SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS: From Research to Results

210 Pages·2005·2.05 MB·English

by  Robert J. Marzano

Education
$27.95 U.S. “This volume is a jewel, covering both leadership theory and change strategies. It offers
a meta-analysis of research and practical suggestions for action.” S
—Arthur Levine, President, Teachers College, Columbia University c
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“. . . an immensely important contribution to the advancement of school and district leadership. o
School Leadership That Works will move novice and experienced leaders to refl ect upon their practice in
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powerful ways that will result in greater effectiveness.”
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—Rob Larson, Director, Oregon State Action for Education Leadership Project School
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What does research tell us about the eff ects of school leadership on
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student achievement? What specifi c leadership practices make a real r
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diff erence in school eff ectiveness? How should school leaders use these
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practices in their day-to-day management of schools and during the
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p Leadership
stressful times that accompany major change initiatives? Robert J.
Marzano, Timothy Waters, and Brian A. McNtulty provide answers to
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these and other questions in School Leadership aTh at Works.
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Based on their analysis of 69 studies conWducted since 1970 that
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met their selection criteria and a recent survey of more than 650
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building principals, the authors have developed a list of 21 leadership
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responsibilities that have a signifi cant eff ect on student achievement.
Readers will learn
• the specifi c behaviors associated with the 21 leadership
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• the diff erence between fi rst-order change and second-order n
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change and the leadership responsibilities that are most •
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important for each;
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Association for Supervision t
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and Curriculum Development • how to work smart by choosing the right work that r
Alexandria, Virginia USA improves student achievement; s •
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• the advantages and disadvantages of comprehensive school c
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Mid-continent Research for u
reform models for improving student achievement;
Education and Learning lt
Aurora, Colorado USA y
• how to develop a site-specifi c approach to improving student
achievement, using a framework of 11 factors and 39 action
steps; and
• a 5-step plan for eff ective school leadership.
Combining rigorous research with practical advice, School Leadership
Th at Works gives school administrators the guidance they need to provide Robert J. Timothy Brian A.
strong leadership for better schools.
MARZANO WATERS McNULTY
Robert J. Timothy Brian A.
Marzano Waters McNulty
Association for Supervision and Mid-continent Research for
Curriculum Development Education and Learning
Alexandria, Vi rginia USA Aurora, Colorado USA
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Marzano, Robert J.
School leadership that works : from research to results / Robert J. Marzano, Timothy
Waters, Brian A. McNulty.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-4166-0227-5 (alk. paper)
1. School management and organization. 2. Educational leadership. I. Waters, Timothy,
1948– II. McNulty, Brian A., 1948– III. Title.
LB2805.M2845 2005
371.2—dc22 2005011789
12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
School
Leadership
t h a t w o r k s
From Research to Results
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Part 1: The Research Base
1 In Search of School Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2 Some Theories and Theorists on Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3 The Meta-Analysis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Part 2: Practical Applications
4 The 21 Responsibilities of the School Leader. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
5 Two Types of Change. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
6 Doing the Right Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
7 A Plan for Effective School Leadership. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Epilogue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Technical Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Appendix A: Reports Used in the Meta-Analysis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Appendix B: Cotton’s 25 Leadership Practices and the 21 Responsibilities. . . . . 178
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
About the Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193

Preface
Unlike many other books about school leadership, this one blends practical advice
and research. Most books on the topic address one or the other, but not both. We
believe that, at this particular time in the history of K–12 education in the United
States, a book like this one is not only useful but also necessary because calls for
research-based practices have never been as strong as they are now. Similarly, calls
for school leadership that translates into enhanced student achievement have
never been as strong. To answer both calls we conducted a meta-analysis of the
research on school leadership spanning 35 years and found studies from 1978 to
2001 that met our selection criteria. Additionally, we conducted a factor analysis
of a survey derived from our meta-analysis and administered to more than 650
building principals.
To answer those who rightfully will want to know the specifics of our method-
ology and the assumptions underlying our conclusions, we provide what we con-
sider to be all requisite technical information in a series of notes beginning on page
124. To provide practical guidance for those who face the daily challenges of lead-
ing a school, we translate all of our findings into specific recommendations for
practice. We believe that our advice will help those interested in our research
methodology better understand our purpose and focus. Alternatively, we believe
that our discussion of the research will help those interested in our practical advice
understand the solid research base underlying our recommendations.
For those who want to more closely examine their own leadership challenges,
we offer McREL’s Balanced Leadership Profile 360™, a subscription-based online
survey and professional development tool based on the 21 principal leadership
responsibilities described in this book. You may access the principal self-assessment
V
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VI School Leadership That Works: From Research to Results
version of the survey and receive immediate feedback on your fulfillment of the
21 leadership responsibilities as they apply to a specific school or districtwide
improvement initiative that you identify. The Balanced Leadership Profile 360™
also provides principals with a variety of online professional development resources
and tools associated with the 21 leadership responsibilities and change leadership.
McREL is pleased to offer you a discount subscription to the survey. To access
the discount, please visit www.mcrel.org, click Balanced Leadership Profile 360™,
and enter the registration code reader. Then follow the directions. If you have
questions concerning the survey, please call McREL at 800-781-0156.
Part 1
The
Research
Base

1
In Search of
School Leadership
Each school day more than 53.6 million students (National Center for Education
Statistics, 2002b) walk into more than 94,000 K–12 schools (National Center for
Education Statistics, 2002a) in the hopes that the 13 years of schooling they will
experience will dramatically enhance their chances of success in the modern
world. Indeed, evidence of income in 2001 supports these hopes. According to the
U.S. Census Bureau (March 2002), the earning potential (that is, the median
income) of a student who graduates from high school is $19,900, compared with
$11,864 for a student who does not. If the high school graduate completes col-
lege, that earning potential increases to $37,203. A master’s degree increases the
figure to $49,324. A doctorate raises annual income to $63,952, and with a pro-
fessional licensure, it reaches $71,606. School, then, can be the door to advance-
ment—at least financial advancement—in our complex society. For a particular
school to be the launchpad to the levels of success sought by students, however,
it must operate effectively.
Whether a school operates effectively or not increases or decreases a student’s
chances of academic success. Marzano (2003) has shown that students in effective
schools as opposed to ineffective schools have a 44 percent difference in their
expected passing rate on a test that has a typical passing rate of 50 percent. To
illustrate, consider two schools—School A and School B. In terms of how they are
run, School A is effective and School B is ineffective. (In Chapter 6 we consider
the specific characteristics of effective versus ineffective schools.) Now assume that
the two schools have a typical population of students—some with many advan-
tages in their home environment and background experiences; some with few if
any advantages; most somewhere in the middle. If students in both schools take a
3