Study Finds Quality Leadership Is Crucial to Student Achievement

A new study of education leadership by researchers from the University of Minnesota and University of Toronto and commissioned by the Wallace Foundation concludes that “the effects of school leadership directly influence school and classroom conditions” and that quality educational leadership is “central in addressing and facilitating the work of teaching and learning.”

The report finds very strong correlations between student and community demographics and effective educational leadership. “Both principal and teacher leadership that is focused on improving student learning decreases as poverty and diversity increase, and teachers in schools located in larger metropolitan areas and districts report significantly less leadership, even when we control for school level, size, and urban location,” the report states.

Overall, the study concludes that effective school leadership at all levels depends on the integration of three main concepts: holding high expectations, fostering a sense of efficacy in leaders, and developing engagement with stakeholders throughout organizations. To access the full report, go to http://www.wallacefoundation.org/.

Curriculum Leader from District Administration, Volume 1, Issue 14 | September 15, 2010