Strategies that school superintendents use to develop and implement school improvement plans in response to state mandates were studied through interviews with 30 Maine superintendents and assistant superintendents. Results indicate that imposition of state standards may ignore superintendents' interpretations that shape the approach to meeting…

The important concepts undergirding school-based management are greater budgetary autonomy, district-level support for local school needs assessments and plans, allowed deviations from district normative expectations, better onsite decision-making opportunities, and a total district commitment to instructional and administrative excellence. In…

Spurred by the high turnover of urban school chiefs, school boards are trying to lock in outstanding incumbents by offering "golden handcuff" provisions such as trust funds, extended contracts, and supplemental salary and housing benefits. A sidebar describes a Jackson (Mississippi) superintendent's $100,000 escrow account as a…

By directing the change from an MBO system to a building-based goal program, a Pennsylvania superintendent enabled each building's staff and community to focus on an individual area of need (environmental education), as determined by a grassroots needs assessment effort. Students, parents, teachers, and administrators gathered and analyzed data,…

Highlights several articles with relevance for outcomes accreditation, focusing on the education and power of superintendents, reasons for the failure of school reform efforts, the value of educational research, educational leadership, principals' perceptions of educational reform, teacher conflicts/participation in shared decision making,…

When Issaquah (Washington) superintendent, after battling a brain tumor, entered the hospital for the last time, school district had to develop a crisis plan to deal with the possible death of the superintendent. A contingency planning team developed a telephone tree for school officials to keep in close contact with teachers and administrators.…

Although typical school administration program deserves criticism, it would be impossible for a university-based preparation program to cover all topics identified in AASA's "Professional Standards for Superintendents." Universities understandably stress theory and cannot substitute for rich professional development program in school…

Describes a hypothetical situation (a year-long planning process involving a superintendent, school board, and community) intended to remind administrators of the key elements in facilities planning that are inherent in their roles as educational leaders. (SR)

Presents results of a survey of school superintendents concerning impacts of school choice. Cites improved parent participation, interdistrict competition, educational opportunities for those of limited means, and identification of districts needing special services as reasons favoring parental choice. Reports that superintendents identified…

Describes how the Victor Valley Union High School District (California) established an assessment center to help select a superintendent. School superintendents can be selected through the use of role-playing exercises that test their ability to handle the difficult responsibilities of the superintendency. (MLF)

Selected to replace a dismissed superintendent in Loudoun County (Virginia), Ed Hatrick has won support from teachers and the school board by open communication. Faced with budget cuts, Hatrick is stretching school funds by sharing some resources with the county and combining some jobs in small elementary schools. (MLF)

The Institute for Executive Leadership at Lewis and Clark College (Portland, Oregon) prepares superintendents to become managers of culture, rather than technicians adept at applying behavioral skills. Clinical knowledge is holistic, created from practice, and embodies a cycle of experience, feedback, reflection, and conceptualization. The…

As New York City Schools' Chancellor Joseph Fernandez and staff worked to save jobs and essential services without drastically cutting services or fragmenting the teaching force, they uncovered layers of scandal and corruption. Board was uncooperative and too inexperienced to understand subtle differences between policymaking and administration.…

A survey of 111 Ohio superintendents, principals, and agriculture instructors (86 percent) found general agreement that adult agricultural education programs benefit the community, school, participants, and teachers. They agreed that the adult clientele should assume some financial responsibility for participation. More explicit school and…

Because school violence is not confined to cities, even rural administrators and board members have become legally responsible for addressing the issue. To prevent lawsuits and ensure school safety, districts must have an official policy, knowledge about potentially disruptive students, law enforcement liaisons, and inservice education for…