In his 2011 ASCD best-seller "Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning," author Mike Schmoker described a fresh approach to K-12 teaching built on three core elements: a focused and coherent curriculum; clear, structured lessons; and purposeful reading and writing, or authentic literacy. Now, in "Leading…

Special education administrators at both the district and school level are serving in critical roles that uniquely position them to improve academic and behavioral outcomes of students with disabilities by ensuring the special education teachers under their supervision are prepared to deliver an evidence-based form of intensive…

The author spent his two superintendencies perfecting a collaborative leadership concept known as "the superintendency." This concept recognized that significant change and positive, continuous improvement required long-term, concentrated attention rather than a few years of frantic activity. While the "superintendency"…

This book should be read by anyone concerned about the future of education in the United States. It was written for students, parents, educators, administrators, and policy makers because it will require effort from all these individuals to create meaningful change in the education system. This book discusses why the education system needs to…

During the past three years, we have developed and implemented an enterprise information system (EIS) to reengineer and facilitate the administrative process for preparing and teaching distance learning courses in a midsized-to-large university (with 23,000 students). The outcome of the implementation has been a streamlined and efficient process…

Administrators need intense support in their early years in their jobs to master the demands of the position and to emerge as effective leaders for their schools. This article reports on a leadership coaching program offered by a university to support graduates as they transition to new school leadership roles. First year research results of the…

This literature review is intended to help inform the development and implementation of innovative, educationally sound high school redesigns in Alberta. It is provided as a support resource for school administrators involved in Alberta Education's High School Flexibility Enhancement Project. Support is provided in the following ways: (1) a brief…

This is the first report from an ongoing study of four urban school districts (New York, New Orleans, Chicago, and the District of Columbia) that are experimenting with new school designs and new ways of holding schools accountable for performance. This report introduces the idea of a "portfolio school district," and shows how some leading school…

In this second volume of "The Soul of Educational Leadership" series, editors Paul D. Houston, Alan M. Blankstein, and Robert W. Cole offer creative perspectives on the challenges of reframing leadership practice. Presenting key strategies from leadership experts such as Thomas Sergiovanni and Dennis Sparks, this compact resource combines…

Outlines the uses of power in the position of principal. Includes definitions of types of power and explains how to implement an empowering approach that enables principals to have power "with" not "over" their teachers. (MD)

To provide an understanding of the issues and essential elements involved in developing effective inservice programs for administrators, information from research on teacher inservice programs was adapted in light of the insights of several administrators attending the 1986 national conference of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum…

Reviews the history of administrative theory; defines a paradigm for the study of educational administration that is a synthesis of the American experience in the international context. (MLF)

In this established bestselling text, Tony Bush presents the major theories of educational management and links them to contemporary policy and practice. This fully revised Third Edition includes two important changes in content. First, the book takes account of the increasing interest in the concept of leadership. Leadership continues to be one…

Critiques the referendum model for impasse resolution in collective bargaining disputes from a union perspective. Outlines problems including the length of time a dispute could be extended by the process, and the loss of confidentiality in the mediation process. (MD)

Ethical perspectives are needed to gain insight into the history of leader behavior, especially as related to the current emphasis on contingency and Path-Goal Theories. An instrument to help select professionals who reflect ethical traits is the Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaire with 12 leadership subscales (LBDQ, Form XII). Selected…