Like adult education, the field of volunteer management shows increasing movement toward professionalization. The establishment of standards--both for the profession of volunteer management and for volunteer service itself--is generating debates similar to adult educators' debates over purposes and objectives. The types of learning that occur in…

A good deal of evidence now suggests that a strong sense of community in schools has benefits for both staff members and students, while providing a necessary foundation for school improvement. This digest in Spanish provides an overview of the literature on schools as communities. The digest identifies the elements of community schools, the…

The literature on administrative style is reviewed. Attention is directed to four basic concepts of administrative style: (1) the structured, classical, traditional model; (2) the participatory or employee-involved operation; (3) a more behavioral scientific style; and (4) the situational or environmental style. These ideas are more fully…

A good deal of evidence now suggests that a strong sense of community in schools has benefits for both staff members and students, while providing a necessary foundation for school improvement. This digest provides an overview of the literature on schools as communities. The digest identifies the elements of community schools, the effects of…

Strategies for dealing effectively with sexual harassment in the educational organization are presented in this document. Identification of the problem is complex, compounded by the context in which it occurs and different male and female perceptions. One starting point for identification is the 1980 federal guidelines passed by the Equal…

This three-part monograph on human resource development is intended for counselors who wish to translate their counseling skills and experience to work with business and industry. Part I presents an overview of the field of human resource development (HRD) emphasizing the counselor as an HRD professional. Chapter I discusses the application to…

This information analysis concerns human resource development (HRD), defined as consisting of programs and activities that positively affect the development of the individual and the productivity and profit of the organization. Several key human resource development components are identified and discussed: (1) training and development; (2)…

Principals today are expected to maximize their schools' performances with limited resources while also adopting educational innovations. This synopsis reviews five recent publications that offer some important insights about the nature of principals' leadership strategies: (1) "Leadership Styles and Strategies" (Larry Lashway); (2) "Facilitative…

School leaders can generate student motivation by creating an atmosphere where academic success and the motivation to learn are expected and rewarded. Leaders can create a school culture conducive to learning by shaping the instructional climate and using activities and symbols to communicate goals. School restructuring that creates a positive…

This publication focuses on motivation at the school level and identifies ways in which administrators can improve student academic achievement. Chapter 1 discusses the influence of school culture on student motivation, based on recent research that suggests the importance of educational leaders in creating a motivating environment for improved…

The properties of institutional culture are identified, and the way cultural perspectives have been used to describe life in colleges and universities are examined. Seven sections cover the following: cultural perspectives (the warrant for the report, organizational rationality, the remaining sections); culture defined and described (toward a…

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…

Since the 1980s, shared decision making (SDM) has become a significant part of school-reform efforts. Advocates say that SDM will improve student learning, create teacher satisfaction, and develop new forms of leadership. This digest presents an overview of research that investigated whether SDM delivers on these promises. Studies indicate that so…

"Vision" is one of the most frequently used buzzwords in the education literature of the 1990s. This digest presents an overview of visionary leadership, which many education experts consider to be a make-or-break task for the school leader. It discusses various definitions of vision, the significance of vision for organizations, the…

The body of rhetorical writing and research studies about the interrelationship of faculty bargaining and campus governance are compared and synthesized. The research is emphasized so that the findings can inform and advance the ongoing debate and operational decision about this issue. Qualified, but not complete, support is found for the belief…