From 90 projects identified for the study, survey responses were received from 85 percent of the superintendents and 60 percent of the architects ranking 12 categories of conflict both according to the severity of the conflict and as causing the deterioration of the working relationship. (MLF)

Features documents in "Resources in Education" that describe how the following occupational groups handle conflict: nurses, school superintendents, city managers, board members, teachers, and training directors. (PD)

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals found that a Texas school superintendent, having failed to submit a written contract to the school board for execution, had no basis for holding that a property interest in employment existed. Certainty about binding obligations requires written agreements signed by both parties. (PB)

Seven suggestions are provided to help superintendents plan and conduct more cohesive school board meetings: (1) research all proposals; (2) schedule time for discussion; (3) anticipate questions; (4) include background, rationale, and options for proposals; (5) present reports lucidly; (6) allow for independent exploration; and (7) follow up on…

Music is not a "frill" to be done away with in the call for a return to the basics. It is a means of cultural expression and universal communication. Music permits students to express themselves and to learn the values of self-discipline and pride of accomplishment. (CS)

Outlines successful school food service programs that have undergone significant management changes. (MD)

A list of important points and procedures for superintendents to observe when preparing for and testifying during teacher dismissal hearings. (MLF)

The steady decline in the number of districtwide instructional supervisors necessitates research to determine the relationship between district supervision and school effectiveness. Answers and data-collection methods are needed for questions concerning the nature and scope of supervisory functions, modes of organization for fulfilling them, and…

Reports the results of a study that examined the administrative strategy used by Pope John in promoting changes in the Roman Catholic Church and suggests some possible applications of this strategy to American public education. (Author)

NSDC's groundbreaking work in developing standards for staff development has now been joined by an equally important book that spells out exactly how those standards would look if they were being implemented by school districts. An Innovation Configuration map is a device that identifies and describes the major components of a new practice--in…

What is educational leadership? Why should individuals care about it? How does it work? What forms might it take? Which leadership practices are useful in almost all contexts? Which are context-specific? What are the sources of successful leadership? These questions--addressed in this paper--are questions presently of concern to a growing number…

The purpose of this study was to examine contributing factors influencing superintendent tenure among Texas public school superintendents. The results of the Cox Regression analysis revealed that strained relationships with the school board president, not being able to get decisions made at the Board level, and superintendent/school board…

This study is the latest in a series of meta-analyses that Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) has conducted over the past several years to determine the characteristics of effective schools, leaders, and teachers. This most recent meta-analysis examines findings from 27 studies conducted since 1970 that used rigorous,…

Employee turnover contributes to lost production, disrupts normal business practices, and is expensive. This literature review examines turnover of three administrator positions: the school superintendent, the executive director of nonprofit agencies, and the chief executive officer of for-profit corporations. The most cited reason for turnover of…

Currently, men hold the majority of superintendencies in the United States. A 2000 study found that 94.9 percent of American superintendents are white and 86.6 are male. Only 13.2 percent of the nation's superintendent positions are held by women, 91.6 percent of whom are white and 7.1 percent are minority. The absence of mentoring relationships,…