Excellent leadership matters Without excellent leadership, school improvement is impossible, or at least impossible to sustain. But what are the characteristics of an excellent leader? Is general leadership experience and knowledge enough? And how do you practically grow and develop leadership in yourself and others so you can all have a bigger impact on student outcomes? This integrated, holistic resource explores the virtues that are integral to achieving excellence in educational leadership, while offering practical guidance on how to do the right work in the right way—no matter what challenges you face or student inequities you’re trying to overcome. Features include: Practical, research-based applications of virtue theory Examples of school leaders’ thinking and actions In-depth yet accessible theoretical analysis Detailed analysis showing theoretical concepts in practice Summaries and reflection questions The success of your students and teachers is directly linked to your influence, your knowledge and ideas, your personal character, and your ability to focus on the proper purposes of education.

Drawing on the lives of some of the greatest political, intellectual and religious leaders of modern times, and the author’s personal experience, Virtuous Leadership demonstrates that leadership and virtue are not only compatible, they are actually synonymous. Virtuous Leadership defines each of the classical human virtues most essential to leadership – magnanimity, humility, prudence, courage, self-control and justice. It demonstrates how these virtues promote personal transformation and the attainment of self-fulfillment. It also considers the Christian supernatural virtues of faith, hope and charity without which no study of leadership can be complete. The book’s final section, Towards Victory, offers a methodology for the achievement of interior growth tailored to the needs of busy, professional people intent on imbuing their lives with a transcendent purpose. Thus, the aim of Virtuous Leadership is ultimately practical. It is meant to be your guidebook in the quest for excellence.

Unpack the standards and build a plan for leading learning Professional Standards for Educational Leaders introduces the foundations of the recently revised professional educational leadership standards and provides an in-depth explanation and application of each one. Written by the primary architect of PSEL, educational leadership expert Joseph F. Murphy, this authoritative guide to understanding and applying the standards explores the new emphasis on: Leadership of learning, school culture, and diversity Values, ethics, and professional norms of educational leadership Teacher quality, instruction, and caring support Written for higher education faculty, professional development providers, and school and district leaders, the author truly brings the standards to life. This comprehensive manual will power the educational leadership profession through the challenges of the next decade and beyond. "Murphy offers an exploration of the kind of leadership that matters most for each and every student. Let us hope the thinking reflected in this book and the new PSEL standards redirects our attention to what it really means to lead in education." Michelle D. Young, UCEA Executive Director, Professor of Leadership University of Virginia "Joseph Murphy debunks myths about standards for educational leaders and skillfully unpacks the moral, foundational, and experiential basis for the revised professional standards to guide effective leadership of our nation’s schools. This book is a must read for those interested in leadership for learning and the academic success and wellbeing of students, because these standards will shape our field for the next quarter century as the ISLLC standards have done since 1996." Martha McCarthy, Presidential Professor Loyola Marymount University

Excellent leadership matters Without excellent leadership, school improvement is impossible, or at least impossible to sustain. But what are the characteristics of an excellent leader? This integrated, holistic resource explores the virtues that are integral to achieving excellence in educational leadership, while offering practical guidance on how to do the right work the right way—no matter what challenges you face or student inequities you’re trying to overcome. Features include: Practical, research-based applications of virtue theory Examples of school leaders’ thinking and actions In-depth yet accessible theoretical analysis Detailed analysis showing theoretical concepts in practice Summaries and reflection questions

Improve overall school performance from start to Finnish! Exploring and analyzing how Finland consistently places at or near the top of international student assessments, especially PISA, has become popular in recent years. Pasi Sahlberg now explores this phenomenon from the perspective of the educational leader. With the culture of general and educational leadership in Finland as a backdrop, this resource is packed with strategies and tools that travel well. Rooted in four main ideas, this book covers topics such as: Enhancing equity is an essential component of success Physical activity is crucial for substantial learning Embedding ideas into your current leadership practices takes perseverance

"As school systems search for ways to develop and retain effective leaders, a new vision for leadership assessment becomes increasingly vital. This revised edition... provides the information and tools necessary to successfully evaluate all types of educational leaders and improve both individual and organizational performance. Incorporating the 10 Dimensions of Leadership, this field-tested resource is based on research, theory, and best practices in leadership, organizational effectiveness, and personnel evaluation. The author, a national expert on educational leadership and accountability, focuses on three critical concepts of leadership: the dramatic impact of leadership on student achievement, equity, and staff morale; the role of both personal predispositions and acquired knowledge skills on effectiveness; and how evaluation can be used to improve performance instead of merely rendering an assessment...This updated edition includes new features such as: sample hallmarks of performance excellence; practical insights into the distinction between evaluating and assessing leaders; a new leadership assessment and coaching tool for providing confidential feedback to senior leaders; examples of real-world applications. By implementing this multidimensional leadership assessment system, school districts can improve teaching, learning, and leadership at every level!"--Publisher's website.

Make the most of your time—and your leadership Is your school’s vision getting buried under paperwork? If you spend more time picking up pieces than putting them together, this is your book. Written by seasoned school principals, this plan of action will get you back to the essence of your job: instructional leadership. By using educational technology to maximize efficiency, you’ll improve teaching, student achievement, resource management, and school culture. This comprehensive guide features: Easy-to-follow, single-topic chapters Standards–based scenarios and questions Time-management self-assessments Easily adaptable experiential exercises Strategies for battling the “silent time thief”