Within the last 5 years, policymakers and practitioners have confronted the challenge of replacing many retiring educational leaders. To address this issue, standards for educators themselves have been proposed, some modeled around those of the Interstate School Leadership Licensure Consortium (ISLLC). Attention is also turning to advanced…

This digest in Spanish presents steps that school boards and district officials can take to find qualified applicants for vacant school-leadership positions. It discusses various long-term strategies, such as increasing the candidate pool through career ladders and recruiting teachers through internships and training programs, that districts can…

This digest considers four questions about the academic deanship. The first is what are deans and what do they do? The position of dean did not gain universal acceptance in U.S. higher education until 1913. Deans continue to be predominantly white and male, and are generally in their mid-fifties. Strong scholarly credentials distinguish most…

This digest presents steps that school boards and district officials can take to find qualified applicants for vacant school-leadership positions. It discusses various long-term strategies, such as increasing the candidate pool through career ladders and recruiting teachers through internships and training programs, that districts can enact…

A decade ago, principals were asked to become instructional leaders who exercised firm control by setting goals, maintaining discipline, and evaluating results. Today they are encouraged to act as facilitative leaders by building teams, creating networks, and "governing from the center." Rapid shifts in administrative philosophy can be…

This digest in Spanish examines the effective integration of technology into schools and explores the importance of technology to school leaders. It asks why and how should administrators promote technology and asserts that school leaders who implement technology effectively will contribute greatly to education and the economy. It cautions,…

This digest in Spanish examines the reasons why--outside of retirement--school principals leave their jobs. It also lists strategies districts can employ to retain principals. Many principals exit their profession because of the long hours, the workload and complexity of the job, the unending supervision of evening activities, the minimal pay…

This Digest examines the reasons why--outside of retirement--school principals leave their jobs. It also lists strategies districts can employ to retain principals. Many principals exit their profession because of the long hours, the workload and complexity of the job, the unending supervision of evening activities, the minimal pay difference…

Although instructional leadership is acknowledged to be a critical skill in educational administration, few principals and superintendents have had in-depth training for that role, especially in a standards-based environment. Current definitions of instructional leadership include much deeper involvement in the "core technology" of…

Today, prevailing views of leadership suggest that the principal's role should not be to direct others but to create a school culture in which decisions are made collaboratively. Such "facilitative" leadership exercises power through others, not over them. The basic question is whether or not these two leadership styles are mutually…

A decade ago, principals were asked to become instructional leaders who exercised firm control by setting goals, maintaining discipline, and evaluating results. Today, they are encouraged to act as facilitative leaders by building teams, creating networks, and "governing from the center." Rapid shifts in administrative philosophy can be…

This digest in Spanish explores the strategy of paying school administrators based on performance contracts. A performance contract is an agreement between an administrator--typically a superintendent--and the school board that links the administrator's pay to indicators of job performance. Most commonly, performance contracts include bonuses for…

This Digest examines the effective integration of technology into schools and explores the importance of technology to school leaders. It asks why and how administrators should promote technology and asserts that school leaders who implement technology effectively will contribute greatly to education and the economy. It cautions, however, that…

This digest explores the strategy of paying school administrators based on performance contracts. A performance contract is an agreement between an administrator--typically a superintendent--and the school board that links the administrator's pay to indicators of job performance. Most commonly, performance contracts include bonuses for a job well…

This document examines transformational leadership, which focuses on the importance of teamwork and comprehensive school improvement, as an alternative to other modes of leadership. Transformational leadership is contrasted with: (1) instructional leadership, which encompasses hierarchies and leader supervision and usually excludes teacher…