Equity for women and women's ways of leading remains elusive in the profession of educational administration. This article reports research that led to the development and validation of a construct called "gender filters, lenses used by individuals to actually navigate gender-related issues or gender dynamics in educational settings". Our findings…

Describes how school administrators operating from an ethic of care conduct their practice and how this practice differs from that of administrators operating solely from traditional leadership models. Shows how the work of certain career assistant principals did not fit traditional administrative theories and how professional and organizational…

Reviews the contributions of field studies conducted in the areas of educational administration and policy, including organizational processes, education politics, and leadership and decision making. Suggests new directions in educational policy that field research could explore. (GC)

K.E. Ferguson's analysis of women's place in capitalist society and the concurrent elevation of bureaucratic structures seriously challenges administration analysts. According to Ferguson, modern bureaucracy requires constant maintenance in reifying its dominance structure and locating and suppressing opposition. This analysis can be applied to…

In an attempt to lessen the tension which often exists between educators and policymakers, this article discusses each sector's world and then offers suggestions on how to construct bridges between these worlds so that mutual goals may be attained. (JL)

Examined the effects of a graduate program in education administration on women's career mobility, in a survey of 165 male and female students. Results showed women students are older and have less financial support, lower positions, and lower career goals, indicating the program does not promote equal opportunity. (JAC)

Highlights the insufficient explanations and fundamental fallacies in policy and programs for sex equity in educational administration. Examines the lack of incentives for promotion of women to positions of leadership. (SK)

To address minority students' needs, increase school administrators' instructional leadership capacities, and involve parents in improving schools, school districts must recruit large percentages of women and minority educators to school leadership positions. This will not be a simple task, as entirely new definitions of school leadership are…

Educational managers, policymakers, and scholars should make a courageous effort to face fundamental school system policymaking dilemmas in new ways. Self-empowering strategies are the levers that uncover, clarify, and solve problems. This paper argues that qualitative research, as a self-empowering problem solving strategy, will enable educators…

Women's participation in school administration is low and actually declining, despite legislation, affirmative action, and special programs. This article views the research guiding educational policy as useful, but concerned with ancillary issues. After a literature review of sex discrimination, administrator gender differences, role conflicts,…

This study is concerned with local educational agencies' interpretation of federal and state sex equity policies. After briefly discussing "slippage" that occurs as policy decisions move through federal and state systems, the article addresses legitimacy and implementation issues. Since sex equity policies have goals for altering…

This paper identifies four models of educational administration--the rational, mechanistic, organic, and bargaining models--and argues that a fifth model of leadership--a caring model--is needed. The ethic of caring (Nodding, 1986) is reciprocal, natural, and ethical and emphasizes connection, responsibilities, and relationships. Creating a model…

Applies Erving Goffman's stigma theory to impressions of 25 women in educational administration careers. Analyzes data from an earlier study to show how women administrators, confronted with male leadership norms, deviate, acquire stigma, and become marginal. Concludes with suggestions for change, citing 32 references. (MLH)

Outlines legal provisions relating to sex discrimination in employment generally and in education in particular, and examines limitations of these laws for changing school systems. Evaluates the impact of antidiscrimination legislation on the organizational systems of incentives, supports, recruitment, sponsorship, and exclusion. (Author/GC)

This book presents an in-depth look, from entry to retirement, at all aspects of the administrative career. It uses the case-method teaching approach to discuss critical issues in education, specifically, cases of entry, equity, and endurance dilemmas. A total of 133 fictional cases are presented, based on interviews with school administrators and…