The Principal Influence: A Framework for Developing Leadership Capacity in Principals

Pete Hall, Deborah Childs-Bowen, Ann Cunningham-Morris, Phyllis Pajardo, and Alisa Simeral

Table of Contents

Video  |  About the Authors

About This Book

Principals navigate the dynamic complexities and subtleties of their schools every day. They promote, facilitate, and lead efforts to achieve both tangible and intangible results throughout the school community. They fulfill a role that includes counseling, budgeting, inspiring, teaching, learning, disciplining, evaluating, celebrating, consoling, and a million other critical functions.

As the principalship has evolved and grown, so have the expectations of it. With that in mind, ASCD developed the Principal Leadership Development Framework (PLDF). The PLDF establishes a clear and concise definition of leadership and includes clear targets that support the ongoing growth and development of leaders.

Using the Framework, principals will learn to capitalize on their leadership roles:

• Principal as Visionary
• Principal as Instructional Leader
• Principal as Engager
• Principal as Learner and Collaborator

The PLDF also offers 17 criteria of effective practice that allow leaders to focus on behaviors that have the greatest direct effect on the culture and status of learning and teaching. Coupled with the PLDF are tools for self-reflection that help principals identify and strengthen their reflective habits.

Whether you want to develop your own capacities or support the development of a group of principals, assistant principals, or aspiring principals, The Principal Influence can help channel your efforts in ways that promote successful teaching and student learning.

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About the Authors

PETE HALL is a veteran school administrator and leadership expert who has dedicated his career to supporting the improvement of our education systems. In addition to his teaching experiences in Massachusetts, California, and Nevada, he served as a school principal for 12 years in Nevada and Washington. Hall works as an educational consultant as a member of the ASCD Faculty and trains educators worldwide.  Read more

DEBORAH CHILDS-BOWEN is an internationally recognized transformational educator having served in diverse roles as teacher, principal, district administrator, educational researcher, and university professor. Childs-Bowen is chief learning officer with Creative Mind Enterprise, building capacity and equitable learning opportunities that improve practice for educators and learning for all students.  Read more

ANN CUNNINGHAM-MORRIS has served educators for more than 35 years. She is the former director of professional development for ASCD and has also been a district-level instructional administrator, school-based administrator, teacher leader, and classroom teacher in seven different states. She is an ASCD Faculty member and has served as an educational consultant to many school systems throughout the world.  Read more

PHYLLIS PAJARDO is presently the assistant superintendent in Fairfax City, Virginia. Prior to that, she served Fairfax County Public Schools for 34 years; she was the assistant superintendent of Human Resources as well as Cluster II, where she was "lead learner" for 28 schools/principals. She has been an elementary teacher, consulting teacher, assistant principal, principal, specialist, project manager, and director.  Read more

ALISA SIMERAL is a veteran educator who has guided school-based reform efforts as a teacher, dean, instructional coach, and professional developer. Her emphasis is, and always has been, improving the adult-input factors that contribute to increased student-output results. Simeral currently works as a district-level instructional coach in Reno, Nevada, and is an ASCD Faculty member.  Read more