Written by a practicing superintendent for practitioners, this book provides guidelines for becoming a vision-based, reflective leader. Part 1 (chapters 1 through 6) conveys general principles of educational leadership based on personal experience. Part 2 (chapters 7 through 11) provides examples of effective, exemplary programs from Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) and other schools around the country. The first chapter describes prerequisites for educational leadership. Chapter 2 discusses the ways in which a superintendent exercises educational leadership and the commitment it requires. In order to have the time to provide educational leadership, the superintendent must delegate a great deal of his or her management responsibility. Some of the chapters in part 1 are paired with chapters in part 2. Chapter 3 presents the principles of needs assessment and chapter 8 provides examples of needs-assessment surveys as the basis for developing a reform agenda. The fourth chapter describes principles for improving student achievement and assessment, and the ninth chapter illustrates corresponding efforts. Chapter 5 discusses the superintendent's role in professional development; chapter 10 describes exemplary staff-development programs. Chapters 6 and 11 provide principles and examples of community involvement, respectively. (Contains 47 references.) (LMI)