Northwest Sampler
Given these broad themes of leadership—setting directions, redesigning the organization, developing people, and promoting a positive school climate—we asked five regional principals to describe the specific practices that led to gains in their students' achievement. We wanted to know not just what worked, but why they made the changes they did, and how they knew when to make changes. Because an important part of leadership is "developing people" we asked the principals how they support their staff members, build their leadership skills, and build relationships with family members.
To obtain a variety of perspectives across our region, we interviewed elementary, middle, and high school principals from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. The schools are rural and urban with culturally and socioeconomically diverse student groups. We provide a brief introduction to the principals, their schools, and contact information before summarizing their answers to several important questions.
