Outlines steps toward developing a sound superintendent evaluation system, including setting priorities, using policy as a guide, using job descriptions, setting expectation standards, defining effectiveness, designing rating systems, conducting the evaluation, holding a frank discussion, and encouraging honest communication. (MLH)

A controversy in Durham, NC, has joined two principals in a shared responsibility: turning around the district's two lowest-performing high schools. Henry Pankey identifies a list of goals for Hillside High School, among them a 95 percent attendance rate, and 75 percent of students at grade level. Larry McDonald, who was appointed to succeed…

The Shaker Heights (Ohio) Citizens' Committee (SHCC) has been actively participating in school board member selections since 1931. The SHCC seeks out possible board members and after a process of interviews, selects a candidate to endorse and back financially. The SHCC seeks out an ethnic and gender balance on the school board. (KDP)

Regular, frequent evaluations of superintendents can improve communication and allow problems to be attended to before they become major issues. The National School Boards Association, the American Association of School Administrators, and state school boards associations can all provide guidance and samples of evaluation procedures. Lists…

Poor listening can have dramatic consequences; relatively minor mistakes can lead to misunderstandings and hurt feelings. In stressful situations, board members should use extra thinking time, focus on the person speaking, look interested, ask questions, paraphrase, empathize, and pause before reacting to angry outbursts. (MLH)

Study of reform activity in 57 urban school districts found the typical urban district had launched almost 12 significant initiatives from 1992 to 1995. The problem is not too little reform, but too many high-profile initiatives and transitory superintendents. Quick fixes are inimical to sustained improvement and distract attention from such…

Reports on survey of 566 mostly secondary school principals and assistant principals to determine their professional development needs to improve the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Finds that while most principals understand the basic elements of IDEA, many had little or no knowledge of the legislation.…

Describes common characteristics of effective leaders, such as insight, strong interpersonal skills, self-growth, flexibility, and communications. Includes examples of effective leadership provided by an assistant superintendent, a middle-school principal, and an elementary-school principal. (PKP)

Describes characteristics of effective superintendents based on interviews with 18 men and women with an average of 13 years' experience in their current positions. Superintendents offer insights on decision-making, stress management, avoiding surprises, and responding to political pressure. (PKP)

Recommends some specific actions to help school board members evaluate their superintendent's performance. Evaluation should be annual; it should be formal, objective, and ethical; and it should be linked to district improvement. By working effectively to improve personal performance and the district's overall effectiveness, the board and…

Discrepancies between what a school board wants and what a superintendent thinks it wants contribute to turmoil in many school districts. In a study of evaluation procedures in 36 Wisconsin school districts, superintendents ranked determining their salary as the third most important purpose of the evaluation whereas the board presidents ranked it…

Discusses four initiatives proposed by the Alliance for Excellent Education (www.all4ed.org) to improve student success in high school. Involves adolescent literacy, teacher and principal quality, college preparation, and smaller learning communities. Argues for more federal investment in secondary schools. (PKP)

From a random sample of 3,744 school board members, responses from 968 (26 percent) ranked 17 facets of school board service. Additional data include views from 250 superintendents and demographic, personal, and school board information presented as national averages and by region. Finally, listings of major problems are compared with concerns of…

Among the current crop of business leadership manuals, the six reviewed are applicable for school leaders as well. Themes of effective employee management and motivation, personal responsibility, and having the ability to initiate and implement constructive change are among the common threads running through the books. Information on ordering the…

Elected school boards' skeptical eyes can guard against bad management practices and ensure that different voices get heard. Problems with board governance are a product of too little democracy. A democratic reform strategy would make board elections partisan, hold them on the same day as elections for more prominent state or national offices,…