This updated resource provides principals and other school administrators with the tools needed to become effective instructional leaders, build teamwork, and boost student achievement.

Supercharge school improvement with instructional coaches! For instructional coaches, no two days are ever the same. This unique companion melds theory and practice to show how coaches can seamlessly integrate themselves into the fabric of the school and help teachers improve their practice from day one. Dean Spaulding and Gail Smith address common challenges of coaches and instructional leadership teams, including: Observing classrooms and providing formative feedback Reaching out to the hesitant or resistant teacher Adapting data and analysis into usable information for the team Recruiting, training, and supporting new instructional coaches Journal entries based on the real-life experiences give an inside look at the day-to-day work of an instructional coach and the power of coaching to improve teacher effectiveness. The book also includes field-tested activities, materials, and forms for collecting data, navigating busy days, and organizing information. Instructional Coaches and the Instructional Leadership Team is ideal for those wanting to learn best practices to engage educators and support teacher evaluation reform. "This book would have made my life SO much easier. I highly recommend it to new and experienced instructional coaches alike!" —Kathy Ferrell, Instructional Coach Excelsior Springs Middle School, MO "This is a wonderful resource. Even schools without instructional coaches will benefit from the strategies and suggestions included. It′s an excellent book even for those who shy away from data analysis!" —Ann Dargon, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Westport Community Schools, MA

"I applaud Gupton's focus on the learner. This is the most important tenet for a school administrator's decision making. Each chapter describes a portion of school leadership that the successful principal needs to master."-Sharon Madsen Redfern, PrincipalHighland Park Elementary School, Lewistown, MTUse these powerful leadership tools to build teamwork and improve instruction!Every school leader needs a toolbox of strategies for improving teaching and learning schoolwide. In this second edition of The Instructional Leadership Toolbox, Sandra Lee Gupton examines the role of principals in leading instruction and provides practical ways for leaders to reflect on and improve their practice. Emphasizing a democratic approach that involves stakeholders in instructional leadership, this resource offers a compendium of helpful skills and strategies drawn from current research and theory in school administration. The book provides:Updated standards from NAESP and ISLLCNew research that shows how a principal's actions can affect student achievementQuestions for reflective practiceQuotes and examples of instructional leadership strategies by practicing principals and veteran educatorsAdditional resources such as Web sites, workbooks, books, and articlesThis valuable guide provides a blueprint that demonstrates how school leaders can focus on student learning, while using specific tools to empower others and build teams for a common goal: increased student achievement.

Designing School Systems for All Students provides a clear methodology for school leaders, teachers, and school board members to follow as they redesign their schools for the benefit of students. The authors demonstrate how school leaders set the expectations for all students to learn and grow as important contributors to the culture. In the effective schools that the authors describe, students deliver performances, discuss and conduct important inquiries, and lead profound learning activities. The book explains how curriculum can be redesigned to engage students in advanced cognitive and social and emotional development. Additionally, several barriers to great schools that include assessment practices, false testing procedures, poor governance, ineffective leadership and staff development are described in stark detail. Throughout the book are examples of effective practices that make it possible for all students to prosper in school. This book is filled with practical ideas that are compiled into a toolkit to fix America's schools.

Updated Edition of Best Seller! "You won′t find a more practical, detailed guide to improving school effectiveness than is contained between the covers of this book!" Leonard O. Pellicer, Dean School of Education University of La Verne La Verne, CA "Few books on school leadership have effectively brought together the best of educational theory and practice for school administrators as Elaine McEwan′s Seven Steps to Instructional Leadership." Michael Pladus 1999 MetLife/NASSP National Principal of the Year Have the courage and the vision to lead your staff to achieve their highest instructional goals! Make a substantive impact on the lives of your students and your staff. This practical, hands-on guide can help you become a more effective instructional leader. Here are research-based activities to help you lead your staff though McEwans′s seven steps: Establish, implement, and achieve academic standards Be an instructional resource for your staff Create a learning-oriented school culture and climate Communicate your school′s vision and mission to staff and students Set high expectations for your staff and yourself Develop teacher leaders Develop and maintain positive relationships with students, staff, and parents Integrate these seven steps into your daily behavior. Chapters on each step include research data, discussion and advice from instructional leaders, and practical suggestions from dozens of leading principals that you can use right now in your own school. Use the Instructional Leadership Checklist to: Assess your current level of instructional leadership Find out how your staff thinks you′re doing Set goals for improving your instructional leadership practice Evaluate your progress toward your goals Attaining a new and higher level of instructional leadership will make a difference for each person in your school. Staff, students, and parents will get the message that all students matter. Everyone will start expecting that all students can learn, and your school will achieve its mission—improving education.

Being a school principal is tough. And there's a lot that nobody told you before you took the job. The Principal's Toolbox picks up where most leadership training leaves off, exploring the reality of life as the head of a school. Covering 275 topics from the obvious to the obscure, The Principal's Toolbox gives aspiring, new, and seasoned leaders an opportunity to reflect on the complexities of the principalship. Entries address issues principals WILL encounter, such as "How do I begin to craft a master schedule?", "What if a teacher is so good I can't come up with quality feedback?", "How do I stay out of trouble with the fire marshal?", "How should I handle it when a teacher's kid misbehaves?", and " A pipe burst - where do I turn off the water?"Written by an experienced and currently practicing elementary school principal, The Principal's Toolbox doesn't exist to tell readers WHAT to think; it exists to challenge readers TO think. By honestly (and often humorously) presenting a variety of scenarios common to the principalship, the author gives readers the freedom to accept his viewpoint or form their own. With their engagement in each entry, leaders will sharpen their mind and increase their skill.The Principal's Toolbox consists of 9 sections (with example topics from each): -FACULTY (Relationship with faculty, candor, tough conversations, caring for people, human nature)-CULTURE (Gathering feedback, giving credit, parent support organizations, influential stakeholders, honoring traditions)-INSTRUCTION (Understanding data, state testing, lesson plans, grading, coaching vs. evaluating, quality questions)-PARENTS (Perceptions, sharing bad news, handling requests for a teacher, admitting when you're wrong, confidentiality)-KIDS (Communicating with, party invitations, tardiness, nurse visits, the purpose of discipline, dress code, child abuse, bullying)-LOGISTICS (Class sorting, school pictures, reassigning teachers, interview questions, school floor plan, professional learning)-SELF-MANAGEMENT (Discretion, emotions during difficult situations, personal biases, giving recommendations, precedent)-MONEY (Teacher wishlists, employee benefits, discretionary funds, tax-exempt status, restricted vs. unrestricted accounts)-THIS AND THAT (Student residency, physical plant maintenance, the laminator, ADA compliance, drills, employee injuries)With its straightforward tone and extensive content, The Principal's Toolbox is equally suited to a graduate school book study as the shelf of a veteran principal needing a quick reference. No more need we say, "Well they didn't teach us THAT in principal school!"

This Handbook explores the discourse within the field of educational leadership and management. It provides a clear analysis of the current field as well as older foundational ideas and newer concepts which are beginning to permeate the discussion. The field of educational leadership and management has long acknowledged that educational contexts include a variety of leaders beyond school principals and other school officials such as informal and middle level leaders. By looking at the knowledge dynamic rather than a static knowledge base , this Handbook allows research to be presented in its multidimensional, evolving reality.

A laser-beam focus on improving instruction to improve learning If we want to change how students write, compute, and think, then teachers must transform the old “assign-and-assess” model into engaging, coherent, and rigorous instruction. The authors show school leaders how to make this happen amidst myriad distractions, initiatives, and interruptions. Unlike other books that stop at evaluating teachers and instruction, this work demonstrates how to grow schools’ instructional capacities with a three-step process that involves: Envisioning what good teaching looks like Measuring the quality of current instruction against this standard Working relentlessly to move the quality of instruction closer and closer to the ideal

This authoritative handbook examines the community, district, and teacher leadership roles that affect urban schools. It will serve as a foundation for pedagogical and educational leadership practices that foster social justice, equity, and advocacy for those who have been traditionally and historically underserved in education. The handbook’s ten sections cover topics as diverse as curriculum, instruction, and educational outcomes; gender, race, and class; higher education; and leadership preparation and support. Its twenty-nine chapters offer both American and international perspectives.