Principal As Professional Development Leader : Building Capacity for Improving Student Achievement

"At last we have a book that realistically, empathically, and interestingly describes leadership and the professional development work that needs to accompany it―for principals. It is all here: readings, web sites, theory, practice, helpful forms to use, vignettes of principals. Lindstrom and Speck are both ′insiders′ and ′outsiders′ teaching us in the best of ways how to both think about and act on our new knowledge!"
Ann Lieberman, Senior Scholar
Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

"This is the book to read! I will recommend it to my colleagues the minute it is off of the press. The authors should be very proud of their work and contribution to a pivotal need in the field. Bottom line: It will help improve what we do for children―our ultimate purpose."
Becky J. Cooke, Principal
Evergreen Elementary School, Spokane, WA

Raise student achievement by developing leadership, teamwork, skills, and knowledge in teachers!

Individual teachers have the greatest effect on student performance. Principals, as professional development leaders, are in the best position to provide teachers with the professional development strategies they need to improve their skills and raise student achievement. The Principal as Professional Development Leader guides readers through a step-by-step process to formulate, implement, and evaluate long-term professional development.

Authors Phyllis H. Lindstrom and Marsha Speck simplify and focus the function of the principal as professional development leader by providing scenarios, processes, context, and content that principals can use to create an integrated, collaborative learning environment. Aligned with National Staff Development Council standards, this user-friendly resource includes

• Rubrics, worksheets, and surveys
• Professional development planners
• Sample forms for classroom visits and observations
• Calendars of professional development activities
• Recommended readings and reflective questions

In order to improve learning for all students, this unique text provides the strategies, skills, and tools necessary to build the capacity of professional development within the school. The authors supply practical techniques for analyzing student achievement data, evaluating professional development plans, and achieving a culture of sustained improvement.

Phyllis H. Lindstrom is a leader in school improvement issues and has a strong interest in developing collaborative leadership in schools. She is an associate professor of Educational Leadership at San José State University. In addition, her long career in K–12 educa­tion includes teacher, principal, director, and assistant superinten­dent. She serves on the board of directors of Futures in Education, an alternative education secondary school district in California. Through her research with secondary schools that sustain success, she under­stands the importance of collaboration and shared leadership. The focus of her recent work has been professional development as the lever of school improvement and improved student learning. She earned an EdD from Teachers College, Columbia University, an MA from United States International University, and a BA from California State University, Long Beach. Phyllis enjoys visits with her grandsons, boating, traveling and reading. She can be reached at San José State University, One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192-0072 or via e-mail at plindstrom72@hot mail.com.

Marsha Speck is a leader in school reform, educational leadership and professional development issues. Her professional interests include building leadership capacity among teachers, administrators, and the community to improve schooling and achievement for all students and developing school/university partnerships that model these practices. She is currently Professor of Educational Leadership at San José State University. Marsha is the Director of the Urban High School Leadership Program, which is an innovative leadership development program linked as a partnership with regional school districts for teacher leaders and administrators to rethink the American high school and how it meets the needs of students and the community. She has diverse experiences as a teacher, high school principal, assistant superintendent of instruction, and professor, where she has worked collaboratively on school change efforts. She believes in a continued partnership linkage between the university and the school community, which is exemplified in her work. Creating school learning communities has been a central focus of her work with schools. She has published widely, including Why Can’t We Get It Right? Professional Development for Our Schools (Corwin best seller); The Essential Questions and Practices in Professional Development; The Principalship: Building a Learning Community (for Prentice Hall); and The Handbook for Implementing Year-Round Education in the High School (for the National Association for Year-Round Education). Currently, Marsha is the president of the National Association for Year-Round Education and serves on the Leadership Council of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. San José State University recognized her as a Teacher Scholar (1996–1997) in recognition of contributions toward promoting the scholarship of teaching, especially in education leadership. Her Fulbright Scholarship includes study in India, Nigeria, and Israel. She received a BA from the University of California, Davis; an MA from California State University, Stanislaus; and EdD from the University of the Pacific. Traveling, tennis, and reading are a few of Marsha’s passions when she is not working on leadership issues. She can be reached at San José State University, One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192-0072 or via e-mail at mslvtennis@aol.com.