Changing even the smallest things in schools is hard--just ask any principal who has overseen a rescheduling of bus routes. So imagine the difficulty of getting a school to move its curriculum and instruction from familiar learning requirements to brand-new nationwide standards. Yet this is exactly the sort of change public schools in 45 states and the District of Columbia have embarked upon: jettisoning existing standards in favor of the Common Core State Standards. Many educators approve of the Common Core; the standards have won the backing of 75% of the nation's teachers, according to a recent poll by the American Federation of Teachers (2013). Still, many fear the road to get there. The same poll also found that 72% of teachers believe that they lack the resources necessary to prepare for the change. What does this mean for principals, who, as research confirms, are central to improving schools? One answer may be found in the Wallace Foundation's January 2013 report, "The School Principal as Leader: Guiding Schools to Better Teaching and Learning," which identifies five practices that are key to effective school leadership. In this article, the author describes each of the five practices and how the Wallace Foundation's research can empower principals to effectively implement the Common Core State Standards.