Transforming Professional Practice - 2nd Edition by Kimberly T Strike & Paul A Sims & Susan L Mann (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book provides aspiring leaders with a user-friendly framework that lays out knowledge, skills, dispositions, and practices of effective leaders.

Book Synopsis

This book provides aspiring leaders with a user-friendly framework that lays out knowledge, skills, dispositions, and practices of effective leaders.

Review Quotes

In many school districts the best method for evaluating educational leaders begins with self-assessment and reflection. Effective leaders develop methods to continually improve and evaluate practice and the authors of this book have done an excellent job creating an easy to use framework for what effective leadership should look like. The text can be a useful tool for those studying educational leadership or those experienced leaders looking for self-evaluation, goal setting, and improving practice. The layout of the book includes chapter objectives aligned with the standards that guide evaluation of leadership, giving practitioners a valuable resource to use. Reading this book, I found inspiration to embrace the process of professional growth and a better understanding of what I need to do to be an effective school leader.

In this book, the authors provide a wonderful balance of theory and practice useful to initial education leaders, as well as those who are well seasoned. Had I had a book like this when I was a superintendent and principal, I would have used it as a reference and guide to assist in the development of my colleagues and administrative team. The authors are experienced educational leaders, researchers and authors who bring all of that talent to bear in the provision of this wonderful reference. I recommend it without reservation.

In this era where many times legislative leaders are implementing laws regarding school leadership based on non-researched ideas and emotional outbursts from influential citizens, it is refreshing to see the development of effective leadership components presented in understandable language that is backed up by research. This is exactly what takes place in the text of Transforming Professional Practice: A Framework for Effective Leadership. It is essential for all leaders to understand and recognize the importance of professional learning and growth as major influences in improving leader effectiveness, and the different yet inter-related processes between evaluation and supervision. This book provides this knowledge and much more.

Not only does Transforming Professional Practice fill a gap in the present collection of resources for supervising and evaluating administrators, but it includes dimensions that may not be emphasized enough because they are considered too challenging to consider including trust, respect, and reflection. The group finding this book of greatest value may be board members who annually review one or more central office administrators as part of their duties. The obligations of administrators are many and varied, and the framework provides a multi-dimensional view of roles, responsibilities, and dispositions that contribute to making a school or district strong, effective, and a reflection of the community.

The authors have combined their passion and expertise to create a roadmap for effective leadership. The tangible examples support understanding the critical components to successful leadership. The focus on professional traits and competencies evident in successful and effective leaders are relevant to every leader. I highly recommend every principal and superintendent read this book as it is designed to strengthen the leadership skills in every individual.

About the Author

Kimberly T. Strike, PhD is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Concordia University-Chicago, River Forest, Illinois. She earned her Doctorate (PhD) from Marquette University in the areas of Curriculum, Instruction, Administration and Supervision with an emphasis on Educational Technology. Dr. Strike has authored Trouble-free Transitions for New Teachers (2006-2007; leveled primary, intermediate and secondary), Performance and Accountability in Today's Classroom: A Framework for Effective Mentoring (2010) and co-authored Mentoring the Educational Leader: A Framework for Success (2011).

Paul Sims, PhD is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Concordia University Chicago. He received his PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Loyola University, Chicago. He is co-author of Supervision and Evaluation for Learning and Growth (2015).

Susan Mann, MS is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Leadership at Concordia University-Chicago. She earned her MS in Clinical and Diagnostic Reading and Advanced Coursework, Loyola University Chicago, Graduate School of Education, specializing in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.

Robert K. Wilhite, EdD is Chair of the Department of Educational Leadership at Concordia University-Chicago. He earned his EdD in Curriculum, Instruction and Administration from Loyola University Chicago. He is coauthor of the Rowman and Littlefield books, The Teacher Leader: Core Competencies and Strategies (2014) and Supervision and Improvement of Learning: Professional Development Strategies for Teacher Improvement (2015).