The Principal as Instructional Leader in Literacy

"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.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Setting the Stage Defining Literacy A Brief, Recent History of Literacy Instruction The Principal′s Role: Instructional Leader Summary 2. Foundations of Balanced Literacy Staring With an Understanding of Literacy Instruction Stages of Literacy Development Components of Balanced Literacy The Balanced Literacy Diet Summary 3. Meeting the Needs of All Students Understanding Student Needs Differentiated Instruction Summary 4. Instructional Leadership in Action Identifying a Need for Change Establishing a Set of Literacy Core Values Summary 5. School Improvement: The Literacy Plan Developing a Literacy Plan Planning for Literacy Instruction Summary 6. Working Together: Promoting Home/School/Community Partnerships Understanding the School Community Analyzing the Data Summary 7. Sharing Leadership Using a Team Approach Teachers Learning From Teachers Summary 8. Building Effective Teams Creating Teams Teams Need a Purpose Collaborative Team Intervention Summary 9. Supporting Classroom Instruction Professional Development Walking-About-the-School Strategy Staff Supervision Summary 10. Resolving Time Issues Give Up Some Time, You Get Some Time The Balanced School Day Summary Afterword: Are You Up to the Challenge? Must Reads Glossary References Index