ABSTRACT
Every school deserves a great leader. Highly effective principals are at the heart of successful schools and those leaders are part of dynamic leadership teams well equipped to meet the unique challenges of diverse school settings. How these principals became great leaders and how these teams became successful working together can most likely be attributed to hard work, perseverance, and powerful professional learning experiences. School leaders impact student learning and school success in many different ways. A meta-analysis by Robinson, Lloyd, and Rowe found specifically that instructionally focused responsibilities such as observations and professional development contribute to the effectiveness of principals. Some of the formal practices that we employ at Windsor High School are the administrative aide position and our professional learning steering committee (PLSC). The University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) released a report that again highlighted what seemed to be pervasive criticisms about university-based leadership preparation programs that included internship experiences, content, and lack of sequencing.
