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…

Findings of two studies on the relationship between principal and school effectiveness are presented in this paper. The first part describes a study that examined the perceptions of three constituent groups concerning school effectiveness. Questionnaires were distributed in 1988 to 132 junior primary and primary school principals and 305 parents…

Reflections of a retiring superintendent on the role of the superintendency are presented in this paper, which is based on an autobiographical account. The author decided to become a superintendent to validate the hypothesis that a superintendent could function as an educational and instructional leader, rather than as only a manager. Areas in…

Prospects for making formal principal preparation programs more relevant to actual administrator experience are described in this Digest. First, some of the deficiencies of traditional preparation programs are outlined. Next, ways in which shared decision making and decentralization have affected principals' preservice training needs are…

This paper presents findings of a study that described the work of four exemplary district-level administrators for curriculum and instruction (curriculum directors). Data on the four curriculum directors in a northwestern state were derived through structured and unstructured interviews, participant observation, and document analysis. The work of…

This paper provides guidelines for implementing a formal mentoring program for South African school principals. Based on a review of literature, the following steps are discussed in detail: (1) declaring intent; (2) determining the role players; (3) forming a planning committee; (4) implementing the program; and (5) evaluating the program.…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined the change process involved when four elementary schools implemented the accelerated schools model. Specifically, the study focused on transitions in parental roles that occurred when the schools changed from a conventional mode of organization to a participatory mode. The case study data were…

This book examines the leadership role of higher education chief student affairs officers (CSAO). Organized in three parts, Part One consists of four chapters that survey the CSAO's responsibilities as a campus leader. The first chapter describes the various roles and functions of the position and discusses its origins and evolution. Chapter Two…

Certain factors have been identified as crucial for the success of principals of large high schools (Woolley 1977; Prine 1983). Findings from a study to determine if these previously identified factors have withstood the impact of the education reform movement of the 1980s are presented in this paper. Specifically, the study sought to determine…

A study examining the competencies, experiences, and skills desired of administrators and counselors of performing and visual arts schools is described in this paper. Survey questionnaires were mailed to administrators and counselors at 189 schools in the United States. A total of 64 surveys were returned. Findings indicate that administrators…

This study was undertaken to provide a comparison of primary/elementary teachers' perceptions in Australia and the United States of the skills, competencies, and behavioral attributes that principals should possess to administer an effective school. Utilizing the Audit of Principal Effectiveness, 140 primary teachers in Australia and 347…

An analysis is conducted of the extent to which the stated goals and required academic and clinical experiences of the Oregon administrator preparation program were aligned with identified leader variables and the recommendations of recent educational administration reform reports. Variable categories were selection and admissions, content and…

Five recent studies included in this annotated bibliography highlight the diverse facets of an effective principal evaluation system. A technical report by Jerry W. Valentine and Michael L. Bowman includes a clinical instrument for assessing teachers' perception of principals' effectiveness. In a second report, Daniel L. Duke and Richard J.…

Twelve basic tenets can be used to guide administrators who want to become effective curriculum leaders. The following tenets are not formulas for success, but represent different ways of looking at curriculum leadership: (1) curriculum leaders' actions are guided by a curriculum model; (2) leaders use curriculum governance documents to identify…

Designed to explain how principals can shape school culture, this book first discusses current pressures for school reform and the different perspectives on school operations reflected in these reforms. Competing reform strategies are described, specifically, the human resources approach and the structural, political, free market, and school…