How can we prepare practicing and aspiring education leaders for the complex, adaptive challenges they face? In "Helping Educators Grow," Eleanor Drago-Severson presents a new approach to leadership development. Too often, she argues, we teach leadership development the same way we teach world history: just the facts. Instead, we need to…

This discussion of the needs and characteristics of single-staff librarians provides an overview of continuing education and professional development programs covering issues relevant to this group such as management techniques, the role of the library, time management, planning, budgeting, and automation. Eleven references are listed. (MES)

This book presents a framework for administrator peer evaluation within school districts that is already at work and succeeding. The evaluation design emphasizes results, promotes professional growth and development, models expectations for students and teachers, and meets Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium standards. Chapter 1…

Since many senior academic administrators of colleges and universities first trained for academic careers in research and teaching, they have had minimal management training. Both academic and nonacademic officers with administrative experience find they must quickly develop the different knowledge and skills needed to manage an institution when…

Based on the premise that the principal's role is crucial in the quality of a school, the author provides 10 specifications for working to improve the quality of principals. (MD)

Professional development programs provide useful learning experiences to administrators who think strategically about the value of the programs to themselves and to their institutions of higher education. Few supervisors encourage participation, so individuals must survey the opportunities and find those that match their needs for current and…

The Greater Capital District Region Principals' Center (New York) allows principals to meet in a collegial setting to share skills and practices and renew administrative energies. The program also helps principals manage stress, improve management skills, and discuss important concepts like instructional leadership and making teaching a true…

Executive coaching is an increasingly popular means of accelerating professional growth and enhancing managerial performance. Unlike most other training and development options, coaching is completely personalized and private. This guide offers practical suggestions and tips to aid in understanding the nature of a coaching engagement and in…

The American Association of School Administrators is currently developing a National Executive Development Center for the professional development of senior school executives. The initial Texas site is expected to be joined with a consortium of six pilot sites. Describes the design assumptions of a diagnostic and professional development system.…

Teacher leaders provide the key to meaningful change being sustained in schools and classrooms. This book, based on 10-years' experience in collaboration on staff-development activities, provides information on the development of teachers as leaders. Each chapter concludes with a discussion of different stakeholder roles in developing teacher…

Action learning is a process of learning and reflection that happens with the support of a group of colleagues ("set") working with real problems with the intention of getting things done. This guide is for those who want to practice action learning. It can be used to introduce the concepts of action learning to others and as a manual…

By promoting insight-sharing among members, Harvard's Principals' Center works to develop, personally and professionally, those influencing the quality of schools. Growing numbers of principals outside Massachusetts, having attended the center as visiting practitioners, are founding centers in their own areas; the Harvard center itself is creating…

Intended primarily for human resources managers who are responsible for the development of executives, this paper lays out the potential advantages and hazards of enhanced feedback. It first looks at enhanced feedback and its rationale in detail. Four sources of data are described: numerical ratings and verbatim comments; data from the workplace…

This report is designed for use by those specializing in the preparation of elementary and middle school principals and by those whose focus is on the inservice aspects of professional development. The paper identifies the proficiencies for K-8 principals and groups them into four major categories. The report elaborates on these categories,…

While pressures to revise administrator evaluation systems are increasing, the actual process demands great time, energy, and commitment to planned change. This article describes a large urban school district's efforts to redefine evaluation purposes, develop a process and principles, and implement and assess the new system. Includes 23…