Seven Steps to Effective Instructional Leadership. . - book review

School Administrator, June, 2003 by Janiece T. Buck

With renewed interest in the accountability of the principal as an instructional leader, Elaine McEwan has written a second edition of Seven Steps to Effective to Instructional Leadership.

Each step is set forth in explicit behavioral indicators. These indicators appear in the form of an easy-to-use Instructional Leadership Checklist for individual personal assessment or as means for school staff to assess the principal.

McEwan's seven instructional leadership steps are: Establish, implement and achieve academic standards; be an instructional resource for your staff; create a school culture and climate conducive for learning; communicate the vision and mission of your school; set high expectations for your staff and yourself; develop teacher leaders; and establish and maintain positive relationships with students, staff and parents.

Each step is discussed using case study references, related research and reading resources that support each step as well as key points for scoring the indicators.

The book is an excellent resource for self assessment or a tool for gaining feedback from staff. As a supervisor of principals in a district, the book could be the basis of discussion in informal professional development sessions.

(Seven Steps to Effective Instructional Leadership (2nd ed.), by Elaine K. McEwan, Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, Calif., 2003, 197 pp. with index, $32.95 softcover)