This essential guide for new and veteran school leaders explores 15 vital topics, strategies, and examples for achieving successful school leadership through effective management.

Educational administrators know that leadership requires hundreds of judgments each day that require a sensitivity and understanding of various leadership strategies. Bridging the gap between the academic and practical world, A Guide to Effective School Leadership Theories provides an exploration of ten dominant leadership strategies to give school leaders a solid basis in theory and practical application. Demonstrating the advantages and drawbacks of each theory, readers are encouraged to discover the most appropriate strategy, or combination of strategies, that will best enable their school to achieve positive results. Each Chapter Includes: Introductory vignettes grounding the leadership theory in practice Discussion of the history, development, and utility of the strategy Research findings for further exploration of the theory End-of-chapter questions and activities designed to connect theory to practice This book is essential reading for aspiring and practicing school leaders who wish to have a better understanding of their leadership role. Providing a focused, up-to-date introduction to the current themes and dimensions of educational leadership, A Guide to Effective School Leadership Theories presents all the tools necessary to analyze and implement effective leadership in readers’ own settings.

This book considers a number of key epistemological, ontological and methodological questions exploring the effectiveness of school leadership and management development training programmes for school leaders in a range of settings and for a range of people. Consideration is also given to practical concerns associated with this topic, such as the importance of management and Leadership Development programmes supporting school leaders to become effective leaders supporting school effectiveness. Effectiveness of School Leadership and Management Development in Cameroon addresses key methodological issues including the rationale for adopting a qualitative mixed-methodology research approach with elements of literature and documental analysis; surveys; ethical considerations and challenges with sampling techniques in considering the impact that school leaders in Cameroon have on researchers’ findings; and the production of knowledge. In addressing such topics, it answers important questions about how reliability can be ensured, how rigour can be safeguarded and what impact documental analysis and school leaders’ views have on the validity and interpretation of research findings. This book is the first of its kind to combine practical leadership theories in developing leadership development frameworks reflections with clearly presented recommendations about how the approach can be used. It will be invaluable to academics, practitioners and other agencies wishing to adopt participatory research methods which place school leaders and their schools at the centre of this research. This book is also an essential read for academics and students with an interest in qualitative mixed methodologies on leadership development of school leaders, and will become a key text for school leadership research methods courses, given its concern with practical leadership models as well as more complex leadership development theories.

There is a vast amount of research on what goes on in schools, but how can school leaders sort credible findings from dubious claims and use these to make informed decisions that benefit their schools? How can abstract ideas from research be translated into dynamic plans for action? This book is a practical guide to evidence-based school leadership demonstrating the benefits that can be gained from engaging with robust educational research and offering clear guidance on applying meaningful lessons to practice. Topics include: · What is evidence-based school leadership and why does it matter? · How to collect data from your own school and how to analyse this evidence in order to inform strategic leadership decisions · Models for implementing school improvement and change · Leadership skills for fostering a culture of evidence-based practice This is essential reading for senior and middle leaders in educational organisations who aspire to lead effective schools with high levels of staff well-being and enhanced outcomes for the learners they teach.

A comprehensive guide to building successful relationships with all school personnel! Ideal for practicing and aspiring principals, this in-depth resource presents policies, procedures, and techniques for managing faculty and support staff and creating effective work environments. The authors provide case studies, strategies, and reflective exercises in each chapter to help administrators evaluate their schools and practices. Based on ISLLC and ELCC standards for school leadership, this book covers: Shaping school culture to promote shared ownership of the school’s vision Recruiting, selecting, and retaining qualified personnel Effective communication and conflict resolution Handling challenging situations such as supervising marginal employees and addressing grievances

This popular book has been thoroughly updated for its fourth edition, and is even more directed towards the leadership demands on managers, both within the school and in its community setting.

The pressure is on. Principals, expected to improve math performance at their schools, often don’t know where to begin—as they may be uncomfortable with math themselves or believe that their schools are already doing all that they can. How can K–12 school leaders recognize and ensure that their school or district is supporting good math instruction? Marian Small and Doug Duff provide the answer to that and other questions in The School Leader’s Guide to Building and Sustaining Math Success. Drawing on their vast experience working with administrators, Small and Duff provide practical advice and helpful tools for improving math instruction. They guide you through the initial steps of establishing a strong math culture, developing common tasks, and getting buy-in, and then offer specific suggestions for monitoring, supporting, and sustaining improvement. You’ll learn what sort of data to collect, what to look for in the classroom, what to listen for in conversations with teachers and students, and how to deal with reluctant staff or parents. With its real-world examples and insights, this book is essential reading for any principal who wants to bring about positive change and real growth in the teaching and learning of math in their school.