DOCUMENT RESUME ED 479 054 EA 032 604 Pierce, Milli, Ed.; Stapleton, Deborah L., Ed. AUTHOR The 21st-Century Principal: Current Issues in Leadership and TITLE Policy. ISBN-1-891792-06-7 ISBN 2003-00-00 PUB DATE 108p. NOTE Harvard Education Press, AVAILABLE FROM 8 Story Street, 1st Floor, Cambridge, MA 02138 ($19.95). Tel: 617-495-3432; Fax: 617- 496 -3584; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.gse.harvard.edu/ hepg/hep.html. Books (010) Collected Works - General (020) PUB TYPE EDRS Price MF01/PC05 Plus Postage. EDRS PRICE *Academic Achievement; *Accountability; After School DESCRIPTORS Programs; Educational Attainment; *Educational Change; Educational Improvement; Educational Policy; Educational Principles; Elementary Secondary Education; *Equal Education; *Instructional Leadership; Principals; *Public Schools; School Choice; Standards; Student Diversity; Student Improvement ABSTRACT The essays in this volume examine the future of public schooling in the United States and what it will mean to be a leader in public schools. It focuses on the issues most likely to have an impact on American society within the next 20 years. The essays are as follows: "Introduction" (Milli Pierce, Deborah L. Stapleton); "The Limits of Change" (Richard F. Elmore); "The Six Principles of Effective Accountability" (Douglas B. Reeves); "The Challenge of a Changing Nation" (Marcelo M. Suarez-Orozco); "Does More Choice Mean Less Equity?" (Chester E. Finn, Jr.); "Closing the Achievement Gap" (Belinda Williams); "Using Afterschool Programs to Raise Achievement" (Gil G. Noam); and "Learning to Challenge Assumptions" (Richard Rothstein). Some essays are followed by responses by other authors. All essays are followed by suggested discussion questions. (WFA) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. The 21st-Century Principal: Current Issues in Leadership and Policy. Milli Pierce, Ed. Deborah Stapleton, Ed. 2003 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND Office of Educational Research and Improvement DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION BEEN GRANTED BY CENTER (ERIC) ?( This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization L. Clos originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve ci TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES reproduction quality INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. 1 BEST COPY AVAILABLE 2 THEv ...M11111 Nur Current Issues in Leadership and Policy EDITED BY MILLI PIERCE AND DEBORAH L. STAPLETON 2 The 21 st-Century Principal Current Issues in Leadership and Policy edited by Milli Pierce and Deborah L. Stapleton HARVARD EDUCATION PRESS Copyright © 2003 by President and Fellows of Harvard College All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. Library of Congress Control Number 2002111700 ISBN 1-891792-06-7 Published by Harvard Education Press, an imprint of the Harvard Education Publishing Group Harvard Education Press 8 Story Street, 5th Floor Cambridge, MA 02138 Cover Design: Kate Canfield Editorial Production: Dody Riggs Typography: Sheila Walsh The typefaces used in this book are Bitstream Kuenstler 480 and Humanist 777. 5 Contents Preface v Introduction 1 Milli Pierce and Deborah L. Stapleton The Limits of Change 9 1 Richard F. Elmore The Six Principles of Effective Accountability 19 2 Douglas B. Reeves The Challenge of a Changing Nation 29 3 Marcelo M. Suarez-Orozco with responses from Harold L. Hodgkinson and Robert J. Murphy 4 Does More Choice Mean Less Equity? 41 Chester E. Finn, Jr. with responses from Pedro A. Noguera and Gary Orfield Closing the Achievement Gap 57 5 Belinda Williams Using Afterschool Programs to Raise 6 Achievement 69-- Gil G. Noam 77 Learning to Challenge Assumptions 7 Richard Rothstein with responses from Richard F. Elmore and Nat La Cour Conclusion 91 Milli Pierce 97 About the Contributors Acknowledgements 103 The Principals' Center 105 Preface Seldom do we set out to mine gold and actually end up excavating a product of profound richness. Yet the conversations that make up this volumewhich were edited and adapted from transcripts of lectures and discussions at a two-day Principals' Center institute enti- tled Leadership and Policy: An Education Forumare just such a product. More than 200 principals met in November 2001 to con- sider the views of a distinguished faculty and to debate for themselves some of the most important issues that will affect their profession in the coming decades. Panelists and partici- pants alike unraveled such topics as the purposes of public education, standards and accountability, the impact of privat- ization and choice on public schools, and the black/white achievement gap. The following chapters deliver imaginative, thoughtful discussions of these issues and more, based on the research and expertise of our presenters. Unlike traditional academic essays, these offerings are conversation starters intended to spark further discussion in your own school and district. To- The 21st Century Principal vi gether they function as a kind of workbook to help you sort out the local impact of global issues. have As you explore this book, you will undoubtedly You strong opinions about some of the ideas you encounter. will likely agree enthusiastically with some and disagree ve- hemently with others. To facilitate conversation in your own work environments, we have provided discussion questions provoke a at the end of each chapter. We hope these questions lively exchange of answers, inspire more questions, and stim- ulate a discussion within your community that is as rich as the one the institute participants enjoyed. Milli Pierce Deborah L. Stapleton Introduction: The 21 st-Century Principal Milli Pierce "There is always a choice about the way you do your work, even if there is not a choice about the work itself." Stephen Lundin, business coach and author The essays in this volume examine the future of public schooling in the United Statesand what it will mean to be a leader in public schoolsby focusing on the issues that are most likely to have an impact on American society within the next 20 years. Like so many other things, public schooling is deeply affected by context. As the context of schooling changes, principals will need to refocus their work so that schools can change in accordance with the populations they serve. Some of the most dramatic changes in the context of schooling are demographic. As Harold Hodgkinson reminds 1 10