Annotated Reference List

Mary Kent
Grand Canyon University EAD 513
7/26/16

Annotated Bibliography
Dufour, R. & Mattos, M. (2013). How do principals really improve schools? Educational
Leadership, 70 (1), 34-40.
This article reports on the importance of implementing Professional Learning
Communities with regards to the improvement of both teaching and learning
for students and staff alike. Creating a collaborative school culture is necessary
for effective best practices to be fostered and sustained, along with increasing
academic and social achievement in students. Principals can use this
information as a tool to inform their professional practice by assessing that all
instructional programs are aligned with the purpose that all students are
learning at the highest levels possible, organizing their staff into collaborative
teams committed towards achieving academic goals through grade-level
curricular units and common formative assessments, and interpreting and
analyzing data to provide evidence of mastery of those goals.
Habegger, S. (2008). The principals role in successful schools: Creating a positive school
culture. Principal, 88 (1), 42-46.
The findings of this article involve how building and maintaining a positive
school culture is conducive to growth and improvement towards developing the
capacity of students and faculty for success. The article highlights the following
factors that are vital for a positive school culture to thrive: creating a sense of
belonging for staff, students, and parents/community members, and providing a
clear purpose with a school vision and mission that is developed in
collaboration with all stakeholders. The implications of this study that can be

used by principals to inform their professional practice is by establishing

school-wide goals and objectives, along with developing steps to attain those
goals through an action plan, and evaluating the progress that had been made
throughout the year and making adjustments as needed collectively with all
stakeholders.
Wilhelm, T. (2013). How principals cultivate shared leadership. Educational Leadership,
71 (2), 62-66.
The article expounds on the findings that empowering teachers in the decisionmaking process utilizing their knowledge of best practices and expertise is
critical towards the improvement of teaching and learning. Additionally,
principals must nurture a collaborative and trusting environment where teacher
leaders share the responsibilities of monitoring the areas of curriculum,
instruction, and assessments as they relate to academically successful students.
Developing teacher leaders through a structured process of implementing a
Professional Learning Community, meeting with teachers within their
Professional Learning Communities bimonthly, and building shared leadership
to create a sense of ownership from staff for successful student school-wide
outcomes are all mentioned as ways in which principals can inform their
professional practices.