Abstract
Principals are expected to lead schools designed for higher student achievement. In order to do this, they must manage and lead differently while addressing issues and problems that are relatively new, complex in nature and scope, paradoxical and dilemma-filled, and unknown to schools. This requires them to provide the necessary sense of direction to all aspects of the school and have the skills necessary to bring all the individuals and subsystems into congruence so that all work toward a common goal.
Articles in this issue of Bulletin offer unique ideas for principals to consider as they think about how they master the organization complexities inherent in their school as well as address their critical responsibility of supporting teachers within the school to achieve schoolwide organizational desired outcomes. It is my hope that readers will find new perspectives on how schooling can be improved and how the exercise of leadership influences this improvement.
In recent years, there has been a greater emphasis on the importance of the principal’s ability to serve as an instructional leader. However, this requires leaders to be equipped to handle complex interactions across the school in order to implement the actions that lead to sustained improvement in student learning. In the lead article, researchers Shaked and Schechter examine systems thinking as an instructional leadership enabler. They explain how systems thinking was perceived by middle and high school principals to contribute to the three areas of instructional leadership: (1) improvement of school curriculum, (2) development of professional learning communities, and (3) interpretations of performance data in a positive way. Principals will find this article especially insightful for the recommendations and strategies to engage in systems thinking to assist with big-picture view of schooling as a whole and the interdependence of its parts.
Every principal is challenged with ensuring quality teachers in every classroom. Evaluation practices have been implemented with the intent of improving teacher performance and, ultimately, increasing student learning. However, despite the expectation of teacher evaluations to ensure effective teaching and improved student performance, the desired outcome has not occurred. As a result, federal mandates have led states to reform their policies pertaining to teacher evaluation. The intent with these new systems was to use teacher evaluation as a reform tool for improving instructional practice and raising student achievement by requiring more accountability. In “Validation of a State-wide Teacher Evaluation System: Relationship between Scores from Evaluation and Student,” researchers, Xu, Grant, and Ward examine the internal validity of a state-wide teacher evaluation system, specifically (1) the relationship between the six teacher effectiveness process standards and the student academic progress outcome measure and (2) the relationship between ratings on outcome measure for teachers with SGP data and for those without SGP data. The findings suggest that the teacher evaluation system is able to capture aspects of teaching practices that are important to student academic achievement. Principals will find instructive and beneficial how quality teacher evaluation systems can serve as a mechanism for accountability and promote professional development for teachers.
Principals and school district leadership will find these articles thought-provoking and enlightening. Important concerns and issues are discussed that inform principals’ essential work in improving schools. Each article is a “must read”!