Includes bibliographical references and index.

What It means to be an effective principal -- Instructional leadership : supporting best practice -- School climate : the heart of the school -- Human resource administration : Recruiting, selecting,supporting, and retaining quality teachers and staff --Teacher evaluation : Assessing instructional quality -- Organizational management : building a foundation for teaching and learning -- Communication and community relations : working with internal and external constituencies -- Professionalism and the principal : making a difference in the educational community -- The ultimate challenge : the principal's role in student achievement -- Principal effectiveness : Tools you can use -- Principal skills assessment checklists -- Look-fors and red flags.

Research shows that effective principals focus on a core set of factors critical to fostering success among all students. This edition delineates these factors and show principals how to successfully balance the needs and priorities of their schools while continuously developing and refining their leadership skills. It provides practical tools and extensive research and includes practical skills checklists, along with quality indicators and red flags for effective leadership.

Description based on print version record.