Engaging educators in learning communities to apply a cycle of continuous improvement is not easy. Schedules, levels of expertise, and district initiatives can easily derail a campus professional learning plan, but Alyssa Toomes was concerned that professional learning experiences would become just another chore to check off teachers' to-do lists.…

The Metropolitan Principals' Academy was formed in 1984 by eight suburban school districts in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area in order to help administrators become more effective. The academy is described, and the research-based model of leadership which guides it is examined. (MT)

The Fall River Institute for Leadership was established in 1984 to aid administrators in learning about recent studies, programs, and practices in the field of leadership development and to help Fall River's 102 administrators refine their leadership skills. This article provides an overview of the institute's program. (MT)

The Akron Public Schools conduct three interrelated programs for principals to ensure school improvement. They are Administrative Supervision Workshops, /I/D/E/A/ Principals Inservice Program, and Operation Curriculum for School Improvement. The programs, and how they overlap, are described. (MT)

This article describes the complex nature of the principal's job and discusses four programs that help principals acquire the skills needed to be successful. These programs are (1) Peer Assisted Leadership (PAL); (2) Cognitive Coaching; (3) Developmental Supervision; and (4) Differentiated Supervision. (MT)

In 1984, Texas law mandated that each principal, supervisor, and superintendent in the state attend training in general management, instructional leadership, and teacher appraisal. This article describes the three phases of Lubbock's Effective Teaching/Supervision Model, focusing on Phase I: Instructional Leadership. (MT)