Transforming Professional Practice: A Framework for Effective Leadership

Educational accountability for excellence begins with educational leaders. In the past decade states have adopted revised requirements for school and district leaders in K-12 public schools with reliance on national standards like ELCC and ISLLC leadership standards. The development of Common Core State Standards (CCSS), No Child Left Behind (NCLB), and Race to the Top have also had profound changes on school curriculum, instruction, assessment and district leadership, evaluation, and accountability.

While there are many and varying leadership books on the market, few to none outline an effective framework of educational leadership domains needed to address the current needs of administrator evaluation, self-reflection, and personal growth.

Kimberly T. Strike, PhD is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Concordia University-Chicago, River Forest, Illinois. She earned her Doctorate (PhD) from Marquette University in the areas of Curriculum, Instruction, Administration and Supervision with an emphasis on Educational Technology. Dr. Strike has authored Trouble-free Transitions for New Teachers (2006-2007; leveled primary, intermediate and secondary), Performance and Accountability in Today’s Classroom: A Framework for Effective Mentoring (2010) and co-authored Mentoring the Educational Leader: A Framework for Success (2011).

Paul Sims, PhDis an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Concordia University Chicago. He received his PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Loyola University, Chicago. He is co-author of Supervision and Evaluation for Learning and Growth (2015).

Susan Mann, MS is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Leadership at Concordia University-Chicago. She earned her MS in Clinical and Diagnostic Reading and Advanced Coursework, Loyola University Chicago, Graduate School of Education, specializing in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.

Robert K. Wilhite, EdD is Chair of the Department of Educational Leadership at Concordia University-Chicago. He earned his EdD in Curriculum, Instruction and Administration from Loyola University Chicago. He is coauthor of the Rowman and Littlefield books, The Teacher Leader: Core Competencies and Strategies (2014) and Supervision and Improvement of Learning: Professional Development Strategies for Teacher Improvement (2015).