Presents strategies for promoting school community relations with a district-wide communications program. Suggests working with news media at the district level, focusing on the journalistic values of proximity, timeliness, prominence, consequence, human interest, and conflict. Discusses the roles and responsibilities of the information officer,…

The University of Miami developed its debt-ridden intercollegiate baseball program into a source of substantial income and visibility, as better players and aggressive marketing helped with the increased attendance and support. Other institutions, even in more northern climates, are following Miami's example. (MSE)

Common threads have emerged in recent faculty-president disputes, reflecting a widening gulf between faculty eager to increase their influence and administrators under pressure from a variety of constituents to raise money, improve academic quality, control tuition costs, and maintain enrollment. (Author/MSE)

State directors of two-year college education were asked to rate the importance and time spent on 67 specific managerial activities and to identify the activities to which they should and would like to allocate more time. Long-range planning and staff development were of greatest interest to respondents, whereas negotiation was of least interest.…

This collection of seven short articles discusses the role of naturalistic observation in program evaluation. There are criteria that evaluators explicitly or implicitly use to reach conclusions. These papers discuss these criteria and try to determine what constitutes legitimate evaluation knowledge. (RB)

A superintendent of 12 years presents a guide for superintendent success in interpersonal skills. His precepts include: always demonstrate integrity; maintain a sense of humor; be prepared to lead; respond to the situation, not the person; give credit where it's due; and insist on an objective evaluation. (CJH)

Principals' job orientation has recently changed from school management to instructional leadership, though research indicates principals are instrumental in influencing student achievement gains. Effective schooling characteristics are synthesized, a diagnostic instrument of principals' training relative to instructional leadership is discussed,…

Recounts how careful planning and coordination, hard work, and a bit of theatrics helped secure line item funding in the Vermont state budget for parent child centers. (Author/BB)

Examines the effects of role conflicts and role ambiguities on university department chairpersons who belong to the University Council for Educational Administration. Concludes role ambiguity, especially in the areas of student affairs, departmental governance, faculty affairs, external communications, and professional development, increases job…

This article describes a survey of the characteristics of new-to-site superintendents in Kansas in the last three school years, focusing on the methods by which these administrators are evaluated and their own view about their evaluations.(Author/TE)

This study examined the patterns of perceived management and leadership roles of academic deans as held by 55 departmental chairpersons at a major research institition. Four models of governance (organized anarchy, bureaucratic, collegial, and political) were presented for consideration. Results are discussed. (MT)

Issue management, or positioning and managing an organization to take advantage of bad situations and best-case scenarios, is a valuable approach for educators. This article describes a four-step development process for social issues and lists five reasons to practice issue management. The key is using early anticipation to advantage. (MLH)

A study investigated the estimated time allotment of urban and rural secondary school principals in Nigeria to each of seven administrative functions. Results showed that location (rural or urban) was a determinant of estimated time spent on functions such as inspection, planning, coordination, evaluation, supervision, counselling, and public…

The growth of computer use into all areas of academic institutions has broadened and complicated the computer operations manager's job and has brought institution-wide management responsibilities, requiring more professional development in managerial skills. (MSE)

Teachers participating in a school's budget development understand better why resources are allocated as they are. Participative budgeting involves submission of prioritized requests by each department's teachers, review of the requests by the principal, and revision of the requests by department heads in response to each other's demonstrated…