Be on the Lookout for Outstanding National Junior Honor Society Members

Principals and assistant principals, do you have National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) chapter members who go above and beyond? Nominations are now being accepted for the NJHS Outstanding Achievement Award. The award recognizes 500 exceptional NJHS students nationwide with a $500 award to be placed in a college savings account to be managed by OppenheimerFunds (OFI Private Investments). We encourage chapters to identify candidates and urge their adviser to nominate as many NJHS members as they wish. The nomination deadline is March 13, 2017. Winners will be announced in the spring. For more information, visit www.njhs.us/oaa.

NASSP Releases New Research About Leaders of Breakthrough Schools

Since 2007, NASSP has designated 69 middle level and high schools as Breakthrough Schools. These schools earned the designation because of their dramatic gains in student performance as determined by state assessments, graduation rates, and efforts to close achievement gaps. These schools have little in common other than significant numbers of students living in poverty as well as leadership by exceptional principals who drove major culture shifts. NASSP’s just-released report, “Leadership Matters,” reveals the common skills and behaviors shared by the leaders of these Breakthrough Schools and provides insights that will benefit all school leaders. To review the research and consider the important questions it raises about what it means to be a high-performing principal, visit www.nassp.org/bts.

Have You Registered for the 2017 National Principals Conference?

Attend the 2017 National Principals Conference, hosted by NASSP and the National Association of Elementary School Principals, July 9–11 in Philadelphia. This first-ever joint conference will give you an unprecedented opportunity to collaborate with Pre-K through grade 12 school leaders and build transition bridges to fully prepare students for success in school and beyond to college and careers. At this conference, you will learn from stimulating thought leaders and accomplished principals as well as engage in experiential programming featuring innovation labs, Edcamps, hackathons, and strand communities. Register for the conference at www.principalsconference.org/register.