While Principal Norman Higgins was speaking at an out-of-town conference, his high school faculty voted to cancel final exams for seniors and hold a morale-raising picnic. Although some principals dole out site-based power only grudgingly, Higgins takes his coordinator role seriously and delegates loads of responsibility. This article details…

Results of a survey of 214 college presidents concerning their management styles are reported. Demographic characteristics are presented, observations about performance of basic management functions are made, advantages and disadvantages of style choices are examined, and similarities and differences between college presidents and executives…

AASA's new "Professional Standards for the Superintendency" specifies benchmarks for improving selection, preparation, development of America's school superintendents. Superintendents will be expected to work more as decentralized enablers than centralized controllers. Standards will increase respect for superintendency, encourage the…

It is argued that the traditional model of the heroic leader is no longer appropriate for complex higher education institutions and that presidential power should be limited to participation in a leadership team. Leadership is seen as the creation of partnerships between and among constituencies. (MSE)

If teachers perceive their principals as "closed"--inaccessible, unsupportive, and insecure--they are wary of efforts toward increased collaboration. With closed principals, teachers resort to micropolitical strategies, including avoidance, excessive rationality, ingratiation, confrontation, coalition-building, and deliberate noncompliance.…

Provides an assessment tool for day care center directors to distribute to their staff as a means of evaluating the director's leadership style and performance. Includes the survey, directions, and a scoring sheet. The article emphasizes that the director's leadership style is a powerful factor influencing organizational effectiveness. (GLR)

Uses observational and interview data to examine how two high school principals, one public and one parochial, exercised symbolic leadership to influence teachers' attitudes and behaviors. Findings reveal that symbolic leadership is the integration and communication of a principal's thoughts, words, and actions used to create, reinforce, and give…

Admission counselors (n=200) completed surveys about employment, title, on-the-job training, travel, and availability and satisfaction with certain responsibilities. Most satisfying admission responsibilities were program organization and implementation, applicant review and decision, and formal presentations. Least satisfying were telemarketing,…

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…

Describes an encounter group process using Van Servellen's (1984) systems' model and Yalom's (1985) therapeutic factors as a guide for analysis to resolve conflict among faculty. Presents use of structure, communication, and process components of the model that provided direction for group leaders to analyze small group interactions and select…

Examines the world of women's colleges in Victorian Britain, presenting much biographical information and period detail, with an aim toward illuminating the emotional and sexual dynamics of this milieu. (DM)

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…

Relationships among principal leadership style, personality type, and school climate were studied in urban and rural contexts using responses from 34 principals and 166 teachers in three similar school districts. No relationship was found between personality type and leadership style, and no urban/rural differences were found for these variables…

Discusses the predictable stages of professional development that child care directors experience. Lists the developmental tasks and professional development needs of four stages: organizing and surviving; managing and focusing; leading and balancing; and advocating and mentoring. (TJQ)

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)