Our Work: Leadership Development
Leadership Services
Through workshops, technical assistance, leadership retreats, and other consulting services, McREL helps school leader translate our extensive research on school leadership, reported in such publications as School Leadership that Works (ASCD, 2005), into success for their
students.
Hear what Nebraska administrators have to say about McREL's Balanced Leadership program.
Programs for school leaders
Balanced leadership
Effective leadership is a balancing act. Leaders
must know when to step up to guide others and when to step back and share leadership And they must know how to focus their schools on making the right changes, be able to manage those changes, and create school communities that are committed to excellence.
McREL’s Balanced Leadership one- to three-year program has helped thousands of school leaders from around the nation understand how to balance the research-based responsibilities of highly effective leaders. The full three-year program consists of ten, 2-day professional development sessions where school leaders not only learn what to do to improve student achievement in their schools, but also how, why, and when to do it.
Balanced leadership consortia
Throughout
the United States, McREL offers its Balanced Leadership program through
professional development consortia, which bring together school leaders
from districts, intermediate service regions, and states. By creating these
groups, we’re able to not
only support collegial learning, but also reduce costs for individual
participants.
Balanced leadership development of
professional developers (DPD)
For those who are completing a Balanced Leadership program, there is an option to become Balanced Leadership Professional Developers. When sponsored by an organizing agency, McREL trains staff developers from school districts, intermediate agencies, and state education agencies to provide staff development for the first year of the program. The requirements to become authorized as a Balanced Leadership Professional Developer are rigorous and constitute a long-term commitment among McREL, the organizing agency, and the individuals who want to pursue the work. Among the materials we provide during the authorization process are thorough, easy-to-follow participant manuals and facilitator guides.
Contact us today to learn how McREL can train qualified staff developers to deliver Year 1 of this popular program to school leaders in your district, region, or client base.
Session 1: Balanced Leadership:
An Overview
This first session focuses on six major research findings from
McREL’s meta- and factor-analyses on principal leadership. It
also includes an introduction to the concept of shared leadership,
balanced leadership, and the Balanced Leadership Framework®.
Session 2: Developing a Purposeful Community
In this highly interactive session, participants engage in a
variety of hands-on learning experiences to gain a deep understanding
of the importance of creating purposeful communities to improve student
achievement.
Session 3: Managing Change
During this session, participants learn how to initiate,
monitor, and lead change effectively through knowledge of McREL’s
four phases of change: Create Demand, Implement, Manage Personal
Transitions, & Monitor and Evaluate.
Session 4: Choosing the Right Focus
This
session is based on McREL’s “what works” research
identifying classroom practices, school practices, and leadership
responsibilities positively associated with high levels of
student achievement.