Chapter 1: Introduction

The volumes in the Information Age book series International Research on School Leadership examine the current-day challenges that affect instructional leadership. This third book in the series focuses on the changing nature of instructional leadership in the 21st century. Given the varying ways that instructional leadership has been conceived, studied, and practiced, the editors felt it would be valuable to explore the instructional leadership experiences of school-level and system-level leaders in supporting classroom instruction and student learning. From the effective schools research of the 1980s to today’s relentless calls for improved student performance, attention has focused on the instructional leadership roles and responsibilities of school principals, headteachers, and educational system leaders. The emphasis on student performance has gone global as evidenced by highlypublicized international studies, such as the Trends in International Math and Science Studies (TIMSS) and the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), comparing student achievement in different countries. As a result, school reform efforts aimed at improving students’ learning outcomes have emerged around the globe.