According to a recent survey of Nebraska school board presidents, superintendencies most often fail because of poor people skills, failure to communicate, questionable ethics, and skirmishes over staffing. Fully 28 out of 75 incidents cited concerned problems with superintendents who were intimidating, reluctant to share information, publicly…

Of 75 small-district educational administrators identified as successful, a significant number displayed intuitive and thinking psychological types and preferred visionary rational leadership styles. This was particularly true for female administrators and was contrary to the traditional rational leadership style seen in earlier studies of…

A stakeholder approach was used in the development of a statewide educational performance monitoring system in Virginia--the Educational Performance Recognition program. Stakeholder groups included teachers, superintendents, school board members, and education group representatives. Responses of 58 stakeholders surveyed were positive. (SLD)

Educators considering the adoption of school-based management are advised to reflect carefully before jumping on the shared decision-making bandwagon. To aid this reflection, a checklist with 29 pertinent questions is provided. If school leaders proceed without realistic expectations or knowledge about the organizational changes involved, the…

Concerned about low reading achievement scores, the superintendent of an impoverished, rural Tennessee school district adopted Marie Carbo's reading styles program as a vehicle for a five-year learning improvement plan. The district aimed to improve classroom instruction through long-term staff development that inspired teachers to abandon…

An elementary school in a densely populated district with a heavy concentration of poor, minority, and immigrant students was scheduled for demolition because of highway construction. Kenneth L. Moffett, superintendent, took on a bureaucratic Goliath and secured a new school underground that is secure and beautiful. The school board named the…

Murfreesboro (Tennessee) City Schools extended the school day and year with no additional cost to taxpayers. Implementation was arduous and faced great resistance. Eventual solution made better use of the school system's capital assets and human resources, rearranged Chapter 1 money, required additional business support and parents' willingness to…

A Yuma (Arizona) elementary school district discovered that year-round schooling is doable, if the community is ready. Before proceeding, superintendents should do their homework, involve the community, form a support group to solidify acceptance, rally colleagues, develop a multiyear implementation plan, collect data on issues raised in the…

Recently, the National Center for Educational Leadership surveyed 35 Kentucky superintendents about changing roles since passage of the 1990 Kentucky Education Reform Act. Results showed that superintendents were learning to lead from the background, enhancing all stakeholders' participation, and working hard to manage reform requirements. Many…

Summarizes a study examining 17 (British) local education authorities' changing role and effectiveness, drawing on interview and survey data. Explores growing diversity among authorities, degree of effectiveness, contributions to quality and school improvement, and educational leadership. LEA Governors rated their LEA's performance more highly…

In 1988, the Mississippi Legislature established a public school rating system, ranging from 1 (probation) to 5 (exceptional). The new superintendent of Oxford Public Schools took only three years to make the level-3 district 1 of only 12 Mississippi school systems to achieve level 5 status. Reading Recovery helped. (MLH)

A Long Island superintendent (a former workaholic) explains his need for relaxation, uninterrupted family time, and behavior changes. He now takes all of his vacation time (without calling the office), delegates authority, and relaxes off the job. Superintendents are empowered to control their own wellness. (MLH)

Modern school executives have a bewildering number of management philosophies to choose from and a seemingly limitless supply of buzzwords and fads. In this poem, St. Peter (Heaven's chief executive) has trouble forming committees of subluminaries to help him decide which managerial types should enter the pearly gates. (MLH)

For three years, researchers at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform have documented public-engagement practices in various districts nationwide. Exemplary district-leadership strategies are profiled. Common elements include inclusive, indepth dialog; dedication to genuine school improvement; creation of dynamic partnerships; and candor,…

A 1997 report by Public Agenda, a nonpartisan public-opinion research firm, confirmed that educators deplore the quality of press coverage of public education. While questioning journalistic effectiveness and credibility, the study offers objective insights about citizens' expectations. Superintendents must communicate concerns to editors and…