This study explores the prevalence and characteristics of "counseling out" as a human resource management tool used by principals to address teacher quality. Recognizing that teachers significantly impact student achievement, the effective management of teacher quality is a critical responsibility for principals. However, formal…

Instructional leadership can be defined as an educational leadership approach whereby the school principal is involved in a wide range of activities aiming to improve teaching and learning for all students. Surprisingly, the literature about instructional leadership practices has not mentioned school leaders' practices for hiring appropriate…

With public school budgets pinched and educational demands rising, "business as usual" is becoming less and less tenable in American schools. Taxpayers, parents, teachers, principals, and students are expected to do more with fewer resources. But what's the best way to go about slimming down and shaping up the system of public education?…

The goal of this study was to identify areas of teacher performance that were lacking to the point that the teacher was nonrenewed. Individual school districts can gain insight into why teachers are failing and make adjustments to their training and teacher induction programs that will improve professional practice. The study found that teachers…

One of the most important things school systems can do to promote student achievement is to ensure that all students have effective teachers. Effective teachers may be particularly important for the most disadvantaged students. The U.S. Department of Education commissioned the American Institutes for Research (AIR) to create this report as a…

By providing more accurate and complete data, a personal exit interview is superior to an exit questionnaire; however, separation interviews in the field of education are not common. To optimize the benefits of an exit interview for both the district and the departing employee, a formal, oral interview should be scheduled within the last 4 weeks…

Public school principals encounter a sizable gap between the autonomy they believe they need to be effective and the autonomy that they actually have in practice, especially when it comes to hiring, firing, and transferring teachers. That is a key finding of this report from the Fordham Institute and the American Institutes for Research, which is…

Principals of elementary and secondary schools in Idaho (N=246) responded to a questionnaire that asked them to identify some causes of teacher failure. The major problems leading to teachers being placed on probation or not having contracts renewed appeared to be in the areas of: (1) behavior management and student motivation; (2) personality and…

Featuring the same practical guidelines for ridding schools of incompetent teachers as the 1984 edition, this new edition incorporates substantially revised material on three topics: criteria and information sources for evaluating teaching effectiveness, remediation procedures, and grounds for dismissal. The book presents an eight-step systematic,…

A detailed checklist and timeline for ensuring due process are provided for adverse personnel actions, and the need to supplement this with expert, same-jurisdiction legal advice is stressed. This approach emphasizes the importance of treating due process as an ethical as well as a legal requirement. (SLD)

A survey of 500 teachers attending graduate classes sought their opinions on the problem of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the schools. The questions dealt with the admission of children with AIDS to the school and the employment of teachers with AIDS. Results indicated that many of the teachers had reservations about having either…

The Salt Lake City School District (SLCSD) teacher evaluation system, which includes peer review and assistance for deficient teachers, was instituted in 1975. The Performance Assistance program provides for strong, experienced teachers (peer reviewers) to work with teachers identified by their principals as deficient. This study addresses the…

In summer 1984, a study was conducted to assess the current status of tenure in public two-year colleges. Surveys were mailed to state administrators of two-year college education, requesting information on the provision of statutory or customary tenure; the number of years of consecutive employment needed for becoming eligible for tenure; reasons…

The outcomes of court decisions concerning faculty employment (e.g., nonrenewal and termination) during 1976-80 were evaluated, along with the level of knowledge among college and university officials about these judicial developments. The primary data source is the "Yearbook of Higher Education Law"; the secondary data source was a sample of 97…

Internal and external organizational influences on faculty mobility were studied during the 1985-1986 academic year. The investigation, which was designed as a replication of a 1958 study of the academic marketplace by Caplow and Reece, involved interviews with department heads, colleagues of departed faculty members, and new appointees at six…