This text supports improved practice in educational administration that results in greater student learning in American schools. In this way, it is much more than an outstanding leadership theory and research text; it is also a highly usable, practical guide. This text improves the knowledge and practice of our future leaders by focusing on present conditions, operations, new directions, and best practices in American schools. This text successfully makes the important theory-to-practice transitions in a clearly written, fun to read format, with lots of hands on activities to draw students into the important content. The title of the text was changed in this new edition to reflect this important emphasis on its ability to improve educational practice. It is a must for any one serious about becoming an educational leader for American schools.