Leadership for Change in the Primary Grades To Improve Student Achievement: A Report on the Success for All Children Principals' Academy

• Main Authors: Mitchell, Anne W, Seppanen, Patricia S
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: 01.03.2000
• Subjects: Educational Administration; Educational Improvement; Instructional Leadership; Primary Education; Principals; Program Descriptions; Program Effectiveness; Program Evaluation; School Administration; Success for All Program

The Principals' Academy, associated with the Success for All Children Initiative, grew out of the work and interest of participating superintendents. The initiative was designed to help members of the Forum for the American School Superintendent enhance their advocacy for children by addressing communitywide changes needed to ensure children's success, linking schools with community-based prekindergarten education and health and human services, and encouraging developmentally appropriate early care and education. It focuses on the early years, from birth through age nine, and principals are the primary target audience. The project described here was designed to assist seven districts that comprise the Success for All Children Initiative of the Superintendents' Forum. The project created a Principals' Academy to provide a cross-district learning community for potential early-childhood leaders and to assist participant districts in developing districtwide plans for implementation of responsive teaching. Results indicate that the academy was effective in five of the districts. Two districts achieved a high level of engagement at the individual, school, and district levels, whereas three districts were moderately successful in their implementation of the program at these three levels. Six appendices provide biographies of faculty and consultants, evaluation forms, and other information. (RJM)