PULLMAN – WSU Professor Lenoar Foster received the 2007 distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Secondary School Principals, for his service to the organization. The award was presented on Feb. 24 at the annual NASSP convention, held in Las Vegas.
Foster is associate dean for research and graduate studies at the WSU College of Education. He holds an Ed.D. in educational administration and higher education from the University of Nevada, Reno, and his research interests include African-American leadership in schools.
A former Reno high school principal and a longstanding member of NASSP, Foster has been active in promoting the association and supporting principals and assistant principals. He is an original member of the Principal Preparation Task Force.
As task force co-chair, he has provided leadership in the production of Changing Roles for Middle and High School Leaders: Learning from the Past -Preparing for the Future. The report analyzes the context in which school leaders work, presents some trends that will affect leadership, and examines emerging models of effective leadership to deal with the increasing demands placed on school leaders. The report also addresses trends in certification and licensure; the impact of national standards, pre-selection, and induction; the need for redesigning the role of the assistant principal; the importance of succession planning; the imperative of ongoing professional development; and a greater awareness of educational policy. Changing Roles for Middle and High School Leaders can be purchased at www.principals.org.
