Response to intervention (RtI) is a multitiered system of support framework that focuses on best practices for intervention. Because many secondary students exhibit weak literacy skills, the focus of this study is reading interventions. This qualitative study examines administrators' perspectives of implementing literacy interventions within a…

As secondary school leaders consider a shift toward standards-based grading (SBG) practices, they are no doubt weighing the odds of a successful implementation process. This research followed up on a study from 2014 to identify the challenges secondary school leaders experience when changing the currency of the classroom from points to learning.…

The Collaborative Project (CP) began as a pilot project in five North Carolina school districts in 2007 featuring a performance incentive initiative for teachers and administrators. The objective of this study was to document principals' perceptions of the performance incentive initiative to determine challenges encountered during implementation.…

This article discusses a qualitative case study examining one middle school's response to intervention (RtI) efforts. Study participants included the principal, assistant principal, and members of the school's leadership team. A description of the RtI consensus and infrastructure-building processes, consideration of the RtI facilitators, and a…

Traditionally schools in the past were mostly homogenous, but with demographic shifts, schools are becoming more ethnically diverse, disadvantaged, and multilingual. In contrast, the teaching population still reflects that outdated homogenous template: "predominantly white and female," middle-class, and unilingual. This exploratory study examined…

The primary purpose of this study is to determine a preliminary national percentage of students who are "504-only." The survey data reveal that 504-only students represent 1.2% of the public school population. There is a significant difference in the 504-only percentage with regard to school level, with middle and high schools having a…

The minimal procedures for implementing a management team are determining who will be on it, determining long- and short-range goals for the organization, identifying task areas as a basis for designing job descriptions and setting individual goals, holding formal meetings, and planning for periodic reassessment of progress. (Author/IRT)

This study concludes that a 1985 Illinois instructional leadership mandate does not provide enough incentive or necessary resources for school principals to change their behavior to comply with the legislation. Also, school realities make job changes difficult for principals desiring to adopt new behaviors. (MLH)

This paper presents a model for implementing and sustaining standards-based curricular reform and seven recommendations for principals that are grounded in the results of a comprehensive, longitudinal study. The study examined the characteristics of five schools through data from principals, teachers, students, and external observers over a 6-year…

Districts planning to implement principal mentoring programs can increase their programs' chances of success by considering various issues, such as mentor selection, mentor/protege matches, essential hands-on experiences, and the value of reciprocation and time commitment. Successful mentoring depends on establishing trust, conveying expectations,…

By addressing bullying issues, school personnel may prevent more serious violent behavior. This article reviews bullies' and victims' characteristics and describes a school-based intervention plan for managing bullying behavior on the playground and classroom, educating parent/teacher organizations and counselors, and publicizing and implementing…

A curriculum implementation monitoring system should be relatively inexpensive, unburdensome for faculty, and improvement oriented; produce information to guide staff development; and refrain from covertly evaluating teachers. A self-assessment checklist should report teachers' perceptions about degree of implementation, difficulty level, and…

Outlines initiatives that principals, superintendents, and boards of education should take to implement and support a Discipline-Based Art Education program. Discusses values and benefits of DBAE, inevitable obstacles to change, and ways to generate support. In these initiatives and activities, the principal is the prime mover. (MLH)

There are three reasons that specially designed instruction at the high-school level is improperly delivered: teachers may not understand the requirements, know how to make appropriate accommodations, or follow what has been outlined. Scheduling mismatches and failed behavior-management implementations are additional factors. Planning ahead avoids…

Although computer-assisted instruction is usually not cost-effective or educationally effective enough to be worthwhile in secondary schools, courses that actually teach computing and programing, although also expensive, pay off in increased job opportunities for graduates. The author explains how to plan them. (Author/JM)