Measuring a Leader's Practice: Past Efforts and Present Opportunities to Capture What Educational Leaders Do

“If you ask a manager what he does, he will most likely tell you that he plans, organizes, co-ordinates, and controls. Then watch what he does. Don’t be surprised if you can’t relate what you see to these four words.” (Henry Mintzberg, 1975)

While Minztberg’s studies have focused on the private sector, his quote captures in part the complexity of studying leadership practice. Just as researchers have long debated exactly what “educational leadership” is, so they have debated and studied exactly what these leaders do. The examination of leadership practice has evolved from often atheoretical surveys and/or observations to more formalized protocols involving structured observations, interviews, and surveys. The current education policy environment of standards and accountability has drawn attention to the role that principals play as instructional leaders for their schools, and this focus has pushed the question of just what principals (and other school leaders) do to promote student learning and achievement.

996_aera2006measuringaleaderspractice.pdf