Andrew Olson

Olson’s scholarly interests focus on instructional leadership, school culture, and building collaborative systems for teacher development. His doctoral dissertation, Building a Collaborative Culture in a Middle School, examined the role of trust, feedback, and professional learning communities in supporting instructional growth. He was featured in a RAND Corporation case study documenting his schoolwide instructional improvement efforts—this case is now used in the National Institute for School Leadership’s (NISL) national curriculum, the most widely implemented school leadership program in the country. Olson also serves as a certified state facilitator for NISL, providing executive-level leadership training to school and district leaders. As a principal, Olson led two Florida middle schools out of turnaround status, significantly raising school grades and increasing student achievement in math, reading, and civics. He has mentored dozens of aspiring leaders, many of whom have advanced to school leadership roles. A former Division I college athlete and certified leadership coach, he integrates the principles of coaching, teamwork, and equity into his teaching and leadership development work. At Stetson, Olson teaches in the Master’s in Educational Leadership program, focusing on school finance, visionary leadership, and systems improvement. He also continues to consult nationally on leadership development through the Leadership Development Network (LDN), where he serves as President.