In 2023, the U.S. Department of Education announced the "Raise the Bar: Lead the World" initiative to use decades of research and professional experience to transform public education and advance education equity. There are three focus areas: (1) Achieve Academic Excellence; (2) Boldly Improve Learning Conditions; and (3) Create Pathways…

Research suggests that there are substantial (albeit mostly indirect) relationships between school leadership and student achievement. However, it is challenging for practitioners and policymakers to determine whether and how school leaders are making a difference in student achievement. Through its Education Research Grants Program (84.305A), the…

Teachers have the greatest school-based effect on the achievement of any child in their classrooms, but highly effective principals can positively affect the achievement of every student in their schools. The difference between a highly effective principal and an average one is equal to two-to-seven months of extra learning per year for each child…

The foundation upon which knowledge was provided in universities was a search for truth with four core beliefs. The first was to be critical of the self, the second to be respectful of others, the third to be tolerant of opposing views and the fourth to be committed to the generation of new knowledge. These principles may be found in curriculums…

A profile of one state's principal preparation programs is presented in this article. The collaborative inquiry process used to develop a program narrative instrument and to capture data on characteristics of all 17 state-approved programs in the state of Indiana is provided. The statewide preparation program characteristics profiled in this…

The Principals Center at Georgia State University is in its fifth year of providing personal growth and development programs for the 520 elementary, middle, and high school principals in the metropolitan Atlanta area. An important component of those programs has been the study of the humanities. The background, goals, and evaluation plan for the…

Presents results from a North Carolina survey on how principals view themselves and other principals. The survey addressed four questions: (1) the individual's actual leadership role, (2) the leadership role they would like to have, (3) the leadership roles assumed by three principals they know best, and (4) the leadership role played by most…

The body of literature on the concept of the "knowledge economy" is both recent and rapidly growing, especially in the related fields of economics and management, yet both less recognised and less established in the field of education. It is a concept that has inspired many national governments and world policy institutions such as the OECD and…

Although action research in education offers researchers and practitioners a clear and philosophically appealing way of making improvements, fostering learning, and developing the individual and the organization, adherents sometimes find themselves defending this type of research because it has been practiced without appropriate rigor. This book…

Organizational development is explored through this discussion of a series of projects initiated by researchers at the University of Oregon to provide consultation and training to a school district in the Northwest. The primary focus was the improvement of problem-solving skills in the district and the development of a heightened capacity for…

Reform of educational administrator preparation programs has received substantial attention from scholars over the past 15 years. Their works stress the importance of a strong knowledge base, problem-centered learning, and a renewed emphasis on affective development. A trend away from managerial, authoritarian leadership styles and toward…

The Individualized Internship Project of the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) aims to promote the participation and advancement of promising young professional women and minorities in the area of Educational Research and Development (ERD). Five interns from minority backgrounds participated in the program in 1980-81, during…

This report clarifies pilot efforts which address new problem areas in educational needs. The project was initiated to determine the specific competencies essential to the management of educational projects in research and development. The goals of the project were to establish a profile of identified competencies for use in planning the content…

Focusing on educational administration in Canada, this paper deals with three aspects: concerns of educational administrators, preparation and inservice programs, and research in educational administration. The first section begins by presenting the structure and function of educational administration in Canada, including provincial departments of…

The 1984 American Camping Association (ACA) annual report reviews trends and successes of the year. A preliminary message from ACA President Charles Kujawa recognizes the year's significant progress and indicates nine specific examples of success, including implementation of the Association Directions Study, approval of new camp standards,…