Two powerful and seemingly competing themes dominate today's educational landscape: innovation and accountability. Many educational leaders are drawn to the promise and potential of new ideas and technologies, while working in the reality of an age of high-stakes tests. Although some see this as a historical pendulum swing from one end to another, educational leaders might instead see the two as intertwined. Principals are uniquely poised to help bring these two facets together in a way that benefits students and staff alike.
The annual and often unappreciated ritual of the School Improvement Planning (SIP) process holds untapped potential for principals seeking to work collaboratively with their staff to improve teaching and learning while also making the grade. Over the past two years, I have worked with two colleagues, Dan Duke and Marsha Carr, in researching successful schools, leaders, and best practices related to school improvement; together we have written The School Improvement Planning Handbook: Getting Focused for Turnaround and Transition (Duke, Carr, & Sterrett, 2013). Although some failing schools are in dire need of a quick turnaround, many great schools simply need to transition to a period of sustained performance. A few examples emerge for principals seeking to lead through SIP:
Identify and State Current Goals
Some people view SIP as a waste of time. "Good planning begins with sound thinking," however, and requires