RESPONDING TO THE EXPRESSED NEEDS OF URBAN MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPALS

School principals am deemed essential to current school reform, yet th e rhetoric about their importance is often unaccompanied by sufficient attention either to what new knowledge and skills they need or to how they will learn what they need to know to forward today's complex ref orm agenda. Principals who were trained to be managers are now expecte d to be leaders in the context of school reform and district decentral ization. Despite these role changes, many school reform efforts provid e little opportunity for principals to learn what they need to know to forward reform at the school and classroom levels This article, based an a study of 23 urban middle school principal wire participated in e xtended professional development designed to address their knowledge a nd skill needs, addresses two questions: (a) What do principals engage d in urban: middle school reform report that they need to know to lead reform that includes a significant focus on teaching and learning? an d (b) Based on their reports and other knowledge about professional de velopment, what pedagogical strategies might maximize principals' lear ning?