A study attempted to develop an organizational communication competence scale that focuses on both communication skills as well as appropriate role behavior within an organizational communication context. A 30-item scale, later reduced to 12 items, was administered to 245 undergraduate students enrolled in a basic speech course. Responses were…

Executive coaching is an increasingly popular means of accelerating professional growth and enhancing managerial performance. Unlike most other training and development options, coaching is completely personalized and private. This guide offers practical suggestions and tips to aid in understanding the nature of a coaching engagement and in…

Leadership has been the central focus of research in the field of educational administration. Most studies have been based on the experiences of white males. It is important for women to be able to identify and evaluate their own personal characteristics. This study was conducted to increase awareness of the characteristics and attributes of…

The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, under the direction of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, agreed to implement a professional development policy tailored to the needs of 19 participating principals their and respective urban schools in Jefferson County, Kentucky. Following an intensive job shadowing program during the…

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…

Research into school reform has established that effective leadership is essential for developing high-performing schools. But across the country public school districts are reporting a decrease in applications for administration positions. Using data from Connecticut, this paper examines administrators' and teachers' perceptions of administrative…

Sketches a picture of how different institutions of learning engender different working and business environments for department heads. Discusses various departmental activities and how the departmental environment affects their success or failure. (HB)

Describes responses of six higher education administrators (three females and three males) regarding how gender affects the workings of higher education administration. Discusses responses in six categories: undergirding framework, infrastructures, speech patterns, operational styles, conflict, and dress. (SR)

To promote strong parent/teacher relationships, principals must articulate a vision and find ways to support it, use regulations and research to battle resistance, provide forums for parents, use parent volunteers in meaningful ways, build networks for parents and students, work with students, and express appreciation for partnership efforts. (MLH)

In the summer 1996 issue of this journal, Donal M. Sacken analyzed 252 cases of administrator-initiated litigation arising from adverse personnel decisions. Chester C. Kent criticizes Sacken for specifically: (1) the indiscriminate mixture of involuntary demotions with demotions and terminations for cause; (2) creating a nontraditional format as a…

A study of 262 randomly selected American Association of School Administrators members shows insufficient awareness of the association's code of ethics. As in Dexheimer's 1968 study, the majority of responses to a borderline ethical dilemma were unethical. Ethics scores were higher for superintendents with larger districts, larger salaries, and…

Discusses Louisiana case wherein a federal district court judge ruled that an elementary principal violated the Establishment Clause by distributing Bibles to students. Includes Supreme Court's three-part "Lemon" test to determine if government practice violates the Establishment Clause. (PKP)

Examines whether life experience may alter orientation of locus of control, based on random surveys of 112 Israeli principals and their supervisors. Successful principals have a basic orientation toward an internal locus of control. Regarding work, they tend more toward an external locus than less successful colleagues. (Contains 34 references.)…

Examines factors affecting teacher expectancy through hierarchical linear modeling of data from two large-scale surveys of teachers working in schools with high-stakes accountability programs. Finds following significant predictors of teacher expectancy: Teacher perceptions of program fairness, student performance feedback, lack of goal conflict,…

The actions of chief executive officers (CEOs) in all fields are coming under intensified scrutiny for a number of reasons. Individuals in positions of high responsibility are increasingly faced with demands for accountability--both corporate and personal--that are relatively new to the great majority of these men and women. They are, in many…