Find more resources from NASSP on the topic of Collaborative Leadership: Mentoring and Coaching.

  • College Board Advocacy & Policy Center. (2010). Teachers Are the Center of Education: Mentoring, Teaching and Improving Student Learning. This specific report shines the spotlight on one aspect of teacher work: the importance of mentoring and the leading role that exemplary, experienced teachers are taking in this endeavor.Download the article: Teachers Are the Center of Education
  • Raising Student Voice & Participation (RSVP) ProgramNASC website

Additional Resources ($)

  • Mentoring and Coaching — Every great leader is asked, how do you sustain change? What will happen when you leave? How do you get buy-in? Great leaders grow leaders. Distributed leadership is the key to continuous, incremental change and sustained improvement over time. In great schools, everyone is a leader and every leader has a succession plan. In great schools, every leader is training a replacement. This flexible one- or two-day program provides participants with the knowledge, skills and tools to coach middle-level and high school leaders and other school personnel as they engage in implementing school reform strategies as recommended in the Breaking Ranks framework.NASSP website

Recommended Readings

  • Beaudoin, Nelson. (2005). Elevating Student Voice: How to Enhance Participation, Citizenship, and Leadership. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education. This book demonstrates how to change the way students view their learning, themselves and their school just by listening to their voices. It describes what schools can do to increase student participation and engagement, and create opportunities for students to practice democracy and civic responsibility. The book provides examples of student-directed events, service learning and more.Visit the NASSP website store to purchase Elevating Student Voice: How to Enhance Participation, Citizenship, and Leadership
  • Blank, Mary Ann & Kershaw, Cheryl A. (2009). Mentoring as Collaboration: Lessons from the Field for Classroom, School, and District Leaders. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. School and district leaders will discover how to develop, assess and sustain a collaborative, team-based mentoring program that helps retain new teachers and improve student achievement.Purchase the book: Mentoring as Collaboration: Lessons from the Field for Classroom, School, and District Leaders.
  • Cheliotes, Linda Gross & Reilly, Marceta Fleming. (2010). Coaching Conversations: Transforming Your School One Conversation at a Time. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. Learn how coaching conversations — which are different from supervisory and mentoring conversations — shift responsibility for instructional improvement from the school leader to the entire school community.Purchase the book: Coaching Conversations: Transforming Your School One Conversation at a Time.
  • Gerety, Ed. (2003). Combinations: Opening the Door to Student Leadership. Exeter, New Hampshire: Gerety Presentations. The author, a top leadership trainer, shares his expertise through powerful stories, strategies, action steps and leadership challenges. Students discover and develop leadership principles that empower them to lead with character, make positive choices and take steps toward achieving their goals and dreams.Visit the NASSP website store to purchase Combinations: Opening the Door to Student Leadership
  • Crowther, Frank; Ferguson, Margaret; & Hann, Leonne. (2009). Developing Teacher Leaders: How Teacher Leadership Enhances School Success 2nd Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. With five case studies, this revised edition shows principals and staff developers how to collaborate with teachers in fostering, developing and supporting teacher leadership.Purchase the book: Developing Teacher Leaders: How Teacher Leadership Enhances School Success 2nd Edition.
  • Horn, Patty J. & Metler-Armijo, Kristen. (2011). Toolkit for Mentor Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. Field-tested and evidence-based, this all-in-one resource combines data collection tools with a mentoring process that helps improve the confidence, practices and effectiveness of new teachers.Purchase the book: Toolkit for Mentor Practice.
  • Kise, Jane A. (2006). Differentiated Coaching: A Framework for Helping Teachers Change. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. The author applies research and theory on personality type, multiple intelligences, experiential learning models and mind styles models to create a differentiated approach to staff development.Purchase the book: Differentiated Coaching: A Framework for Helping Teachers Change.
  • Nash, Ron. (2010). The Active Mentor: Practical Strategies for Supporting New Teachers. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. This resource demonstrates how to build effective, active teacher mentoring programs — from helping new teachers implement active classroom principles to creating a schoolwide climate for mentoring.Purchase the book: The Active Mentor: Practical Strategies for Supporting New Teachers.
  • NASSP. (2006). RSVP School Implementation Guide. Reston, VA: Author. This guide provides student councils with a structured process for working with student bodies to identify issues, then planning and hosting activities to bring about positive changes. It includes resources, strategies and step-by-step instructions to guide student leaders through the process.Visit the NASSP website store to purchase the RSVP School Implementation Guide
  • Robertson, Jan. (2010). Coaching educational leadership: Building leadership capacity through partnership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. Based on more than a decade of research and development, nationally and internationally, this resource provides the empirical evidence, principles and skills needed to develop leadership in an individual and the other professionals who work with that individual.Purchase the book: Coaching educational leadership: Building leadership capacity through partnership.

Additional Resources Available to NASSP Members

  • Berte, Nicolette; King, Keanna; Demars, Michelle & Brownstein, Michael M. (November 2008). Developing Professionals Through Personalization. Principal Leadership, v9 n3 p28–32. Lessons from a post–high school program show that personalization and student learning communities push students to do their personal best in postsecondary opportunities.Download the article: Developing Professionals Through Personalization
  • Carter, Alex & Healey, Tim. (February 2011). Professional Development for Parents. Principal Leadership, v11 n6 p26–31. Help parents develop “school sense” so that they can be partners with teachers and advocates for their children.Download the article: Professional Development for Parents
  • Champeau, Ryan D. (March 2011). Great Relationships, Great Education. Principal Leadership, v11 n7 p38–40. Advisories foster practices that support academic, personal and civic growth.Download the article: Great Relationships, Great Education
  • Coley, David C. (February 2009). Leading generation Y. Principal Leadership, v9 n6 p24–28. To reap the full benefits of teacher potential, it may be necessary to adjust current leadership methods in a small way.Download the article: Leading generation Y
  • Fisher, Douglas; Everlove, Sandi & Frey, Nancy. (May 2009). Not Just Another Literacy Meeting. Principal Leadership, v9 n9 p40–43. See how professional learning communities operate when dedication and perseverance pay off.Download the article: Not Just Another Literacy Meeting
  • Hull, Ted H.; Balka, Don S.; Miles, Ruth Harbin. (April 2010). Overcoming Resistance to Change. Principal Leadership, v10 n8 p36–37, 40–42. Content coaches can help teachers adopt new teaching methods by using support and research.Download the article: Overcoming Resistance to Change
  • Johnson-Taylor, Cindy & Martin, Mary B. (April 2007). Next in Line: Preparing Assistant Principals for the Principalship. Principal Leadership, v7 n8 p22–25. Deliberately preparing assistant principals to be principals is an important responsibility of current principals.Download the article: Next in Line
  • Koballa, Thomas R., Jr. & Bradbury, Leslie U. (March 2009). Leading to Success. Principal Leadership, v9 n7 p28–31. To ensure successful mentoring experiences, focus on content, practice and culture.Download the article: Leading to Success
  • Neigel, Keith. (December 2006). Building Leadership Capacity in Students. Principal Leadership, v7 n4 p20–24. The importance of genuine student leadership — student-led, research-based decisions that affect curricula rather than just afterschool activities — should not be underestimated.Download the article: Building Leadership Capacity in Students
  • Prince, H. MiUndrae. (November 2004). First-Year Principal — and Mentor? Principal Leadership, v5 n3 p26–29. A first-year principal’s experience as a mentor has many benefits for all parties.Download the article: First-Year Principal — and Mentor?
  • Reed, Peter. (April 2010). Aligning Professional Development with School Needs. Principal Leadership, v10 n8 p62–64. Collegial coaching allows educators to experience on-the-job feedback to improve their practices.Download the article: Aligning Professional Development with School Needs
  • Smith, Patti; Petralia, Julie; Hewitt, Kate. (November 2005). Tuned in: Listening to Student Voices. Principal Leadership, v6 n3 p28–33. Strategies to engage students in school redesign empower students and offer valuable insight into school reform.Download the article: Tuned in: Listening to Student Voices
  • Taylor, Rosemarye T.; Moxley, Dale E.; Chanter, Carol & Boulware, Don. (February 2007). Three Techniques for Successful Literacy Coaching. Principal Leadership, v7 n6 p22–25. Because the effectiveness of literacy coaching depends heavily on the principal, it’s important to know what kind of involvement and support will be most effective.Download the article: Three Techniques for Successful Literacy Coaching
  • Whitaker, Kathryn. (November 2006). Preparing Future Principals. Principal Leadership, v7 n3 p38–42. A grow-your-own partnership between a university and a school district increases the leadership skills and readiness of potential school administrators.Download the article: Preparing Future Principals

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