New principals face many challenges as they begin their profession. They must discover how to fit into the existing work group at their school (organizational socialization), while remaining distinct enough to contribute creatively to the growth and development of the school (leadership succession). As part of a larger phenomenological study, 10…

The fourth in a series on implementation and enforcement of major civil rights laws relating to Americans with disabilities, this report looks at how such enforcement relates to electronic and information technology. As used in this report, Electronic and Information Technology (E&IT) particularly involves the Internet, the World Wide Web, and…

Principals should support school libraries because it is in both their students' and their own best interest to do so. Quality library media programs can enhance student achievement, and informed, committed librarians can help principals enhance their own administrative practice. This ERIC Digest discusses improving student achievement, including…

Over the past decade, the United Kingdom's central government education-reform program has created new leadership and management tasks. Key questions have arisen about how leaders will work to achieve the core purpose of their schools. This paper is based on a review of 15 major research studies that examined the impact of recent educational…

This book outlines issues of concern to top decision makers in a nonprofit organization that involves volunteers, including the role of the executive staff in supporting the volunteer program. The 12 chapters in the book discuss the following topics: developing a vision for volunteer participation; questions of policy; budgeting and other resource…

This overview of substitute teaching in K-12 schools looks at why substitutes are needed, factors that attract individuals to the work, and what school administrators can do to facilitate good substitute teaching. While schools continue to utilize substitutes for traditional reasons such as personal or family illness or emergency, the school…

This paper reports on a small exploratory study of headteachers in England in 1997. Unstructured interviews were conducted with eight teachers who had been appointed to their first headship within the previous 2 years. The general theme of each interview was to explore the changes to individual perceptions that had occurred following teachers'…

This study surveyed directors of licensed and license-exempt early childhood programs in Illinois. Participating were 840 directors who responded to a mailed survey sent to 2,325 directors. Respondents were predominantly white (89 percent), with directors of color representing 11 percent of the sample. Results indicated that the majority of…

Leading with vision is critical to the success of schools. The purpose of this book is to define and describe vision-based educational leadership. The book proposes the model of a learning school in which everyone is a learner. Chapter 1 discusses the ways in which vision drives educational leadership, the organization of the schools, and learning…

This workbook documents the implementation of a technology plan for the 34 Catholic schools in the Diocese of San Jose (California) during 1994-97. Chapter 1 summarizes the following six steps in the technology planning process: (1) determining the current status and gathering information; (2) getting organized; (3) establishing direction and…

This booklet proposes a model for learning that provides insight into the underlying physiology of the brain and suggests teaching strategies of repetition, variety and pattern, and incubation consistent with that physiology. It discusses how these three strategies can be used to enhance learning in the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective…

This paper proposes a model, based on chaos theory, that explores strategic planning in higher education. It notes that chaos theory was first developed in the physical sciences to explain how apparently random activity was, in fact, complexity patterned. The paper goes on to describe how chaos theory has subsequently been applied to the social…

Despite recent attention to leadership in early care and education, the field does not have a commonly accepted definition of leadership, nor has it engaged in a systematic and collaborative discussion of the properties of leadership. This volume is intended to address these and other shortcomings. In addition to defining leadership and presenting…

This paper discusses how deans make successful transitions to leadership positions. It focuses on six areas: the typical stages of adult development; the rites of passage of new deans; how academics are socialized into administration; the keys for successful entry into the role of dean; what beginning academic leaders need to know; and what…

A study extended research on the Kentucky Principal Intern Program (KPIP), an induction program for new administrators. Study participants (N=97) were public school principals and assistant principals appointed during 1998-99. All were participating as KPIP administrator interns. Survey research was used to collect data about demographic…