About the Authors: Dr. Jerry D. Jones is an Associate Professor of Leadership Studies at Marshall University, formerly was an elementary teacher, counselor, and principal, and served as superintendent of schools in Morgan and Roane Counties in West Virginia. He can be reached at jonesjd@marshall.edu.

Dr. Rebecca H. Goodwin is part time faculty in Leadership Studies at Marshall University and previously served as a teacher, principal, and assistant superintendent in Kanawha County, West Virginia. She can be reached at reached at rgoodwin@marshall.edu.

Dr. Michael L. Cunningham is an associate Professor and Program Director of Leadership Studies at Marshall University and was formerly a teacher and middle school principal in Kanawha County West Virginia. He was recognized as West Virginia Principal of the Year and can be reached at mcunningham@marshall.edu.

The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) annually recognizes superintendents from rural, suburban, and urban school systems who have made a significant contribution to the improvement of student academic achievement. The purpose of this project was to examine attributes of these leading edge school districts, specifically those districts in which the superintendents were recipients of the 2000-2001 Leadership for Learning Award by the American Association of School Administrators. We were interested in identifying specific characteristics and activities perceived by the district leaders as contributing to the success of the system. Further, we sought to determine if the district's being rural, urban, or suburban influenced the identified factors or if the factors transcended geography.

Investigative Process

In 2000-2001, 18 district level administrators received the Leadership for Learning Award. All of these superintendents were asked to rank order from 1 to 5 those areas of responsibility that they believed were most inherent to the success of their district. The suggested areas included administrative practices, curriculum, facilities, finance, food service, governance, personnel management, personnel evaluation, professional development, school board relations, school community relations, school district relations, special education, student Assessment, transportation, and vocational education. Each recognized district leader was also asked to discuss those programs, activities, or innovations in their district that they regarded as exceptional.

Initial contact was made by mail with the 18 award recipients. The mailing included a cover letter explaining the research purpose and the questionnaire. Fourteen of the 18 district leaders responded to this mailing by returning a completed survey. Follow-up telephone conversations were made to the other four districts, and the survey was completed by phone--thus yielding a 100% participation rate. Site visits were made to one rural, one suburban, and one urban district that were randomly selected from the participating districts. During these site visits, a formal interview was conducted with the superintendent in two districts and with an assistant superintendent in the third. Further activities during the site visits included facility tours and informal conversations with other district level administrators regarding district leadership and student achievement.

Key Perspectives

Five areas of responsibility emerged from the surveys as being of importance to the success of these leading edge districts. There was no relationship between the demographics of the district (urban, suburban, and rural) and these areas of responsibility. Curriculum, finance, professional development, school board relations, and vision were identified by the award winning district leaders as those areas of responsibility that were most inherent to the success of their districts. It is important to note that vision, which included leadership and involvement, was not one of the presented choices but was added by the participants.

Curriculum. All of the high achieving districts emphasized the importance of teaching and learning. Emphasis was placed on the alignment of the curriculum to state and national standards and to assessment, and a variety of assessment strategies were reported. One district incorporated grade 5 final exams and standardized tests in language arts and math. One district had a 9-12 all-regents high school wherein all students take regents examinations in each subject.

Assessment and student and school support were tightly linked. These districts were implementing safety nets for the lowest performing schools with multi-year trend analysis. Other support strategies included regent's labs at the high school and middle schools, and before-school and after-school support at the high school, middle school, and elementary school with computer assisted instruction. One district utilized a 10-period day at the middle schools and high schools whereby all students had access to teachers for 45 minutes at the end of each day with transportation provided. Another district had a computerized, systematic, individual tracking system for all students for academic intervention services and enrichment. Both an African-American Advisory Council and a Business Council supported reading/tutoring programs in one district.

The concept of choice was central to the schools in one recognized district. Every school distinguished itself in what and or how it teaches; however, they stressed that to offer choice requires there are real choices in the curriculum or as one administrator said, "No more cookie cutter schools." Students and parents can match interest and learning styles.

While innovation is celebrated, solid reading programs with proven results were reported as the foundation for the curriculum in all of these districts. Integrating the curriculum with technology was also a focus for these leading edge systems.

In summary, the leading edge districts identified the curriculum and instructional program as essential to their success. A strong reading program, the integration of technology, student and school support, and the tight alignment of the curriculum to standards and to assessment are hallmarks of their success.

Finance. Balancing needs and resources is always a challenge to schools and to school systems. The district leaders who responded to this survey believed that sound financial management was inherent to district success. These leaders emphasized the importance of maintaining a balanced budget. In one district the superintendent led the development of an on-going five-year plan for all text/materials, and this helped to increase reserves and investments as well as to plan for needed purchases. Many systems mentioned a long-term financial plan that set aside a pre-determined reserve for long-term use. Other districts have implemented the use of accurate prediction/estimation tools; as a result, these districts have been able to avoid tax anticipation notes and the interest expenses associated therein and have dealt with budgetary setbacks without staff lay-offs. The emphasis placed on finance in this survey reinforced the importance of sound fiscal management to support personnel and instructional decisions.

Professional Development. Learning organizations do not continue to exist without investing in the people in the organizations. These districts recognized the centrality of effective professional development. One thread in the discussion about professional development linked this work to the aforementioned emphasis on alignment of standards and assessment. Several districts noted that accountability is necessary. All staff members need to know what they are expected to do and that they will be held accountable for what they should do. Based on an evaluation that links teacher behavior to student performance, the recognized districts have developed a performance-based staff development model that identifies behavior changes needed as a result of staff development.

A second thread in the discussion was the importance of support for new teachers. One district sponsors a five-day pre-induction workshop in the essential elements of instruction and district initiatives. Several districts have strong teacher mentor programs that pair each new teacher with an experienced teacher.

Innovation is a characteristic of these high achieving districts, and that concept is reflected in their approach to staff development. Innovative grants are developed for professional development. The districts work with local universities related to the utilization of technology and training on an individual basis where needed.

Finally, several districts emphasized the development of leadership. As one superintendent noted, "You can't get anywhere without leadership. The leadership team is a team, and talented individuals are free to take risks." Professional development gives people the tools to get where they need to go. A major factor in keeping teachers involved and up to date is excellent professional development opportunities. One creative school district saw an opportunity to develop leadership in a problem related to recruiting excellent teachers. The district identified a team of exceptional, high-energy, first year teachers and trained and hired them as part-time recruiters. These teachers, who are similar in age to pre-service teachers, form a team that travels to colleges and job fairs to present the opportunities for teachers in their district. This creative approach not only attracted numerous applicants who had not previously been attracted to the district but has also has developed young leaders within the district.

School Board Relations. Effective school systems have effective school boards and the leaders of these systems recognized the importance of a strong, cooperative relationship with the school board. "Everyone has to own what we are doing. Parents and community and school board members have roles and seats just like employees." In these districts, the school board works with the superintendent and staff to establish goals for the district. The schools and superintendent choose the strategies. The board of education has a defined set of policies that specify the board's role, and the board has working protocols with the superintendent that enable the board to have a strong working relationship with the administration. The board is involved in developing the master plan and in decision making according to its mission statement. Funding is influenced by the positive relationship between board members, the administration, and the community. In one district, the board conducts an annual evaluation cycle that begins with a board retreat in September, a board self-assessment, a mid-year retreat, and a board self-evaluation in the spring. In another district, board members are given software related to the mission and the district, and three hours training is given to board members in using the software. Several districts mentioned the importance of board training, and board members' attendance at state and national conferences was given a high priority.

Vision. We found it most enlightening that one of the top five areas of responsibility was not on the list presented to district leaders. The fact that it emerged as one of the most significant as a result of superintendents taking time to add it to the list gives great strength to the importance of building a strong vision for a school district. In discussing the importance of a shared vision, superintendents referred to linking the vision to student achievement and to establishing measurable annual goals that include high expectations for teachers and students. One superintendent noted that a strong vision with strong goals helps avoid political pressure. Another commented that because the district has a strong vision, the administration works more effectively as a team. Policy and regulations grow from the vision, and a shared philosophy makes it possible to use common sense in decision-making. Consistently, the leaders of these leading edge districts recognized that a common vision and practice is important to their districts' success.

Summary

It is difficult, and perhaps simplistic, to focus on only five attributes related to highly dynamic systems. However, at the local district level, it is important to be aware of what is related nationally to school district successes. Leadership for school improvement takes many forms, but at the district level, the results of this survey yielded potentially powerful information for positive change. Successful school systems emphasize a strong well-aligned curriculum. They understand that sound financial decisions make possible a strong instructional program. These districts value their employees and provide opportunities for professional growth. The leadership in these districts is a partnership between lay boards who represent the community and skilled professionals who are innovative and creative. Finally, a powerful, shared vision drives the planning and the decisions that have earned these leading edge districts recognition for their "Leadership for Learning." These five attributes cut across geographic areas, whether they are urban, rural, or suburban in nature. These five areas are ones that practicing and future superintendents should consider as powerful attributes in the leadership of a successful school district.