The role of the principal is rapidly changing. Once seen as building managers tasked with bus schedules and student discipline, principals now lead a range of school-level reform efforts. But not all principals are equipped to lead dramatic student achievement gains or know which actions to prioritize. Research on school leaders in urban areas demonstrated that principals only spent between 8 to 17 percent of their time on instructional leadership activities because they found it difficult to carve out time for improving instruction and they were unsure which actions offered the most promise. Fortunately, research indicates which principal actions can amplify great teaching and increase student achievement. Through an in-depth analysis of more than 200 public schools, New Leaders found that the most effective principals took action in three intersecting areas: as instructional leaders, principals support teachers in improving classroom instruction; as talent managers, principals manage staff (such as recruiting, hiring, developing, and retaining exceptional talent), build learning communities, and provide ongoing feedback; and as culture builders, principals create great places to work and learn. Together, these three areas define the role of the principal. In order to support states and local educational agencies (LEAs) in advancing the principalship--including investing time, focus, and resources in the role--this brief recommends federal policymakers: (1) Sharpen the focus on leadership; (2) Improve the use of existing resources; (3) Encourage alignment of human capital policies to a new vision of leadership; (4) Support the conditions that allow principals to be effective; and (5) Invest in a learning agenda. [For the full series, see "Prioritizing Leadership: New Leaders' Federal Policy Platform" (ED559351).]