150 PREPARATION OF SCHOOL LEADERS
PROMOTING INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES THAT MEET THE DIVERSE
NEEDS OF STUDENTS AND FAMILIES
Over the past 20 years, the literature on school leadership has emphasized the importance
of principals as instructional leaders for all students (Blase & Blase, 1999a; Blase & Blase,
1999b; Schmoker, 2004; Sheppard, 1996). Pressures related to high-stakes testing and
increased school accountability, as well and the range of managerial and bureaucratic tasks
that confront principals on a daily basis, make it difficult for many to fully adopt this role
(English & Steffy, 2005; Pounder et al., 2002). Still, the literature on the current challenges
and context of school leadership is clear about the need for principals to understand and
promote effective practices in instruction, curriculum, and assessment as the foundation for
data-based decision-making and school improvement (Brock & Groth, 2003; Janisch &
Johnson, 2003; Munoz & Dossett, 2004). Moreover, for school leaders who are concerned
with building and sustaining positive connections to families, there is a need to understand
how a school's selection and use of particular curricula and instructional strategies reflect
culturally responsive practices (Delpit, 1992).
Understanding Effective Curricula and Instructional Practices
Leaders who are fully engaged in understanding effective curricula and instructional
practices engage in a variety of practices with respect to students and teachers. These include
regular visits to classrooms, the use of specific praise and feedback with teachers, and
frequent discussions about curriculum, instruction, and assessment with teachers (Blase &
Blase, 1999a; Blase & Blase, 1999b; Southworth, 2002). They support teachers in finding
ways to promote student engagement in learning, and to implement research-based strategies
designed to meet the diverse needs of students in general education classrooms (Quinn, 2002;
Slee, 2001). The latter include strategies such as peer tutoring, cooperative learning, positive
behavioral supports, school-wide approaches to literacy and numeracy, and effective use of
individual accommodations (Sapon-Shevin, Ayres, & Duncan, 2002; Tomlinson, 1999;
Tomlinson & Allan, 2000) However, looking at curricula and instruction cannot take place
without deeper understanding of the community and its needs. Thus, principals also need to
ensure that the specific curricula and strategies in instruction and assessment are a good
match for students' diverse cultural and individual needs (Harthun, Drapeau, Dustman, &
Marsiglia, 2002; Janisch & Johnson, 2003). School leaders need to help teachers examine the
relationship between the core curriculum and the cultures and values of the families and
communities they serve (Shields, 1996) by involving parents on curriculum committees,
textbook selection committees, and committees charged with examining student outcome
data. Pounder et al. (2002) caution that in the current era of education reform, principals may
feel pressured to engage in superficial approaches to improving student performance. These
include “teaching to the test,” excluding students with learning challenges from taking tests,
or failing to report the scores of students with disabilities. Leaders who embrace a social-
justice framework seek instead to implement an “authentic pedagogy,” in which students
learn in a culturally responsive environment about things that really matter to them and their
families (Finnan, Schnepel, & Anderson, 2003). Consideration for the distinct languages,
histories, goals, and values that emerge from the communities, families, home, and individual
learners becomes an important focus for a curriculum that is inclusive and supportive of
students and their families (Shapiro & Stefkovich, 2001).