This seminal guide to school literacy programs offers an overview of the most successful strategies education leaders can use to build a powerful reading schools.

This succinct, engaging book explains how busy elementary school principals can support effective literacy instruction in their schools. Chapters outline the fundamental components of a successful literacy program and describe specific practices that can instill a culture of literacy in a school. Strategies are provided for initiating a professional development program, understanding and using appropriate assessments with students, involving parents in literacy education, and assessing the strengths and weaknesses of teachers’ instructional methods. Drawing from the authors' extensive experience as principals and teachers, the book’s numerous examples demonstrate what strong literacy leadership looks like in action. Helpful reproducibles are included.

"Getting down from the ivory tower and stepping out of the principal′s office, these authors offer some of the most important and useful books about leadership that principals can buy." —Andy Hargreaves, Thomas More Brennan Chair in Education Boston College "Addresses some of the most important challenges facing school leaders today. The authors bring a remarkable combination of deep, practical experience and academic sophistication to these challenges." —Ken Leithwood, Professor Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto "This series of little volumes provides a valuable resource for new principals who would become accomplished instructional leaders and seasoned principals looking to strengthen their leadership capacity." —Roland S. Barth, Founding Director Harvard Principals′ Center "This series allows school principals to integrate theory and practice themselves, resulting in highly insightful and practical strategies that will make a difference in schools. Practitioners: lead thyselves!" —Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto A proven plan to raise the quality of literacy instruction and learning schoolwide! To effectively monitor instruction and adherence to a standards-based curriculum, every principal must understand all aspects of literacy teaching and development. As part of the Leading Student Achievement series, this practical guide supports principals and school leaders in improving literacy instruction and achievement for K–12 students. Based on a balanced approach that emphasizes all components of literacy, this volume: Explores the role of the principal and shared leadership in the improvement process Guides school leaders in developing effective school teams for improving literacy Demonstrates how to create and implement a literacy plan Recommends practices that support classroom instruction Examines how to promote home–school–community partnerships Aligned with both IRA and NCTE standards, The Principal as Instructional Leader in Literacy offers a comprehensive approach to providing high-quality literacy leadership.

"This series allows school principals to integrate theory and practice themselves, resulting in highly insightful and practical strategies that will make a difference in schools. Practitioners: lead thyselves!" —Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto "Avoiding high-flown theory on the one hand and mere bullet points on the other, these books represent the best that highly expert leaders have to offer—intellectually informed ideas about how to deal with the compelling practical issues of principalship." —Andy Hargreaves, Thomas More Brennan Chair in Education Boston College "This series of little volumes provides a valuable resource for new principals who would become accomplished instructional leaders and seasoned principals looking to strengthen their leadership capacity." —Roland S. Barth, Founding Director Harvard Principals′ Center "Addresses some of the most important challenges facing school leaders today. The authors bring a remarkable combination of deep, practical experience and academic sophistication to these challenges." —Ken Leithwood, Professor Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto Create a collaborative culture for increased student achievement! Schools with professional learning communities (PLCs) benefit from significantly improved student achievement and a greater sense of shared purpose. This resource, part of the Leading Student Achievement series, provides principals with practical support to lead the development of PLCs in their schools. With step-by-step plans and hands-on strategies, this handbook guides principals through the process of building thriving PLCs by: Defining the key attributes of PLCs Explaining the principal′s role in the process Laying the foundation for shared mission, vision, values, and goals Showing how to create a steering team, introduce the concept to staff, and develop teacher learning teams Featuring professional development modules, case studies, and reproducibles that can be adapted to any school context, The Principal as Professional Learning Community Leader is an invaluable companion for school leaders at any level.

An essential handbook for educating students in the 21st century, since its initial publication A Principal's Guide to Special Education has provided guidance to school administrators seeking to meet the needs of students with disabilities. The third edition of this invaluable reference, updated in collaboration with and endorsed by the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National Association of Secondary School Principals and incorporating the perspectives of both teachers and principals, addresses such current issues as teacher accountability and evaluation, instructional leadership, collaborative teaching and learning communities, discipline procedures for students with disabilities, and responding to students' special education needs within a standards-based environment.

Expanding a principal's formal education and training, The Principal as Learning-Leader is a administrator's guide to improving student achievement, showing practitioners how to focus on the individual academic performance of each and every student and to work with the school staff and community to develop a learning culture that supports student success. Norton and Kelly show current principals how to assess their present behaviors relative to learning leadership. Providing a clear definition of learning leadership and identifying successful practices most commonly implemented by true learning leaders, this book features the administrative tools and accountability strategies that will allow principals to create a culture of learning leadership among all school personnel, which is key to engaging students, and the community, in the learning process.

"Contains critical information that administrators need as they navigate special education policies and procedures. Administrators will discover a practical process for not only improving the quality of special education services, but also for transforming the teaching/learning cycle for all students." —Kim Benton, Executive Director of Federal Programs and Special Populations Meridian Public Schools, MS Lead effective special education programs that promote student achievement! The No Child Left Behind Act and other recent federal mandates have established a new level of accountability for special education programs. Updated to reflect these changes, this practical guide assists principals in developing special education programs that address current standards and students′ diverse needs. The second edition of McLaughlin′s bestseller provides a straightforward overview of special education for principals and other administrators. This resource offers insights on how to lead programs for students with special needs and covers basic legal and procedural information. Written by a well-known and respected scholar in special education, this guide includes new information that enables principals to: Fulfill requirements of NCLB and the 2004 reauthorization of IDEA, including standards-based individualized education programs Ensure that special education students can appropriately access the general curriculum Understand standardized testing options and accommodations to comply with federal law Support accurate identification and eligibility decisions, including Response to Intervention procedures Promote positive behavior and encourage family involvement Help your students with disabilities reach their full potential through high-quality special education programs and services.

The Principal’s Special Education Calendar is a pragmatic, “do-now” guide that addresses a building leader’s special education responsibilities over the course of the school year. Developed for novice and experienced principals, it also meets the needs of professors and aspiring principal candidates looking for a resource to bridge theoretical approaches with the practical aspects of the job. Based on quarterly marking periods for ease of planning and organization, this book provides a comprehensive guide for principals. It includes real-life scenarios, legal red flags, must-have resources to illustrate, “Why this is important,” and key monthly tasks with concluding checklists that recap the top action items for follow-up – all in a conversational, easy-to-read format. With a focus on what information principals need to know, when to know it, and why, this book is the ultimate hands-on special education guide for principals everywhere to build compliance and fill in the gaps left bare in preparation programs.

As the education community struggles with literacy achievement, skillful leadership has emerged as a distinguishing feature of successful schools. Since The Literacy Principal was first published, it has helped shape the discussion around accountability and successful practices that support both teachers and students. This revised and expanded second edition challenges principals to become even more involved in championing literacy in their schools. It examines the role of school leaders at both the elementary and secondary levels. Commentaries from teachers, principals, and consultants who have been involved in developing strong school-wide and district-wide literacy programs are included to demonstrate the strides that many schools have made in the last few years. The increasingly important role of school literacy coaches and mentoring teams are presented as models of the power of cooperative approaches to successful literacy programs. David Booth and Jennifer Rowsell offer an overview of the most successful strategies for creating a support network that will nurture and build a powerful reading environment. They help administrators: introduce and support cooperative approaches to literacy that involve coaches and mentoring teams; understand exemplary reading and writing programs and school-wide strategies for promoting literacy growth among students; demonstrate a commitment to literacy among teachers, parents, students, and the community; appreciate the many forms of assessment and evaluation including intervention programs for improving student performance. Rooted in the latest research and real-world experience, this new edition provides tried-and-true frameworks that principals can use in their quest to create schools where literacy thrives.