Purpose: The purpose of this article is to expand knowledge on Swedish principals' professional development (PD) from the perspectives of superintendents. In particular, the article analyzes how superintendents understand and organize PD for principals. Design/methodology/approach: Empirical data are derived from a strategic sample of ten (n = 10)…

Today's school principals face unprecedented challenges that can overwhelm even the most dedicated among them. What can they do when their initial enthusiasm for the job begins to deflate, when the demands of the job seem to outnumber the rewards? How can they regain the energy that propelled them early in their career? "The Principal…

Professions exist to serve the needs of society and, in the case of the dental profession, patients. Academic dental institutions strive to help meet these needs by educating and developing future practitioners, educators, researchers, and citizen leaders who serve the community and shape the changing environment in which they provide care. As…

Purpose: The notion of organizational learning remains murky and difficult to comprehend, and it is rarely translated into sustained operational structures and processes in school reality. The purpose of this article is to lay out the mystifying concept of organizational learning and, then, to suggest an alternative framework for schools'…

What differentiates the professional development school (PDS) from other schools are the people and the roles they have created to enact the functions or goals unique to the PDS model: preparation of teacher candidates; enhanced professional learning for educators; improved student achievement through the simultaneous renewal of university and…

Institutional research is discussed as part of a planning, management, and evaluation system. It is suggested that unless it links directly to planning, institutional research will cease to exist as a separate organizational entity in this period of constrained resources. (Author/SF)

School reform is achieved through the collaboration and coordination among educators with the mutual goal of improved learning for all students. Given the complexity within and among educational systems, the need to develop and implement a common framework of school reform based upon mutually agreed-upon goals, standards, outcomes, and…

In preparation for a 1996 restructuring at State Community College, in Illinois, from a state agency to an independent community college, a project was undertaken to develop a strategic plan to guide the transition. Specifically, the project sought to determine the necessary elements of and functions and activities required by the plan,…

The executive vice-president of the University of Pennsylvania is credited with making significant changes in both the administration and the campus, using cost-cutting and change strategies from his business experience. Outsourcing, training for employees who might be terminated, substantial savings and new revenue, and gentrification of…

The role of the assistant principal is an excellent educational resource and should be enhanced to allow assistant principals a more vital role in instructional leadership. This document lists functions related to the assigned, expected, and assumed responsibilities of the assistant principal that would enhance his/her role and involvement, as…

Portland State University (Oregon) has substantially changed its administrative organization through multiple, interrelated strategies: consolidation of units; streamlining of middle management; staff training and professional development; a quality initiative; campus technological conversion; and joint ventures with a sister institution. A clear…

Early collaborative efforts between librarians and computing professionals at Rice University (Texas) led to the realization that some organizational restructuring was needed to effectively serve changing user needs. A new approach to delivering user services has not only benefited users but also resulted in growth and skills development for…

The effects of a statewide testing policy on school district organizational structure are described in this report. A year-long ethnographic case study identified the following dysfunctional results of school reform based on external regulation: ambivalent local educator attitudes; the promotion of a professional teaching dilemma; negative…

This document contains 162 papers and innovative sessions, two poster sessions presented at a conference on human resource development (HRD). A program overview, author index, and a keyword index are also included. The papers are grouped by the conference's 56 symposia, which were devoted to the following topics: HRD with International and…