The Literacy Leadership Guide For Elementary Principals

For the past decade in the United States, elementary principals have faced increased scrutiny. Student performance regardless of student experiences, district funding practices, or societal factors have been the responsibility of the principal. In a similar fashion, teachers have been ridiculed and scorned. As a result, principals are left trying to create positive school culture, evaluate teacher performance, and guide and support professional development initiatives. In the meantime, teachers in many ways do not see themselves as professionals, do not feel that they have autonomy in their classrooms, and as a result may not have the same joy that they once had. The goal of this guide is to assist principals and school leaders to cultivate a school culture where the principal is positioned as the literacy leader. This guide will support principals to address, define, and create a literacy culture. Most importantly, provide insight to support principals in their quest to becoming primary individual responsible for bringing joy to teaching and learning as part of building school culture.

This succinct, engaging book explains how busy elementary school principals can support effective literacy instruction in their schools. Chapters outline the fundamental components of a successful literacy program and describe specific practices that can instill a culture of literacy in a school. Strategies are provided for initiating a professional development program, understanding and using appropriate assessments with students, involving parents in literacy education, and assessing the strengths and weaknesses of teachers’ instructional methods. Drawing from the authors' extensive experience as principals and teachers, the book’s numerous examples demonstrate what strong literacy leadership looks like in action. Helpful reproducibles are included.

"Getting down from the ivory tower and stepping out of the principal′s office, these authors offer some of the most important and useful books about leadership that principals can buy." —Andy Hargreaves, Thomas More Brennan Chair in Education Boston College "Addresses some of the most important challenges facing school leaders today. The authors bring a remarkable combination of deep, practical experience and academic sophistication to these challenges." —Ken Leithwood, Professor Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto "This series of little volumes provides a valuable resource for new principals who would become accomplished instructional leaders and seasoned principals looking to strengthen their leadership capacity." —Roland S. Barth, Founding Director Harvard Principals′ Center "This series allows school principals to integrate theory and practice themselves, resulting in highly insightful and practical strategies that will make a difference in schools. Practitioners: lead thyselves!" —Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto A proven plan to raise the quality of literacy instruction and learning schoolwide! To effectively monitor instruction and adherence to a standards-based curriculum, every principal must understand all aspects of literacy teaching and development. As part of the Leading Student Achievement series, this practical guide supports principals and school leaders in improving literacy instruction and achievement for K–12 students. Based on a balanced approach that emphasizes all components of literacy, this volume: Explores the role of the principal and shared leadership in the improvement process Guides school leaders in developing effective school teams for improving literacy Demonstrates how to create and implement a literacy plan Recommends practices that support classroom instruction Examines how to promote home–school–community partnerships Aligned with both IRA and NCTE standards, The Principal as Instructional Leader in Literacy offers a comprehensive approach to providing high-quality literacy leadership.

Many school principals have little background in literacy instruction. And yet, they find themselves leading teachers at a time of shifting literacy priorities. This practical book offers literacy fundamentals, builds confidence, and empowers principals to become instructional leaders. It deals with all aspects of literacy: from understanding the science of reading to planning, resources, oral language, word study, reading, writing, and creating a shared literacy vision. Each chapter In this comprehensive resource includes staff meeting discussion points to guide conversation with teachers, things to look for when working with the teachers and students within their schools, and much more.

Practical suggestions and guidance for helping school district literacy leaders achieve growth and development in themselves, their students, the school culture, and the profession in general. An invaluable tool for current and aspiring literacy leaders, this resource presents clear guidelines for fostering collaboration among colleagues, improving teacher effectiveness by involving teachers as learners, and engaging teachers in planning for their own growth and development. Included are contributions from classroom teachers across grade levels, literacy coaches and reading specialists working in school districts, representatives from outside agencies, teacher educators, administrators, and parents in both urban and rural school settings. Their experiences, coupled with the examples that the authors provide from their work with teachers, bring the ideas to life for readers. To further the connection between the ideas and real life, the authors include interviews with an elementary education and literacy leader, a secondary education and high school literacy leader, and a literacy leadership team, all speaking out on the issues involved in effective literacy leadership. Each chapter also includes Common Core State Standards Connections, Response to Intervention Connections, and discussions of how ethical literacy leaders face and solve problems.

This authoritative text and practitioner resource has now been extensively revised and expanded with 70% new material covering new topics and standards in literacy leadership. Prominent experts present research-based methods for improving instruction, assessment, and professional learning experiences in PreK–12. The distinct roles of teachers, reading/literacy specialists, literacy coaches, special educators, and principals are explored, with an emphasis on fostering a culture of collaboration. Chapters highlight the standards that apply to each component of a schoolwide literacy program, give examples of what they look like in schools, and share implications for classroom practice and professional learning. Pedagogical features include guiding questions, case examples, vignettes, engagement activities, and annotated resources for further learning. New to This Edition *Now copublished with the International Literacy Association (ILA) and grounded in ILA's updated Standards 2017; expanded grade range includes PreK. *Chapters on new topics: writing instruction, sustaining schoolwide improvements, and collaborative leadership. *New chapters on core topics: the principal’s role, assessment, middle and high school literacy programs, special education, and culturally responsive instruction. *Vignettes from leaders in diverse roles, “Think About This” questions for discussion/reflection, and end-of-chapter annotated resources.

Literacy Leadership in Changing Schools will help literacy leaders improve teachers’ professional development in grades K–6. The authors use literacy basics to suggest concrete approaches that leaders and coaches can use to help teachers improve their instruction with culturally and linguistically diverse students. Based on firsthand experiences, research, and a school-university-community collaborative (Changing Suburbs Institute in New York), this practical book homes in on what literacy leaders need to do in today’s rapidly changing schools. With vignettes, strategies, and guidelines, each chapter is devoted to one essential component of serving as an effective literacy leader. Throughout, the book addresses typical issues leaders and teachers face, such as high-stakes testing, increasing failure rates, rigorous teacher and principal evaluations, family engagement, shrinking resources, and teachers’ inexperience with instructing diverse students. “Today’s educators are faced with the challenge of meeting the increased expectations associated with a high quality education for all children. The contributors provide an excellent resource of relevant information along with a wealth of concrete suggestions for meeting that challenge through effective leadership and ongoing, embedded professional development. The result is a road map for enriched learning experiences for the professionals involved and ultimately for the students they teach.” —Dorothy S. Strickland, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Professor of Education Emerita, Rutgers “This book encourages and supports leaders as they create bold, thoughtful and empowering pathways for professional development. It is a recipe that has the power to highlight the joy of professional growth and learning for leaders, teachers and students alike. To me, that is truly fabulous.” —Jennifer Scoggin, Director of LitLife, Connecticut “The authors address important aspects of the decision-making process, namely how to really know someone or something well before making a choice. Too many of our educational choices are based on outdated or misinformation and this book clearly shows school leaders how to obtain accurate information when creating a cohesive literacy model. This book also takes complex aspects of literacy professional development, such as standards and instructional techniques and breaks them down in clear and applicable ways so that decisions can not just be made but also be implemented.” —Gravity Goldberg, Literacy Consultant, Director, Gravity Goldberg LLC