A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Strong Leadership Essential to School Reform

Strong leadership appears in virtually every list of attributes of successful schools. But what do long-term school reform leaders view as their essential professional competencies? What is the role of the leader in sustaining school reform? How do they engage teachers, families, and communities in partnerships that build programs to help children meet challenging standards? What are some of the qualities of leadership needed to sustain school reform? How do such leaders know when they are doing a good job? The Role of Leadership in Sustaining School Reform: Voices from the Field helps to answer these and many other questions about leadership. It presents the views of local educators from around the country who have earned the reputation as leaders of sustained school improvement efforts.

The 79-page book describes dimensions of leadership most commonly characterized as essential. It also includes real-life scenarios and strategies for self-assessment, ranging from individual approaches that include action plans, performance indicators, surveys, and mentors, to group exercises and tailor-made rubrics.

Highlights of key dimensions of leadership for sustaining school reform identified by educators include:

• cultivating a broad definition of community and considering the contribution that every member, including families and businesses, can make to help children meet challenging standards;

• developing relevant information bases and cultivating human resources to minimize failure while encouraging risk-taking;

• knowing how the system works and being able to take flak (if necessary); and

• possessing personal qualities such as passion, humor, empathy, strength of character, wisdom and common sense, and patience.

Copies of The Role of Leadership in Sustaining School Reform: Voices from the Field are available from GPO (see ordering information). If you have access to Internet, see OERI Online Access information.
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["Success for All ..."]

[1996 Field-Initiated Studies Grants Awarded]