Leading Student Achievement: A Study Finds Superintendents Affecting Instructional Gains through their Strong Relationships with Principals

American Association of School Administrators. 801 North Quincy Street Suite 700, Arlington, VA 22203-1730. Tel: 703-528-0700; Fax: 703-841-1543; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.aasa.org

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Superintendents; Principals; Academic Achievement; Leadership Styles; Leadership Effectiveness; Achievement Gains; Interviews; Observation; Data Collection; Teaching Methods

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The superintendent's role today is so complex that it deals with so many competing issues and is measured by such high standards tied to accountability for results that few are willing to tackle the job these days. With such a seemingly impossible job to tame, it is amazing that some superintendents still can truly affect student achievement. In this article, the author studies superintendents who had, indeed, made a difference in student learning. The author reports on what she learned from interviewing, observing and collecting data about three superintendents over a course of four years. She also interviewed their leadership teams and the principals in their districts to determine what the superintendents did that affected their own roles as instructional leaders. The author discovered that the most effective training for principals is district-wide and connects expertise in instructional practice with expertise in supervising instruction.

ERIC

2006

EJ726669