Facilitative Leadership: The Imperative for Change.

Schools must change to meet the demands of an increasingly diverse population of children, many of whom are at risk of leaving school unprepared for a productive adult life. Research-based evidence indicates that the process of change has been a neglected area in policy implementation. The key factor is "facilitative leadership," provided by individuals who assume responsibility to guide and support the work of instituting policies and practices to meet the needs of all children, most particularly those at risk. Leaders' strategies, operationalized by their actions and behaviors, remain consistent, as revealed by the research conducted at widely varying school sites. This review and synthesis of the literature begins with a brief history of approaches to change and the emergence of the need for change facilitation. The second section explores the actions of successful school leaders in the past decade and indicates how these leaders attended to and contributed significantly to successful change. A third section examines how leaders are currently addressing systemic change or restructuring, as it is called in schools. (Contains 157 references and 5 figures.) (MLF)