This paper reports on an empirical study of how structure, culture, and message content affected communications between principals and teachers in one Swedish school. The study revealed that communication within this school merely transmitted the information necessary for conducting daily work, which resulted in predictable behaviors, rather than stimulating learning and encouraging challenging dialogue about significant pedagogical and school improvement issues. (Contains 2 tables.)
Topics: ERIC Archive, Principals, Student Attitudes, Foreign Countries, Teachers, Educational Change,...
Given the financial constraints facing U.S. schools and the expense of cutting-edge technology, partnerships between schools and corporations that specialize in technology are becoming more vital in the quest to remain competitive in today's educational market. Schools can benefit from these partnerships by receiving the latest hardware and software, and corporations benefit from increased profits. To find out exactly what (besides money) matters when principals engage in technology...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Computer Software, Guidelines, Educational Technology, Corporations, Principals,...
In this article, the author explores the promising practices of Audrey Union (all names in this article are pseudonyms), a white principal of Integration Middle School (IMS), which served nearly 400 students in sixth through ninth grades. Approximately 40% of the students were of color and a similar percentage qualified for free and reduced lunch. In particular, the author examines Audrey's influence in creating systemic, sustained, and differentiated professional development for social justice...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Educational Change, Justice, Faculty Development, Principals, Social Integration,...
Meaning-making is vital in the realm of principalship. It serves as the fulcrum of one's practice which eventually leads to seeing the light and appreciating the serendipity of principalship. While explicit knowledge abounds in the literature and is communicated in professional development programs, the role of the principals' tacit knowledge derived from their experiences, day-to-day dealings with the school's stakeholders, observations, insights, and reflections are vital inputs in...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Principals, Foreign Countries, Role, Knowledge Level, Secondary Education,...
This study investigated the relationship between professionally and personally inviting behaviors of high school principals in the state of Mississippi and: (a) Teacher Job Satisfaction, (b) Principal Effectiveness, (c) Principal as an Agent of School Improvement, and (d) Principal's Invitational Quotient, and (e) The Computed Accreditation Performance Index of their respective school district. The foundation for this study evolved as an extension of earlier research (Asbill, 1994) that...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Educational Change, Job Satisfaction, Principals, Administrator Effectiveness, School...
The role of the principal as it relates to the education of gifted and talented children in programs and schools has been discussed in a variety of articles related to desired skills, competencies, or characteristics. Yet, the research is neither extensive nor recent, especially pertaining to the role of the elementary administrator of schools for gifted learners. This article presents two different views on the role of the elementary school administrator shared by two principals of private and...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academically Gifted, Parent Role, Principals, Administrator Role, Elementary Schools,...
Empirical research on the philosophies, beliefs, and actions of school administrators such as principals or superintendents toward talented students is largely nonexistent in the published literature. What little is known suggests that administrators are crucial, but that advocates of services for high-ability learners need to carry the message more effectively to school leaders. While the knowledge base on the understanding and support of the school administrator for specialized services for...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academically Gifted, Talent, Instructional Leadership, Principals, Administrators,...
The school system is a green pasture for inexhaustible investigations for the purpose of enhancing academic achievement. The reason is that factors and variables within the confines of educational activities appear also to be inexhaustible. One such factor that attracted an investigation is "administrative stress" as it affects secondary school principals. This paper presents the results of a research conducted on the subject. Five hypotheses were proposed. The results revealed that...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Educational Facilities, Principals, Secondary Schools, Administrator Role, Work...
The literature on educational marketing to date has been concerned with the ways by which schools market and promote themselves in the community, their strategies to maintain and enhance their image, and the factors affecting parents and children and the processes they undergo when choosing their junior high and high school. Yet, there remains a paucity of research on principals' patterns of involvement in the marketing and image-building of their schools, and on the potential impact of these...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Principals, Role, Student Recruitment, Public Relations, Marketing, Competition,...
The purpose of this study was to assess a statewide cadre of public school principals in terms of their attraction to the job of district superintendent. Two assumptions underlying the investigation were that (1) participant self-reported capability to become a superintendent impacts participant attraction to the job, and (2) participant satisfaction with facets of their current jobs and their expected satisfaction with those same job facets in the job of superintendent give an indication of...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Measurement, Participant Satisfaction, Public Schools, Principals, Career Choice,...
The issue of school leadership instability and how it affects schools and student achievement has been studied. The question of how to predict turnover of the principal remains an unknown. The purpose of this research was to search for possible relationships between certain contextual variables and principal turnover and to test the independent variables as predictors of principal turnover frequency. The study reported here focused on the frequency of principal turnover. The term...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Public Schools, Elementary Schools, Instructional Leadership, Principals, Context...
The increased emphasis on standards-based school accountability since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is focusing critical attention on the professional development of school principals and their ability to meet the challenges of improving student outcomes. While rural school districts are dealing with many of the same issues facing urban districts, there are unique challenges that rural school principals face. However, effective professional development that addresses the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Rural Schools, School Restructuring, Federal Legislation, Educational Change,...
The perspectives of three rural middle school principals as they implement Georgia's A Plus Education Reform Act of 2000 were investigated in this study. A case study approach was used, employing both within case and cross case analyses. Three interviews were conducted with each of the three participants, resulting in a total of nine interviews. Five perspectives emerged from the data: (1) Evaluation of teacher effectiveness can be indicated only by the results of standardized tests, (2)...
Topics: ERIC Archive, School Schedules, Middle Schools, Teacher Effectiveness, Supervision, Standardized...
One process for retaining experienced, qualified teachers is to provide them with opportunities to grow professionally (Blase & Blase, 2001). The intent of this paper is to provide information about meeting the needs of experienced, qualified rural teachers, especially in the area of professional development. A story line of one rural science teacher's journey with professional development opportunities and experiences is shared. Her principal's role is also described. Also included is a...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Rural Schools, Science Teachers, Teaching Experience, Educational Opportunities,...
This study examines how rural elementary school administrators perceive the effects of high-stakes testing in comparison to suburban and urban elementary administrators. High-stakes testing had a greater impact, both positively and negatively, on rural administrators than on their counterparts in suburban and urban schools. Specifically, the positive effects were that rural administrators were more motivated by the testing program to do a better job, found the test results more useful in...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Rural Schools, Test Results, Testing Programs, Testing, Academic Achievement, High...
Schools in 47 high-poverty school districts located mostly along the Atlantic Coast of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia may have a head start on new requirements of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, thanks to a $6 million grant from the National Science Foundation. Begun in April 2000, the five-year Coastal Rural Systemic Initiative (CRSI) is striving to stimulate sustainable systemic improvements in science and mathematics education in school districts with a long...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Rural Schools, Poverty, Federal Legislation, Disadvantaged Youth, School Districts,...
The Principals Excellence Program (PEP), a cohort-based professional development project for administrator-certified practitioners, is one of 24 projects across the United States supported by federal funds from the No Child Left Behind legislation. The three-year program is conducted through a partnership between Pike County School District, a high-need rural system in Central Appalachia, and the University of Kentucky, located 150 miles away. A major goal for PEP is improved school leadership...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Mentors, Federal Legislation, Holistic Evaluation, Leadership Effectiveness, School...
This case study details the events surrounding a gay student's "coming out" in a small, rural high school. Through the eyes and experiences of the student, his teachers, classmates, and community, we hear the story of how the school and community dealt with an issue they had never before actively considered. Through qualitative interviews, the former high school principal describes reactions and lessons learned as the student made his sexual orientation known, attended prom, and was...
Topics: ERIC Archive, High Schools, Sexual Orientation, Homosexuality, Principals, Case Studies, Rural...
In the attempt to gage innovative approaches to school leadership, this article seeks to investigate the possible application of Critical Race Theory (CRT) to school leadership. Expounding on Solorzano and Villalapando's application of CRT (1997), the hope is to engage the field of school leadership with constructive critique and suggestions for administrators who are dedicated to social justice and the well-being of students and staff. This article further seeks to address the question: How...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Urban Schools, Race, Justice, Instructional Leadership, Principals, Critical Theory,...
Our study investigated patterns of female participation as secondary principals that have varied across contexts and changed slowly. Researchers interviewed decision makers from a purposive sample of 10 urban and rural school districts in Ontario, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia, gathering data from structured telephone interviews, policy documents, and statistical information. The needs of a system took precedence over those of individuals. Many participants denied that gender...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Rural Schools, Females, Leadership Styles, Foreign Countries, Gender Differences,...
The passage of the 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as well as the increased numbers of students with disabilities being educated part or full time in general education classes, create significant challenges for teacher preparation programs for both special and general education teachers. In response to legislative and policy changes, a growing number of schools and districts across the United States are adopting inclusive education models that...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Inclusive Schools, General Education, Disabilities, Special Education Teachers,...
The National Policy Board of Educational Administration reflects the belief that principals should be taught processes for experimenting and learning from real world data to meet the challenges of the work environment. This study of practicing principals yielded a content analysis of 482 responses, which reflect the need for principals to effectively use data available on their campuses. This study more clearly defined the content and strategies that should be used in the training of...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Administrator Education, Educational Administration, Content Analysis, Instructional...
This article captures how a web-based course, designed as a part of the School Leadership Grant Program, meets some challenges of leadership training and development. The content, structure and discussion board exercises of the sample course are designed to provide more reflective and practical opportunities for leader-learners to develop expertise. In addition, the article discusses the opportunities and problems that lie in the written form, including the rich information sources and e-mail...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Web Based Instruction, Leadership Training, Grants, Instructional Leadership,...
We queried Florida elementary teachers about how they perceived their principals' professional and personal inviting leadership behaviors during a time when many teachers and principals felt a lot of pressure due to test-based accountability. Despite the pressure, teachers reported that their principals demonstrated fairly high levels of inviting leadership behaviors. Further, we found a positive relationship between elementary teachers' perceptions of their principal's inviting leadership...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Job Satisfaction, Academic Achievement, Educational Practices, Accountability,...
The authors report a study in which they examined how principals utilize instructional leadership in high schools within a Hispanic majority context. The emphasis was on students' academic performance, goal development and implementation, school culture, and instructional management, which make up the broader theoretical framework of school leadership. Following a multiple case study approach, two successful high schools in the south of a central state participated in the study. These schools...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Orientation, Leadership Effectiveness, Instructional Leadership, Principals, Hispanic...
Although there is some important scholarly work on the problem of workplace mistreatment/abuse, theoretical or empirical work on abusive school principals is nonexistent. Symbolic interactionism was the theoretical structure for the present study. This perspective on social research is founded on three primary assumptions: (1) individuals act toward things and people on the basis of the meanings that things have for them; (2) the meaning of such things are derived from, or arise out of, the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Teacher Administrator Relationship, Interaction, Principals, Teacher Attitudes,...
Looping is the practice in which a teacher instructs the same group of students for at least two school years, following them from one grade level to the next. Once a "loop" of two or more years is completed, the teacher may start a new loop teaching a new group of students. This evaluation study of the practice of looping in a large urban school system was intended to explore its effect on student instructional outcomes, attendance, and retention rates, as well as to assess...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Looping (Teachers), Urban Schools, Elementary Schools, Comparative Analysis, Matched...
This paper addresses the extent to which government policy has helped increase the number and diversity of private secondary schools in Hong Kong, which, in turn, has expanded the options for parental choice. Five indicators were selected to measure this objective. They are as follows: (1) Number of private schools and students enrolled; (2) Types of private schools and their curriculum; (3) Number of aided schools joining the Direct Subsidy Scheme; (4) Number of government-built premises...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Secondary Schools, Private Schools, Foreign Countries, Public Policy, Policy...
This study reports on lessons learned from pre-service principals as they completed the Instructional Leadership Work Sample project and became instructional leaders. Data were collected from 150 participants over a four-semester time period. Teacher partners for the study were recruited from a variety of subject areas and from three organizational levels. (Contains 1 figure and 3 tables.)
Topics: ERIC Archive, Work Sample Tests, Instructional Leadership, Principals, Partnerships in Education,...
Few studies provide insight into how California principals perceive Proposition 227 and its impact on bilingual education. The findings of a survey distributed to 100 randomly selected California principals with bilingual programs, indicate the law passed by California voters has not changed the perceptions of California principals towards bilingual education. (Contains 3 tables.)
Topics: ERIC Archive, Bilingual Education, Bilingual Education Programs, Principals, Bilingualism,...
"Conversations With Principals: Issues, Values, and Politics," is a unique compilation of interviews with principals at the elementary, middle, and secondary levels. This book allows the readers the unusual opportunity to experience the inner voice of principals as they discuss the many decisions they make and the multitude of people they must engage. The professional background of each principal is given so educators can better understand their journey to leadership positions.
Topics: ERIC Archive, Speech Communication, Politics, Leadership, Principals, Role, Politics of Education,...
An annual-case process that examines principal leadership over the course of a year can provide extensive opportunities for practitioners and professors to collect, examine, and disseminate knowledge in, of, and about practice. Such cases can support professional development and pre-service preparation and become bases for research across multiple sites. (Contains 4 figures.)
Topics: ERIC Archive, Professional Development, Principals, Instructional Leadership, Documentation,...
The goal of this comparative study was to explore the online interactions among members of two learning communities. The two cases examined two different cohorts in the same professional preparation program for school principals and administrators: a distance-learning cohort and an onsite university-district partnership cohort in which online activities supported face-to-face instructional delivery. Of interest here was how students wrestled together to interpret, understand, and support their...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Role, Computer Mediated Communication, Academic Achievement, Learning Activities,...
With the advent of recent standards for educational leadership and the increasing complexity of a principal's job, there is a dire need for assistant principals to participate in clearly defined and consistent professional development growth activities. This study examines professional development needs of assistant principals, including their perspectives toward such endeavors. This paper is intended to assist those planning and providing such programs in satisfying the needs of individuals as...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Assistant Principals, State Standards, Professional Development, Instructional...
The purpose of this study was to validate the instrument, Administrator Dispositions Index (ADI), that measures the dispositions of effective school leaders. The ADI could be used to assess administrator candidate dispositions and to integrate dispositions of effective school leaders into the curricula of administrator preparation programs. (Contains 6 tables.)
Topics: ERIC Archive, Administrator Education, Administrator Characteristics, Administrator Role,...
Increasingly, the viability of university programs to develop in school leaders the knowledge, skills and dispositions needed to bring about reform are being questioned. This article uses case study methodology for looking at how an increasing emphasis on collaborative inquiry in one university's program influenced a school principal several years after that principal had completed his master's degree program in educational leadership. The principal explains his approach to accountability and...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Educational Change, Instructional Leadership, Educational Improvement, Principals,...
This article addresses the failure of sustainability of reform efforts in public school systems by reconceptualizing the perplexing notion of sustainability through a case study to discern the skill sets needed of principals to sustain reforms in urban settings. This study draws on perceptual data gathered from principals in 36 schools in one urban district. Findings show a difference in the ranking of skill sets among elementary, middle, and high school principals, suggesting the need for...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Educational Change, Public Education, Leadership, Principals, Case Studies, Job...
This invited paper explores challenges involved in developing an equity agenda that will create school and district cultures that can effectively address issues of race that are reflected by the achievement gap. Based on a presentation at the Fall 2005 CAPEA conference, the authors explore issues that influence how school systems work and do not work for parents and students of color. The paper also addresses equity and the ways in which educators need to engage with each other and the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Student Diversity, Principals, Racial Discrimination, Equal Education, Systems...
School university partnerships have become important in the reform efforts to develop the next generation of school leaders. This study examines one university's approach of working with several school districts as partners in the development of school leaders. Findings include benefits and concerns from the perspective of students, faculty, and adjunct instructors.
Topics: ERIC Archive, Administrator Education, Partnerships in Education, College School Cooperation,...
The shortage of principals in California is examined in this article. While the data show that there is not a shortage of individuals having the necessary credential to hold the position, often there are not enough applicants for principal positions. Reconceptualizing and restructuring of principal positions are emphasized as potentially correct solutions. (Contains 2 tables.)
Topics: ERIC Archive, Principals, Supply and Demand, Job Applicants, Recruitment, State Standards,...
Based on qualitative research, this article aims to clarify the process of creating school-community partnerships. Two secondary schools with numerous partnerships were selected within a southern Ontario school board characterized by economic and cultural diversity. Drawing on the within- and cross-case analyses of documents, observations, and 25 semi-structured interviews with 2 principals, 1 office manager, 8 teachers and 19 community partners, the process of creating partnerships is...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Qualitative Research, Partnerships in Education, Cultural Pluralism, Foreign...
Culture differences within parent communities provide challenges for schools trying to develop a successful parental involvement policy. In this study, we explore schools' practices and policies with respect to parental involvement. This study was carried out at four elementary schools in the Netherlands. Interviews were conducted with the schools' principals concerning the schools' experiences with the parental involvement of diverse groups of parents. The results of this study indicate that...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Parent Participation, Cultural Differences, Parent School Relationship, Foreign...
A national survey of high school principals was conducted to determine whether they agreed or disagreed with selected practices and procedures used to hire high school physical education teachers. A survey instrument, developed with the help of experts in the field and consisting of 29 items, was sent to 400 randomly selected principals. Useable survey instruments returned numbered 214 for a 53.5 percent rate of return. The results revealed the schools' hiring practices, policies, and...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Physical Education, Public Schools, Personnel Selection, Surveys, High Schools,...
Little is known about dismissals in the high school coaching arena. Some research indicates that school boards and administrators dismiss an average of one in ten coaches annually. As educators who prepare future coaches and teachers, we strive to properly equip individuals pursuing this vocation by providing educational experiences that enhance coaching longevity and job security. Since sports play such a prominent role in our culture, investigation into this area would appear warranted....
Topics: ERIC Archive, High Schools, Job Security, Educational Experience, Principals, Athletic Coaches,...
Australian primary schools are mirroring international trends where textbooks become the pseudo curriculum. Some schools have adopted a publication series, and mandate its use at every year level. However, textbook-dependent mathematics programs are riddled with problems. In this article, the author argues the case against overuse of mathematics texts in classrooms. The author asserts the need for teachers, principals, and schools to challenge the textbook driven mathematics curriculum, and to...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Mathematics Curriculum, Textbooks, Mathematics Instruction, Mathematics Education,...
In this article, the author presents findings from a national project coordinated by the University of Queensland. The project was designed to explore the links between home, school, and community that supported children's numeracy development. Two of the aims of this project were to: (a) critically review recent Australian and international research in this area, with a particular emphasis on the extent to which the needs of educationally disadvantaged students are addressed in current...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Educationally Disadvantaged, Numeracy, Foreign Countries, Primary Education, Early...
In 1931, the Southern California community of Lemon Grove served as the unlikely stage for a dramatic and significant civil rights court case. A group of Mexican and Mexican-American parents and their children won a major victory in the battle against school segregation and the notion of separate but equal facilities. The case, now commonly referred to as the Lemon Grove Incident, was the nation's first recognized court-ordered school desegregation case. The Lemon Grove parents' efforts and...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Civil Rights, School Desegregation, Court Litigation, Principals, Mexicans, Mexican...
Crafting a positive school work environment takes time and will that many educators often lack. Yet some experts say that how the principal, teachers, and staff get along is paramount to parental involvement and to cutting-edge instruction. Unfortunately, according to this author, the workplace culture in many schools is undeniably dysfunctional. Energy is used to gossip, compete, and divide instead of to communicate, collaborate, and unite. In this article, the author offers some signs that...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Parent Participation, Educational Environment, Teacher Student Relationship, Teacher...
Some principals have personalities that can drive teachers around the bend and back again. Sure, most are wonderful bosses who support teachers in any way, but woe betide teachers if they are unlucky enough to run across one of the six dreaded "problem principals" identified in this article. Teachers do not have to be held hostage by difficult leadership styles. In this article, the author offers teachers a guide on how to neutralize the negativity of their principals.
Topics: ERIC Archive, Leadership Styles, Leadership, Principals, Teacher Guidance, Educational...
Sometimes teachers do not understand their principals. Some teachers think that principals have forgotten what it's like to be in a classroom. To provide insight into what principals think, the author asked several principals in a variety of schools. This article presents the attitudes, concerns, and priorities of principals.
Topics: ERIC Archive, Administrator Attitudes, Teacher Administrator Relationship, Administrator Role,...