The changing role of the local school district superintendent is examined in this paper, which focuses on the link between the local education executive officers and school effectiveness. It is argued that the concept of the superintendency has changed from that of a manager to that of the leader of school district quality and effectiveness. Four…

This book on institutional leadership and in particular on how to develop a leadership style that springs from a shared vision of an organization's future, or "visionary leadership," contains nine chapters divided into three parts. Part 1, "What Vision is and Why It Matters," contains two chapters, which define vision, explain why it is important…

This document examines transformational leadership, which focuses on the importance of teamwork and comprehensive school improvement, as an alternative to other modes of leadership. Transformational leadership is contrasted with: (1) instructional leadership, which encompasses hierarchies and leader supervision and usually excludes teacher…

Outdoor leadership aims to assist outdoor participants in making logical and safe transitions from the routine of everyday life to a positive interaction with the natural world. Designed for outdoor leaders and administrators of recreational, educational, and adventure programs, this book provides an overview of current professional practices in…

This book provides a personal look at the styles of several school leaders, probes the literature on school leadership, and explores some of the instruments designed to measure leadership style. The introduction explains the need to change leadership styles as education changes. Chapter 1 examines the redefinition of leadership roles and the role…

The instructional behaviors and related competencies of school superintendents and the contexts in which they occur are investigated in this qualitative study. Methodology involved grounded theory-based content analysis of indepth interviews with a reputationally identified sample of 48 Texas school superintendents. Analysis of behaviors produced…

Noncoercive student management practices to promote quality school work are examined in this book, which is based on the assertion that student motivation to perform quality work should not be compromised by focusing on minimal goals, such as dropout reduction and discipline problems. Replacement of the traditional coercive, divisive management…

Leadership styles based on Bass's model of transformational and transactional leadership are explored in this report. Questionnaires were administered to staff and faculty at 45 private secondary schools in the southeast United States to determine the headmasters' leadership qualities. Factors of transformational leadership include charisma,…

The ways in which a Hispanic female superintendent led her school district toward stability and excellence are described in this report, with a focus on four elements that differentiate the work of urban school superintendents from that of others. Four years of data were collected through interviews with the superintendent, observations of group…

Findings from a study investigating and comparing differences in problem-solving approaches between novice and expert elementary school principals are reported in this paper, which focuses on the interview phase of the data collection process. Interview questions were designed to explore and compare the ways in which principals perceived…

This report describes efforts to test a model of leadership effectiveness that centers on "macro variables" and "discretionary leadership." Macro variables were represented by the complexity of the environment, context, and structure of a unit. Discretionary leadership was defined as influence over and above that typically…

Reports an experimental study of six Child Psychology classes that compared the effects of two types of leadership, Initiation Structure (teacher centered) and Consideration Leadership (personalized), on the educational growth of students in six areas (e.g. subject matter, attitudes toward children). Concludes that a combination of the two…

A study investigated the conversational forms leaders employ, exploring the relationship between leaders' conversations and symbolic outcomes. It was hypothesized (1) that effective conversations by leaders would be characterized by coordinated management episodes, positive spirals, perfunctory rituals, and value expressive rituals, whereas…

The purpose of this research report is to explore practices that teachers can use to respond to behavior problems in their classes. Preliminary discussion focuses on understanding the context of student behavior and identifying student behavior problems early. Positive responses to student behavior problems are discussed in terms of the following…

Intended as part of a larger study of the effects of anticipated or unanticipated changes in the chief executive officer (CEO) of a community college, a case study approach was taken to gather primary data from a multi-campus, urban community college that had recently experienced a CEO succession. The study focused on the effects of the CEO change…