Cover -- Preface -- Contents -- Figures -- Tables -- Summary -- Acknowledgments -- Abbreviations -- CHAPTER ONE - Introduction -- The Cohesive Leadership System Hypothesis -- Research Relevant to Cohesive Leadership Systems -- Objectives of This Study -- Organization of This Monograph -- Caveats -- CHAPTER TWO - Data Sources and Analytic Approach -- Study Site Selection -- Data Sources -- Interviews -- Survey -- End-of-Day Logs -- Analytic Approach -- What Policies and Initiatives Have States and Districts Pursued to Improve School Leadership? -- How Are Districts and States Interacting to Improve School Leadership? -- To What Extent Have CLS Sites Built Cohesion Among Policies and Initiatives? -- How Have Sites Built CLSs and Why Have Some Sites Been More Effective Than Others? -- How Are Sites Attempting to Scale Up and Sustain Their Work? -- Do We Find Support for the CLS Hypothesis? -- CHAPTER THREE - Policies and Initiatives Taken to Improve Leadership -- Types of Policies and Initiatives -- Standards -- Pre-Service and Recruitment -- Licensure -- Evaluation -- In-Service Professional Development -- Improving Conditions -- Comparison of Policies and Initiatives Across Sites -- Focus of Policies and Initiatives -- Scope of Policies and Initiatives -- Stage of the Initiative -- Challenge to the Status Quo -- Conclusions -- CHAPTER FOUR - Variations in State and District Roles in Improving School Leadership -- Districts as Leaders -- States as Leaders -- States Promoting District Initiatives -- Conclusions -- CHAPTER FIVE - Building Cohesion Across Policies and Initiatives -- Dimensions of Cohesion -- Variation in Implementing Cohesive Leadership Systems -- Comprehensive Leadership Policies and Initiatives -- Alignment of Policies and Practices Within and Across Levels -- Engagement of Stakeholders -- Stakeholder Agreement -- Coordination.

Conclusions -- CHAPTER SIX - Effective Strategies for System-Building -- Growing Importance of the State -- Strategies Pursued to Develop Cohesive Leadership Systems -- Building Trust -- Creating Formal and Informal Networks -- Fostering Communications -- Exerting Pressure and Influence -- Promoting Improved Quality of Leadership Policies and Initiatives -- Building Capacity for the Work -- Identifying Strong Individuals with Political and Social Capital to Lead the Work -- Connecting with Other Reform Efforts -- Differences in Strategies Across Sites -- Employing a Broad Range of Approaches with Wider Reach -- Strategic Communications -- Combining Pressure and Support -- Contextual Factors Enabling and Inhibiting Efforts to Build a CLS -- Enabling Factors -- Inhibiting Factors -- Contextual Differences Across Sites -- Conclusions -- CHAPTER SEVEN - Prospects for Sustainability -- Challenges to Sustainment and Expansion -- Strategies for Sustainment and Growth -- Conclusions -- CHAPTER EIGHT - Support for the CLS Hypothesis -- Conditions -- Instructional Leadership Practices -- Links Between Favorable Conditions and Engagement with Instructional Leadership Practices -- Conclusions -- CHAPTER NINE - Recommendations -- Early Steps -- Consider Local Contexts and Address the Challenges They Pose -- Identify Strong Lead Organizations and Individuals -- Capitalize on External Expertise and Funding -- Implementation Phase -- Build Trust and Mend Fences -- Engage a Broad Coalition of Stakeholders -- Hone Skills at Applying Pressure While Providing Support -- Recognize Innovative Districts as "Lead Learners" -- Connect Leadership Efforts to Standards and to Other Reforms in the State -- Evaluation, Sustainment, and Expansion -- Solidify Programs and Funding Through Legislation and Regulations -- Engage in Continuous Learning and Improvement.

Commit to Engaging in the Work over the Long Term -- APPENDIX A - Background Information on Study States and Districts -- APPENDIX B - Indicators of Leadership Policy Initiatives, Factors of Cohesion, Conditions, and Effective Leadership Practices -- APPENDIX C - Principal Survey Technical Notes -- APPENDIX D - Principal End-of-Day-Log Technical Notes -- APPENDIX E - Index Construction for the Analyses in Chapter Eight -- APPENDIX F - Methodology and Elaborated Results for Analyses inChapter Eight -- References.