Great leaders are made, not born. Written by the authors of "From Good Schools to Great Schools," this sequel shows how great school leaders can be developed and how leaders can acquire the powerful personal leadership characteristics that the best administrators use to lead their schools to greatness. Based on sound strategies and the work of Jim…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of successful small-school superintendents in regard to maintaining or improving district efficiency and financial status. This investigation sought to reveal superintendent practices that serve to maximize district revenues and improve operating efficiency. Face-to-face interviews were…

What distinguishes successful schools from unsuccessful schools? This question has relevance for the practice of educational leadership as well as the preparation of leaders. Successful schools are led by principals who set the direction and influence student learning, and who change the instructional process by focusing deliberately on teaching…

Two significant problems attend principal preparation today: the quality and experience of candidates for preparation and the "y'all come" attitude of programs driven by demands for enrollments. These issues are abetted by a long history of non-selective practices in accepting candidates into preparation programs and the distinct lack of…

Interim assessments are hot in American schools. Also called benchmark or periodic tests, these assessments are given every four to nine weeks to check on students' progress. Although interim assessments are an important tool for school improvement, they are easy to misuse. In the author's work coaching principals in a number of districts, he has…

School leadership is synonymous with challenge. However, some school leaders face true crises--situations threatening the continuing existence of their school. "Leading Schools During Crisis" analyzes leadership and behaviors of principals in these extraordinary circumstances. A simultaneously scholarly and practice-oriented book,…

Public school administrators face many challenges in the education profession including declining student enrollment, budget reductions, and employee layoffs. These challenges often lead to organizational change. Facing these challenges requires the need for effective school administrators with the skills to manage organizational change in a way…

The purpose of this mixed-method design study is to evaluate how well the Maryland Task Force on the Principalship recommendations have been implemented throughout the state of Maryland. The study examines Maryland principal perceptions as to whether or not the Task Force recommendations have been implemented in their county school districts. The…

Effective principals are those who boost academic achievement for all students, increase the effectiveness of their teaching staffs, and consistently take leadership actions shown to improve outcomes for students. Therefore principal evaluation systems should place 70% of their weight on the ability of principals to increase student achievement…

With the need to meet a set of higher accountability standards such as Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) Standards and the AYP benchmarks of the NCLB Act, for example, school principals are faced with the knowledge that they play a vital role in school effectiveness as well as teacher retention, parent participation, and…

Scholarship on parent-principal relationships often ignores how some parental involvement can create challenges for school leaders. We analyze parent-principal relationships at an urban public K-8 school over a 30-year period, exploring how three different principals "managed" parental involvement. Our analysis reveals how these…

Several years ago, when his college first financed a writing program administrator (WPA) position--reassigned time and a budget to pay adjunct faculty stipends for program development--the author met with all the most senior adjunct faculty. "Without you," he told them, "this effort to build a better writing program won't work. Participation and…

This book describes the struggles in which inclusive-minded administrators find themselves when they promote equity initiatives. Administrators routinely struggle when they attempt to include all members of their school communities--teachers, students, and parents--the various aspects of schooling. Given the presence of a host of obstacles,…

It seems to happen every day. A meeting is called to outline a new strategy or sales plan. Down go the lights and up goes the PowerPoint. Strange phrases appear--"unlocking shareholder value," "technology-focused innovation," "maximizing utility." Lists of numbers come and go. Bullet point by bullet point, the…

In Cyprus, the introduction of management and leadership training programmes in education is still at an embryonic stage and is far from addressing the actual needs of Cypriot head teachers. Those responsible for organising inservice training programmes at the Pedagogical Institute conceded that the Cyprus educational system (CES) had failed due…