Leadership

Great leaders produce great schools. We work with educational leaders at all levels to build their capacity and skills to plan and support continuous improvement, communicate goals and expectations, build staff capacity and morale, motivate others to action, allocate resources, and evaluate results. We also work with policymakers, state education agency staff, superintendents, principals, and other experts in the field to increase knowledge about the role of effective leaders.

Professional Development

Services We Provide

Our Center for High-Performing Schools supports strong leadership through professional development, technical support, and evaluation capacity building. Services range from short-term training to multiday institutes to long-term, intensive assistance.

Featured Product

“This book is a priceless resource for leaders who wish to transform the culture of their school to one where adults work together in order to ensure student engagement and academic success.” — Carolyn Powers, Director of Elementary Administration, Fort Wayne Community Schools, Indiana

Photo of the cover of Demystifying Professional Learning Communities: School Leadership at Its Best

Demystifying Professional Learning Communities: School Leadership at Its Best (2010)

This book outlines an approach to school improvement that uses professional learning communities (PLCs) to embed leadership in the entire school community rather than making it the responsibility of one person. The publication includes examples and case studies to clarify the concept of a PLC and how it can be used to address critical issues in schools and support education leaders in meeting mandates for accountability and school improvement. Read more

Significant Work

Southeast Comprehensive Center (SECC): The SECC provides professional development and technical assistance to the state education agencies of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina to build their capacity to support districts and schools engaged in improvement efforts, including support for leadership. Work varies by state.

Texas Comprehensive Center (TXCC): The TXCC provides professional development and technical assistance to the Texas Education Agency and the state’s 20 regional education service centers to build their capacity to support districts and schools engaged in improvement efforts, including support for leadership.

Race to the Top Reform Support Network: SEDL is working with ICF International and other partners to advance education innovation and reform. Current work involves assisting with Communities of Practice addressing stakeholder engagement, school turnaround, and teacher and leader effectiveness.

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Resources

	Working Systemically in Action: A Guide for Facilitators Produced by a team of SEDL staff who drew upon more than 3 decades of school reform research and theory, the Working Systemically approach is a process for school improvement and increased student achievement that focuses on key components and competencies at all levels of the educational system.
	Southeast Comprehensive Center eBulletin, Volume 2, Number 2: The Challenge of Educational Leadership
	Leading Professional Learning Communities: Voices from Research and Practice The book illustrates how professional learning communities (PLCs) can help increase leadership capacity, embed professional development in daily work, create a positive school culture and develop accountability. But it also addresses how to manage the conflict that arises, the creativity needed for problem solving, and the courage to challenge existing systems and ways of thinking when necessary.
	Promoting Technology Leadership This series of professional development activities is designed for school administrators who need to help school leaders learn more about technology planning and integration for their campus or school district.
	SEDL Letter, Volume XVII, Number 2: Leadership for Learning This issue of SEDL Letter discusses strategies that can help education leaders ensure that students are well served.
	The Professional Teaching and Learning Cycle: Introduction The professional teaching and learning cycle (PTLC) is a professional development process in which teachers collaboratively plan and implement lessons aligned to state standards. PTLC is a critical component of the Working Systemically approach that directly impacts classroom instruction and student learning.
	Leadership: An Imperative for Successful Change: Issues About Change, Volume 1, Number 2 Originally published in 1991 and revised in 2000, this paper reviews the literature on leaders' strategies for school change, identifies five strategies, and describes how the strategies are applied at the district and local school levels.
	Leading Change from the Classroom: Teachers as Leaders: Issues About Change, Volume 4, Number 4 This paper discusses what teacher leadership is, why it is important, and what we know about the working lives of teacher-leaders.