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…

As a continuum of professional learning for building and district leaders transitioning from leadership preparation programs into practice, the state of Kansas enacted mentoring and induction requirements as part of their role in supporting development of leadership skills important to on-the-job application of essential knowledge. One approved…

Leading change is an essential skill for managers. Instructors in management education must not only teach theories on effectively leading change but also convince students of the necessity of developing their change leadership skills. Students may underestimate the difficulty of convincing others to work toward change; the authors developed the…

Globalization is a force that produces deep changes in business and society. Business schools face great challenges and opportunities in educating future leaders who can work across countries and cultures. This article presents some strategic issues regarding the type of education that business schools should offer from a global perspective, aimed…

Although researchers have succeeded in identifying knowledge and skills and personal traits and characteristics of effective leaders, they have not been nearly as successful in identifying or defining those elusive leadership qualities that fall into the affective domain--what the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)…

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…

Educators and policy makers have placed leadership development at the top of the school reform agenda, believing that aspiring and new school leaders can learn the necessary skills to improve the most challenging schools. Leadership development builds the capacity of educators (teachers and administrators) to be effective in leadership roles or…

In this article, the author discusses the importance of child care directors. Paula Jorde Bloom (1992) refers to the director as the "gatekeeper to quality" and Gwen Morgan (2000) writes of the director as the "key to quality." The child care director is responsible for every aspect of the early care and education program. Emerging from the…

What does it take to convince an education professor with leadership potential to seriously consider becoming a dean? In this article, the authors highlight what was learned at a conference where deans and mid-career faculty members discussed ways to tap and prepare future leaders. Funded by the Spencer Foundation, the conference was held in June…

Describes design and implementation of a course for managers of the Weyerhaeuser Forest Products Company that emphasized leadership training to help managers face the company's changing focus. This four-week class focused on building unity of purpose and encouraging on-the-job application. (CH)

To prepare 21st-century superintendents, we must abandon the present university-based, research-oriented preparation model in favor of a professional studies model that is more intellectually challenging and more practical. This article recommends certain changes in administrator preparation programs and outlines skills needed by tomorrow's…

The Federal Express Leadership Institute helps managers improve skills through a model emphasizing experiential and self-directed learning. The institute takes place within the context of Fed Ex as a learning organization. (SK)

Seattle University's three-year doctoral program in educational leadership both teaches and tests the hypothesis that universal behaviors exist which are generic to effective leadership in any organization in any field. Leadership effectiveness research shows that the critical factor lies in appropriately integrating both task-oriented and…

A school administrator describes her experience in developing her administrative skills at the National Association of Secondary School Principals Assessment Center. (JM)

A veteran principal shares his gleanings about leadership. Administrators are advised to lead from the heart, understand their school's culture, learn to lead and develop staff leaders, garner staff commitment, make friends in high places, ensure adequate resources, make time for themselves, and share important lessons with others. (MLH)