Development has traditionally been seen as part of a one-way street running from the researcher to the practitioner. Studies of the "mutual adaptation" of development products undercut this view of development and suggest that it should be seen as a two-way street that takes into account the practical knowledge of teachers and administrators. A…

One of a series of practitioner-oriented newsletters, the document provides elementary school principals with strategies for implementing effective public relations in the public schools. The article describes ways in which principals can assess their school's public relations needs, coordinate the various elements of communication, and evaluate…

The idea of "Executive Mind" carries with it the notion of purposeful and effective action. Part I of this paper characterizes three complements to "Executive Mind"--"Observing Mind,""Theorizing Mind," and "Passionate Mind"--and offers historical figures exemplifying all four types. The concluding…

Recommendations are offered to help administrators successfully implement mastery learning (ML). It is stated that: (1) ML requires watching both the achievement and satisfaction of learners; (2) consideration of teachers' knowledge and attitudes when training them in ML principles is critical; (3) a high level of skill and commitment is required…

Out of concern that agencies with the power and ability to provide much-needed research and development resources to help solve rural education problems will likely put their efforts into solving more visible urban problems, the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory's Rural Education Advisory committee met in 1983 to justify the need for…

This volume summarizes the reports of the following commissions and study groups on secondary school reform: (1) National Commission on Excellence in Education ("A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform"); (2) Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching ("High School: A Report on Secondary Education in America," by Ernest…

The fourth in a series of articles on the chief business official in public school districts examines the officials' access to computers. Data are summarized in seven tables that categorize responses by enrollment size. (MLF)

Based on a study of 30 exemplary programs in six states, this guide offers help to educators trying to serve students with mild learning handicaps (the learning disabled, mildly mentally retarded, and the mildly emotionally disturbed) in mainstream vocational classrooms. The document consists of seven chapters and an appendix. The first chapter…

Drawing from the theoretical background of Schon's concept of the "reflective practitioner," this study compares the ways in which superintendents and school board members view the future and examines their differing perceptions in order to identify possible loci of conflict between them. Board members and superintendents were asked to identify…

The principal of a newly opened elementary school implemented a practicum study designed to unify faculty, parents, staff, and children; add direction to the program; develop a sense of purpose; and increase participation. It was expected that a vision statement would be developed in the school's first year of operation, and that parents and staff…

This paper examines the relationship between demands for site-based management and restructuring as they bear on recent theory and research on power in organizations. It also defines and describes the new face of power in the schools--facilitative power, power exercised through, rather than over, subordinates. The bulk of the paper consists of an…

Research has provided an increasing amount of information about the work-related behaviors associated with effective school administrator practices. Considerably less is known about the factors that bring individuals to pursue school leadership positions and enroll in principal preparation programs. The focus of this paper is research on the…

Issues in preservice preparation of Canadian school administrators, with a focus on the effectiveness of a principal certification course implemented by the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), are described. A review of current preservice practices in Canada concludes that traditional programs are issues oriented and lack conceptual…

This book addresses the process of achieving, maintaining, and restoring academic and intellectual quality in American higher education. It argues that: (1) the fundamental mission of the undergraduate institution is to prepare learners through the use of words, numbers, and abstract concepts; and (2) public responsibility for the support of…

An analysis of the relationship between the history of the word "supervision" and the evolution of the American public education system, with a focus on women's roles, is presented in this paper. A historical overview of the role of educational supervision in the United States is followed by discussion of an alternative way of viewing supervision,…