The National School Leader Collaborative, or the Collaborative, consists of a consortium of state principal associations dedicated to supporting and sustaining the professional growth of school principals and their leadership teams. Specifically, the Collaborative enhances the collective capacity of its partner associations by building a network of shared resources, innovative best practices, and research, which supports school leaders throughout their careers. Current Collaborative associations are:

School leadership offers vast opportunities for you to positively impact and influence the lives of many, especially young people. Schools, though, are dynamic organizations which require dynamic leadership. Thus, the National School Leader Collaborative created the School Leader Paradigm, or Paradigm, to provide you a comprehensive leadership framework that accounts for both how you must be growing, or becoming, as a school leader and the work you and those in your learning organization must be doing to be effective or simply ... becoming while doing.

As you review the Paradigm, you will be challenged with the leadership intelligences needed for you to self-actualize (becoming) as a learning leader while simultaneously focusing your work of building and sustaining culture, systems, and learning (doing) in your learning organization. Further, the Paradigm describes a cycle of inquiry (plan -> implement -> assess -> reflect) meant to drive your efforts for both your own growth and the growth of your school. Lastly, the Paradigm discusses the important role context plays in your leadership and details four contextual areas (individual, school, community, and political) you must consider to lead your learning organization.

Visit each member of the National School Leader Collaborative to learn how they leverage the Paradigm to support learning leaders leading learning organizations in their states. If you have questions about the Paradigm, please take time to ask questions of our Paradigm AI Assistant.