Balanced Leadership®: What 30 Years of Research Tells Us about the Effect of Leadership on Student Achievement

Author(s): Timothy Waters, Brian McNulty, Robert Marzano

Contact: Greg Cameron

Audience(s): Administrators, Researchers, Policymakers

Product Description:

This groundbreaking research report details the outcomes of a meta-analysis of decades of research on the effects of principal leadership practices on student achievement.

Key Ideas:

Findings include:

Leadership matters. A significant, positive correlation exists between effective school leadership and student achievement.

Effective leadership is not more of an art than a science. We 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 balanced leadership—knowing not only which changes to focus on but also understanding staff and community members' perceptions of those changes and tailoring leadership practices accordingly.

APA Citation:

Waters, J. T., Marzano, R. J., & McNulty, B. A. (2003). Balanced leadership: What 30 years of research tells us about the effect of leadership on student achievement. Aurora, CO: Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning.