Research suggests that academic institutions are not just businesses but have unique characteristics and needs. Business administrators could learn a great deal from their academic colleagues about organizational administration, and college administrators should attempt to chronicle their effective organizational practices. (MSE)

Five questions relating to the management of incompetent teachers are answered: (1) What is incompetence? (2) How can the administrator help the incompetent teacher? (3) How can principals prove incompetence during dismissal hearings? (4) What kinds of resources are needed? and (5) Why is managing incompetent teachers worth the effort? (PGD)

This description of a model program developed in Washington State for improving teachers' classroom effectiveness includes an outline of the program's 15-step process and its three key concepts--involvement, ownership, and commitment--followed by discussions of resource people and the program's two-day problem-solving retreat. (JBM)

Presents nine articles which provide a broad overview of issues and concerns related to the delivery of student services to adult learners. Specific topics include needs and interests of adult learners, marketing, special technology, adult resource centers, adult support groups, and the role of the chief student affairs officer. (JAC)

Thirty-nine principals, classified according to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, filled out quesionnaires based on Vroom's leadership behavior model and Mintzberg's 10 manageral subroles. Because the findings correlate effectiveness with time allotted to disturbance handling and entrepreneurial roles, three recent decision-science techniques are…

A survey of 39 schools in five states compared teachers' and principals' perceptions of the six most important functions of the principalship in maximizing school effectiveness. The study revealed that human resource management has the greatest impact on teachers' job satisfaction and performance. (TE)

Discusses some of the primary questions raised by school security operations and suggests ways for school administrators to successfully deal with those questions within the context of school security and educational goals. Available from Security World Magazine, P.O. Box 272, Culver City, California 90230, single copy $2.00. (Author/JG)

Blogging is a widely used means of communication for millions of Internet users around the world. Blogs, which are Web sites or Weblogs where entries may be posted on a regular basis, frequently serve as online diaries or commentaries and may include text, images, and links to other sources. Diaries are no longer kept under lock and key. Today's…

With the advent of the Internet and computer technology, today's students enjoy access to every part of the globe. Communications that once took weeks are now instantaneous. This is a far different world from the one most school administrators grew up in and, in most cases, it is an area where the knowledge of students far exceeds that of…

Research increasingly points to the relationship between effective leadership and increased student achievement. But just what constitutes effective leadership-and how to best support school leaders-has been a matter of both study and speculation. This policy brief draws on McREL's leadership research and an analysis of the needs in McREL's…

How do principals establish themselves as caring and collaborative leaders while maintaining unilateral authority? This guide reconciles the competing priorities inherent in a principal's day-to-day responsibilities. Not only will it assist new and veteran principals in their efforts to compassionately position teachers and children for success,…

This book invites readers to contemplate careers in administrative leadership. Drawing from knowledge acquired as president of Kansas State University, and from his multifarious experiences at other universities and in government service, the author takes the reader through the cycle of a presidency--from the decision to apply, to life after…

This position paper examines the important role of the principal in instruction, the importance of community to learning in rural settings, and a model of learning that engages the child and teacher in an experiential mathematical mode. The principal's influence on student achievement is indirect and proceeds from the principal's roles as resource…

The main purpose of this book is to help teachers with senior management responsibilities, and the schools and colleges that they work in, to become more effective. It is a book by practitioners for practitioners. They authors believe their book is unique, because there are so few people who have had enough management responsibility and training…

Low-test scores in literacy and mathematics have resulted in increased accountability for educators, as evidenced by statewide "high stakes: testing. The push by federal and state mandates, such as the "No Child Left Behind" Act and the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) have increased the amount of teaching and…