Much of what ails urban education is actually the result of continuous or fragmentary reform efforts. A study of 57 school districts shows how political pressures drive reform, and suggests ways to nurture a more focused agenda for urban schools. The chapters are: (1) "The Politics of Urban School Reform"; (2) "Organizational and Personal…

This paper examines leadership in higher education, specifically in community colleges. The first section reviews current definitions and theories of education, including transactional leadership (where there is an exchange between the leader and the follower) and transformational leadership (where the leader tries to change the framework itself…

In 1988 the Illinois General Assembly passed an act that shifted decision making authority on budgetary, curricular, and personnel issues from central offices to local school councils (LSCs). Eleven principals were interviewed at the end of the first year of reform implementation to learn about their early perceptions of reform initiatives and how…

Findings of a case study that examined ways in which an urban high school principal successfully improved an urban high school are presented in this paper, with attention to social interaction processes. Data were collected through interviews with the principal and 10 teachers and through questionnaires administered to the 10 teachers. Findings…

Practical strategies to help principals manage their time more effectively are offered in this guidebook. Because superintendents' expectations of principals' duties often contrast with the amount of time principals actually expend in performing various duties, this lack of understanding and time results in the "hurried principal syndrome."…

Findings of a study that examined the effects of a statewide mentoring program for Illinois principals are presented in this paper, with a focus on the reasons for principals' behavior changes. Methodology involved interviews with six pairs of mentors and proteges, site observations, and artifact collection. Conclusions are that: (1) principals…

A review of literature on the principal's changing role in shared decision making is provided in this paper, which discusses the following areas: policy development; the egalitarian ethic for teacher participation; the principal/faculty relationship; the principal's functions in shared decision making; and elements of successful decision making.…

This study, proposed by the West Virginia School Boards Association at the request of the West Virginia Legislature's Oversight Committee was designed to examine the kinds of decisions and nature of actions of local school boards in West Virginia between July 1985 and July 1990. A qualitative research design consisting of emergent category…

Findings of a study that explored differences in the degree and type of burnout experienced by California elementary school principals are presented in this paper. Data were derived from a survey that was mailed to a stratified random sample of 200 California elementary principals--100 from year-round and 100 from traditional-calendar schools.…

Using some dictionary definitions, one might easily infer that supervision of teaching is a managerial/administrative function closely related to evaluation and control, implying hierarchical connotations. However, Guthrie and Reed (1991) describe teacher supervision as "a function of leadership concerned with improving, enhancing, and reinforcing…

As contributions to community colleges from traditional sources such as government agencies and alumni have declined in the current economic climate, corporations have emerged as a significant source of potential revenue. The task of securing gifts from corporations usually falls to the college president, who must understand that: (1) corporations…

The School-Based Improvement Project (SBIP) is a cooperative venture between the Office of Community Education of the Massachusetts Department of Education and the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (MASS). SBIP is a multiyear professional-development initiative designed to improve the leadership of superintendents who are engaged…

Findings of a study that examined the key elements necessary for administrative instructional leadership in elementary schools are presented in this paper, with a focus on the conflict between the use of power and collaboration. Interviews were conducted with 8 elementary school principals (3 men and 5 women) who were identified as exemplary…

This paper describes the experience of a non-Catholic Chair of a Communications Department during the University of Portland's (UP) on-going "return to Catholicity." The papal statement "Ex Corde Ecclesiae" on Catholic institutions and a recently completed UP strategic planning process intended to focus the university to be…

This paper presents findings of a study that investigated the size and composition of the corps of school district administrators in North Carolina. Findings suggest that most North Carolina school districts are staffed traditionally with regard to administration--concentrating on district operation, the instructional program, and federal or state…