Instructional Leadership: An Essential Ingredient for Improving Student Learning

Abstract

Student achievement of the curriculum is the school's reason for being. This research, however, suggests that the behavior of school leaders is not effective in accomplishing four critical outcomes of curriculum development: (1) the creation of well-written documents that use a common framework; (2) curriculum that is aligned with state and national standards; (3) an understanding and teaching of the curriculum by teachers; and (4) all students successfully learning the curriculum. Leaders must orchestrate multiple changes that provide opportunities for teachers to work in teams, focus resources effectively on implementing the curriculum, and establish accountability for results.