Principals' Leadership Sets the Tone for Success

Healthy School Communities [article]

Principal leadership matters. In fact, the recent evaluation of the Healthy School Communities (HSC) pilot project showed that the role of the principal was the most critical piece of the puzzle in implementing meaningful school change and school improvement. Other elements were crucial—such as an understanding that health improvement supports school improvement, authentic community collaboration, and the ability to make systemic rather than merely programmatic change—but these pieces more often than not arose via the influence and role the principal took in the implementation of HSC.