This book is directed to those individuals who are interested in developing a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities for leadership in school administration. The focus of the text is on principles and theories of administering and improving a school; however, many of the chapters are also relevant for other administrative levels.…

Research findings identifying the most effective class size are found to be inconclusive. Some studies have found small classes more effective, others have favored large classes, and some have found no differences in learning effectiveness due to class size. A number of these studies are cited and points of agreement noted. In a second section…

Protests the trend to turn cultural analysis into a managerial tool by arguing that our research on school culture has only skimmed the cultural surface, and demonstrating the promise of language analysis for research on school culture. (BJV)

Educational reform depends more on clearly defined missions and operational efficiency than on improved teacher quality. This article defines adequacy, equality, equity, and efficiency; examines numerous production function studies of teacher characteristics and policy and administrative structures; and summarizes seven policy implications.…

Recent state reforms that embrace the effective schools movement may actually be counterproductive. These mandates encourage the persistence of outmoded, teacher centered, pedagogical practices and current school organizational structures, inhibiting the development of students' independent reasoning and problem-solving skills, as well as the…

Sets forth the essential characteristics of Japan's approach to education, including the content, structure, and objectives of public schools; teaching conditions, teaching methods, and the characteristics of teachers; the role of parents; the role of supplemental private education; and the cultural factos that underlie the system's…

The central need in education is to recognize that many of the gains in pupil achievement, as measured in test scores, may not be sustainable if educators continue to be fixated on short-term outcomes and plans. This paper addresses the key concerns of how educators sustain and develop schools through the deployment of effective planning…

Effective building leadership and time utilization are important to the success of implementing change. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe the experiences of an urban junior high school principal involved in a collaborative change effort. Specifically studied were the principal's actions, behavior, communication, and…

The creation of publicly financed but relatively independent public charter schools may be the most vibrant force in American education today. This fastback presents findings of a national study that examined the outcomes of charter schools. Data were collected through site visits to 43 charter schools in 7 states (Arizona, California, Colorado,…

The ability of the school administrator to schedule teachers' and students' time so that each receives the most from each school day has become an essential skill. This book has been prepared for school administrators at the elementary and middle school levels who need appropriate management techniques for scheduling students into classes. Chapter…

Based on a literature review, this report provides an overview of charter schools. A total of 52 studies of operating charter schools and documents exploring the origins of the charter school concept were reviewed. The report covers the following topics: why and how people create a charter school; charter schools' autonomy compared with public…

The 14 papers in this volume address planning and administration of higher education within an international context. Papers are grouped into general studies, regional studies, and national and institutional studies. Included papers are: (1) "Management of Global and Educational Change: Challenges for Higher Education and Graduate…

This bulletin is the result of a personal study of a number of Danish elementary rural schools, made during the winter and spring of 1913. Sufficient time was spent in the different schools, in a study of their organization and administration, to insure accuracy of impression. These filed studies were later verified, so far as possible, in the…

Offers a comparative framework for school organizations which illustrates tacit differences in teacher role expectations inherent in unique types of organizations. Expresses the central idea that the effective classroom teacher's role is operationally defined by the organizational system in which the teacher functions. (CSS)

Discusses strategic planning of the University of Wisconsin-Madison to facilitate the 1998 accreditation process and achieve alignment with the campus vision. Describes campuswide framework, with learning as the theme connecting the university's structures, and the models used to facilitate accomplishment of goals. (YKH)