This book shows principals how to successfully balance the needs and priorities of their schools while continuously developing and refining their leadership skills.

"I feel that this is a book that principals will be interested in purchasing and reading. It has practical advice and relevant examples of how the advice can and has been implemented." Phillip Silsby, Principal Belleville West High School, Belleville, IL "I could hear the voices of some of the principals who were interviewed speaking to me. The author clearly knows how to gather information and present it in a meaningful way." Bonnie Tryon, Zone 2 Director National Association of Elementary School Principals "This is a powerful guidebook for new principals. More than that, it also contains valuable insight and examples to assist veteran principals in growing and improving professionally." Kimberly Kay Janisch, Principal Watertown High School, Watertown, SD How can principals raise achievement levels, energize teachers, and get results? How can you remain productive and effective in this age of accountability? Highly effective principals have strong communication skills, high levels of knowledge about teaching and learning, and the ability to provide instructional leadership. This excellent, new resource provides principals, administrative teams, and educators with tremendous resources to hone these skills and traits. Ten Traits of Highly Effective Principals contains ideas, reflections, behaviors, habits, and stories from the trenches to guide and inspire as you seek to increase your own effectiveness. Each chapter in this resource describes an essential component of personal effectiveness. A highly effective principal is A communicator—listen, empathize, and connect An educator—with a depth of knowledge; motivates intellectual growth An envisioner—focused on the vision of what schools can be A facilitator—building strong relationships A change master—flexible, futuristic, and realistic, and can motivate change A culture builder—communicating and modeling a strong, viable vision An activator—with motivation, energy, and enthusiasm to spare A producer— building intellectual development and academic achievement A character builder—whose values are trustworthiness, respect, and integrity A contributor—whose priority is making contributions to the success of others Transform your school into a community of learners, set high academic and behavioral expectations, and create a culture where children feel special and safe.

Shows principals how to successfully balance the needs and priorities of their school and continuously develop and refine their leadership skils.

The purpose of this descriptive case study was to understand what elementary principals, elementary teachers, and parents of elementary school students perceive as effective leadership skills in the areas of instructional leadership and school culture for an elementary principal. Five elementary principals, 75 elementary school teachers, and 33 parents of elementary students from two school districts in south central Pennsylvania participated in the study. Each participant responded to a survey created by the researcher. In addition, all five principals and eleven teachers participated in face to face interviews. For the parents, 18 responded to open ended focus group questions. In the area of instructional leadership principals favored qualities that mirrored their daily activities such as : (a) setting instructional goals, (b) using assessment results to show progress, and (c) observing teachers and staff to improve instructional methodology, while teachers and parents considered valuing teaching and learning and motivation of staff as very important qualities of an effective elementary principal. Principals, teachers, and parents all highly valued many school culture qualities such as: (a) developing positive relationships, (b) being trustworthy, (c) respecting others, and (d) supporting others.

"These successful principals move beyond platitudes and optimistic denial and learn to face the facts of what is necessary to improve schools—then they do it. These star principals learn to work with teachers and their union rather than around them." —Charles Taylor Kerchner, Hollis P. Allen Professor Claremont Graduate University "Links Collins′s work to success in the school setting. The examples of school leaders who were able to lead effective, systemic change are powerful." —Brenda Dean, Assistant Director of Curriculum and Instruction Hamblen County Department of Education, TN Make the leap from ordinary to stellar school leadership! "What can I do to make a difference and lift my school to excellence?" From Good Schools to Great Schools answers this question for principals and considers other critical issues in a detailed examination of school leadership. Based on the concepts from the national bestseller Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don′t, this guidebook identifies nine characteristics of high-performing "Level 5" school leaders through: In-depth discussions and detailed case studies of six "star" school principals A comparison of principals and corporate leaders, including qualities exclusive to school leadership Reflection questions for more effective application of leadership principles Templates, implementation tips, and additional resources Correlated with ISLLC standards, this comprehensive resource is a valuable resource for aspiring and practicing school administrators, site leaders, and supervisors.

This guide to the 21 leadership responsibilities that influence student achievement will help school leaders focus on changes that really make a difference.

The role of the elementary principal is more challenging and complex than ever before. Principals are not only expected to be strong leaders, but they are expected to practice shared leadership with their various constituent groups. The ever-changing responsibilities of the position have contributed to disparate views on the role of the principal. Different constituent groups vary in their perceptions of an effective principal. The better a principal understands the perceptions and expectations of the various constituent groups he or she serves, the more likely it is that a principal can fulfill the expectations and be perceived as effective. This study identified the perceptions of parents and teachers with regard to the characteristics of an effective elementary school principal. An inventory was used as the primary source of quantitative data for the study. Qualitative data was gathered through participant responses to a series of open-ended questions relating to five leadership themes interviewed within the inventory. Twenty-nine parents and forty teachers from three separate primary schools (grades kindergarten through three) within one school district were surveyed.