In developing a vision of schools capable of responding effectively to their challenges to change, futurists and reformers must solve two closely linked problems inherent in their positions. One problem is the risky business of predicting the future social and economic consequences of present trends; the other is the improbability of accurately…

A recent study conducted by a midwestern university research center surveyed 47 school districts who were members of a university-school district collaborative. Respondents indicated that the changing roles of teachers and principals were an important issue. This paper presents findings of a subsequent study based on indepth interviews with the…

On average, leaders are engaged in one form or another of communication for about 70 percent of their waking moments. This digest provides suggestions for school leaders who want to increase the effectiveness of those interactions. A first step is to recognize that listening is the skill most essential to effective communication. Other skills of…

Effective library instruction and library services in rural or small schools often depend upon the personalities of and working relationships between library personnel and the school principal. Confrontations between rural- and small-school principals and library specialists generally fall into two categories of precipitating situation: censorship…

A new paradigm for mentoring is necessary in today's companies, which Peter Senge has referred to as "learning organizations" (Senge 1990). This book argues that mentoring in learning organizations today means valuing creativity over control, fostering growth by facilitating learning, and helping others get smart, not only get ahead. In the new…

Making an association of Directors of Religious Education (DREs) involves complex decisions that lead to complex actions. This guidebook describes a process for building lasting associations, the goal of which is to organize people around a common purpose. Following the introduction, chapters 2 through 5 outline stages of the process: identify…

Research has demonstrated that corporations succeed or fail on the basis of how well they are led. Although the importance of leadership in organizational decision making has been recognized and studied extensively, numerous studies have also demonstrated the central role that the principal plays in shaping the school culture which, in turn, is a…

Researchers who have focused on issues of interpersonal communication in organizations have concluded that it is an essential component of organizational life. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the role conceptions of principals in the Centenial Schools Program (CSP) and those of principals in non-CSP schools. Communicator…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined how six women headteachers in Great Britain worked as school leaders. Data were obtained through observation, joint inquiry, structured conversations, and life-history interviews. The study drew on Wallace and Hall's (1994) power-culture metaphor, which stated that individuals make different…

This paper explores one approach to principal evaluation based on the interaction of principals with the social system of schools. The paper examines some dynamics that shape a social-context/student-achievement connection and their application to principal evaluation. The first part provides a brief background on current principal-evaluation…

Findings of a study that explored the impact of shared governance on the principal's role are presented in this paper. Methodology included two telephone interviews and one onsite observation with 15 principals from 10 elementary, 1 middle, and 4 high schools in rural and suburban communities in Georgia. The schools participated in shared…

This report describes a mentoring pilot project developed by the Massachusetts Department of Education to meet the staff training and development needs of workplace educators in a National Workplace Literacy Program. The mentoring concept was chosen because one-on-one relationships between experienced and less experienced workplace educators were…

This paper explores the ways of speaking emerging in a Japanese hospital in response to adoption of a foreign concept, "preceptorship," a nursing educational program for training novices in real working environments. The paper notes that although the program was first developed in English-speaking countries, Japanese nurses have recently…

A pilot study interviewed 8 part-time faculty members at universities or colleges in Northeast Ohio to investigate the socialization of part-time faculty members in academic settings. Results showed that part-time faculty: (1) often feel isolated and lament not being able to establish professional and personal relationships with peers; (2) believe…

This booklet explains the value of networking--a procedure for establishing connections, securing information, and making problem-solving bridges out of shared experiences of work. It advises looking for networking opportunities to discover career strategy techniques as well as to provide support and, perhaps, to find a new or better job. The…