Principals are positioned at the center of school improvement. In the United States, current turnaround reforms target the principalship as a key lever for change. This article uses institutional theory to explore the logics of turnaround leadership that steer principals and their work. Specifically, we draw on qualitative interview data from a…

Educators in the United States have worked for decades to create school environments where exciting learning takes place, with students deeply engaged as they expand their ways to explore new knowledge. Although some schools provide cutting-edge opportunities for middle-class students, the challenges continue for underserved students who start…

Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) faces increasing teacher attrition and unsustainable levels of stress among teachers. Citywide pressures, such gentrification and lack of transportation, impact schools and teachers. OUSD currently has wellness programs both district provided (the Office of Health and Wellness) and through district…

The purpose of this ethnographic case study was to explore the fundraising roles of 3 tenured academic department heads within a College of Education at a large, public, research-focused, doctoral-granting university. The following research questions were used to conduct the study: (a) What roles, if any, do academic department heads presently…

Principals play key roles in creating the conditions in which teachers can teach effectively and students can learn. Principals are increasingly being held accountable both for teacher quality and for student learning and development so that young people can become 'successful learners, confident and creative individuals and active and informed…

With so many disruptive forces at work in higher education, colleges and universities are faced with the imperative to change not just technologies and processes, but behaviors and mindsets. In part one of a two-part series, change-management experts share six ways to foster large-scale transformations on campus. "Campus Technology"…

The idea that principals should focus more closely on teaching and learning did not emerge prominently until the mid-1990s. Then educators and policy makers began to realize that school leadership matters to student achievement. In a dozen years of working with states, districts, researchers and others, the Wallace Foundation has pinpointed five…

Dwight Carter admits he was a novice at social networking when he was introduced to the 140-character world of Twitter in 2010. Now, three years later, the principal of Ohio's Gahanna Lincoln High School and one of three winners of the 2013 National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Digital Principal Award does not know what he…

This article examines illustrative cases of partnerships from a government-funded programme of experimental projects in England designed to test out the potential of senior business managers to provide leadership across a group of schools. The article places the programme within the context of international public service reforms and, more…

This study attempts to identify the difficulties facing the educational supervision processes in the public schools of the Directorate of Education at Jarash Governorate, Jordan, by surveying the principals of these schools. The sample size consisted of (143) male and female principals in the Governorate of Jarash Directorate of Education. In…

The February 2011 Canterbury earthquake was a dramatic reminder of the need for schools to have emergency management plans in place. A number of other disaster and hazard events have historically caused New Zealand schools to close temporarily, and often within a short time frame. At such times principals must act decisively and communicate…

In the sphere of education, social media has posed enormous challenges and unleashed its potential as a venue to communicate with stakeholders. This case is a fictionalized version of several real cases related to the school leaders' struggle with utilizing social media to accomplish changes in schools. This case describes two high school…

School-community partnerships have become one avenue for educators to invest in the child by partnering with sources beyond school walls. Yet, it has been argued that partnerships simply serve current interests and agendas (Anderson, 1998) and do little to offer authentic change (Auerbach, 2010; Popkewitz, 2004). Thus, school-community…

The introspective, cognitive act of reflection is linked with professional growth for teachers (National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, 2010; National Council on Teaching America's Future, 2009; Learning Forward, 2009). However, current federal, state, and local mandates, policies, structures, and procedures in schools do not always…

With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2002) and the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004), the inclusion of students with disabilities (SWDs) in general education classrooms has become more prevalent within our public schools (DuFour & Eaker, 1998; Mcleskey et al., 2010). Current…