ABSTRACT
All of the schools began their innovation work because of a compelling need or desire to do something different. In Domain 2 of their Unified Model of Effective Leader Practices, Hitt and Tucker noted that one of the key responsibilities of effective school leaders is to facilitate high-quality learning experiences for students. School administrators do this in a variety of ways, including developing and monitoring curricular, instructional, and assessment programs. They also maintain safety and orderliness and work to personalize the learning environment to reflect students’ backgrounds. This chapter provides examples of what the instructional leadership behaviors and support structures looked like in many of the schools that the authors visited. Youth empowerment is so high at Legacy that students are proposing new courses, outdoor recreation experiences, extracurricular clubs, engagement opportunities with the local retirement community, a student-driven “Saber Cybers” technical support team and help desk, and other creative ways to use the schedule.
