If either edition of the Handbook of Research on Educational Administration represents the extant state of research on educational administration at its point of publication, then neither one fully defines instructional leadership as a significant research topic. Some critiques of the second Handbook raise questions as to the extent to which the chapters present persuasive essays rather than traditional reviews of research (Bjork, Lindle, & Van Meter, 1999; Donmoyer, 1999; Levin, 1999).