This book was designed as a resource to help school principals and other school leaders become more effective on the job. The seven steps to effective instructional leadership outlined in the volume have been validated by research and can be adapted to a variety of teaching environments--rural, urban, high school, middle, or elementary school.…

A number of states and school districts have taken the five factors of the "Effective Schools Formula" (strong leadership, high expectations of students, emphasis on basic skills, orderly environment, and frequent student evaluations) and applied them in school improvement programs. Some researchers and practitioners have reservations…

Without proper background, education, guidance, and on-the-job training, a principal can create havoc within the school community. To safeguard against this potential problem, during the 1986-87 school year, the Polk County (Florida) Public Schools introduced a "principal intern" program to fully prepare its future school administrators.…

In order to assess some of the major problems and frustrations faced by beginning administrators, a study investigated nine first- and second-year public school administrators in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Questions asked the principals centered on their recollections of the most challenging problems faced and what was hardest for them as…

The "Leadership Continuum" model developed in 1961 by R. Tannenbaum, I. Weschler, and F. Massarik clearly illustrates the ideas that management scholars like Frederick Taylor, V. A. Graicunas, James Worthy, Rensis Likert, and Frederick Thayer have posited concerning span of control and organizational structure. Each of these scholars…

The relationship between the leadership of African-American principals and African-American student academic achievement in more successful African-American elementary schools in California is examined within the 11 chapters of this book. The study attempted to determine how the African-American principals (who had been in their positions at least…

This study was the third in a series of national studies of the high school principalship dating back to the early 1960s. Its major purpose was to analyze and describe high school leaders and their schools. This volume describes the characteristics and behaviors of high performing principals (type "A") and typically performing principals ("type…

In this report, the collective experience of non-professional support staff in academic libraries is suggested to be an invaluable--and often overlooked--human resource in long-range library planning. At Indiana State University Libraries, a special staff development activity was formulated to tap the creative energy of the library support staff…

Conflict is a basic social process; there is no conceivable way of removing all conflict from an organization. Interpersonal conflict, often created by interdependency of people and tasks within an organization, lowers staff morale and employee productivity and drives people away. Difficult employees who foster conflicts fall into five distinct…

Personal reflection on the role of college or university presidents and how their professional academic preparation influences how they accomplish things is presented. Evidence of the sociological imagination is noted. A review of how others have viewed their positions as president is included. In a recent summary, findings on the college…

Restructuring of the Florida education system calls for fundamental changes in curriculum and instruction, authority, staff accountability, reward and incentive systems, and the relationship between schools and others. Five examples of the current school restructuring initiatives were presented at the Florida Conference on School Restructuring:…

This report presents the results of a 7-month study and conversation among field-based educators who attempted to respond to the challenges and responsibilities facing beginning principals. Documented is the role of the principal in affecting the success of school buildings. Apparent in this body of research is the need for the principal to be…

This paper reports upon a study on the effectiveness of participatory school administration, leadership and management (PSALM) as perceived by 282 stakeholders in one school division in the Philippines. The study also examined the correlation between the indicators of PSALM effectiveness and the trust levels of the stakeholders. Questionnaires…

Published in collaboration with the National Institute for Leadership Development (NILD), this monograph reports on a study of leading-edge community college presidents. The authors cluster the 22 competencies identified through the study into four categories. Each category is presented as a chapter which identifies and provides examples of the…

This study examined the perceptions of school board chairs and teacher leaders regarding the work-related behaviors of Alabama's elected and appointed local school superintendents. A mailed survey sought information on: demographics; work-related behaviors identified as essential for successful school system leadership; perceptions of…