Board members are accustomed to looking after the financial health of their institutions by reviewing budgets, revenue projections, capital needs, or the approval of specific expenditures. At many institutions the board only rarely gets to look directly at the heart of the academic enterprise: the quality of teaching and learning. However, growing…

This paper draws on the experience of the Sebastopol Union School District, a small school district in California, which formed a team to manage facilities renovation. The team was comprised of the district superintendent, the architect, a construction manager, and a facility/financial consultant; it allowed the district to succeed at the school…

A field hearing of the United States House of Representatives' Committee on Education and the Workforce, entitled "Closing the Achievement Gap by Improving Reading Instruction," was held at Lancaster Elementary School in Orlando, Florida, on November 13, 2001. The hearing begins with welcoming statements by the committee chairman and one…

The role of assistant principal is one of the least researched and discussed topics in professional journals and books on educational leadership. The ambiguity of the role allows for the ineffective use of this position and makes it a particularly difficult role to fulfill. This book can be used as a guide for practicing assistant principals and…

This document discusses Los Angeles City College's (LACC) (California) Shared Governance Model. In response to California Assembly Bill 1725, LACC set forth a plan to implement the statutory requirements of shared governance. Shared governance is a concept grounded in the idea that decision-making is a process that affects the entire campus…

This handbook for the presidents of California community college academic senates addresses the California Academic Senate's history, state legislation pertaining to academic senates, the duties of local senate presidents, and strategies for increasing the effectiveness of academic senates. The Academic Senate in California began in 1963, with the…

This checklist is designed to help paraeducators, teachers, and principals understand their roles and responsibilities as they relate to each other. It offers tips for teachers on working effectively with paraeducators, practical suggestions for paraeducators on clarifying their jobs and relationships with students and school staff, and advice for…

This article presents a series of arguments supporting greater use of mediation as a tool for conflict resolution in higher education contexts. The structure of higher education is explored, as are rationales for mediation from the point of view of students, faculty and administrators. [This content was originally published in: "The Fourth R,"…

The concept of the principal as the sole instructional leader of a school is quickly changing. Substantial evidence from schools with successful instructional programs indicate this responsibility has been spread among many staff members. Teachers who have been trained in the functions of leadership, instruction, and student learning are becoming…

Schools must have the capacity to change. School administrators must be able to find a balance in distributing administrative authority in schools. In an effort to evoke meaningful change within the organization of secondary school structures, administrators must be advocates of change and support their staff members by decentralizing key roles by…

This paper discusses the similarities of issues faced by academic and corporate leaders. Both types of institutions must adapt to the same societal, economic, and political pressures. These include rapidly changing markets, heightened competition, new technologies, and demands for accountability by multiple constituencies. Both industrial and…

Intercollegiate debate programs are facing a continuing demand for excellence without any guarantee of adequate resources. Important considerations for program administrators include: be positive, not negative; look for opportunities to build alliances with political science or philosophy departments; be a responsible administrator; and deal with…

This study examined the design of associate deans' positions within the context of the top 50 colleges and schools of education, focusing on three design parameters (job specialization, formalization of behavior in carrying out the job, and training and indoctrination required for the job). Researchers examined data derived from a compilation of…

This report presents information from North Carolina middle school principals and teacher leaders on the characteristics of effective middle school teachers. Principals indicated that knowledge, organization, and passion were the top middle school teacher characteristics. The report suggests that there are three types of teacher leaders: those who…

This is the second of two volumes telling the story of the author, an influential figure in higher education. This volume tells how the University of California evolved, under Kerr's leadership, into the institution it is today. Part 1, "Introduction," contains: (1) "Politicizing the Ivory Tower." Part 2, "Impacts of…