The Principal: Creative Leadership for Excellence in Schools

Centered on the seven Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC) Standards developed for school leaders that covers both theory and practice.   Using the seven Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC) Standards as an organizational tool, the revised seventh edition of The Principal: Creative Leadership For Excellence in Schools continues to provide future school administrators with both the necessary theory and the necessary practical skills to become effective educational leaders. At the same time, the newly updated text incorporates fresh material on modern legal issues, expanded coverage on the topic of cultural and ethnic diversity in schools, and all of the most recent research.   With a focus on practical problem solving for school principals and other educational leaders, this text retains its focus on research linking educational leadership and productive schools, especially in terms of outcomes for children. Treating the principalship as a complicated and constantly evolving position that requires a constant focus on learning, instruction, and school improvement, this seventh edition text teaches readers to be moral agents, social advocates, community leaders, and caring individuals.

Table of Contents:
PART ONE: CREATING A VISION OF LEADERSHIP AND LEARNING 1. The Principal: A Creative Blend of Substance and Style         Systems Theory         School: The Context for Leadership         The Principalship: The Role in Context   2. The Learning Community         Sociological and Psychological Nature of Groups         High Performance Organizations   3. Decision Processing and Decision Making at the School Site         Decision Making: A Perspective         Decision Settings         Decision Processing         Problem Solving         The Work Group as a Problem Solving Unit         Problem-Solving Work Groups   4. School Improvement through Systematic Planning         The Principal's Role         Gathering Baseline Data         Determining Vision and Mission         Clarifying Expectations for Student Learning         Analysis of Instructional and Organizational Effectiveness         Action Planning/Project Management         The Project Calendar: Gantt Charting   PART TWO: CREATING A POSITIVE CULTURE  5. Creating a Positive Learning Climate         It Happens in Many Schools         Positive Student Control         The School as Culture         Violence and Disorder         The Counseling Program         Student Services         Principal's Role in Coordination and Articulation   6. The School Curriculum         The Principal's Role in Curriculum Administration         Curriculum Analysis         Curriculum Design and School Improvement         Curriculum Delivery         Curriculum Flexibility         Curriculum Continuity         Curriculum Balance           7. Promoting Student Achievement         Instruction and Learning         Individual Differences among Children         School Accountability and Student Achievement         Grouping Students         Research on Teaching   8. Special Students and Special Services         Ethics of Administration         Administration of Special Education Services         Disciplining Students with Disabilities         Dealing with Parents of Special Children         The Role of a Principal         The Role of a Regular Classroom Teacher         Outside Public Agencies   9. Human Resources Development         Integration of the Individual and Organization         Individual and Group Needs         Professional Development         Personnel Evaluation and Supervision         The Staff Evaluation Cycle         Mentoring   PART THREE: MANAGING THE ORGANIZATION 10. Staffing the School: Recruitment, Selection, and Termination Processes         Determining Staffing Needs         Recruitment         The Selection Process         Employee Probationary Status         Orientation and Development of New Teachers         Teacher Tenure         Involuntary Termination         Voluntary Termination   11. Restructuring the Deployment of Instructional Personnel         Empowerment         Professional Learning Communities         Organizing for Professional Learning Community Development         Staffing Patterns for Elementary and Middle Schools         Staffing Patterns for Secondary School         Learning Community Planning         The School as a Learning Community   12. Restructuring Time: Scheduling         Schedule Flexibility         Schedule Design         Learning Community Planning Time         Elementary School Schedules         Middle School Schedules         Secondary School Schedules   13.  Fiscal Accounting, Budgeting, and Building Management         Where Does the Money Come From?         The Building and Grounds         The Planning and Budgeting Process         Implementing a Planning, Programming, Budgeting System         Accounting for Financial Resources and Expenditures         Supplies and Equipment Management         Care of the School Plant         Working with Classified Personnel   14. Technology Applications for School Management         National Educational Technology Standards         Technology Plans         Technology Culture         Communication Using Technology         Cell Phones         School Information Systems         Course Management Systems         Other Administrator Software Applications         Security    PART FOUR: INTERACTING WITH THE EXTERNAL SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT  15. The School and the Community         Hot-Button Issues         The Community         The Complex Community         Informal Community Forces         Formal Community Forces         Promising Public Relations Techniques: Dealing with the Formal and Informal Forces         Getting the Message Out: One-Way Public Relations Techniques         Getting the Message Out and Back: Two-Way Public Relations Techniques          16. Legal Rights and Responsibilities of Staff and Students         Legal Bases for Schools: Federal, State, and Local Perspectives         Due Process         First Amendment Rights         Fourth Amendment Rights         Sexual Harassment         Common Tort Liability Settings         Privacy and Confidentiality of Student Records         Issues of Equity         Youth in Poverty (Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act)         Homeless Youth   Appendix A: Case Studies in School Leadership and Management Appendix B: Educational Leadership Policy Standards: ISLLC 2008