Simple observation suggests the importance of a principal’s technology leadership. If these tools are to truly change the culture of the school, their use needs a sustained mission. Numerous technology enthusiasts have launched successful projects only to have the momentum fade if they leave the school or shift responsibilities.

Technology requires sustained support and a principal who can build leadership teams. A guide to finding such leadership can be found in Becoming a Leader: Preparing Principals for Today’s Schools, a Wallace Foundation report. The report broadly addresses student achievement, not technology. With the exception of discussing the importance of data, which can be assumed to be technology-driven, or standards, which probably include some technology literacy, technology is not even mentioned. Even so, these findings on how to create school leaders are clearly applicable to the digital school.

The paper highlights current state and district efforts to address longstanding weaknesses in principal training. The research it points to defines key attributes of effective training. It also offers four action-oriented lessons that could help guide states, districts and universities in better preparing principals:

•    Principal training programs should be more selective, more focused on improvement of instruction, more closely tied to the needs of districts, and provide more relevant internship experiences;

•    Leadership preparation should not end when new principals are hired, but should continue with high-quality mentoring and career-long growth opportunities;

•    Because of the likely added costs, resources for improving preparation should be directed at programs with proven benefits; and

•    Better leadership training is essential, but state and districts should also address the conditions that support or undermine leadership, particularly by permitting a focus on instruction rather than “administrivia.”
Leadership can appear to be an elusive quality. Even so, this report maintains that it does not require the lucky hiring of a super-hero. The Wallace Foundation identifies a shift to a paradigm of “a more promising concept of school leadership that is both attainable– and therefore “trainable” – and likelier to bring about the results that are needed in today’s schools: a school-wide focus on better teaching and learning.”

Three essential components of such leadership are creating a shared vision, sharing authority, and being accountable for achieving the school’s goals. The report calculated that costs for pre-service coursework at the exemplary programs in its study ranged from slightly under $20,000 to about $42,000 per participant. Viewed in another light, however, providing high-quality training and internships to school leaders can be expected to add approximately $10 to $80 per pupil spending.

The Wallace Foundation, Becoming a Leader: Preparing Principals for Today’s Schools