Superintendents' performance evaluations continue to be too frequently conducted through a highly informal, subjective process, based more on impressions than data. Several states require school boards to use student performance data in evaluating their superintendents. Student achievement data, focusing on continuous improvement, should certainly…

These 61 essays are a compilation of bimonthly articles published over a 17-year period. They address various aspects of leadership, such as risk-taking, executive motivation, decision-making, and corporate taboos. They also cover numerous other issues, including general concerns such as father-son relationships, the perils of travel, intelligence…

This paper provides guidelines for implementing a formal mentoring program for South African school principals. Based on a review of literature, the following steps are discussed in detail: (1) declaring intent; (2) determining the role players; (3) forming a planning committee; (4) implementing the program; and (5) evaluating the program.…

An interview with Dr. Creta Sabine, about her career filled with firsts as a woman in school-business administration. Sabine recommends that women acquire education from both textbooks and the field, engage in lifelong professional development, join professional associations, and participate in activities outside of their position in the…

Expresses opinions about administrative attitudes, teacher preparation, and teacher support concerning attempts at reading improvement programs in schools. Suggests professional development efforts lack planning and proper support. Suggests too few are accepting their responsibility while too many students are still not learning to read. (RS)

The School-Based Improvement Project (SBIP) is a cooperative venture between the Office of Community Education of the Massachusetts Department of Education and the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (MASS). SBIP is a multiyear professional-development initiative designed to improve the leadership of superintendents who are engaged…

The challenge of creating site-level support for teacher involvement in collaborative inquiry and reflective discourse is examined in this paper, which asserts that this process is an important component of school leadership in general and instructional leadership in particular. In considering the amount of "sense-making" to be…

This book is intended to encourage and support leaders in being authentic. It draws on the stories and anecdotes of an educator who has been a school principal for 20 years. Two organizing principles structure the 6 chapters: the core issues of leadership are illustrated and discussed through stories while the evolution of a leader is portrayed.…

Administrative practices used by participants in administrator preparation programs who return to practice are described in this paper. The practices, which extend reflective, intellectual, critical, and participatory concepts into action models, include restructured educational assessment, peer coaching, and professional development. All are…

This book synthesizes research findings on principal effectiveness, viewing the principal as a key factor in ensuring school effectiveness and productivity. Methodology includes an extensive literature review, participation and observation grounded in theory, and pragmatic responses to conditions and issues. Chapter 1 presents an overview of…

Discusses paradoxes of leadership, including (1) directors need to enjoy their work, but cannot avoid disagreeable tasks; (2) staff protection of directors ultimately proves harmful; (3) when directors are most discouraged, they need to be most motivated; (4) humor can help accomplish serious results; and (5) the longer a director is employed, the…

Schools are professional work groups requiring the application of professional knowledge to constantly shifting educational challenges as adults work to help students learn. This paper describes a theory of professional visualization through which principals can make their professional practice consistent with their knowledge, values, and…

This essay argues in favor of extending the social construction of the role of the principal to include dot.com values and experiences, while being alert to identifying those values and experiences that are potentially educative. The premise is that the practical lived experiences of educators, particularly school administrators, are too narrow…

The qualities that school boards and others expect in superintendents are not being met. Solutions include (1) better training, with enrollment in management courses; (2) internships; (3) first-year support groups; (4) inservice training; and (5) personal development. (MLF)

Examines the role of effective leadership in implementing a quality early childhood center. Suggests that through the leaders' work, quality performance is supported, and employees feel connected to both their coworkers and the quality of the improvement process. Suggests empowering the personnel, building a risk-giving environment, and embracing…