The cornerstone of transformational leadership is vision. For our school leaders to act as more than middle managers, they have to foster a school community's vision--cultivate the school community's direction and purpose. This qualitative study uses semi-structured interviews with school leaders and following focus groups with their teachers to…

Research suggests that many early childhood program administrators enter into leadership roles by being promoted from teaching positions and few have prior education, training, or experience specific to leadership or management (Catron & Groves, 1999; Billman, 1995; Bloom & Rafanello, 1994). Many directors of early care and education…

Pro-Vice-Chancellors (PVCs) form the second-tier leadership of UK higher education institutions. However, their role and position remain under-theorised and under-researched. The present article explores the extent to which a PVC Education role requires core expertise in education or generic managerial skills. Using a mixed-methods approach, we…

This paper offers: (1) a multidimensional Employability Skill Scale development method; and (2) one 30-item, seven-dimensional, and another 26-item six-dimensional employability skill requirement scale for use with entry-level human resources management positions, as perceived by employers and students, respectively, in Bangladesh. The study is…

It has been asserted that it may not be enough to just recruit qualified personnel into any system, it is also necessary to ensure that staff so recruited are given the necessary training. Training is widely accepted as fundamental to the improvement of not only the individual staff, but also to the improvement of organizational performance, and…

The development and operation of the Peer Assisted Leadership training program for principals are reviewed. The types of effects and the efficacy of this approach are described. (21 references) (SI)

The mindscapes (views) of "mystics,""neats," and "scruffies" in relating to educational administration and professional practice resemble a "non-science,""applied science," and "craft-like science," respectively. Examined is the suggestion that current preparation and inservice programs for educational administrators could be wrong. (31…

Leadership styles and management skills needed by directors and coordinators of learning assistance and developmental education were assessed. Based on a literature review, a questionnaire was constructed and then validated by a panel of experts in the field. The questionnaire was sent to 45 selected learning assistance/developmental education…

Eleven approaches to administrator training representative of the new era are analyzed. Emphasized are pressure for changes, areas of weakness, common aspects emerging, and problems involved in the new movement in training. (84 references) (SI)

The present success and future potential of the Springfield Simulation depend on six interrelated research findings about adult learning.These findings, enumerated and discussed, provide the theoretical framework for Springfield. (TE)

This paper documents a study that investigated the perceptions of assistant principals regarding their preparation for principalship. The primary contribution of the study is to provide answers to questions concerning the issues of principal shortages since assistant principalship serves as the training ground for principalship. Data for the study…

This brief introductory article describes the NASSP's Assessment Center Project, a comprehensive plan to assist school districts in identifying and developing highly skilled school leaders. As such, it introduces a series of articles in which those who have used the NASSP Assessment Center describe their experiences. (TE)

Two success stories are presented of good teachers who were given a chance by the NASSP assessment center to demonstrate their administrative skills and were subsequently selected to fill administrative positions. Participation in the assessment center has provided more objective information on administrative candidates than was previously…

College and university faculty engaged in the preparation of school administrators should have a vital role in all applications of assessment centers and the principles upon which assessment centers are based. Faculty involvement in uses of assessment center technology can improve administrator preparation programs. (TE)

Directors, assessors, and participants in various NASSP-accredited assessment centers attest to the value of the experience from their own individual perspectives. Regardless of their performance and subsequent assessment, almost all participants indicate that they learned much about themselves. (TE)