In "Crisis as Catalyst," Patricia M. Virella uncovers opportunities for school leaders to act as agents of equity and inclusivity during crisis situations. Virella interviewed dozens of school principals across the United States and Puerto Rico, and in this book she shares the key lessons from their experiences with crisis events of all…

We report on how fifty superintendents (chief executive officers of public school systems, each invited by a researcher to participate) from seven states in the US talked in eight focus groups of their perspectives on their influence as leaders, their efforts to communicate with stakeholders, and how they learn from these stakeholders. We maintain…

This author, in a Leadership column published earlier in EDUCAUSE Review (2002), urged institutional and IT leaders to "move beyond the rhetoric." The earlier article addressed the rapidly changing atmosphere in which higher education IT was evolving and the need to align the IT plan with the strategic direction of the institution in order to…

While numerous feminist scholars have written about "silence," few have focused on the silence of women in powerful masculinized positions such as the superintendency. The purpose of the paper is to expose the silencing, the disallowing of voice in actual practice, or the "unnatural silence" (Olsen 1978) of women superintendents through a…

An overview is provided of the research conducted in Japan during the past 30 years on the Performance-Maintenance Theory of Leadership. Experimental and field studies are described which suggest that the consequences of leadership in Japan result from interaction of performance-oriented and maintenance-oriented behaviors. (TE)

This paper presents findings of a case study that explored the micropolitical strategies used by a principal to influence teachers in a school-based decision making context. The selected suburban school was located in the south-central area of Texas and had utilized school-based management for five months. The principal was recommended as…

Findings of a study that examined how information is used in schools that have adopted shared decision-making practices are presented in this paper. The study focused on how first- and second-year principals access, use, and value various kinds of information. A total of 24 out of 29 Louisiana LEAD schools responded to a questionnaire, an…

Empowerment, also referred to as shared decsion making and site-based decision-making, is essential to school reform and to the preparation of students for the changing demands of a global and technological world. This paper describes the role of the principal in facilitating empowerment in the school. The principal is the building leader who…

Intended as a guide for educators in shared decision-making, this report summarizes the structures, procedures, and activities of local action teams in 49 schools involved in the National Institute of Education's Research and Development Utilization (RDU) program. Local action teams in the RDU program consisted of formal groups of teachers and…

Discussion of burnout among library personnel includes a susceptibility profile, indicators of burnout, and administrative contributors. Techniques by which administrators can reduce stress are suggested, including participative management; improved communications; staff development; informal staff gatherings; staff meetings; flexible work…

Shared governance within the community college fosters a sense of empowerment and equal partnership in the members of the organization. Accountability is multi-directional, not hierarchical, as in the case of the traditional pyramidal organization. In California, community college governance underwent a tremendous change in 1988 with the passage…

Practices to maintain and enhance board-member relationships are described in this handbook. Following the preface, chapter 1 presents a historical overview to describe the problems involved in defining the proper roles for school boards and superintendents. Chapter 2 identifies current board/administrator roles and what they should be for the…

This paper describes Hilltop Junior High School's initial experience with interdisciplinary teaming, an arrangement whereby teachers from different disciplines systematically plan curricular experiences for a common group of students. The innovation began with the appointment of a new principal who advocated teaming as the basic unit of middle…

Presents findings from a study assessing the reactions of 34 community colleges to California Assembly Bill 1725 passed in 1988, which mandated shared governance for the state's 107 community colleges. Concludes that AB 1725 is working as it was intended in the majority of schools. Contains 69 references. (JDI)

A survey of 100 principals known for their successful programs for obtaining community support brought many effective techniques to light. These methods fall into four categories: written and oral communications, community involvement in decision making, use of school volunteers, and encouragement of parent-faculty organizations. (PGD)