School-based management (SBM) remains a "hot topic" in educational circles. This article explores the reality of SBM internationally. It focusses on the perceptions of selected Australian public secondary principals who reflect on the drivers and impediments affecting their capacity to lead school-based innovation. While broadly…

The United States has a scarcity of capable principals ready to successfully lead schools in an era of outcome-based accountability. This is especially true in high-poverty, high-minority schools. Policy makers welcome opening the principal pipeline to untraditional leaders. Research finds that teachers who have entered education through Troops to…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the effective beliefs and practices of successful principals at high schools with a Hispanic population of at least 30%. Eight purposefully selected high school principals participated in the study. Findings emphasized that successful principals are passionate in their commitment to support…

There is a positive relationship between high levels of teacher efficacy and increased student achievement as well as a positive link between principal behavior and teacher efficacy. A diverse group of middle school teachers from a mid-Atlantic state were surveyed. Responses from 366 teachers were analyzed to determine whether various principal…

Effective schools research gave birth to a new role for principals: instructional leader. Recent studies have suggested the relationship between strong school instructional leadership and higher student achievement. Skeptics question whether the principal's job is realistic and reasonable, with its emphasis on instructional leadership, multiple…

To get beyond prescriptive supervision, principals should consider physicians' behaviors. Effective principals respect teachers' autonomy, encourage the expression of feelings, educate teachers in self-monitoring skills, value second opinions, use research wisely, gather thorough data, provide follow-up contact, reinforce teachers' efforts and…

Surveys 86 teachers from five Florida counties to determine their perceptions of their principals' effectiveness as evaluators. Finds four areas teachers consider essential for effective teacher evaluation: Principal initiated interaction with teachers, consistent evaluation process, principal commitment to effective evaluations, and principal…

Confronted by complex tasks, economic restrictions, and community concerns, administrators need clear visions to guide their schools and staffs toward effective learning. To develop a personal vision, principals must first understand their strengths and weaknesses, know what they value most, and decide what they want to accomplish as…

A "mentor" is someone who is always there for collegial support, but not dependency. Mentorships should feature availability, open communication lines, demonstration of administrative expertise, allocation of sufficient time, attention to the clarification of job expectations, and provision of spiritual support. Characteristics and benefits of…

A systematic approach to the selection, training, and support of principals is essential to school improvement. Graduate level preparation alone is insufficient. The Brevard County (Florida) Human Resource Management and Development plan matches school needs to candidates' strengths when selecting new principals. (MLH)

A comprehensive administrator evaluation program is essential for improving overall job performance, determining how well annual goals are achieved, pinpointing specific performance strengths and weaknesses, identifying specific professional development needs, and increasing understanding of the evaluation process. This article outlines procedures…

Reviews the background of current leadership concepts, some ideas from the research, and some suggestions for practice. The best leadership practices may be grouped under the headings of vision, transforming behavior, situational adaptation, perseverance, and skills development. Favorable learning conditions benefit administrators and students…

If administrators personalize attacks, defend themselves, or argue with detractors, anger will escalate and the situation will degenerate further. This article explains why people attack and advises how to respond by using reflective listening, inviting criticism, focusing on the problem itself, exploring suggested solutions as legitimate options,…

The new principal should not plan or implement major school changes during the first month. The first-year principal's initial areas of concern should be to understand the school's political and organizational environments and to obtain a clear notion of how to run a good school. Includes one reference. (MLH)

To become effective communicators, school leaders must acquire numerous skills, including understanding and practicing communication as a two-way process, aligning the three communication codes (language, paralanguage, and nonverbal messages) to ensure clarity of meaning, and selecting appropriate communication channels to enhance message impact.…