McREL researchers have conducted the largest-ever examination of
quantitative research on the impact of school leadership on student
achievement. McREL researchers also conducted an exhaustive review
of leadership literature to help practitioners understand how to
apply the results of this examination to their practices. Key findings
from this integrated examination of research of leadership are as
follows:
Leadership matters. A significant,
positive correlation exists between effective school leadership
and student achievement.
Effective leadership can be
empirically defined. Contrary to misperceptions that leadership is more
art than science, McREL researchers
have identified 21 key leadership responsibilities that are significantly
correlated with higher student achievement.
Effective leaders
not only know what to do, but when, how, and why to do it. This is the essence of what McREL researchers
have labeled balanced leadership — knowing not only which school
changes are most likely to improve student achievement,
but also understanding staff and community members’ dispositions
to change and tailoring leadership practices accordingly.
Leadership matters
After combining the findings of 70 studies
which comprise an enormous sample size — 2,894 schools, approximately 1.1 million students,
and 14,000 teachers — McREL researchers found that the average
effect size (expressed as a correlation) between leadership and
student achievement is .25.
To better understand what this means,
consider two schools (school A & school B) with similar student and teacher populations.
Both demonstrate achievement on a standardized, norm-referenced
test at the 50th percentile. Principals in both schools are also
average — that is, their abilities in the 21 key leadership
responsibilities are likewise ranked at the 50th percentile. Now
assume that the principal of school B improves her demonstrated
abilities in all 21 responsibilities by exactly one standard deviation,
as shown in the graphic below.
Our research findings indicate that this increase in leadership
ability would translate into an expected mean student achievement
at school B that is 10 percentile points higher than school A, as
depicted in the second figure. Put differently, a one standard deviation
improvement in leadership practices is associated with an increase
in average student achievement from the 50th percentile to the 60th
percentile. This difference in achievement is statistically significant.
Effective leadership can be empirically defined
McREL researchers identified the 21 key leadership responsibilities
that are significantly correlated with higher student achievement:
Responsibility
Description The extent to which the principal .
Average
Correlation
Culture
fosters
shared beliefs & a sense of community & cooperation
.29
Order
establishes a set of standard operating
procedures & routines
.26
Discipline
protects teachers from issues & influences
that would detract from their teaching time or focus
.24
Resources
provides teachers with materials &
professional development necessary for the successful execution
of their jobs
.26
Curriculum,
instruction, assessment
is directly involved in the design &
implementation of curriculum, instruction, & assessment
practices
.16
Focus
establishes clear goals & keeps those
goals in the forefront of the school's attention
.24
Knowledge of
curriculum, instruction assessment
is knowledgeable about current curriculum,
instruction, & assessment practices
.24
Visibility
has quality contact & interactions
with teachers & students
.16
Contingent
rewards
recognizes & rewards individual accomplishments
.15
Communication
establishes strong lines of communication
with teachers & among students
.23
Outreach
is an advocate & spokesperson for
the school to all stakeholders
.28
Input
involves teachers in the design &
implementation of important decisions & policies
.30
Affirmation
recognizes & celebrates school accomplishments
& acknowledges failures
.25
Relationship
demonstrates an awareness of the personal
aspects of teachers & staff
.19
Change agent
is willing to & actively challenges
the status quo
.30
Optimizer
inspires & leads new & challenging
innovations
.20
Ideals/beliefs
communicates & operates from strong
ideals & beliefs about schooling
.25
Monitors/evaluates
monitors the effectiveness of school
practices & their impact on student learning
.28
Flexibility
adapts his or her leadership behavior
to the needs of the current situation & is comfortable
with dissent
.22
Situational awareness
is aware of the details & undercurrents
in the running of the school & uses this information to
address current & potential problems
.33
Intellectual
stimulation
ensures that faculty & staff are aware
of the most current theories & practices & makes the
discussion of these a regular aspect of the school's culture
.32
Effective leaders not only know what to do, but
when, how, and why to do it
McREL researchers also found data that indicate the same leadership
practices can have both a positive and negative impact on student
achievement. In other words, a leadership behavior that works in
one context may not work in another.
McREL researchers offer two interpretations for these data. First,
they note that leaders must be focused on making the right changes
for their schools. Simply displaying effective leadership behaviors
is not likely to improve student achievement if principals are
leadings changes that research indicates have little impact on
student achievement (see school
improvement for a list of these
changes).
Second, leaders must also understand their
staff and community members’ dispositions to the changes
they are leading and tailor their practices accordingly. That
is, some changes are easy
for people to implement while others may conflict sharply with
prevailing attitudes and values or require dramatic paradigm shifts.
Effective leaders understand how the changes they are leading will
be received and understood by their staff and community and how
to appropriately tailor their leadership styles to guide and create
support for these changes.
