The Principal as Professional Development Leader

By Phyllis H. Lindstrom, Marsha Speck, Phyllis H Lindstrom

Book Overview

"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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0761939083
• ISBN13: 9780761939085
• Release Date: February 2004
• Publisher: Corwin Publishers
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 7.1" x 10.0"

Customer Reviews

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A new way of looking at the principal's role.

Lindstrom, P.H. & Speck, M. (2004). The principal as professional development leader. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. If you are batting for the intelligent, renewist and compassionate approach to student learning you are in the same team as Linda DarlingHammond, Richard Elmore, Raymond Barth, Linda Lambert and others, and you will enjoy this book.The principal as a professional development leader is a new way of looking at the principal's role. This approach re-states teachers' professionalism. The hegemony of the blighted concept instructional leadership is predicated on the now dated view of the mythical hero principal who almost single handedly turns around failing schools. Far better to have a collaborative, shared leadership that builds on and strengthens teachers' professional skills and knowledge.The difficulty in bringing about long-term change in schools has re-focussed attention on teachers' professional learning. A feature of this book is the "big-picture" thinking such as the nine components of professional development and the evaluation rubric (Table 2.1) which have international appeal.This book is an excellent mix of theory and good practice, and will provide some of the best professional learning that most principals will undertake this year. Corwin Press is to be congratulated also for its quality publications and support for education.