McREL's 21 Leadership Responsibilities

Much has been debated over the most effective methods to help increase student academic achievement. For decades, researchers of the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) have been exploring and searching for effective leadership practices and their effects on student performance. After a comprehensive 30-year study that reviewed over 70 studies involving almost 2,900 schools, 1.1 million students, and 14,000 teachers, 21 leadership responsibilities were found to be significantly connected with student achievement.

Leadership Responsibilities of the Principal

1. Culture- fosters shared beliefs and a sense of community and cooperation

2. Order- establishes a set of standard operating procedures and routines

3. Discipline- protects teachers from issues and influences that would detract from their teaching time or focus

4. Resources- provides teachers with materials and professional development necessary for the successful execution of their jobs

5. Curriculum, instruction, assessment- is directly involved in the design and implementation of curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices

6. Focus- establishes clear goals and keeps those goals in the forefront of the school’s attention

7. Knowledge of curriculum, instruction assessment- is knowledgeable about current curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices

8. Visibility- has quality contact and interactions with teachers and students

9. Contingent rewards- recognized and rewards individual accomplishments

10. Communication- establishes strong lines of communication with teachers and among students

11. Outreach- is an advocate and spokesperson for the school to all stakeholders

12. Input- involves teachers in the design and implementation of important decisions and policies

13. Affirmation- recognizes and celebrates school accomplishments and acknowledges failures

14. Relationship- demonstrates an awareness of the personal aspects of teachers and staff

15. Change agent- is willing to and actively challenges the status quo

16. Optimizer- inspires and leads new and challenging innovations

17. Ideals/beliefs- communicates and operates from strong ideals and beliefs about schooling

18. Monitors/evaluates- monitors the effectiveness of school practices and their impact on student learning

19. Flexibility- adapts his or her leadership behavior to the needs of the current situation and is comfortable with dissent

20. Situational awareness- is aware of the details and undercurrents in the running of the school and uses this information to address current and potential problems

21. Intellectual stimulation- ensures that faculty and staff are aware of the most current theories and practices and makes the discussion of these a regular aspect of the school’s culture

Many of these leadership practices are not surprising as they are so heavily discussed in modern academia. Perhaps most surprising of the leadership practices, were the inclusion of contingent rewards and intellectual stimulation. Rarely are teachers and support staff recognized and celebrated for positive undertakings or is professional development a frequent discussion in the staff room.

Another finding of the McREL study was that the leadership of the Principal could also greatly impact student achievement in a negative way. This includes scenarios where the Principal concentrates too much on mismanaged classroom practices or if they miscalculate the extent of change they are trying to implement. McREL describes these levels of change as “first order” and “second order.” First order changes are consistent with the school’s prevalent values and are a natural extension of past choices. Second order changes are a break from the past that may challenge prevailing norms. Successful positive change happens when leaders account for both first and second order changes.

The chief pro of McREL’s 21 leadership practices study is the exhaustive review and analysis that was done. This provides findings with strong evidence-based data. The sheer amount of data that was collected and reviewed allows the conclusions to be more generalizable then if had come from a more homogenous set.

Yet there are some concerns with the study. While the study formally identifies many effective leadership practices, it does not give a strong direction as to how school leaders can use these findings. Furthermore, much of the responsibility and emphasis is placed on the school’s administrative positions, not taking into account the important role of what the community and staff can bring to the table.

While McREL’s findings are exciting, as they provide a rigorous evidence-based analysis of data, further research is needed to help expand the results. As administrators become more effective leaders, they must recognize their school’s strengths, as well as necessary areas of development, in order to make more collaborative decisions on student achievement.

REFERNCES

McREL.org