A research study was conducted using the small population of current graduate preparation faculty who were both NASPA members and former student affairs practitioners (n = 38). The purpose of this study was to discover the benefits and challenges faced by practitioners when moving from an administrative position to a full-time faculty position in…

A growing body of research has emphasized the social processes by which teachers adapt and transform policy as they enact it in their classrooms. Yet little attention has been paid to the role of school leaders in this process. Drawing on sociological theories of sensemaking, this article investigates how principals in two California elementary…

The public school superintendency is the most powerful position in U.S. schools. Yet research has shown that women who hold the position have difficulty talking about power (Brunner, 2000). I designed a mixed methods study to investigate how women school superintendents viewed their uses of power. A survey was sent to all women superintendents…

The reader is the new superintendent recently appointed by the Board. In their new role, they will certainly face many difficult and complex challenges. To accomplish this task, the first step in the process is to establish with the cabinet and Board of Trustees a definition of a "shared vision" and "strategic plan" and what process would be used…

To study elementary school principals' understandings and enactments of instructional leadership, we collected data through individual interviews, focus-group discussions, and in-school observations. Three categories captured principals' conceptualizations of instructional leadership: curriculum expertise, formal delivery of professional…

This study examines the impact of secondary school culture on the dual student outcomes of academic achievement and engagement with the institution attended. Elements of school culture were identified, specifically the roles played by administrators, the professional teaching staff, and the adolescent peer group. A mixed-method research design was…

This article is based on interviews with 67 primary school teachers and principals in Iceland about changes in the work of teachers during the last part of the twentieth century. The focus is on what teachers and principals understand as the most important change, how it affects teachers' work lives, and how they talk about change. The changes…

Administrators should have command of sound curriculum practices, effective teaching methods, and the ability to determine whether students are actually learning. As a result of evaluating/documenting practice in the field, educational leaders will be in a better position to influence and change teaching practices. The goal of this research was to…

Principal preparation programs are designed to create and prepare effective school leaders. These programs pursue many pathways to achieve this goal. This study highlighted the significance of framing this pursuit around the Educational Leadership Council Standards (ELCC; Wilmore, 2002) and Malcolm Knowles' (1970) adult learning theory. In…

Although women comprise about 65% of the educational workforce, they occupy only about 14% of the superintendent positions nationwide. In the past, some theorists accounted for the underrepresentation of women by claiming that women were not assertive enough, didn't want the power, lacked self-confidence, didn't aspire to line positions, were…

In a climate of accountability, the development of "assessment literacy" among school professionals has become critical to school success. The provision of "assessment leadership" is viewed as the means by which such literacy can be enhanced. The writers examine the conditions under which student achievement gains can be…

There was a time in U.S. education when good management might have sufficed. If administrators balanced the budgets, hired adequate staff, and purchased the established instructional curricula, they did enough. However, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) changed that dramatically. Today, districts are accountable for the academic proficiency of…

A demographic time bomb is ticking in many school jurisdictions. Up to 70 per cent of present leaders in the private and public sectors will retire within the next five to ten years as the "baby boomers" move on. While succession planning has become a major initiative in the private sector, leadership succession in education tends to hew…

Purpose: This research aims to analyse student bullying and faculty trust in elementary schools in the state of Texas. Design/methodology/approach: Two dimensions of school bullying (teacher protection and student bullying) and three aspects of faculty trust (in clients, colleagues and the principal) were examined. Findings: In general, the better…

This article presents findings from a qualitative case study that examined the role of teacher leaders amid whole school reform. Findings suggest that leadership is ambiguous: a contested notion between principal and teacher(s) and among teachers as well. This ambiguity was manifest on the conceptual and operational levels and significantly…