The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore how the post-adoption experiences of elementary school leaders influence their use of student achievement data in making educational decisions, after the implementation of a student information system (SIS). The participants consisted of K-5 elementary principals and assistant…

Most decision analysis techniques are not taught at higher education institutions. Leaders, project managers and procurement agents in industry have strong technical knowledge, and it is crucial for them to apply this knowledge at the right time to make critical decisions. There are uncertainties, problems, and risks involved in business…

Central to the mission of most educational institutions is the task of preparing the next generation of citizens to contribute to society. Schools, colleges, and universities value a range of outcomes--e.g., problem solving, creativity, collaboration, citizenship, service to community--as well as academic outcomes in traditional subjects. Often…

One mark of an effective leader is effective decision making. A few analysts have developed "normative" decision-making models--models that describe how administrators should make decisions--while others have developed "descriptive" models--models that describe how administrators actually make decisions. In this article, the authors introduce a…

Purpose: While the importance of organizational learning for sustainability has been stressed by a number of authors in the literature, the practicalities of how organizational leaders might foster such learning are seldom treated. This paper seeks to demonstrate that there is much that could be learned from the aviation industry about…

Linear planning and decision-making models assume a level of predictability that is uncommon today. Such models inadequately address the complex variables found in higher education. When academic organizations adopt paired-down business strategies, they restrict their own vision. They fail to harness emerging opportunities or learn from their own…

Data-driven instructional improvement relies on developing coherent systems that allow school staff to generate, interpret, and act upon quality formative information on students and school programs. This article offers a formative feedback system model that captures how school leaders and teachers structure artifacts and practices to create…

Leadership is critically important because it affects the health of the organization. Research has found that leadership is one of the most significant contributors to organizational performance. Expanding and replicating previous research, and focusing on the specific telecommunications sector, this study used multiple correlation and regression…

Good college leadership requires a kind of collaboration, it is argued, and creative collaborative work is the best route towards bold and effective leadership. Defining leadership, leadership models, leadership as problem solving, and leadership as taking a stand are discussed. (MLW)

Extension community resource development (CRD) is primarily public affairs education at the local level, dealing with local issues. Two methods of public policy education are the advocacy model which picks two people with opposing views on a subject and lets them debate the issue, and the public policy education process which provides all relevant…

Several explanations are proposed for community attitudes about the school system. The author claims that the most important factor affecting these attitudes may be the school's failure to develop effective ways of carrying on continuous dialogue with its community. The author specifies that an educator should subject his community to a regular…

A study examined how developmental learning and adaptive flexibility relate to critical thinking though a survey of 119 organizational leaders (of 341) who had attended a 5-day Leadership Development Program. A questionnaire adapted from the Center for Creative Leadership's Job Challenge Profile measured developmental learning, the Adaptive Style…

The Jenks School District applies a continuous improvement approach that focuses on academics, arts, activities, athletics and attitude, weaving in leadership, professional development, technology and data-based decision making to prepare all learners to be productive, responsible citizens. Since 1998, the Jenks School District has embraced a…

One of a series of bibliographies prepared by research Functional Networks for the Southern Rural Development Center, this bibliography of literature on rural development program evaluation consists of substantially more than 500 citations, the majority works of the 60's and 70's. Drawn from an earlier simple listing of more than 1,500 entries,…

A study was made to develop a Cooperative Extension program response determination model for community resource development for application at the state level. Sub-objectives were to define the concept of community resource development, provide a basis for identifying clients for educational programs on community problems and decision making,…