This paper explores the perspectives of Flemish secondary school principals and coordinating principals on the government-proposed changes and uncovers their experiences with these changes in an in-depth manner. In a school system characterised by school freedom and free school choice, semi-structured interviews with 21 school leaders revealed the…

The construction and opening of a new school adds a new dimension to the principal's role. The purpose of this study was to describe the duties and responsibilities of a principal opening a newly constructed school, during the year preceding the opening of the school, and during the first year of occupancy in that school. The study was enriched by…

Author discusses ways administrators rationalize not taking action toward school improvement. (Editor)

Administrators are advised that the key to making decisions while preserving peace of mind is to give themselves enough options to avoid feeling trapped. Six different decision-making strategies are described. (Author/MLF)

Addresses numerous problem areas in today's schools, including student absenteeism, teacher attendance, the lack of administrative time devoted to instructional supervision, the infrequency of student assemblies and faculty meetings, inadequate faculty development, low scholastic requirements, the need for a tenured teacher policy, administrative…

Problem solving is one of the most important skills that new and developing professionals must learn. The process is complex, involving information scanning, problem identification, and feedback processes requiring synthesis, interim assessments, problem error recognition and rectification, and timely and appropriate conclusions. This study used…

The tasks of elementary principals are characterized by brevity, variety, and fragmentation. As proof of this, studies have indicated that principals may perform as many as 50 separate tasks in an hour. Principals also must interact with a wide range of individuals, must accomplish tasks requiring many different skills, and are required to make a…

Chapter 11 in a volume on school leadership, this chapter draws from the work of many authorities to define and classify conflict and present techniques for its management in schools. Emphasizing that conflict can have positive or creative as well as negative or destructive results, the author notes that all conflict need not be resolved. He…

This study, proposed by the West Virginia School Boards Association at the request of the West Virginia Legislature's Oversight Committee was designed to examine the kinds of decisions and nature of actions of local school boards in West Virginia between July 1985 and July 1990. A qualitative research design consisting of emergent category…

This booklet presents an extensive simulation exercise intended to give readers a greater understanding of the role and responsibilities of the local school district superintendent and to aid readers in improving their administrative, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills. The booklet is organized in two major parts. Part 1 contains background…

An administrator's first year as an elementary school principal provided unexpected problems that could not be solved by applying clearcut rules or logical thinking. Among the problem areas were student and staff discipline, relations with parents and the PTA, and teacher evaluation. (PGD)

Offers suggestions for surviving a strike, solving common problems during the strike, and reuniting the school afterwards. (JM)

There is a lack of empirical evidence describing the actual problems encountered by school leaders and the knowledge that they use to find solutions to those problems. This paper presents findings of a study that explored the problems faced by members of a graduate educational-administration class. The participants, 22 practicing public school…

A formally conducted field study was used to investigate the work of vice-principals of eight large Southern California high schools and the relationship of their work to the school as an organization. Most of the vice-principals studied deal with student discipline, but four have important discipline responsibilities, which they exercise by…

Organizational development and planning, two methods currently employed to improve organizations, have a mutual objective -- organization improvement through systematic goal attainment. Organizational development strives to improve administrator behavior to facilitate interpersonal communication between those individuals responsible for the…