Chapter 7: High Octane Instructional Leadership: The Attributes of Turnaround Leaders

There is a moral imperative in the hearts of educational leaders. It is comprised of thousands of children's faces who are being educated in our nations' most challenging schools. Despite 50+ years of emphasis on equalized educational opportunities and billions of dollars allocated to improving education, we are still far away from achieving educational equity. Leadership does matter. There is strong evidence that school leaders are central to educational reform and improved student achievement (Fullan, 2008; Hallinger, 2010; Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, & Wahlstrom, 2004). If the leader can make a difference then the right leader is essential to improve the lowest performing schools.