ABSTRACT
Effective leaders act as agents of continuous improvement to promote each student's academic success and well-being. It is generally assumed that school improvement approaches are action and developmentally oriented and in school improvement the school is the unit of change. The other assumption of school improvement suggests that an emphasis on school culture must be an integral part of the change effort. Tightly linked to the assumption that a multi-level perspective is needed, is the assumption that school improvement strategies should include bottom-up and top-down approaches. If one is to break the all common cycle of failed school reform, broad and deep interpretations of how the school functions must be taken into account prior to and as part of the innovation effort. Effective school improvement focuses school leaders on issues of equity. Equity leadership requires that policy, practice, and programs be aligned so that all students are provided access to high-quality learning opportunities and environments.
