We attempted to involve principals in the beginning of the projec....by attending principal meeting, inviting them to professional development opportunities, we were not very strategic. (We were more straegic building leadership and advocacy among lead teachers and scientists. This reaped considerable dividends.)

Some principals were able to manage the competing reforms and the running of the schools. Others, less so. We noticed how some schools moved forward more quickly than others and the pivotal role of the principal in leading the reform--building awareness among members of the school community, faciliating on-site professional development, improving systems of teacher support and evaluation, and building on-site teacher leadership.

If we had to do it over, we would spend more time upfront working with principals.