Developing School Leaders

In today's schools, principals alone cannot lead schools to success. Teachers and staff members must take charge and become leaders in the classroom so that students can flourish academically. Emerging strategies and concepts are helping turn educators into powerful leaders who are building strong academic foundations in the classroom.

This issue of ASCD Express looks at some of the strategies that have helped educators use their leadership skills to create positive learning environments.

Also, check out the digital version of Educational Leadership's October issue, which tackles leadership topics including empowering teachers and staff, strengthening leaders, and the benefits and challenges of sharing leadership.

A Tradition of Excellence: How School Leaders Are Helping Turn One Troubled School into a Success Story

Three years ago, principal Marc Cohen inherited a school with a student body that had numerous academic and behavioral problems. By getting his teachers to become leaders and implement plans to turn around their classrooms, Cohen shows how powerful a leader can be in getting students to focus on academics.

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Educators as Activists

In 1995, a small group of educators from New York began using performance-based assessments, instead of state exams, to allow students to graduate. Educator Frank Grossman recalls the successes of this approach and how this small group of activists fought for almost a decade to keep their policy in place.

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Teachers, Writers, Leaders

With strong writing skills becoming an increasingly invaluable asset in the workplace, teacher leaders need to instill these skills in their students, even with students focusing on so many different subjects. This Educational Leadership article looks at a group of teachers who wrote self-reflective essays on being teacher leaders and teaching their students how to become good writers.

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Helping You Sustain Positive Change by Strengthening Foundational Elements

Building Teachers' Capacity for Success

The Art of School Leadership

The How To Collection: School Leadership

Distinguished teacher leaders create and nurture connections to the school and to one another, and a good transition program for incoming high school freshmen builds the same types of relationships. See how these teacher leaders help smooth freshmen's transition into high school.

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New Leaders for New Schools: First, Believe in Students

In a series of columns this fall, the cofounder of New Leaders for New Schools shares insights about preparing and supporting principals who've taken on the challenge of turning around some of the nation's most challenged urban schools. This issue highlights effective aspects of the New Leaders training program.

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My Back Pages: Leadership for the 21st Century

In this Educational Leadership article from 1998, internationally known educator Michael Fullan explains how principals can lead their schools to greatness and offers suggestions on how to overcome the many obstacles they may face in the process.

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The Daily Building Blocks of Successful Leadership

By focusing on small things that they have control over and can do well, school leaders can leave the building with a sense of accomplishment every day, according to assistant principal Robert Dillon.

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