The relevance of the investigated problem is conditioned by absence of the single approach to the common criteria and mechanisms of a pedagogical educational establishment's assessment; the current assessment principles of planning and management are out-of-date. The aim of this article is to analyze theoretical approaches and concepts of…

Principals who are strong, effective, responsive leaders help to inspire and enhance the abilities of their teachers and other school staff to do excellent work. Such principals also tend to retain great teachers and create opportunities for them to take on new leadership roles. This leads to the following key question: What can state policymakers…

Teachers have the greatest school-based effect on the achievement of any child in their classrooms, but highly effective principals can positively affect the achievement of every student in their schools. The difference between a highly effective principal and an average one is equal to two-to-seven months of extra learning per year for each child…

This article explores the responses of school principals of small rural schools in Victoria, Australia to leadership challenges they identify as characteristic of these contexts. The research is an exercise in grounded theory building, with the focus on the principalship as it is enacted in small rural settings. The article also seeks to trace the…

Focus groups with British school and college headteachers (n=12) holding degrees in educational management identified important management competencies (ability to learn, to act decisively, to think globally). Managerial knowledge, skills, and higher order capacities need to be targeted specifically as each requires a difference development…

Reviews management-competence and school-effectiveness research, explores similarities, and discusses each area's contribution to education management. A major problem for both approaches is finding a balance between general descriptions of good practice and the particular needs of specific schools at particular development stages. General…

This paper presents an overview of literature and research on the effective preparation of school leaders. Recent research has called for greater collaboration among stakeholders and effective internships. Another way to deliver performance-based preparation is through the use of assessment centers, a validated process for measuring an aspiring…

An analysis is conducted of the extent to which the stated goals and required academic and clinical experiences of the Oregon administrator preparation program were aligned with identified leader variables and the recommendations of recent educational administration reform reports. Variable categories were selection and admissions, content and…

This is a "how to" book for school-leader selection, appraisal, and development. It focuses on ways in which to measure components of leadership so that leadership evaluation can move beyond impressionistic opinions. The text is divided into five chapters. The rationale for leadership assessment, along with the dangers to be avoided in such…

This paper presents findings of a study that explored ways in which educators used reflective practices for administrative problem solving. Specifically, the study explored the ways in which administrators used a cognitive-coaching framework to guide their thinking and contributed to their practical wisdom through structured reflection of their…

School superintendents hold many leadership responsibilities, and much of schools' effectiveness rests on the abilities of the superintendents to meet their responsibilities. Criticisms of superintendents' training and educational background usually stem from a professor's lack of attention to a broader range of leadership theories. What…

This paper describes the results of a study that investigated the nature and consequences of a unique set of university-sponsored school leadership preparation programs. Begun in 1987, the Danforth Foundation Program for the Preparation of School Principals (DPPSP) was part of a two-pronged effort to more fully develop the potential of school…

The publication in 1990 of the School Management Task Force Report "Developing School Management--The Way Forward" was a milestone for challenging Local Education Authorities (LEA) and providers in higher education. The report stressed school-based and school-focused institutional and individual development. Changes resulting from the…

Prior to April 1993, the educational system in South Africa consisted of five separate departments of education. The Department of Education and Training (DET) governed education for the 10 black groups, excluding independent states and self-governing states. This paper describes the DET's inservice training policy for senior personnel,…

This publication examines some of the skills that informed observers see as most critical for principals who seek to be effective leaders in restructuring schools. It also highlights some principal-preparation programs, both preservice programs at colleges and universities and inservice programs for practicing principals. The document examines…