Day in and day out, school leaders are responsible for an overwhelming number of tasks. Planning the schedule, running assemblies, responding to medical emergencies, student discipline, staff evaluation, community outreach . . . the list goes on. However, research has repeatedly pointed to the importance of the principal as an instructional leader in the school (Cotton, 2003). In the midst of all of the administrative tasks on his or her plate, the principal cannot lose sight of the critical task of monitoring curriculum and instruction in the school.

If heading back into the school year is overwhelming, you are not alone. Even veteran administrators often struggle to keep up with the myriad of tasks that must be done as teachers return for preplanning and as students walk through the doors on the first day of a new school year.