Leadership Influences on Student Learning

The Wallace Foundation just recently finished their report entitled Investigating the Links to Improved Student Learning.  It is a massive document (338 pages) yet contains a wealth of information focused around the following stated goals for the project:

1. Identify state, district, and school leadership practices that directly or indirectly foster the improvement of educational practices and student learning.
2. Clarify how successful leadership practices directly and indirectly influence the quality of teaching and learning.
3. Determine the extent to which individuals and groups at state, district, school, and classroom levels possess the will and skill required to improve student learning, and the extent to which their work settings allow and encourage them to act on those capacities and motivations.
4. Describe the ways in which, and the success with which, individuals and groups at the state, district, school, and classroom levels help others to acquire the will and skill required to improve student learning.
5. Identify the leadership and workplace characteristics of districts and schools that encourage the values, capacities, and use of practices that improve student learning.

Over the next few weeks, I hope to post some thoughts about the information contained in the document in order to help district and school leaders learn how to maximize their influence on student learning.  Stay tuned to the first post later today (hopefully).  :)