“Imagine you were cast adrift on a desert island with a school full of children in desperate need of a great headteacher. What eight qualities would you take with you to run your desert island school?” In this inspirational book, some of the UK's most successful headteachers answer this question, talking openly about what it takes to effectively manage a school today. In candid and moving accounts we hear how they have both turned around failing schools and improved outstanding schools. Their thoughts, from vision, to courage and resilience, form the 8 key qualities which are examined in depth through the book. This is not a book about government-led initiatives, top-down models or politically-motivated attempts to change the way schools are managed. Instead, it focuses on the vital leadership ingredients that successful heads say work for them. It offers essential insights and advice into the challenges of running a school successfully and will be a source of inspiration for all school leaders and anyone thinking about moving into headship.

Describes a variety of leaders hip responsibilities that have an effect on student achievement.

`Keith Grint′s persuasive essay on the art of leadership in Effective Educational Leadership is uncannily accurate′ - Tim Brighouse, Times Educational Supplement `its unique contribution is the exploration of links between leadership discourses and the themes that have emerged from the school effectiveness movements since the 1980s. Riley and MacBeath provide one of the most valuable contributions to the volume by arguing that there are no generic recipes for educational leadership but ingredients which need to be carefully selected with a knowledge of specific contexts and needs. I would use this book with graduate students and practitioners seeking to develop a perspective about contemporary educational leadership. Its greatest contribution is its exploration of the links between effective leadership and effective education. The book also provides optimism in that many of the authors have not capitulated to the reductionist visions of the past two decades. There is still hope that educational theorists and practitioners view the life world as the true source of educational inspiration′ - Journal of Educational Administration `Leadership is the theme of this decade. This series provides an enormously valuable overview of all the critical issues involved in designing leadership as the main strategy for educational reform.... A great and timely collection′- Michael Fullan, Dean, OISE/University of Toronto `This book makes an excellent contribution to the current debate on Educational Leadership. It blends theory with practice and as such provides an important resource for many aspects of leadership development programmes at a variety of levels. Its ability to draw upon international perspectives along with examples beyond conventional educational parameters enhances its quality. The book contains a well documented account of how leadership has been studied which will appeal both to the academic reader, and to the professional provider of CPD in leadership, offering a wealth of information that can be practically adopted and adapted for a range of courses′ - Stephen Merrill, Journal of Inservice Education Educational management and administration studies focus on leadership as a key determinant of effective educational institutions; and currently, much leadership preparation is characterized by a rational skills-focused approach. Placing current thinking in leadership studies in its organizational and historical context, this book explores its implications for leadership preparation, leadership theory in action and examines some of the dilemmas and tensions facing educational leaders in practice. It draws on literature and research from both the private and public sectors. It is deliberately international in its content and focus, and examines a range of practice both within and outside education. Each chapter has a short introduction by the editors setting it in context. This book is for providers and students in higher educational institutions; for postgraduate level courses in educational management; and for leadership development provision for Headteachers induction programmes, NPQH and LPSH. It is also suitable for short courses and for practitioners occupying or aspiring to leadership roles in schools, colleges and other educational organizations.

The introductory volume in the Peabody Educational Leadership Series, Successful School Leadesrhip provides readers with a solid overview of the primary topics that current and aspiring leaders will be faced with when making decisions regarding education organizations. Blending leadership theory and practice, this foundational leadership text provides cutting edge content in each of the key domains of responsibility facing current and aspiring school leaders while weaving case studies, current media articles, and reflection point into each chapter to enhance student synthesis and application. The book is divided into four frames of reference for optimal learning: Planning, Politics, Performance, and Power -- the functions with which educational leaders must continually grapple. In each section, readers are presented with information about what school leaders need to know to successfully surmount the modern challenges to education and instruction. Section one provides a foundation for the book by discussing the evolving context of educational leadership and proposes a strategic orientation to leading educational organizations through continual cycles of appraisal, analysis and action. Section two delves into the important issues of governance, politics, finance and law as major contributors to the context of education, and as levers by which school leaders can shape institutions. Section three explores the various ways in which school leaders can assess and enhance the performance of their schools and educational organizations. The final section of text provides students with information about educational leader strategies in the development of people, partnering with communities, and uses of power, while the final two chapters give practical insights into the preparation for practicing strategic education leadership.

Children in today's world are inundated with information about who to be, what to do and how to live. But what if there was a way to teach children how to manage priorities, focus on goals and be a positive influence on the world around them? The Leader in Meis that programme. It's based on a hugely successful initiative carried out at the A.B. Combs Elementary School in North Carolina. To hear the parents of A. B Combs talk about the school is to be amazed. In 1999, the school debuted a programme that taught The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Peopleto a pilot group of students. The parents reported an incredible change in their children, who blossomed under the programme. By the end of the following year the average end-of-grade scores had leapt from 84 to 94. This book will launch the message onto a much larger platform. Stephen R. Covey takes the 7 Habits, that have already changed the lives of millions of people, and shows how children can use them as they develop. Those habits -- be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, seek to understand and then to be understood, synergize, and sharpen the saw -- are critical skills to learn at a young age and bring incredible results, proving that it's never too early to teach someone how to live well.

This timely and essential book provides a comprehensive guide for school leaders who desire to engage their school communities in transformative systemic change. Sharon I. Radd, Gretchen Givens Generett, Mark Anthony Gooden, and George Theoharis offer five practices to increase educational equity and eliminate marginalization based on race, disability, socioeconomics, language, gender and sexual identity, and religion. For each dimension of diversity, the authors provide background information for understanding the current realities in schools and beyond, and they suggest "disruptive practices" to replace the status quo in order to achieve full inclusion and educational excellence for every child. Assuming that leadership to create equity is a unique practice, the book offers * Clear explanations of foundational terms and concepts, such as equity, systemic inequity, paradigms and cognitive dissonance, and privilege; * Specific recommendations for how to build support and sustainability by engaging colleagues and other stakeholders in constructive dialogues with multiple perspectives; * Detailed descriptions of routines and roles for building effective equity-leadership teams; * Guidelines and tools for performing an equity audit, including environmental scans; * A change framework to skillfully transform your system; and * Reflection activities for self-discovery, understanding, and personal and professional growth. A call to action that is both passionate and practical, Five Practices for Equity-Focused School Leadership is an indispensable roadmap for educators undertaking the journey toward an education system that acknowledges and advances the worth and potential of all students.

Be the leader your school community needs The responsibilities of school leaders are increasingly complex. In this book, you will find a problem-solving model to help you think through morally complex situations. These steps will enable you to arrive at innovative solutions that are ethical, logical, culturally sensitive, and in the best interests of students. Packed with real-life vignettes, mental exercises, reflections, checklists, and other templates, these strategies will help you Understand how ethical standards and core values drive your leadership choices Approach problems through a lens of equity and care for the students entrusted to you Recognize when urgent action is called for and when it’s better to slow down in order to thoroughly consider your actions and the potential consequences of those actions As a leader, you face difficult challenges every day. This book will help ensure that the decisions you make are right for your students—and for the whole community.

Make your school soar by escalating trust between teachers, students, and families Trust is an essential element in all healthy relationships, and the relationships that exist in your school are no different. How can your school leaders or teachers cultivate trust? How can your institution maintain trust once it is established? These are the questions addressed and answered in Trust Matters: Leadership for Successful Schools, 2nd Edition. The book delves into the helpful research that has been conducted on the topic of trust in school. Although rich with research data, Trust Matters also contains practical advice and strategies ready to be implemented. This second edition expands upon the role of trust between teachers and students, teachers and administrators, and schools and families. Trust Matters: Leadership for Successful Schools also covers a range of sub-topics relevant to trust in school. All chapters in the text have questions for reflection and discussion. Engaging chapters such as "Teachers Trust One Another" and "Fostering Trust with Students" have thought-provoking trust-building questions and activities you can use in the classroom or in faculty meetings. This valuable resource: Examines ways to cultivate trust Shares techniques and practices that help maintain trust Advises leaders of ways to include families in the school's circle of trust Addresses the by-products of betrayed trust and how to restore it With suspicion being the new norm within schools today, Trust Matters is the book your school needs to help it rise above. It shows just how much trust matters in all school relationships—administrator to teacher; teacher to student; school to family—and in all successful institutions.

This book is based on the largest and most extensive empirical study of contemporary leadership in primary and secondary schools in England. The results demonstrate that heads of successful schools improve the quality of student learning and achievement through who they are – their values, virtues, dispositions and competencies – as well as their timely use of change and improvement strategies. Successful School Leadership provides a comprehensive analysis of the values and qualities of head teachers. It assesses the strategies they use and how they adapt these to their particular school context in order to ensure positive increases in the learning, well being and achievement of their students. The authors: Identify a basic set of leadership practices resulting from their findings Analyse and describe the leadership values, qualities and behaviours related to different phases in schools’ improvement journeys Provide illustrative case studies of primary and secondary schools that highlight context sensitive strategies Provide a contemporary overview of international research and thinking about successful school leadership Recognize similar and distinguishing features between schools in different socio-economic groups This book is valuable reading for…school leaders and senior teachers, educational policy makers and advisors, as well as anyone involved or interested in education and its leadership.