Few today contest that one of a principal’s most significant roles is as instructional leader. And while today’s principals are still being called on to be flexible and to “juggle hats,” the difference today is what they’re juggling and the high-stakes atmosphere in which they must perform. Principals are expected to achieve new levels of success for themselves, the teachers they lead, and the students they serve. The articles in this issue of Principal magazine address the principal’s ever evolving— and expanding—role. Also featured are a wide array of web resources for readers to use to support and inform their practice.

Building Teacher Capacity
Maribel Childress
Tools to strengthen instruction through multiple measures of evaluation.
(Article available to the public.)

From Educator to Advocate
Mark Terry
Using these simple, common sense strategies, principals can make their voices heard as advocates for students and schools at the local, state, and national levels.

A Wave of Change
Peter Carpenter
A tech-savvy principal and advocate for connected learning shares his school’s digital learning model.

Craft the Right Message
Kristine Gullen and Martin Chaffee
Effective communication is a necessary skill for school leaders—especially when discussing transitions such as Common Core State Standards.

FEATURES

Strengthen Ties for English-Language Learners
Douglass Fisher and Nancy Frey
Three practices to connect with stakeholders and enrich your program.

Hands-On ELL Parenting Enrichment
Chuck Bagwell

The Quiet Effect
Best-selling author and 2014 NAESP Conference speaker Susan Cain shares how educators can support introverts.
(Article available to the public.)

IN EVERY ISSUE

From the Editor
The Multifaceted Principal
—Kaylen Tucker
(Article available to the public.)

Snapshots
Executive function skills, value-added models, resources for new principals.

Practitioner’s Corner
Improve ADHD Behavior With Exercise
—Dan Lawler

Raising the Bar
From Faltering to Award-Winning
—Tracy Reimer

Principal’s Bookshelf

The Principal: Three Keys to Maximizing Impact
By Michael Fullan
—Reviewed by Robert Shappell

Creating a Classroom Culture That Supports the Common Core
By Bryan Harris
—Reviewed by Erin Simpson

Parents and Schools
Forge Digital Family Connections
—Melinda Miller

The Reflective Principal
Schools Must Embrace Democratic Principles
—Sharron Goldman Walker and Michael Chirichello

Ten to Teen
Strengthen STEM in the Middle
—Edwin Colbert

Speaking Out
Schools Alone Can’t Close the Gap
—Michael Connolly
(Article available to the public.)

It’s the Law
School Resource Officers
—Perry Zirkel

Postscript
Where the Buck Stops
—Gail Connelly
(Article available to the public.)

Copyright © National Association of Elementary School Principals. No part of the articles in NAESP magazines, newsletters, or website may be reproduced in any medium without the permission of the National Association of Elementary School Principals. For more information, view NAESP's reprint policy.