1st Edition
The Principal's Desk Reference to Professional Standards Actionable Strategies for Your Practice
With the ever-changing, complex role of the principalship, school leaders are thirsty for a useful desk reference that aligns with professional standards. This actionable book brings the PSEL standards to life, providing leaders with support, mentorship, and practical advice. This book provides solutions to challenges and answers the hard questions associated with educational leadership alongside a host of tools, strategies, organizers, templates, and rubrics. Including voices from experienced leaders across rural, urban, suburban, tribal, and international settings, this book helps principals at all levels navigate challenges and make decisions that positively impact their students’ futures. You will be inspired to strive for a better future for your school community as you continually develop skills leading to a long, successful career in educational leadership.
1: Introduction to the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders; 2: Standard 1: Mission, Vision, and Core Values; 3: Standard 2: Ethics and Professional Norms; 4: Standard 3: Equity and Cultural Responsiveness; 5: Standard 4: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment; 6: Standard 5: Community of Care and Support for Students; 7: Standard 6: Professional Capacity of School Personnel; 8: Standard 7: Professional Community for Teachers and Staff; 9: Standard 8: Meaningful Engagement of Families and Community; 10: Standard 9: Operations and Management; 11: Standard 10: School Improvement; 12: Mentoring as an Integral Part of a Comprehensive Evaluation System; 13: Grow Your Own: A Program for Aspiring Leaders; 14: The Future of PK-12 School Administration; Appendix A: Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL); Appendix B: PSEL Knowledge and Skill Self-Assessment
Biography
Robyn Conrad Hansen is Assistant Professor of Practice and Chair of the K-12 subunit for the Educational Leadership Department at Northern Arizona University.
Frank D. Davidson is Assistant Professor and co-chair of the Doctoral Steering Committee at Northern Arizona University.
"The Principal’s Desk Reference was written to provide leaders with an overview of the PSEL and how each element of the standards could be applied in practical and relevant ways...Using the breadth of resources and tools, university faculty can integrate the book to help support students’ learning within coursework, field experiences, and as a guide for programmatic assessment and evaluation. Finally, as intended, the authors successfully meet their goal to provide graduate students, emerging leaders, and novice leaders with an essential resource to help develop and refine their leadership skills and practices."
Doug Wieczorek (Iowa State University) and Anita Micich (Iowa State University) in Teachers College Record
"As an educator for 42 years, it is so refreshing to finally have a Principal’s Desk Reference that provides the 'How To' in implementing these well-defined educational leadership standards. This book is very useful in providing support and enabling principals and educational leaders to continually grow and develop throughout their career."
Naomi Matsuzaki, Hawaii's National Distinguished Principal, sponsored by NAESP
"As a practitioner, I cannot think of a more timely, relevant, and useful resource for our nation's educational leaders. The authors of this book have over 60 years of experience upon which readers can draw reflection. Even the most seasoned leader will find this book to be useful in describing what effective leaders should know and be able to do to achieve success with each professional standard. The authors have done a tremendous job in paying close attention to what matters most in our work."
Kristi Wilson, President of the American Association of School Administrators (2020–2021)
"This book honestly and thoughtfully delivers specific solutions to many of the challenges and struggles educational leaders face today. The authors successfully recognize the value of gaining real-life support from proven effective school leaders who have experienced many of the same challenges and are eager to share their best practices and lessons learned. Most important is how the authors provide tangible ways to understand and implement the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders in ways that will support a successful career long term."
Lisa Strohman, JD, PhD, author of Digital Distress, Growing Up Online
"As you read Chapter 5 imagine a New Mexico feast. The beans, rice and enchiladas are superbly prepared – they represent curriculum, instruction and assessment so well researched and described. The spices are the success stories immersed in the chapter. Adjacent to your platter are your sopapillas and honey. They are eaten with the meal. The sopapillas and honey represent the constant care for adults and children immersed in Chapter 5."
Lee Jenkins, author of How to Create a Perfect School
