Describes a structure for designing staff development activities focusing on preventive strategies and positive relationships with all students. Positive discipline is based on optimism, respect, trust, and intentionality--essential ingredients of flourishing teacher-student relationships. Includes eight references. (MLH)

Meaningful and lasting school improvement can only occur in an appropriate climate and must be characterized by commitment, solid research about collaborative working styles and outcome-based education, and stable leadership. Leaders in the school improvement process should be constantly prepared to deal with the unexpected. Includes three…

Suggestions for principals to help teachers counter the energy drain caused by teaching, the limited technology of teaching that leads to self-doubt, and the aloneness of teaching. (Author/MLF)

Before attempting block scheduling reforms, some issues must be addressed, including information retention, transfer students, advanced placement offerings, electives, coordination of teacher and student schedules, and cost effectiveness. There are problems surrounding academic pacing, staff development needs, and time's interaction with other…

Based on a survey of Ohio's elementary and high school principals, this article proposes a specific, selected set of effective teaching elements: classroom climate, questioning, set induction (to spark student motivation), stimulus variation, reinforcement, and closure. Principals will find these elements practically based, observable, common to…

In 1987, the College of Education at Virginia Tech restructured its principal preparation program. Internships are conducted by principal-mentors expected to be teachers, models, and supportive colleagues. The program allows mentors, central office staff, and professors to meet with graduate students in an environment where all are learners. Any…

Reports on a collaborative project on school violence and safety conducted for a partnership that serves 13 school districts in two New York counties. Focus groups collected information on the schools from school stakeholders. Recommendations for more effective channels of communication with the entire educational community are included. Provides…

Principals must ensure that school climate promotes acceptance of all races and cultures and discourages racial slurs, jokes, and other acts of bias and discrimination. An Ontario (Canada) school district has developed a comprehensive race relations policy governing six areas: incidents of expressed bias and discrimination, student assessment and…