Leadership in the Middle Level School

Virtually every report recommending reforms in public education recognizes the critical role that leadership plays in nurturing and sustaining initiatives that improve the educational experiences of students (see, for example, Jackson & Davis, 2000; National Middle School Association, 2003). The evidence is clear. High-quality leadership is necessary for improved student achievement (Leithwood & Riehl, 2003; Valentine, Maher, Quinn, & Irvin, 1999).

A report prepared for the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation (Lewis, 1993) describing progress toward strengthening middle schools in five urban school districts stated that, when school reform was effective, principals “act as levers for change” (p. 114). Principals “balance time-consuming daily routines against whatever it takes to fulfill the vision the staff has agreed upon. They make time for change” (p. 114). It reported that “where systematic change is most visible, good leadership ripples through the system” (p. 111).