Principal Leadership for School, Family, and Community Partnerships: The Role of a Systems Approach to Reform Implementation

Based on data from a longitudinal multiple case study, this article describes how district-level expectations, policies, and practices affected principals'' responses to an external reform in two school districts, one urban and one suburban. The specific reform highlighted is a comprehensive family and community engagement approach developed by researchers at the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS). The study''s findings suggest that district leaders facilitated principals'' effective implementation of the NNPS reform by creating clear expectations, establishing coherent contexts, and providing tangible supports and rewards. Over time, these actions reduced resistance and increased buy-in among school leaders. Implications of these findings for education research and reform development are discussed.