This article will examine different international approaches to leadership preparation and induction, linked to concepts of socialization and identity. Although leadership is widely understood to be the second most important factor influencing student outcomes, principal preparation is neglected in many countries. A teaching qualification and…

In 2007 the Department of Education introduced the standards-based Advanced Certificate in Education: School Management and Leadership. The standardisation of leadership and management development in South African schools has been uncritically accepted by most academics and professionals. The purpose of this article is to problematise the…

Teaching and research are often seen as activities that compete for a faculty member's time and energy. This perceived disconnect between teaching and research has been reinforced by a number of norms within the academy as well as by institutional practices related to how faculty are managed and rewarded. This article argues that teaching and…

Many of the policy documents and much of the recent literature talk about "leadership" when discussing the role of headteachers and principals of schools. The word is also used when writing about other senior and middle managers. It is a way of showing the difference between what used to be expected of headteachers and what is expected…

This article looks at how the neoliberal reform process is affecting the professional identity of frontline managers in the Australian vocational education and training sector. The article examines how frontline managers are required to negotiate their working practices between their understandings and experiences as educators and the new…

This article explores the ways in which leadership and management development (LMD) in England has been researched and analysed over the past 40 years. The article is in two parts. The first analyses the ways in which patterns of provision have evolved in response to changing conceptions of how the school system should be organized and how,…

Leadership succession planning is a means to identify the need for systematic and purposeful change in education. Policy, planning, and research suggest that there is an acute shortage of school leaders globally. By illumination of these facts, we detail and describe what is happening within a Canadian context, and this we argue is similar to what…

Principals are critical to the success of any school improvement effort--from increasing academic rigor toward college- and career-ready standards to teacher evaluation and support. They ensure this success by building a strong, shared vision and leading effective implementation for staff, students, and families. The federal government has an…

The link among the quality of principals, caliber of teaching, and levels of student achievement is a tight one. School leadership is a key factor in the recruitment and retention of quality teachers; teaching quality, in turn, profoundly influences improvements in student learning and achievement. Yet despite their central role in this equation,…

This article reports and interprets the findings of a study of headteachers' views and perceptions of continuing professional development (CPD) provision and their ongoing CPD needs and priorities, carried out in 2007 in Scotland, involving headteachers from the primary and secondary sectors. Topic areas in which headteachers generally were most…

Discusses mentoring as a feasible approach to enhancing the quality of leadership in schools. Mentoring is an evolutionary relationship that transcends guidance and support and demands commitment, trust, and reciprocity. Time must be provided for individuals to converse, observe, experience, and reflect on each other's practice. (17 references)…

Reviews and describes some major issues associated with implementing effective mentoring schemes to support educational leaders, drawing on the authors' experiences with developing such programs in the United States. Although significant differences exist practically and philosophically in U.S. and British educational management systems, mentoring…

The assistant principalship holds a critical position in education organizations because it is an entry-level position for administrative careers. Assistant principals maintain the norms and rules of school culture and handle the conflicts arising among teachers, students, and the community. Principals who work as administrative teams with their…

Draws on other articles in this journal issue to identify emergent themes concerning the principal's evolving role in several countries. Explains the context for change, including reform pressures and political response, and examines principals' changing work environment, their transformed roles, and preparation and professional development…

Discusses a research project investigating the preparation of beginning principals in Queensland (Australia) government schools. Survey data were gathered from principals in 23 primary and 13 secondary schools. Fully 10 primary school principals felt they were ill-prepared for their jobs. Secondary principals, with prior experience as deputy…