Purpose: The purpose of this research is to report on the values practised by five effective secondary principals and to seek to identify common values that underpin their work practices. Design/methodology/approach: Principals were observed, each for two days, at work in their schools. From the observations of each principal activities were…

This article draws on findings from a larger international study and the literature to examine successful principals of challenging high-poverty schools in the USA, England, and Australia. Specifically, this article reports case-study findings for 13 challenging schools, 4 each in the USA and Australia and 5 in England. Findings from this study…

This paper summarizes research findings related to the performance behaviors of effective school principals. It identifies eight characteristics of effective schools: (1) schoolwide measurement and recognition of academic success; (2) high emphasis on curriculum articulation; (3) support for instructional tasks; (4) high expectations and clear…

This paper uses the seven principles of "stalking," the cultural wisdom for training Yaqui Indian warriors as described by Carlos Castenada, as a framework for organizing insights shared by successful women superintendents. "Stalking" is a metaphor for the process through which women seek success as superintendents. The research used a modified…

Stewardship is the willingness of the leader to serve for the well-being of the school, rather than through controlling stakeholders. Stewards are capable of turning their schools into learning organizations, in which all stakeholders share a feeling of ownership. This book is a sequel to "The Principal's Edge," which covered the first 9 of the 21…

Issues in nonverbal communication and their implications for school personnel directors are examined in this literature review. The first section presents research findings pertaining to the nonverbal behavior of school administrators, particularly that of principals. Literature on nonverbal behavior exhibited during the employment interview is…

This paper presents an overview of literature and research on the effective preparation of school leaders. Recent research has called for greater collaboration among stakeholders and effective internships. Another way to deliver performance-based preparation is through the use of assessment centers, a validated process for measuring an aspiring…

This handbook presents findings of a study that examined the outcomes of the Chief Executive Officer Leadership Development Program, which was developed by the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL). The 1-year program was comprised of classroom sessions, coaching, journal writing, and learning projects. Data were derived from: (1) a pre-program…

Research concerning the changing roles of the school principal is summarized in this paper, with a focus on the historical conflict between the instructional leadership and administrative roles. Efforts in educational reform are reviewed, which have brought about school restructuring, role conflict, and changes in communication. A review of reform…

This paper presents the issues relating to, the rationale, and the methodology for the implementation of a process-based organizational structure. Following an overview of leadership theory and traditional organizational structure, a model of the circular organization is presented. In the circular organization, the leader occupies a middle, rather…

In The Netherlands, schools are becoming more and more responsible for the successful implementation of large-scale innovations initiated by governmental policy. The nature of transformational leadership and its relation to teachers' changed practice within the Dutch context of school restructuring and change is examined in this paper. The paper…

Since superintendents are keenly aware of the strengths and weaknesses of active principals, an investigation was conducted of principalship-preparation curricular needs, as determined by superintendents. The subjects included superintendents from 64 parish-school districts and two city-school districts in Louisiana. The survey instrument…

School planning is a critical process in melding a school with its educational programs in order to facilitate the efficient operation of these programs, and the administrative planner is central to the success of this process. This publication assists the planner in identifying the people and organizations that should become involved in the…

The first part of a research effort to examine the utility of a leadership model (Moss and Liang 1990) identified leadership attributes needed by successful vocational administrators. In a follow-up to this research, state-level administrators in seven states were interviewed to nominate successful administrators. The top "ranked" administrators…

This report offers recommendations made by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) University Consortium for improving the secondary principalship. Several premises require agreement within the profession: the definition of administrative competence and its assessment; the need for quality control; the role of state…