The ethnographer should be part historian, part psychologist, part sociologist, part anthropologist, and must apply rigorous and consistent rules and procedure to the various steps in his/her research in order to arrive at reliable conclusions. An ethnographic observational study of administrative behavior of eight school superintendents provides…

A discussion of some methods of communication that help broaden the decision-making process and implementation efforts necessary to successful educational leadership. (Author)

One of the most persistent problems of school facility planners is the need for continuous communication between educators, architects, engineers, and construction contractors. Guidelines for effective communication are offered. (Author/MLF)

Some differences in priorities and rankings emerged when principals, superintendents, and teachers ranked the importance of eight principal competencies and evaluated 18 principals on their performance. (JM)

Presents the results of a survey of over 600 Texas superintendents concerning their perceptions of the power structures in their communities. (JM)

This study was designed to examine one alternative to collective bargaining available to the school governing body--the employment of an external professional to represent the school board in contract negotiations with the teachers' representatives. (MM)

Discusses how increasing teacher militancy is altering school district decision-making and changing the role of superintendents and principals. (JG)

A national study of rural superintendents identified several fiscal practices to maximize resources, including seeking bids and comparison pricing for purchases, paying bills promptly where discounts are available, employing aggressive energy conservation measures, joining a regional service agency to provide services and programs, and increasing…

School/university collaboratives place great demands on participating organizations and individuals. This article presents two scenes from a collaborative effort involving a college of education and its local public high school. These scenes illustrate the need for collaborators to identify and integrate their specific aims and demonstrate mutual…

Both Educational Alternatives Inc. and Baltimore City Schools learned some hard lessons about contracting for educational services and funding politics. Administrators should anticipate conflict; secure community support; establish specific educational objectives, project milestones, funding-linked accountability mechanisms, and a time-frame;…

Discusses a qualitative study focused on specific success strategies gathered in interviews with women superintendents. Interpretations that cut across the narratives are expressed through the metaphoric framework provided by Carlos Castaneda's principles of power that govern the "riddle of the heart," or caring ethic. Successful women…

In 1996, South Dakota created the position of "chief executive officer" (CEO)--the lead administrator of a local school district without formal training in education. A survey completed by 126 certified superintendents and 29 self-reported CEOs compared the two groups' attitudes concerning their own professional development and the most…

Data were collected from reports prepared by consultants for 12 school boards that were involved in active superintendent searches. The reports reflected the comments of 88 school board members in the 12 districts. These are compared with the national recommended standards for preparing school leaders. The standard on community collaboration was…

Describes process for developing a successful superintendent-school board governance team to improve student achievement. (PKP)

Isolation, overwork, and political tensions are cited as contributors to burnout. Although recent studies report that a large majority of administrators are reasonably satisfied in their current positions, many are facing greater stress and heavier workloads. Expectations, time and financial constraints, and personnel matters pressure…