Impact Through Partnership: How District Central Offices Can Foster Principals’ Development as Effective Instructional Leaders Through Systems of Support, Development, and Accountability

Abstract

Public schools in the United States have not historically nor do they currently serve all students excellently and equitably. Principals are key stakeholders in educational transformation as the second most impactful in-school factor in student achievement and as the leaders of learning in over 98,000 schools across the country. Their role has shifted considerably over the past twenty years to include instructional leadership as well as building management. Most principals are not fully prepared through pre-service training, and district central offices are increasingly re-defining their role to include the continued development of school leaders. While many types of support are utilized to help school leaders grow, principal evaluation has garnered considerable attention in the past decade. Research reveals that evaluation, like many supports, is not being effectively implemented in ways that are helpful to principals or impactful on their practice. My work in a Massachusetts district began as building a principal evaluation system but morphed to focus on developing individualized supports to principals. In the capstone that follows I describe the evolution of the project and lessons learned, particularly concerning the relationship between district central office and school leaders and how one might leverage that partnership for school and district improvement.