Stories of five superintendents who are trying different approaches to reach the same organizationwide goal--learning communities in their school districts. Also a first-person perspective by Illinois Superintendent Thomas W. Many on his district's early steps to achieve this goal. (Contains 11 references.) (MLF)

Describes school reform in Chicago between 1995 and 2001, focusing on the leadership and policies of former superintendent Paul Vallas. Outlines some of the programs that led to educational improvement. Commends Vallas for his accomplishments as an educational administrator and praises him for his professional integrity and commitment. (WFA)

This article profiles Velma Dolphin Ashley, a Black woman educator who served as superintendent of schools in Boley (Oklahoma) from 1944 to 1956. During her superintendency, Ashley was responsible for instructional activities in a correctional institution for delinquent Black youth, as well as for administering the all-Black school district. (AF)

Little is known about the relationship between school boards and superintendents. Structured interviews in six districts revealed that behavioral inclinations of board members ranged from passive acquiescence to proactive supportiveness to restive vigilance. Superintendents' behaviors were "more controlling" and "less controlling." Respondents…

Recent "Executive Educator" survey of 900 out of 6,200 randomly selected school executives found high school principals had the longest work week; 95.3% reported working over 50 hours weekly. Fully 78% of school executives are devoting more time to educational improvement changes. Despite stressors and salary complaints, most are content with…

Examination of superintendent turnover rates in Nebraska's K-12 and high school-only districts during a 10-year period revealed that average tenure for a school superintendent was almost a year less than the national average and that average tenures in both the largest and smallest school districts were shorter than national and Nebraska averages.…

Whereas a controversial new book claims that racial background is a strongly associated with intelligence and achievement in life, the Surrey County (Virginia) Schools are proving that success depends more on expectations. Under Superintendent C.P. Penn's direction, the largely black, rural county has become a state leader in the percentage of…

This interview with Constance Clayton, superintendent of the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) public schools, and Michelle Fine, professor of psychology and consultant, discusses the Philadelphia Schools Collaborative, a nonprofit organization established to lead the restructuring of the city's high schools. Central to the effort is the concept of…

Having rewritten W. Edwards Deming's 14 points from an educational perspective, the superintendent of a state-run boarding school serving native Alaskans describes the transformation that the school and his own administrator role have undergone thanks to systems thinking and a paradigm shift demanding change at the top. (MLH)

The Professional Studies Doctorate is a new 3-year administrator preparation program at Texas A&M University that blends theory, research, and clinical experiences for a select cohort of 14 practicing school leaders. The program includes intensive summer seminars, extended clinical weekend sessions, and ongoing evaluation and research…

Based on a study of five major school systems, concludes following about site-based management: it is a reform of entire system; it will lead to real changes only if it is basic reform strategy; it will evolve over time and develop distinctive characters, goals, operating styles; it requires rethinking of accountability; parental choice is…

Analyzes interviews with 81 Nebraska superintendents who had experienced "critical incidents" in their dealings with school board members. Of the 5 main categories, the most frequently cited were the following: (1) problems with relatives and friends (23 percent); (2) personal agendas (21 percent); and (3) disputes over hiring and firing…

Local system for public school governance has changed little since early twentieth century, when conception of school boards as trusteeships and superintendents as chief managers changed school-operating boards into policy boards. Since the late 1960s, local boards have reverted to politicized boards, increasingly involved in district…

Most school board members and superintendents want to leave a lasting legacy to their district. To do this, they need to acknowledge that large-scale change is complex and takes time and that the system will outlast them. Board members can give their communities the gifts of vision, process, and competence. (MLF)

A Montana superintendent and presidential appointee explains federal initiatives (funded programs and directives) that school leaders can apply to their own violence-prevention work. These include support for zero-tolerance policies, community programs, afterschool activities, and school-uniform policies. Resource centers are listed. (MLH)