Purpose: The public expects school leaders to be moral exemplars, yet prior research indicates that teachers and, more recently, school principals may score lower than other career groups on a widely used measure of moral reasoning, the Defining Issues Test. Moreover, little empirical research has been conducted on educators during leadership…

Teacher working conditions surveys provide biennial, comprehensive data regarding school leadership. This case describes how a Title I middle school principal proactively addresses end-of-year data to address identified needs and growth areas in a collaborative manner in her middle school. The principal works in a concerted manner with an…

Every administrative action a principal will take is reduced to a decision. These decisions are made in an arena of overlapping moralities stemming from the organizational morality in concert with his/her personal morality. As Barnard stated, it is impossible to divorce one from the other. The purpose of this study was to attempt to describe and…

No textbook that an aspiring principal encounters in preparing for the role of school leader discusses what steps to follow when a member--or members--of the school staff challenge standards of professional judgment and moral rectitude. Instead, the most reliable guide at the principal's disposal may be the "moral compass" upon which the…

Typical ethical dilemmas confronted by educational administrators and their normative levels of ethical reasoning are identified in this two-phase study. The first phase, which involves in-depth interviews with 23 principals, applies the Van Hoose and Paradise (1979) developmental model of ethical reasoning to self-reports of decision making…

Rather than treated as a discreet task or as an overarching orientation, leadership for social justice is more appropriately situated within a comprehensive theory of school administration, such as Starratt's (2003) model of leadership as cultivating meaning, responsibility, and community. Starratt's general model of educational leadership…

Emphasizes the role of the school principal in creating a vision, being a role model, and encouraging staff into and through character education. Outlines examples of the staff development and continuing teacher education at a K-6 magnet school. Discusses the school principal's professional philosophy and practices. (MJP)