The Importance Of Effective Leadership And Its Impact On Improving Student Achievement

2). The authors explain that in the 1990s when the first edition of their book was published, the term “teacher leadership” was generally unfamiliar within the educational community. The authors state that “by helping teachers recognize that they are leaders, by offering opportunities to develop their leadership skills, and by creating school cultures that honor their leadership, we can awaken this sleeping giant of teacher leadership” (Katzenmeyer and Moller, 2009, p. 3). During their study of teacher leadership, Katzenmeyer and Moller (2009), discovered that teachers are unwilling to be identified as teacher leaders due to the following: 1) lack of a supportive environment for the development of teacher leaders, 2) insecurities about their abilities to provide leadership for adults, and 3) at some schools, the tendency to treat all teachers alike, which can dishearten teachers from assuming leadership roles. Based on this information, the need to provide support and recognition for those teachers who are willing to step up and undertake leadership roles is important for schools and districts that wish to enhance the development of teacher leaders. Without these elements in place, one would assume that teacher leadership practices would not be prevalent. Nevertheless, providing a supportive environment and tapping into the numerous areas of expertise of those who make up the largest portion of the educational workforce, one can understand the potential impact of what Katzenmeyer and Moller (2009) refer to as “the sleeping giant” of teacher leadership. However, to determine if this is

The following information was gathered during a discussion with Dr. Clayton Mork from the Crescent School District. He shared his personal view of the role of an instructional leader. Also his view of how instructional leadership practices relate to student achievement. Dr. Mork shared two instructional leadership actions and outcomes he implemented at Crescent School District related to student achievement. Dr. Mork also explained his philosophy of curriculum development regarding involvement of teaching staff.

As a teacher-leader, I have been assigned a number of wide-ranging and important informal roles in my career thus far that have enabled me to support and contribute towards the success of not only my students, but also my department and my school as a whole. By assuming these diverse leadership roles, I have been able to develop professionally, improve student attainment, positively influence the teaching and learning practice of my peers and contribute towards the culture and ethos of the schools I have worked in.

Orr, like many others, believes that a teacher leader is someone who “impacts education beyond their own classroom”; however, she is quick to point out that she believes it is more than just the work teachers accomplish with administrators within their own schools. Orr wants the idea of teacher leaders to encompass far more than that.

Teachers as leaders. Crowther, Ferguson and Hann (2009) in their book, Developing Teacher Leaders (2nd ed.) defined that “Teacher leadership is essentially an ethical stance that is based on views of both a better world and the power of teachers to shape meaning systems. It manifests in new forms of understanding and practice that contribute to school success and to the quality of life of the community in the long term.” They also described the six elements of Teachers as Leaders Framework. (Crowther, F., Ferguson, M., and Hann, L. (2009). P.

Palmer Lake Elementary School refers to a public elementary school located in Brooklyn Park. The school has 678 students with majority being Whites and non-Hispanics. The teachers; population is between 40 and 50 teachers: 6 speech teacher, two reading teacher, 3 gym physical, two music teachers, 28 for regular classes, one media. Accordingly, the ratio of students to teachers is approximately 15:1. Each class has varying number of students ranging from 19 to 28 students. Approximately 54 percent of the students are male and 46 percent are female. The percentage of students eligible for subsidized lunch is 65. This essay examines the leadership skills and styles of Dr. Tim Brown after an interview in his office. Dr. Tim is the principal of Palmer Lake Elementary School and plays the following roles. First, he shapes the vision of academic success and instructional competence for all students and teachers respectively. Second, he plays the role of creating a climate and environment that is hospitable for learning. Third, he cultivates leadership in other teachers. Fourth, he is answerable to external stakeholders such as parents and state education authorities concerning the school’s performances and use of resources. Effective educational leadership is a continuous process that involves self-examination, learning from others, collaboration and sustainable use of resources to accomplish the goals and

Hillard (2011) asserts that with the passing of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) bill, educational leaders face more challenging leadership responsibilities than ever in the history of education. The Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) has set stringent standards that school principals must meet before they are deemed qualified to lead instruction. This includes completing formal Educational leadership programs, the passage of an examination demonstrating their skills and knowledge, and a certification process. However, school administrators are still concerned with not having enough time to provide instructional supports to teacher. In addition, it is nearly impossible for principals to be content experts in every subject, especially in high school settings.

I think and every successful teacher will agree with me that promoting the success of every student is the main value of any educational professional and it is very important for a leader to demonstrate these traits. What is leadership? Some people think that it is good to be a boss and it is easy to rule any organization. Leadership is more than just to rule any organization. It is the development of a practice around a mission or vision and an ability to inspire others to do the same. There are three sets of practices make up this basic core of successful leadership practices: setting directions, developing people and redesigning the organization. Foster (1989) says, “Leadership differs from conventional administration in much the same way that education differs from training (p.10).” This speaks to results- to the why of teaching. And the value of a leader can be determined by their results. If their aim is high-quality education (an admittedly vague term), academic success, and well-being of each student then this is the standard by which they should be judged. Burns admonishes that “power and leadership are measured by the degree of

Love, N., Stiles, K., Mundry, S., & DiRanna, K. (2008). The data coach’s guide to improving

The purpose of this “Purpose, Reflective Practice, and Career Goals” paper is to reflect on how the Education Specialist program in Leadership in Educational Administration will help me to build upon my leadership skills and provide me with the knowledge and tools necessary to effectively lead a school district dedicated to improving student achievement. In this paper, I explain how the program aligns with my career goals of becoming a school district superintendent and the importance of lifelong learning for educators. According to Rüprich & Urhahne (2015), teachers should set goals. I consider myself a lifelong learner with the ability to build leadership capacity and support instruction. Additionally, the Paper highlights the benefits of the program at Capella University as well as the usefulness of the available resources and the impact they will have on my learning during this journey.

This influential work on “A Vivid Illustration of Leadership: Principals” Actions Propel Struggling Schools Turnaround work grew out of an urgent need to transform a high poverty high school. The author of this research discovered a framework between leadership, classroom teacher and learning. And so, this article discloses research that indicates the effectiveness of leadership and the kind of leadership needed to improve student achievement. Therefore, a leader must be a visionary and move with urgency to transform the learning environment. The purpose of this study was to explain the impact of effective leadership on school reform and to show how effective leadership methods are used to improve a high poverty high school. Because the leader

My pathway to educational leadership began in 2008 when my desire to use education as a tool to affect societal change inspired me to join the Mississippi Teacher Corps (MTC). MTC—one of the most selective alternate-route teaching programs in the nation—gave me the opportunity to spend two years teaching biology to inner-city minority students. During this time, I was also able to mentor first year teachers and obtain an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Mississippi. The enjoyment of succeeding in both graduate school and in the classroom was tempered by a growing understanding of the harsh realities that many of my students faced. I witnessed the important role that administrators played and the challenges they encountered

Simply put, instructional leadership focuses on students. Instructional leadership “is strongly concerned with teaching and learning, including the professional learning of teachers as well as student growth” (Bush, 2007, p. 400). There is heightened awareness with instructional issues, ensuring professional development, conducting classroom observations, communicating high academic standards and ensuring the school environment is conducive to learning (Hattie, 2015). Instructional leaders are less focused on how to make schools a reflection of their educational beliefs and more concerned with keeping students first, as a means to drive positive change. Instructional leadership focuses on the principal closely monitoring the activities of not only the students’ work but also that of the teachers (Blase & Blase, 2000). This is aimed at improving instruction and technical activities of the school. Hallinger developed the most common conceptualization of instructional leadership. According to Hallinger (2003), there are three scopes to an instructional leadership design: defining the school’s mission followed by managing the program and finally promotion of a positive learning environment.

The role of principal has evolved over time just as our education system has. No longer is the leader of a school a mere manager of teachers and students. The current body of research shows that principals have great impact as instructional leaders when working within frameworks that inspire and support teacher growth. Student achievement is the ultimate focus and goal within any education community. We are promising families, post-secondary schools and the workforce that we will increase each child’s strengths and skills so they can be contributing members of their larger community. The goal is simple even though the road there in filled with many barriers and complexities. This is why powerful instructional leadership is essential for promoting growth and development in both teachers and students. I want to build meaningful processes that support this type of teacher growth and ensure that students do not fall through the cracks and reach their potential.

Effective school leadership today must combine the traditional school leadership duties such as teacher evaluation, budgeting, scheduling, and facilities maintenance with a deep involvement with specific aspects of teaching and learning. Effective instructional leaders are intensely involved in curricular and instructional issues that directly affect student achievement (Cotton, 2003). The writer of this paper acknowledges that school principals should play the role of instructional leaders, not just a school manager. The reality is that are many demands on a principals time and management skills making it difficult for most of them to spend time in classrooms, when performing teacher evaluation. Principals often make sure that teachers