Instructional Leadership; A Field Guide for School Administrators

This powerful guide will teach administrators why, when, and how to supervise, evaluate and develop teachers and other professional personnel!!

Dr. Michael E. Tomlin takes a hard look at current educational leadership practices in this revolutionary new field guide for school administrators. You will be amazed at the simplistic yet thorough approach that Dr. Tomlin uses as he guides you through the principles and practices of Instructional Leadership!

A seasoned veteran educator of more than 20 years and a sitting superintendent, Dr. Tomlin explores the Instructional Leadership model in a new way that will not only standardize the instructional evaluation process, it will also improve instructional delivery as well as increasing levels of student learning!!

This book critically examines the current models of supervision and evaluation in use today. It pulls from the strengths of this system and effectively purges those aspects that are no longer effective or useful in today's educational environment. Dr. Tomlin then introduces a new wave of thinking (and behavior) that when followed, will impact schools in dynamic ways never witnessed before!!

"Instructional Leadership; A Field Guide for School Administrators" contains the following components - each of which are critically and thoroughly explained in the book. Below is a brief synopsis of each component:

  • The Circles of Expectation - In trying to understand the human dynamics of the educator, we first factor those things that are more objective in nature. That is what the Circles of Expectation are all about. For years, we have employed a practice of paying educators for the number of years that they stick around and the number of credits they earn. Is there an argument that could be made that the first year teacher, who's students are performing at the same or higher level as the most senior veteran, should earn the same wage? Instructional Leadership begins to explain how we can expect more of our veterans while helping coach our less experienced teachers. Our ability to work with teachers that have less experience will become far more specific using these techniques.

  • The Personnel Supervision Cycle© - The components within the Personnel Supervision Cycle© are sequentially ordered and apply to nearly every employee. Understanding where an employee fits into the cycle allows the Instructional Leader to organize staff training around specific areas of growth and development. Understanding this cycle allows for more specific staff development in those areas most needed by the individual in question. You will be amazed at how clearly you can identify and associate individuals to the components of the Personnel Supervision Cycle©.

  • The role and use of Data - Teaching today in a standards environment necessitates a new way of using data. This section of the book begins to scratch the surface of how data can be organized and used by the instructional leader. There is currently an unprecedented use of data in education. What data, how to organize it, and what to do with it now that we have it, are all addressed in this section.

  • The 50% Rule© - How does the Instructional Leader spend their time? There are so very many complex tasks that are the responsibility of the Instructional Leader, which are the ones that deserve my time and attention? These questions and many more are specifically answered in this section. We promote the 50% Rule© of instructional leadership, and that includes many aspects of administration that we typically do not have time for today. Learn where that time can come from and just how it might be used.

  • The Conference Planning Grid© - Perhaps there is no more remarkable application to the process of Instructional Leadership as the use of the Conference Planning Grid©. The concept is simple, yet revolutionary. This single concept will provide direction and ideas on how to work with nearly any aspect of teacher behavior that you might encounter. This idea is simple and it works!

  • Supervising for Mission, Vision, & Philosophy - Much has been written and spoken about the importance of the mission and vision of the organization. Simply having them is one thing - organizing around them is quite another. You know that you have reached a certain level of organizational readiness when you can supervise and evaluate around those most important concepts. This section provides the opportunity to do just that. To not only know what these things are, but how to organize around them and supervise for them.

  • Supervision for achievement - The concept of supervision for student achievement is not new, just not practiced. Central to all aspects of this book is the key concept that all activities of the Instructional Leader must be organized around achievement. The most important aspect of education may well be student achievement. If so, we must learn how to become an Instructional Leader with this objective in mind.

This book has been specifically designed not only for the sitting administrator, but for those being trained as administrators as well. It will arm school administrators with the tools needed to truly be instructional leaders in today's educational environment.

The following is a quote from Dr. Tomlin:

"This book is designed to be used; to be carried, written in, referenced, copied, handed out, and quoted. It is specifically designed for educational supervisors, such as school principals and vice principals.

This book will be of little value to school administrators who regard themselves as building managers, schedulers, or accountants. It is written for instructional leaders. Those professionals who believe that teaching and learning are primary to education; and who believe that teaching and learning can be improved with knowledge, leadership, skill, motivation, and a workable process.

This book provides the workable process. It is a process founded on proven theories and tested in practice. But beware. Once you begin to impact instruction you will not want to do anything else. It is a 'high' that only the truest of professionals reach. And there is no going back"

For those at the district level who want one for each administrator, quantity discounts are available (see below).

"Instructional Leadership has improved the level of effective teaching. Being accountable to someone for what is happening in classrooms is important. Having the bar raised has encouraged growth. Teachers are excited about what they are doing and student achievement has improved. It’s a wonderful cycle to be part of. Great supervision is the hub of it.” - 3rd Grade Teacher


To set up this course for your administrative staff, please contact us at 208-467-6545.

For more information on this and all of our In-services, please click here.