Introduction To The Principalship

The latest leadership textbook from respected author team Kaplan and Owings explores how principals can effectively build a culture around student achievement. Introduction to the Principalship helps aspiring principals understand how to develop a vision for improvement, make decisions and manage conflict, build teachers' capacity, communicate, monitor the organization's performance, and create a school climate of mutual respect. This important book provides readers with various leadership concepts to inform their practice, as well as the cognitive and practical tools to evaluate and prioritize what leadership actions to take. Each chapter offers opportunities for readers to create personal meaning and explore new ways of doing leadership to advance a positive, person-focused environment. Providing both the theoretical framework and skills for effective practice, Introduction to the Principalship addresses the issues most urgent and relevant for educational leadership graduate students learning how to build a school culture that promotes every student's success. Special Features: * Learning Objectives-chapter openers introduce the topic and initiates student thinking. * Reflections and Relevance -interactive exercises, role plays, class activities, and assignments facilitate understanding and analysis of chapter content while asking students to interact with peers. * ISLLC Standards-each chapter is aligned to the leadership standards, followed by exercises to help readers reflect on content in relevant and meaningful ways. * Companion Website-includes links to supplemental material, additional readings, and PowerPoints for instructors. Review: A great foundation book for principals and those working with them. Comprehensive, challenging, helpful, this book is both clear and compelling, and offers great ideas on all aspects of leadership in leading change with schools. --Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto Kaplan and Owings have crafted a powerful and much needed new volume on the principalship. They keep the spotlight exactly where it needs to be: on academic press and culture. This is an authentic and relevant work that focuses on seeing and understanding principal work at ground level. --Joseph Murphy, Frank W. Mayborn Chair of Education and Associate Dean at Peabody College of Education, Vanderbilt University Kaplan and Owings have written a highly readable book that provides comprehensive coverage of pedagogy, the ISLLC standards, and current issues facing administrators. These engaging wordsmiths have written a book that is beneficial for both a graduate student beginning an educational administration program as well as a practicing school leader. --Patricia Hoehner, Associate Professor of Educational Administration, University of Nebraska at Kearney This text has immediate and insightful impact at several levels for students of educational leadership studies: a novice benefits from the scope of presented theory as well as the depth of content and a veteran school leader has a useful 'how-to' guidebook suggesting several ways to enact sustainable positive school change. The journey is both thought-provoking and pragmatic. --Michael V. Pregot, Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Educational Leadership Studies, Long Island University