An interim president has to perform a particularly difficult balancing act. He or she shoulders the burdens from--or legacy of--the previous president and must also provide a foundation of stability for the new president. Throughout the process, effective communication--both internally and externally--is critical to ensuring a smooth transition.…

Schools are often viewed as the primary change agent for any new health crisis that gains national or local attention. Schools should play a role in creating a healthy learning environment because many of these health problems can impact student learning. But is it reasonable to hold schools and school leaders responsible for fixing the health…

A framework for understanding the human side of leadership, especially wounding and leadership struggles, is described with an emphasis on stories of community college presidents. Practical advice and recommendations are offered to better equip aspiring and practicing community college presidents for leadership challenges. A key message is that…

All students have the right to a quality education. At the same time, future principals will likely face the challenge of educating the most diverse student body since the turn of the 20th century. In this commentary, the author provides principals, new and experienced, with the means to navigate successfully the challenges of meeting the…

Principals can make changes happen, help them happen, or simply let them happen. Effective change leadership involves setting long-term goals, clarifying the school's commitment to work at education, staying on top of innovations, consulting and collaborating with teachers, making decisions, offering support and guidance, and maintaining…

Suggests that to meet the substantial challenges of organizational change, college and university planners must first learn to reflect on their own personal and professional roles and behavior, seek information about how others assess their actions, build an action plan to sustain integrity and focus, and remedy dysfunctional habits. (MSE)

The article briefly reviews the support for integrated educational programs for students with severe handicaps and presents a framework for planned educational change, based on the extant racial desegregation literature. Noted are logistical issues facing school administrators and effective leadership roles in the change process. (Author/DB)

This paper focuses upon the perceptions and the actions of the elementary school principal in the change process. Perceptions of change itself, of control, of the school system, and of the school staff are critical to his/her effectiveness in implementing change. To create an institutional climate that supports change, the principal must provide…

Leadership, teaching personnel, and curriculum and instruction appear to be the three major variables related most directly to school improvement and school success. Effective principals provide strong instructional leadership and assume the role of change agent. (JHZ)

The college president's role in institutional leadership is discussed, focusing on the president's relationship with the governing board and his/her empowerment in the face of responsibility. Examples of presidents who have been able to transform institutions are offered. It is concluded that professional distance is an essential quality. (MSE)

The process of change in elementary and secondary schools has been the topic of several major studies conducted during the past 15 years. To date, however, information about the change process in different school settings has not been considered comparatively. This document examines and compares the process of change and the role of the change…

The "Teaching/Learning Project" at Miami-Dade Community College (Florida), a process of dramatic institution-wide change, is described, focusing on the leadership, collaboration, and coordination required to bring about desired changes. Examination of leadership roles include those of the change agent (project director), champion…

This chapter, from a guide for designing, implementing, and evaluating instruction and services for students with disabilities, acquaints the education administrator with the what, why, and how of interagency collaboration. System-level interagency collaboration involves joint planning, joint implementation, and joint evaluation between…

Argues that trustees, finance officers, and other leaders of institutions of higher education must redefine and expand their traditional interactions beyond discussion of budgets and balance sheets if they are to guide change instead of being controlled by it. University leaders need to focus on their roles, share information differently, use…

Although the job of a professional school dean is complex and demanding and the skills it requires are varied, it is important for the dean to acknowledge the limitations of both the job and the individual in it. Only time tells whether innovations, programs, customs, and direction created and nurtured by the dean reflect true leadership by…