This article describes the structure and social justice orientation of Gonzaga University's Leadership Formation Program, an innovative, nontraditional graduate program preparing principals, program administrators, and superintendents. Highlighting the virtual school district and complex case study approach used in the program, the article details…

This article examines the ethical conundrum of educational decision makers when faced with a plethora of conflicting value-based decisions. It offers an analysis of a well-known fable as the foil to demonstrate the problematic nature of ethical relativism and postmodern ethics in resolving that conundrum, while advocating the use of five core…

A study of beginning administrators in a school district reveals that they receive contradictory messages about school leadership. Although the school district emphasizes collaborative, facilitative leadership through documents and orientation of new administrators, bureaucratic, political, and identity-based messages reinforce traditional…

This article first explores the characteristics of professional learning communities (PLCs) identified in the research literature. Second, it examines the staff and student outcomes derived from the implementation and integration of a PLC in a K-12 school or a university. Third, it provides suggestions for school leaders about creating and…

This article describes how teacher leadership emerged within schools with either a high level or a low level of readiness to establish a professional learning community. Through the perspectives of principals and teacher leaders, there were distinct differences in the emergence of teacher leadership, the operation of shared leadership structures,…

Distributed leadership in schools is not exclusive to professional learning communities; it is distributed in all schools, for good purposes and for bad, by design and by emergence. In this article, we describe a normative view of distributed leadership that tends to be a leadership of advocacy, and we offer a descriptive perspective that argues…

Creating learning communities in low-performing districts and schools is especially daunting in an era of accountability and standards-based assessment. This article describes research that informed application of Southwest Educational Development Laboratory's Working Systemically model for increased student achievement. The article highlights 4…

This article describes the work of the school principal in building a vibrant learning community for staff and students. The descriptions emerged from a series of investigations into teaching, learning, and leading practices within schools that have high capacity for effective teaching and learning. These investigations demonstrated that the…

The purpose of the study was to describe the organizational socialization of assistant principals and consider how that socialization prepares them for becoming principals. Using a case study research design and social systems theory as the theoretical framework, 8 assistant principals in 2 different high schools were interviewed (as were their…

The need for more and better-prepared educational leaders has led to greater program effort to adhere to national leadership standards and form university-district partnerships for improved preparation, particularly in creating better-quality internships and more supportive structures. This article compares 3 leadership preparation programs--2…

The story of Bryon Elementary School's 10-year transformation is a story of school improvement. Moreover, it's a story of a cultural change that altered roles, responsibilities, and expectations and led to significant gains in student achievement. A principal, faculty, and staff who were driven by a common vision, who spoke a common language, and…

This article discusses the Leading for Equity, Achievement, and Democracy program, which is a partnership administrative credential program of the California State University, East Bay (formerly Hayward), and the Bay Area Coalition for Equitable Schools, based in Oakland, California. This developmental journey involves a process of introspection,…

The role of administrator preparation programs should be one of creating the conscientization (Freire, 2000) of aspiring administrators. Administrator preparation programs with a social justice perspective support and agitate aspiring administrators to act and address equity issues affecting all of those involved in the school learning community…

This article focuses from a critical perspective on the pedagogical foundations of a course on educational leadership of student services and special education administration. Additionally, it explores the ability of teaching the "practical application" of administering K-12 special education and student services using critical discourse…

Throughout this issue, the authors have sought to bring to the forefront curriculum content and pedagogical approaches that advance effective teaching of social justice in educational administration programs. They have gathered, from professors in educational leadership programs across the country, curriculum designs, formats, and activities that…