation de Sèvres 60 | septembre 2012 Le métier de chef d'établissement Le leadership en des temps incertains Pratiques clés pour les chefs d'établissement aux États-Unis
International Handbook of Educational Leadership and Administration, 1996
Sex and gender are among the most fundamental of human attributes. Of all physical traits, a pers... more Sex and gender are among the most fundamental of human attributes. Of all physical traits, a person’s biologically-determined sex is noticed first and recalled most easily by other persons. Being female or male predisposes an individual towards a complex array of behaviors known as a gender role, but persons socially construct their own gender identities by accepting, resisting, or transforming their assigned gender roles (Epstein, 1988; Lorber, 1994; Oakley, 1972). Gender identity is both a cause and an effect: it structures how individuals encounter the world and is itself a product of that encounter (Epstein, 1988; Goffman, 1967). Since social patterns of power and domination are often closely associated with gender, it can be understood as a fundamental political category within society as well (Burrell & Hearn, 1989). In short, gender is writ large on the narrative of individual character and collective social life.
In this article, the authors explore common and emerging conceptions of what consti-tutes knowled... more In this article, the authors explore common and emerging conceptions of what consti-tutes knowledge in educational administration, how knowledge relates to practice, and how individuals in universities and schools can engage in a particular kind of knowledge work—research. The authors suggest that a fully articulated perspective on research in educational administration might characterize research as occupying a multidimen-sional space delineated along three dimensions: why the research is done, who conducts the research, and how the research is done. Productive, interesting, and generative research can be situated anywhere on these dimensions, and five principles can be used to guide various forms of research. The implication is that although currently the field of educational administration encompasses two communities of practice, we should strive toward becoming one community of scholars. The authors discuss how doctoral pro -grams might develop students for this community of sch...
In the late spring of 1997, eight women from The University of Michigan came together at the Inst... more In the late spring of 1997, eight women from The University of Michigan came together at the Institute for Research on Women & Gender to consider how feminist theory and organization theory might inform each other and how we could bring the epistemological perspectives, ...
High schools serving disadvantaged students typically lack the requisite information on students ... more High schools serving disadvantaged students typically lack the requisite information on students and their performance to identify and meet their neees. Most studies on the use of information by district-level administra6ors, principals, teachers, and other school staff are descriptive and focus on the thought processes of individuals or groups as they perform routine educational tasks, solve problems, and make decisions. Almost no studies have examined the relationship between information use and student outcomes. Educators appear to cope with imperfect data and time constraints by developing shortcuts to obtaining and interpreting information, or by making decisions based on outdated information. Innovative The Center The mission of the Center for Research on Effective Schooling for Disadvantaged Students (CDS) is to significantly improve the-lucation of disadvantaged students at each level of schooling through new knowledge and rractices produced by thorough scientific study and evaluation. The Center conducts its research in four program areas: The Early and Elementary Education Program, The Middle Grades and High Schools Program, the Language Minority Program, and the School, Family, and Community Connections Program. The Early and Elementary Education Program This program is working to develop, evaluate, and disseminate instructional programs capable of bringing disadvantaged students to high levels of achievement, particularly in the fundamental areas of reading, writing, and mathematics. The goal is to expand the range of effective alternatives which schools may use under Chapter 1 and other compensatory education funding and to study issues of direct relevance to federal, state, and local policy on education of disadvantaged students. The Middle Grades and High Schools Program This program is conducting research syntheses, survey analyses, and field studies in middle and high schools. The three types of projects move from basic research to useful practice. Syntheses compile and analyze existing knowledge about effective education of disadvantaged students. Survey analyses identify and describe current programs, practices, and trends in middle and high schools, and allow studies of their effects. Field studies are conducted in collaboration with school staffs to develop and evaluate effective programs and practices. The Language Minority Program This program represents a collaborative effort. The University of California at Santa Barbara is focusing on the education of Mexican-Ametican students in California and Texas; studies of dropout among children of recent immigrants are being conducted in San Diego and Miami by Johns Hopkins, and evaluations of learning strategies in schools serving Navajo, Cherokee, and Lumbee Indians are being conducted by the University of Northern Arizona. The goal of the program is to identify, develop, and evaluate effective programs for disadvantaged Hispanic, American Indian, Southeast Asian, and other language minority children. The School, Family, and Community Connections Program This program is focusing on the key connections between schools and families and between schools and communities to build better educational programs for disadvantaged children and youth. Initial work is seeking to provide a research base concerning the most effective ways for schools to interact with and assist parents of disadvantaged students and interact with the community to produce effective community involvement.
S cratch the surface of an excellent school and you are likely to find an excellent principal. Pe... more S cratch the surface of an excellent school and you are likely to find an excellent principal. Peer into a failing school and you will find weak leadership. That, at least, is the conventional wisdom. Leaders are thought to be essential for high-quality education. But is this indeed trueand if so, exactly how does leadership work? Amidst the seeming certainty that leadership matters, there is much that we do not yet understand about effective educational leadership. However, the knowledge base about leadership is constantly growing. In this brief, we present a summary of key, well-documented understandings about leadership at the school level. This knowledge can be used with confidence to guide leadership practice, policy, and research. It can help address concerns about school leaders' preparation and performance. It also can provide a good starting point for dialogue with diverse audiences about the future of educational leadership. WHY THE RENEWED EMPHASIS ON EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP? OUTCOMES ARE CRUCIAL Local, state, and federal achievement standards for ambitious learning for all children have changed the landscape of educational accountability. Pressure is on actors at all levels, from students themselves to teachers, principals, and superintendents. In these times of heightened concern for student learning, school leaders are being held accountable for how well teachers teach and how much students learn. THE ENVIRONMENT IS MORE COMPLEX Educational leaders must guide their schools through the challenges posed by an increasingly complex environment. Curriculum standards, achievement benchmarks, programmatic requirements, and other policy directives from many sources generate complicated and unpredictable requirements for schools. Principals must respond to increasing diversity in student characteristics, including cultural background and immigration status, income disparities, physical and mental disabilities, and variation in learning capacities. They must manage new collaborations with other social agencies that serve children. Rapid developments in technologies for teaching and communication require adjustments in the internal workings of schools. These are just a few of the conditions that make schooling more challenging and leadership more essential.
The relationships among teachers’ task environments, more general characteristics of school organ... more The relationships among teachers’ task environments, more general characteristics of school organizational climates, and teachers’ professional and organizational commitments were examined. Data were derived from the 1987–1988 National Center for Education Statistics Schools and Staffing Survey; the study was based on a sample of 14,844 secondary school teachers. Task environment was operationalized in terms of structural features of teachers’ class schedules, and school climate was measured in terms of administrative support, teacher influence and autonomy, and collegiality. Results suggest that, while teachers’ professional commitment and organizational commitment were unrelated to teachers’ class schedules, commitment was associated with school climate.
is the oldest and largest graduate and professional school of education in the United States and ... more is the oldest and largest graduate and professional school of education in the United States and is perennially ranked among the nation's best. Founded in 1887, the College has been home to many of the defining figures in American education, including John Dewey, James Earl Russell and Edward Lee Thorndike. Through its three main emphases-education, health, and psychology-Teachers College conducts research and prepares educators, psychologists, policymakers and planners for the challenges they will face in their careers. The Department of Education Policy and Social Analysis (EPSA) at Teachers College offers degree programs in Economics and Education, Politics and Education, Sociology and Education and an interdisciplinary program in Education Policy. Our curriculum and research interests focus on how governments, markets, and societal conditions shape schooling and the broader enterprise of creating a population that is informed about the challenges and opportunities it confronts, able to critically analyze its needs and interests, and prepared to work together to make a better world. The Wallace Foundation is an independent, national foundation dedicated to supporting and sharing effective ideas and practices that expand learning and enrichment opportunities for disadvantaged children. The Foundation maintains an online library of lessons featuring evidence-based knowledge from its current efforts aimed at: strengthening educational leadership to improve student achievement; helping disadvantaged students gain more time for learning through summer learning and through the effective use of additional learning time during the school day and year; enhancing out-of-school time opportunities; and building appreciation and demand for the arts. All Wallace research studies and related resources are available for download free of charge at the Wallace Knowledge Center: www.wallacefoundation.org. For comments and questions on the research reported here, contact Carolyn J. Riehl
Founded in 1887, Teachers College, Columbia University, is the first and largest graduate school ... more Founded in 1887, Teachers College, Columbia University, is the first and largest graduate school of education in the United States and is perennially ranked among the nation's best. Through its three main areas of expertise-education, health and psychology-the College is committed to disciplinary and interdisciplinary research, the preparation of dedicated public service professionals, engagement with local, national and global communities, and informing public policy to create a smarter, healthier, and more equitable and peaceful world. TC today has more than 5,000 students, more than 20 percent of whom come from outside the U.S., representing 77 different countries. Among students who are U.S. citizens, 43 percent are people of color. There are 171 full-time faculty members at the College and 58 full-time instructors and lecturers. TC's funded research expenditures in 2014-2015 totaled nearly $58 million. www.tc.edu. The Department of Education Policy and Social Analysis (...
S cratch the surface of an excellent school and you are likely to find an excellent principal. Pe... more S cratch the surface of an excellent school and you are likely to find an excellent principal. Peer into a failing school and you will find weak leadership. That, at least, is the conventional wisdom. Leaders are thought to be essential for high-quality education. But is this indeed trueand if so, exactly how does leadership work? Amidst the seeming certainty that leadership matters, there is much that we do not yet understand about effective educational leadership. However, the knowledge base about leadership is constantly growing. In this brief, we present a summary of key, well-documented understandings about leadership at the school level. This knowledge can be used with confidence to guide leadership practice, policy, and research. It can help address concerns about school leaders' preparation and performance. It also can provide a good starting point for dialogue with diverse audiences about the future of educational leadership. WHY THE RENEWED EMPHASIS ON EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP? OUTCOMES ARE CRUCIAL Local, state, and federal achievement standards for ambitious learning for all children have changed the landscape of educational accountability. Pressure is on actors at all levels, from students themselves to teachers, principals, and superintendents. In these times of heightened concern for student learning, school leaders are being held accountable for how well teachers teach and how much students learn. THE ENVIRONMENT IS MORE COMPLEX Educational leaders must guide their schools through the challenges posed by an increasingly complex environment. Curriculum standards, achievement benchmarks, programmatic requirements, and other policy directives from many sources generate complicated and unpredictable requirements for schools. Principals must respond to increasing diversity in student characteristics, including cultural background and immigration status, income disparities, physical and mental disabilities, and variation in learning capacities. They must manage new collaborations with other social agencies that serve children. Rapid developments in technologies for teaching and communication require adjustments in the internal workings of schools. These are just a few of the conditions that make schooling more challenging and leadership more essential.
IMPACT IN CONTEXT ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We have benefited from the assistance of many others as we wrot... more IMPACT IN CONTEXT ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We have benefited from the assistance of many others as we wrote successive drafts of this working paper. We are especially grateful to The Wallace Foundation for providing both the impetus and financial support for this work. Even more, however, many individuals at the Foundation have been enthusiastic and insightful thought partners with us, sometimes offering encouragement and sometimes pushing us to reach for greater clarity or depth, and always in the right doses. We also want to acknowledge two research assistants, both Ph.D. students in the Politics and Education program at Teachers College, Columbia University. David Houston has worked with us from almost the beginning of the project and has been especially instrumental in overseeing our broad scan of cross-sector collaborations across the country. Constance Clark has played a lead role in gathering qualitative information about specific programs. Both are full members of the team who contri...
This article examines the literature on medical rounds to inform the recent move toward instructi... more This article examines the literature on medical rounds to inform the recent move toward instructional rounds as a practice of districtwide improvement and professional learning for superintendents and administrators. Based on the practice of medical rounds as a method for creating shared norms and understandings about medicine and patient care, instructional rounds is a process in which networks of superintendents (and, increasingly, principals and teachers) observe and analyze classroom teaching to develop shared norms and understandings about instruction. Research on the practice of medical rounds highlights potential challenges for the medical community that also might apply to education: challenges of purpose, worldview, pedagogy, content, expertise, voice, and power/status. Understanding and addressing these challenges can inform the development of instructional rounds.
The literature on how educators use information to solve problems and perform their routine dutie... more The literature on how educators use information to solve problems and perform their routine duties is located within a much larger, well-established literature that spans topics in organizational decision-making, communication theory, cognitive science, information theory, and evaluation utilization. This bibliography presents summaries of illustrative references for the general reader interested in information use in education. Most of the citations pertain directly to education, but some represent studies from related areas. Books, journal articles, major literature reviews, and reports of selected studies or experiments are included. The 43 citations include complete bibliographic information and a short abstract. They are numbered and arranged alphabetically, with an index at the end to provide access by topic. (Author/MAS)
This report discusses three major_issues in urban education: dropout prevention; secondary educat... more This report discusses three major_issues in urban education: dropout prevention; secondary education for Hispanic Americans;_and urban teaching careers. Current studies on dropping out attempt to locate the responsibility for high dropout rates in policies or practices that schools initiate and have-the power to change. Findings of these studies are discussed. Hispanic students have not profited from their education; nor have they been well 0 This document-Itas__been zeproduced as received from the person or organization originating it.-leMiner-changeansive been made to improve reduction Quality. PeinIsof view etopinions Stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI Petitien or policy.
International Journal of Educational Research, 2015
Instructional rounds is a professional practice adapted from the medical profession for use by th... more Instructional rounds is a professional practice adapted from the medical profession for use by the education community . Based on medicine's ''powerful social practice'' (, p. 32) for bringing novices into the profession and creating a venue for sharing knowledge, rounds in education attempts to support the development of a common knowledge base and shared norms around instruction . In medical rounds, medical students, residents, and physicians observe and discuss patient cases in a format that supports both patient care and practitioner learning . In instructional rounds, also called education or teacher rounds, educators come together to learn and develop their work by observing and reflecting on instruction with colleagues. Using rounds as a practice in education began with networks of administrators within and between school districts (Allen,
Developing school leaders who are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to... more Developing school leaders who are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to effectively lead low-performing schools has become a critical goal for local school districts intent on dramatically improving student outcomes. Given the current criticism surrounding leadership preparation programs and the changing nature of school leadership itself, school districts are becoming more actively involved in influencing the quality of their school leaders and the preparation programs that develop them. Recent research on exemplary school leader preparation programs suggests that school districts, as the direct "consumers" of program graduates, are strategically positioned to exercise meaningful influence over the content and design of program practices. It also suggests that programs preparing candidates are more effective when they work from an understanding of the challenges the districts face, a collaboration with the districts on redesigning programs, and a...
Revue internationale d'éducation de Sèvres 60 | septembre 2012 Le métier de chef d'établissement ... more Revue internationale d'éducation de Sèvres 60 | septembre 2012 Le métier de chef d'établissement Le leadership en des temps incertains Pratiques clés pour les chefs d'établissement aux États-Unis
International Handbook of Educational Leadership and Administration, 1996
Sex and gender are among the most fundamental of human attributes. Of all physical traits, a pers... more Sex and gender are among the most fundamental of human attributes. Of all physical traits, a person’s biologically-determined sex is noticed first and recalled most easily by other persons. Being female or male predisposes an individual towards a complex array of behaviors known as a gender role, but persons socially construct their own gender identities by accepting, resisting, or transforming their assigned gender roles (Epstein, 1988; Lorber, 1994; Oakley, 1972). Gender identity is both a cause and an effect: it structures how individuals encounter the world and is itself a product of that encounter (Epstein, 1988; Goffman, 1967). Since social patterns of power and domination are often closely associated with gender, it can be understood as a fundamental political category within society as well (Burrell & Hearn, 1989). In short, gender is writ large on the narrative of individual character and collective social life.
In this article, the authors explore common and emerging conceptions of what consti-tutes knowled... more In this article, the authors explore common and emerging conceptions of what consti-tutes knowledge in educational administration, how knowledge relates to practice, and how individuals in universities and schools can engage in a particular kind of knowledge work—research. The authors suggest that a fully articulated perspective on research in educational administration might characterize research as occupying a multidimen-sional space delineated along three dimensions: why the research is done, who conducts the research, and how the research is done. Productive, interesting, and generative research can be situated anywhere on these dimensions, and five principles can be used to guide various forms of research. The implication is that although currently the field of educational administration encompasses two communities of practice, we should strive toward becoming one community of scholars. The authors discuss how doctoral pro -grams might develop students for this community of sch...
In the late spring of 1997, eight women from The University of Michigan came together at the Inst... more In the late spring of 1997, eight women from The University of Michigan came together at the Institute for Research on Women & Gender to consider how feminist theory and organization theory might inform each other and how we could bring the epistemological perspectives, ...
High schools serving disadvantaged students typically lack the requisite information on students ... more High schools serving disadvantaged students typically lack the requisite information on students and their performance to identify and meet their neees. Most studies on the use of information by district-level administra6ors, principals, teachers, and other school staff are descriptive and focus on the thought processes of individuals or groups as they perform routine educational tasks, solve problems, and make decisions. Almost no studies have examined the relationship between information use and student outcomes. Educators appear to cope with imperfect data and time constraints by developing shortcuts to obtaining and interpreting information, or by making decisions based on outdated information. Innovative The Center The mission of the Center for Research on Effective Schooling for Disadvantaged Students (CDS) is to significantly improve the-lucation of disadvantaged students at each level of schooling through new knowledge and rractices produced by thorough scientific study and evaluation. The Center conducts its research in four program areas: The Early and Elementary Education Program, The Middle Grades and High Schools Program, the Language Minority Program, and the School, Family, and Community Connections Program. The Early and Elementary Education Program This program is working to develop, evaluate, and disseminate instructional programs capable of bringing disadvantaged students to high levels of achievement, particularly in the fundamental areas of reading, writing, and mathematics. The goal is to expand the range of effective alternatives which schools may use under Chapter 1 and other compensatory education funding and to study issues of direct relevance to federal, state, and local policy on education of disadvantaged students. The Middle Grades and High Schools Program This program is conducting research syntheses, survey analyses, and field studies in middle and high schools. The three types of projects move from basic research to useful practice. Syntheses compile and analyze existing knowledge about effective education of disadvantaged students. Survey analyses identify and describe current programs, practices, and trends in middle and high schools, and allow studies of their effects. Field studies are conducted in collaboration with school staffs to develop and evaluate effective programs and practices. The Language Minority Program This program represents a collaborative effort. The University of California at Santa Barbara is focusing on the education of Mexican-Ametican students in California and Texas; studies of dropout among children of recent immigrants are being conducted in San Diego and Miami by Johns Hopkins, and evaluations of learning strategies in schools serving Navajo, Cherokee, and Lumbee Indians are being conducted by the University of Northern Arizona. The goal of the program is to identify, develop, and evaluate effective programs for disadvantaged Hispanic, American Indian, Southeast Asian, and other language minority children. The School, Family, and Community Connections Program This program is focusing on the key connections between schools and families and between schools and communities to build better educational programs for disadvantaged children and youth. Initial work is seeking to provide a research base concerning the most effective ways for schools to interact with and assist parents of disadvantaged students and interact with the community to produce effective community involvement.
S cratch the surface of an excellent school and you are likely to find an excellent principal. Pe... more S cratch the surface of an excellent school and you are likely to find an excellent principal. Peer into a failing school and you will find weak leadership. That, at least, is the conventional wisdom. Leaders are thought to be essential for high-quality education. But is this indeed trueand if so, exactly how does leadership work? Amidst the seeming certainty that leadership matters, there is much that we do not yet understand about effective educational leadership. However, the knowledge base about leadership is constantly growing. In this brief, we present a summary of key, well-documented understandings about leadership at the school level. This knowledge can be used with confidence to guide leadership practice, policy, and research. It can help address concerns about school leaders' preparation and performance. It also can provide a good starting point for dialogue with diverse audiences about the future of educational leadership. WHY THE RENEWED EMPHASIS ON EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP? OUTCOMES ARE CRUCIAL Local, state, and federal achievement standards for ambitious learning for all children have changed the landscape of educational accountability. Pressure is on actors at all levels, from students themselves to teachers, principals, and superintendents. In these times of heightened concern for student learning, school leaders are being held accountable for how well teachers teach and how much students learn. THE ENVIRONMENT IS MORE COMPLEX Educational leaders must guide their schools through the challenges posed by an increasingly complex environment. Curriculum standards, achievement benchmarks, programmatic requirements, and other policy directives from many sources generate complicated and unpredictable requirements for schools. Principals must respond to increasing diversity in student characteristics, including cultural background and immigration status, income disparities, physical and mental disabilities, and variation in learning capacities. They must manage new collaborations with other social agencies that serve children. Rapid developments in technologies for teaching and communication require adjustments in the internal workings of schools. These are just a few of the conditions that make schooling more challenging and leadership more essential.
The relationships among teachers’ task environments, more general characteristics of school organ... more The relationships among teachers’ task environments, more general characteristics of school organizational climates, and teachers’ professional and organizational commitments were examined. Data were derived from the 1987–1988 National Center for Education Statistics Schools and Staffing Survey; the study was based on a sample of 14,844 secondary school teachers. Task environment was operationalized in terms of structural features of teachers’ class schedules, and school climate was measured in terms of administrative support, teacher influence and autonomy, and collegiality. Results suggest that, while teachers’ professional commitment and organizational commitment were unrelated to teachers’ class schedules, commitment was associated with school climate.
is the oldest and largest graduate and professional school of education in the United States and ... more is the oldest and largest graduate and professional school of education in the United States and is perennially ranked among the nation's best. Founded in 1887, the College has been home to many of the defining figures in American education, including John Dewey, James Earl Russell and Edward Lee Thorndike. Through its three main emphases-education, health, and psychology-Teachers College conducts research and prepares educators, psychologists, policymakers and planners for the challenges they will face in their careers. The Department of Education Policy and Social Analysis (EPSA) at Teachers College offers degree programs in Economics and Education, Politics and Education, Sociology and Education and an interdisciplinary program in Education Policy. Our curriculum and research interests focus on how governments, markets, and societal conditions shape schooling and the broader enterprise of creating a population that is informed about the challenges and opportunities it confronts, able to critically analyze its needs and interests, and prepared to work together to make a better world. The Wallace Foundation is an independent, national foundation dedicated to supporting and sharing effective ideas and practices that expand learning and enrichment opportunities for disadvantaged children. The Foundation maintains an online library of lessons featuring evidence-based knowledge from its current efforts aimed at: strengthening educational leadership to improve student achievement; helping disadvantaged students gain more time for learning through summer learning and through the effective use of additional learning time during the school day and year; enhancing out-of-school time opportunities; and building appreciation and demand for the arts. All Wallace research studies and related resources are available for download free of charge at the Wallace Knowledge Center: www.wallacefoundation.org. For comments and questions on the research reported here, contact Carolyn J. Riehl
Founded in 1887, Teachers College, Columbia University, is the first and largest graduate school ... more Founded in 1887, Teachers College, Columbia University, is the first and largest graduate school of education in the United States and is perennially ranked among the nation's best. Through its three main areas of expertise-education, health and psychology-the College is committed to disciplinary and interdisciplinary research, the preparation of dedicated public service professionals, engagement with local, national and global communities, and informing public policy to create a smarter, healthier, and more equitable and peaceful world. TC today has more than 5,000 students, more than 20 percent of whom come from outside the U.S., representing 77 different countries. Among students who are U.S. citizens, 43 percent are people of color. There are 171 full-time faculty members at the College and 58 full-time instructors and lecturers. TC's funded research expenditures in 2014-2015 totaled nearly $58 million. www.tc.edu. The Department of Education Policy and Social Analysis (...
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