Document Number: 6089Leading Schools: Distinguishing the Essential from the Important - In an era of accountability, when student achievement is paramount and evidence of the effects of principal leadership on student achievement continues to accumulate, it is not enough to know what is important, principals also must know what is essential. This issue brief is meant to assist principals in prioritizing the demands of the job by helping them identify and focus on responsibilities and practices correlated with student achievement. The brief also reports findings from a factor analysis McREL conducted of the 21 leadership responsibilities identified in its report, Balanced Leadership. One key finding is that the "order" or "magnitude" of change underway in a school impacts how teachers perceive their leaders' performance. (Tim Waters and Sally Grubb, Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning, 2004)...