High‐Impact Leadership for High‐Impact Schools: The Actions that Matter Most

Citation

Davis, J.K. (2009), "High‐Impact Leadership for High‐Impact Schools: The Actions that Matter Most", Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 47 No. 1, pp. 144-146. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230910928142

Leading schools through transformational growth is a complicated and uniquely‐defined process for the most part. There are a multitude of examples of schools and school systems that have enacted changes that have truly impacted the quality of learning and the experiences of all stakeholders, but those transformations present snapshots to be admired more than roadmaps to be followed. In High‐Impact Leadership for High‐Impact Schools, Pamela Salazar ventures into the difficult role of “map‐maker” for creating high‐performing schools rather than serving as a photographer of those institutions with clarity and a focus on presenting actionable steps that most school leaders can follow en route to creating a high‐impact school.

Salazar creates her blueprint for change from her 30 years of experiences in public education as a middle school and high school teacher, department chair, assistant principal, principal and principal on special assignment with responsibilities for mentoring new principals. From this multi‐faceted background, she is able to consider the complicated process of school transformation with an eye on the impact it can produce at various levels throughout the school. This awareness of stakeholders is one of the strengths of this practical guide to school leadership and change. However, Salazar's structured approach to affecting high‐impact change is by far the strength of this straightforward volume.

High‐Impact Leadership for High‐Impact Schools begins by outlining five critical action areas that need attention in the course of creating schools that reach their potential. The areas include the school's mission, its expectations, community building, teaching and continuous improvement systems. The final area, continuous improvement, roots this book firmly in the area of the quality‐driven schools movement popularised by W. Edward Demings' industrial model for measuring and improving the organization. To her credit, Salazar's emphasis on a systematic approach to school improvement goes beyond merely painting pictures of schools that have succeed and places this book squarely within the realm of practical blueprints.

Equally impressive is her ability to articulate a philosophical underpinning for the work that needs to be done in schools. This imparts a sense of purpose for the book that could have easily been omitted considering its pragmatic orientation. In summarizing the work that needs to be done to create high‐impact schools through high‐impact leadership, Salazar writes (p. 9):

High‐impact schools deliberately foster a school community that serves as an advocate for equity, diversity, fairness, inclusiveness, and justice. These schools provide access to significant adults who help students feel collectively and individually valued. High‐impact leaders help students develop the skills necessary for self‐management, self‐motivation, self‐reflection, and self‐direction. They prepare students to make significant contributions to the greater good. High‐impact schools embrace the standards of the heart.

It's from these lofty standards that High‐Impact Leadership for High‐Impact Schools sets a course for defining and creating schools that meet the needs of all of its' stakeholders. The course of action is described systematically through a series of structured chapters that address the five key areas identified by Salazar. Her structure throughout the text simplifies the process for readers so that they can progress through the book making similar assessments and decisions in each of the areas. She begins each chapter by asking thought‐provoking questions relevant to the given area like, “Have we established a culture of questioning and inquiry?” and “Do we have supports in place for new and struggling teachers?”

Likewise, each chapter ends with a thorough assessment of each of the five areas by asking the reader to evaluate whether the components of that area are either absent, developing, good or exemplary. This self‐assessment can be completed individually or collectively within the school and is then followed with a structured reflection and outline for action steps. Sample self‐assessment statements include: “we use data continuously, collaboratively and effectively to improve teaching for learning,” and “we know what we want our school to look like in the future.” The reflection and action section of each chapter prompts the reader with question like: “what do I do each and every day to achieve our school vision?” and “what actions will I take to better move our school forward to achieve high expectations for each and every student?” A theme throughout High‐Impact Leadership for High‐Impact Schools is that deep, values‐driven self‐examination coupled with data‐driven accountability systems can move leaders and their schools toward making significant impact on the ways schools fulfil their missions.

The one critique of the book concerns the absence of quality‐driven models for structuring the work that needs to be done. Salazar does an excellent job of directing the school leader along the pathway of considering the decisions that need to be made in creating a school‐wide mission, setting expectations for all stakeholders, building strong community involvement, supporting teachers in meaningful ways and considering key areas in a continuous improvement plan. But the work could have been complemented by examples of continuous improvement plans or specific measures that can be applied to key indicators like time usage, parent‐community engagement or coherency in management. In other words, statements such as (p. 104), “[h]igh‐impact schools continually monitor their performance and develop the capacity to manage their own self‐improvement,” could be supplemented with monitoring plans that have been used in data‐driven schools to boost performance.

Otherwise, Pamela S. Salazar's High‐Impact Leadership for High‐Impact Schools should be a welcomed addition to the practical toolset of reform‐minded leaders. She leads the reader through a comprehensive exploration of what motivates a campus currently and what areas need attention in reaching high‐impact status. It clearly defines the decisions that need to be made to effect substantive school improvement through five well‐described categories. Further, Salazar is particularly adept at describing the spirit, courage, wisdom and commitment necessary to usher in real and meaningful change. For these reasons, High‐Impact Leadership for High‐Impact Schools serves as a readable and actionable guide for educational leaders who are either just beginning school reform or in the process of an improvement initiative that needs more direction.