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1
The Principal as
Instructional Leader
In This Chapterā¦
ā¢ | Instructional leadershipāwhat is it? |
ā¢ | Instructional leaders |
ā¢ | Make a commitment to learning |
ā¢ | Provide connectivity and cohesion |
ā¢ | Build strong teams of teacher leaders |
ā¢ | Understand change |
ā¢ | Organization of the book |
Very few people would disagree that the work of a school principal is multifaceted, hectic, and fraught with uncertainties and that, given the ongoing pressures for accountability, the very work of the principal as instructional leader is shifting to ensure āresultsā in the form of increased student scores on standardized tests. Myriad day-to-day activities take principals away from the important work of instructional leadership because these activities need administrative detail and attention to ensure the overall effective management of the school. However, no matter how important this āotherā work is, Hoy and Hoy (2006) assert, āSchools are about teaching and learning; all other activities are secondary to these basic goalsā (p. 1). Learning Forward (2011) holds firm that āleaders develop their own and othersā capacity to learn and lead professional learning, advocate for it, [and] provide support systemsā; for the principal, this means assuming the responsibility for learning with conviction at a steadfast speed (p. 28).
The Principal as Instructional Leader: A Practical Handbook examines the work that must be accomplished by principals as the instructional leaders of their schools. Very specifically, this book examines learning and leading as principals develop a vision and culture that support the supervision of the instructional program, professional development, and other processes to help teachers further improve their teaching. However, the concepts and most of the tools presented in this book can assist all school personnel who coach and mentor teachers in improving their instructional practices.
The principal must be in a position to promote continuous learning and development of teachers who are challenged to teach students to higher standards of accountability. Tirozzi (2001) indicates, āThe principals of tomorrowās schools must be instructional leaders who possess the requisite skills, capacities, and commitment to lead the accountability parade, not follow itā (p. 438, emphasis added). To accept this challenge, principals need to be able to
ā¢ | Set the tone for their buildings; |
ā¢ | Facilitate the teaching and learning process; |
ā¢ | Provide leadership and direction to their schoolsā instructional programs and policies; |
ā¢ | Spend significantly more time evaluating staff and mentoring new teachers; |
ā¢ | Sustain professional development for themselves and their staff members; and |
ā¢ | Nurture personalized school environments for all students. (p. 438) |
Tomorrow is too late. Principals must be able to lead in the present because school systems will always look to their principals for direction, guidance, and the commitment to make learning for teachers and students a top priority.
What gets in the way of principalsā paying full attention to the work of instructional leadership? Principals in the field have many responsibilities: attending to student discipline, intervening with angry parents, completing paperwork and reports needed by central office to comply with special education rules and regulations, administering the testing program, tracking the results of standardized testing, and seeing to the maintenance of the physical plant. Principals are the stewards of their buildings, overseeing the operations of the schoolāthe instructional program, the budget, the facilities, the discipline program, the community outreach efforts. The list of a principalās responsibilities never ends.
The principal does not need to walk alone. Many principals have the assistance of assistant principals, lead teachers, department chairs, gradelevel leaders, instructional coaches, master teachers, and other instructional support personnel who help to ensure the orderly operations of the school. However, some principals do not have full- or part-time assistance from school personnel assigned to work alongside them. Regardless of the configuration of personnel who assist the principal, the final responsibility for the success of the instructional program and its peopleāteachers and studentsārests squarely on the shoulders of the principal. This is a sobering proposition given the demands of accountability.
There is a need for optimism for those who are in or aspire to the position of principal, and there is a need to elevate the work of the principal as an instructional leader. The instructional leadership of the principal is worth the effort and worthy of a recommitment by those who lead in concert with teachers to improvement and effectiveness. The guiding premises needed to achieve instructional improvement and teacher effectiveness are embedded in the day-to-day work of the principal and rooted in the reasons an individual sought and accepted the position of principal.
Instructional LeadershipāWhat Is It?
Deriving the meaning of the term instructional leadership is elusive. The complex construct of instructional leadership has been written about and researched from the perspective of the work of those in the position of the principal (Sergiovanni, 2006), the traits and characteristics of principals (Yukl, 2006), school effectiveness (Edmonds, 1979; Purkey & Smith, 1983), change (Murphy, 1994a), and school improvement (Murphy, 1992, 1994b). Included in this search for meaning have been numerous movements (transformative leadership, shared decision making), preparation standards for principals (Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium, 1996), the call for moral leadership (Sergiovanni, 1996), the development of learning communities (Barth, 2004; Sergiovanni, 1999; Lambert, 1995; Zepeda, 2012), the need for an ethic of care (Barth, 2001; Noddings, 1992), and so goes the list.
Leadership that focuses on instruction has a strong purpose and an equally strong commitment to student learning. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (2011) provides a construct for instructional leadershipāpurposes, key ideas, and the leadership needed by the principal who wears the mantle of instructional leader. Figure 1.1 details these ideas.
FIGURE 1.1 Defining the Instructional Leadership of the Principal
Instructional Leadership Defined
Strong leadership promotes excellence and equity in education and entails projecting, promoting, and holding steadfast to the vision; garnering and allocating resources; communicating progress; and supporting the people, programs, services, and activities implemented to achieve the schoolās vision.
Rationale for Leadership
Effective leadership is essential to the development and continuing improvement of any organization. An educational leader is needed to focus efforts on excellence and equity.
Key Ideas
| 1. | | Leadership roles are assumed by a variety of persons in addition to principals and superintendents, including t... |
