by Jim McGrath

Created on: July 07, 2010   Last Updated: February 09, 2011

While leadership is a broad, all-encompassing topic, the definitions presented in the material fall into a slightly different paradigm. In her book, "7 Steps to Effective Instructional Leadership," Elaine McEwan tackles this definition well, looking at the works of others while viewing its meaning from different lenses.

To her credit, McEwan notes how the role of the instructional leader has evolved over the past 30 years. While earlier definitions may have focused on administrative tasks (i.e. staffing, budgeting) the more current definitions have much more depth.

Sergiovanni presented some of the earlier models and has made several revisions. His first models looked at instructional leadership as a meshing of five forces – technical, human, educational, symbolic and cultural. Of these, the first two are related more toward human skills while the last three are aligned more toward leadership within the building.

One element of the leader role that has evolved over the past few years is the role of instructional leader as creator of a learning community. While the leader may not be knowledgeable of all disciplines being taught, the leader should be able to work well with teachers and staff to assure that learning is occurring within the building. Human relations are a key piece toward achieving success.

McEwan introduces her book by introducing the findings of more than a dozen educational researchers and uses this meta-analysis to introduce the reader to her seven steps of effective instructional leadership. According to McEwan, the instructional leader needs to:

1) Establish and implement academic standards – the effective leader sets the bar for standards. Goal setting is an important leadership tool.

2) Act as an instructional resource – even though the leader is not an expert on all subjects, a strong principal knows what elements are necessary for good teaching and can see when learning is occurring. This leader gives teachers and staff what they need to be effective.

3) Set the culture and climate – the leader needs to set the tone within the building and create an atmosphere that is conducive to learning. This can be as simple as keeping fresh paint on the walls, but it deals with facets of the human element. One example of this is the visibility of the leader within the building.

4) State and promote the mission and vision – while expecting the teacher to set goals, the leader also has a vision of what the school will

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