The work of school leaders is critical in this era, and there is heightened attention on the roles of the leaders as linked to student achievement and school improvement; school culture and climate; and the variables that impact achievement, improvement, culture and climate. The demands on school leaders have significantly changed. About a decade ago, the Southern Educational Regional Board suggested that school leaders impact as much as twenty percent of the achievement in schools. A few years later, the potential impact of school leaders increased to twenty-five percent. Throughout the chapters, the reoccurring concepts regarding the work of leaders are discussed.
The need for leaders to move student learning and to respond to changes in education and challenges are contributing factors to the development of the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL). In chapter 1 and in other chapters throughout the book; the links and importance between educational leadership and student learning are made. The standards provide a framework of the knowledge and skills needed for school leaders to be prepared for the challenges.