We are all part of different communities of practice (Wenger, 1998) that impact who it is possible for us to be and become. Through the process of self-study described in this paper, we seek to understand our personal experiences within a particular teacher education program, but also offer insight into the social and political complexities of…

The purpose of this study was to understand the decisions elementary principals have made during the Common Core State Standards reform. Specifically, (a) what decisions principals have made to support Common Core implementation, (b) what strategies elementary principals have employed to communicate with stakeholders about Common Core State…

Recent federal legislation has created strong incentives for states to adopt principal evaluation systems, many of which include new measures of principal effectiveness such as estimates of student growth and changes in school climate. Yet, there has been little research on principal evaluation systems and no state-by-state analysis of the…

This qualitative case study examined research exploring the role of a principal monitoring instruction during the implementation of a Readers Workshop model. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of an elementary school principal during the implementation of a Readers Workshop model and determine whether there was an affect on teaching…

In the assessment-driven environment of today's schools, questions about effectiveness and impact on student learning often focus on the school as a whole. An often-missed piece is taking a critical look at specific programs and approaches. Program evaluation is a tool that can help do this. Program evaluation can help to answer a range of…

Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI) is a competency-based approach to intervening with adolescents, particularly within the schools, who are experiencing emotional pain, psychological distress, or behavioral disruption in their personal lives. LSCI is used to help classroom teachers, guidance counselors, administrators, and other school staff to…

How do the various ideas currently used in conceptualizing and modeling evaluation relate to the administrator? How can he best use them in guiding his institution in evaluation? This paper summarizes some of the major trends of thought related to evaluation and explores them from an administrative rather than from a research or instructional…

Administrative behavior in implementing educational innovations is defined in terms of selecting, installing, evaluating, extending, and improving innovations in the administrator's system. It is suggested that on the basis of relevant facts, knowledge of alternative procedures, and careful plans, an administrator can select an educational…

This study examines the potential role of systematic analysis in administering resources within the university. Following problem identification and review of the methodology, Chapter II examines the various roles and characteristics of some of the primary decisionmakers in the university. Chapter III describes the typical characteristics of the…

The author suggests that parents are alienated from the educational domain, and discusses how this might be alleviated. He encourages them to take an active role in the educational community, and not delegate to "experts" their educational decision-making authority as parents. (Author/KC)

Evaluated the process and consequences of recentralizing services by surveying staff (N=24) and clients (N=15) of a community mental health clinic. Analyzes the planning, decision-making, implication, and effects of the change and illustrates the complexity of the adiministrator's role in restructuring services. (Author/JAC)

Data from interviews with elementary school principals are examined for insights into the impact of administrative style on evaluation utilization. Characteristics of 23 principals' administrative styles are classified as being either "compliance" (CO) or "non-compliance" (NCO) oriented. CO principals are characterized by the following: (1)…

Evaluation can serve a variety of educational management questions, but an administrator's ability to use evaluation as a management tool depends not only upon his or her own perception of evaluation but also on the perceptions of other potential evaluation users in the system. Research has uncovered a variety of factors influencing an…

Process and impact evaluations are compared, and a framework is provided to determine the nature and potential variability of the costs associated with each technical step of each type of evaluation. Recommendations to help in the choice of evaluation option are provided. (SLD)

As departmental program review becomes more common in college resource reallocation, department heads will be key figures in decision making. They must know what evaluation criteria will be used, such as program role in institutional mission, enrollment or credit-hour production, job-market demand, external support, program quality, and…