Seven Steps to Effective Instructional Leadership

"You won′t find a more practical, detailed guide to improving school effectiveness than is contained between the covers of this book!"
Leonard O. Pellicer, Dean School of Education
University of La Verne
La Verne, CA

"Few books on school leadership have effectively brought together the best of educational theory and practice for school administrators as Elaine McEwan′s Seven Steps to Instructional Leadership."
Michael Pladus
1999 MetLife/NASSP National Principal of the Year

Make a substantive impact on the lives of your students and your staff. This practical, hands-on guide can help you become a more effective instructional leader. Here are research-based activities to help you lead your staff though McEwans′s seven steps:

1. Establish, implement, and achieve academic standards
2. Be an instructional resource for your staff
3. Create a learning-oriented school culture and climate
4. Communicate your school′s vision and mission to staff and students
5. Set high expectations for your staff and yourself
6. Develop teacher leaders
7. Develop and maintain positive relationships with students, staff, and parents

Integrate these seven steps into your daily behavior. Chapters on each step include research data, discussion and advice from instructional leaders, and practical suggestions from dozens of leading principals that you can use right now in your own school.

Use the Instructional Leadership Checklist to:

• Assess your current level of instructional leadership
• Find out how your staff thinks you′re doing
• Set goals for improving your instructional leadership practice
• Evaluate your progress toward your goals

Attaining a new and higher level of instructional leadership will make a difference for each person in your school. Staff, students, and parents will get the message that all students matter. Everyone will start expecting that all students can learn, and your school will achieve its mission—improving education.