This points us toward the concept of distributed leadership, which is increasingly cited as a mode to effective principalship. In many ways, the emergence of distributed leadership represents a paradigm shift in the way that school improvements are sought. To this extent, Gronn (2002) sites as crucial to the process "concertive action in which a key defining criterion is conjoint agency." (Gronn, 2002; p. 423) the author cites a support for leadership which is highly dependent upon the interactive compatibility of such participants as teacher groups, principals and administrative personnel. This is a system of leadership distribution that bypasses hierarchy in favor of delegation of responsibilities.

Support for meaningful principal leadership is frequently understood in this way, with the willing participation and enthusiasm of members of the educational community underscoring the principal's relative authority. Still, the fact that so many of the studies which endorse and praise the impact of more flexible leadership models are often unempirical in nature is problematic. It allows a pathway for support of the conditions of No Child Left Behind. The overlapping authorities of federal, state and local governments are directly implicated by the legislation, which requires that the latter two dedicate their resources to meeting the demands of the former. This is an approach to education which tends to undermine the ability of the principle to truly dictate a school's educational climate. No Child Left Behind is a federal program which gives the national government a broad and sweeping degree of mandatory oversight over performance metrics and content approach in education. For principals, who must contend with their own unique sets of challenges pertaining to learning capabilities, cultural variances and economic restraints (to name just a few), the diminished...

This, in turn, means that principals tend to be less effective in serving the office under the current legislation. In particular, the incursion of a greater emphasis on standardized testing has tied the hands of many school districts which have more traditionally approached teaching and assessment standards based on the opportunities availed by local public governance.
Accordingly, the most effective principals have become those with the skills to navigate the demands of community leaders, parents, local agencies and even local businesses while still pushing forward the needs of students and remaining compliant in all areas regulated by federal legislation. As the discussion here above denotes, the best ways to accomplish this are to establish a positive relationship with an experience mentor, to remain constantly in a state of ongoing career development and to establish a healthy organizational relationship with personnel at every level of the educational community. These measures provide the aspiring or serving principal with the best opportunity to face up to the considerable difficulties inherent to the position.

Works Cited:

Echols, Celina. (2006). Challenges Facing Black American Principals: A Conversation About Coping. National Council of Professors of Educational Administration.

Ferrandino, Vincent L. (2001). Challenges for 21st Century Elementary School Principals. Phi Delta Kappan.

Gronn, P. (2002). Distributed Leadership as a Unit of Analysis. The Leadership Quarterly, 13(4), 423-451.

Lashway, L. (2003). Improving Principal Evaluation. ERIC Digest, 172.

Marzano, R. (2009). Creating an Aligned System. Peggy Schooling, Ed. D.

Whitaker, K.S.…