An increasingly important and appealing concept for school renewal is that of school as community. While community holds multiple promises for schools, little is known about the practice of community in schools. This collection furthers our understanding about the nature of school community, its practice in public schools, and the role of leadership in this practice. Of particular importance is the question of how community can be created and sustained in K-12 public schools with highly diverse populations.

Research and Educational Leadership will prove to be an invaluable tool in re-thinking the way research is conducted in educational leadership and how public and private funding agencies should view research proposals which have potential to improve leadership practices in schools. The text will also become a key resource in teaching researchers to think more deeply about school leadership as they engage in dissertation research.