Middle leaders play an essential role in schools but for many their position is characterised by tensions caused by 'being caught in between or sandwiched between senior management to whom they were accountable … and subordinates for whom they had some functional and often moral responsibility'. Moreover, Catholic school middle leaders face…

The Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges (RP Group) launched Leading from the Middle (LFM) Academy in 2013 as a professional development experience for community college educators--faculty, administrators, and staff--who have formal or informal leadership responsibilities. Over the first three years, close to 150…

There is a vast amount of research on what goes on in schools, but how can school leaders sort credible findings from dubious claims and use these to make informed decisions that benefit their schools? How can abstract ideas from research be translated into dynamic plans for action? This book is a practical guide to evidence-based school…

The Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges (RP Group) launched Leading from the Middle (LFM) Academy in 2013 as a professional development experience for community college educators--faculty, administrators, and staff--who have formal or informal leadership responsibilities. Based on a commitment to learning from experience,…

Research has long accorded heads of subject departments a key middle leadership role in secondary schools. Unfortunately, researchers have found that the exact nature of this leadership is "blurred" in that it is difficult to isolate its distinctive qualities. In addition, there are also debates concerning whether professional and emotional…

This monograph, intended for a broad range of student affairs practitioners, provides eight papers on mid-level managers in higher education student affairs whose needs have perhaps been subsumed within other aspects of career tenure or career specialty. The following papers are included: "Defining Student Affairs Mid-management" by Robert B.…

Leadership and the need for middle-level administrators in colleges and universities to develop and hone their leadership skills in order to success are addressed. The nature of leadership is analyzed from the observation that most people aspire to influence, or, more directly, to power. A two-dimensional leadership grid is provided to help…

Discusses the importance of the social style of administrators in their interactions within the organization, with emphasis on efforts by subordinate administrators to influence their superiors, i.e., managing up. Four social styles are defined--amiable, analytical, driver, and expressive--and strategies for productive interactions between styles…

The specific responsibilities of the school business official can be grouped into five major categories: (1) educational; (2) fiscal; (3) employee; (4) support services; and (5) other. (Author)

This paper analyzes the implementation of a staff development and appraisal scheme at the University of Birmingham, England. The analysis focuses on the stakeholders and the decisive factors that were influential in effecting this innovation. Explored are three perspectives on leadership on how appraisers can become more effective. (GLR)

This research examines the work of middle managers in English further education colleges holding a range of responsibilities. Case study research at four colleges drew on data from senior managers, middle managers and their teams, college documents and observation of meetings. The enquiry focused upon the aspects of role performed by the managers,…

This report, the first of a two-volume work, was prepared in response to the 1979 edition of the Massachusetts Board of Education's "Regulations for the Certification of Educational Personnel." Specific sections of the regulations are set off in boxes, each of which is followed by explanations of the ways in which the program addresses…

A pilot study conducted to identify concerns of public services middle managers on costing and use of performance measures found the librarians interviewed had little faith in their usefulness. Implications of these findings are discussed and specific ways to increase the usefulness of such measures for library decision-making are suggested. (CDD)

A discussion of college administrative staff in leadership support roles looks at the qualities, attitudes, and skills managers must have to be effective and successful. These include personal and professional abilities; relationships with subordinates, peers, and leadership; organizational communication; flexibility; and empathy. (MSE)

A national survey of 235 directors of programs offering Bachelors of Social Work found that sources of personal, structural, and institutional power were important predictors of power for middle managers in academic settings. Results also direct their programs and manage departmental resources. (Author/MSE)