Essay - The Effectiveness of Distributive Leadership as it Relates to the...

The Effectiveness of Distributive Leadership as it Relates to the Position of Assistant Principal in New Jersey High Schools

***** 1

Introduction

Background

***** improvement and reform has for over three decades (1965-2004) been regarded by many as ***** prime directive for education.

***** one would have predicted that re*****m would be sustained ***** steadily developed over such an extended period. In the world ***** political analysis, the ebb and flow of policy issues-what ***** scientists call the issue attention cycle-typically process in three to five-year intervals. Rarely does a single policy issue comm***** ***** *****ttention of *****makers at the state or federal level f***** longer than this period; rarely do policymakers stay engaged in issues after ***** major bills have ***** p*****sed and the implementation stage begins. Education reform seems to have defied ***** principle of political behavior, at least at the st*****e ***** federal *****s" (Elmore, 2004).

***** assert that the United States has essentially the same educational system that was used to educate students for life in ***** industrial society and the real problem of education today was the need to ***** students ***** life in ***** information society (Naisbitt & Abudene, 1985; NASSP, 1991).

In A Nation at Risk, The Imper*****ive for Education Reform (1983) one ***** the recommendations for ***** included Leadership and Fiscal Support. One year later, a study produced evidence th*****t schools within the United States can experience success given increased opportunity ***** decision-making and leadership (Goodlad, 1984).

*****lso at this time, Chicago ***** Pennsylvania were beginning ***** emphasize school accountability. In 1992, America 2000, a school reform initiative, called for both national goals and national tests, which set goals and standards ***** all students.

Political ***** gained national attention as No Child Left Behind NCLB) legislation has shifted focus from the distribution of inputs to outputs. This *****ly driven ***** model, as measured ***** standardized student test scores, has allowed states to use new definitions, approved by the US Department of Education, for what the states mean by "adequate yearly progress" (AYP) (Meier, 2002; Southern Regional Education Board, 2001, Robelen, 2003).

School leaders are being thrust into a politic*****l debate as they must learn how the new terms will be applied to their *****s. ***** real problem for school leaders is when their school gains adequate state accreditation, but fails to meet federal *****. Then ***** have to devise a plan ***** ***** AYP.

The current phase of ***** re*****m has stimulated an unprecedented demand for new knowledge of curriculum, pedagogy, and organizational improvement at the school and system levels (Elmore, 2004).

Hence, ***** principals ***** faced with the complex tasks of creating a school-wide vision, *****ing an instructional leader, pl*****ning for effective pr*****essional development, guiding teachers, h*****ling discipline, coordinating pupil transportation, and attending school events, as well as all the other details that come with supervision of a school (Goldberg 2001; Richard, *****).

The ***** of the principal is judged by the production of positive results. These results take the shape