Research shows that principals with strong leadership qualities are a critical factor in effective schools. This paper describes three research based techniques that principals can use when making decisions about how to help teachers develop their skills. The Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM) is an empirically based conceptual framework that outlines the process individual teachers experience as they implement a new program. Important data supplied by the model includes the stages of concern (SOC). Assessment procedures used in the model are: one to one interviews, open ended statements of concern, and the SOC questionnaire. Another technique is the Levels of Use Concept (LOU) which describes how performance changes as individual teachers become skillful with a new practice. A focused interview has been developed to assess LOU that requires a trained or certified interviewer, but a more informal interview called the "one legged conference" can be used by the principal. Innovation Configurations Theory (IC) describes the differing operational forms of an innovation that result as teachers put it into practice in their classrooms. The theory includes the use of the Innovative Configuration Component Checklist which documents the parts of the innovation actually in use. (MD)